by Sara Cate Galasso
With the arrival of Modern Horizons 3 for Magic: The Gathering, some new fans to the game may be wondering what exactly this new release comprises, since there is no obvious, overarching motif or related story lore that accompanies it like other expansions and set releases prior. Don’t worry, this isn’t complicated: Modern Horizons 3 is simply the third installment of booster set cards for Magic: The Gathering that are meant for the Modern format of play. So, Modern Horizons 3 just means new cards have been added to the list of legal cards to play with in Modern format, whether they are brand new to all players, or throwbacks to old cards redesigned with new art or frames.
What is Modern Format?
Generally speaking, Modern is a format that allows cards from expansion sets, core sets, and of course Modern Horizons booster sets, from Eighth Edition forward. (Of course, there still exists a Modern ban list, or a list of cards that are NOT legal for Modern play, that should be referenced when making a Modern deck.) Essentially, Modern allows all cards that have been printed in a core or expansion set using the modern card frame, with a few exceptions.
The basic rules of Modern format are as follows:
- Constructed decks must contain a minimum of sixty cards
- There is no maximum deck size (however you must be able to shuffle your own deck without assistance!)
- A sideboard of exactly fifteen or zero cards can be used
- A player's combined deck and sideboard may not contain more than four of any individual card, which is counted by its English card title equivalent. This excludes basic lands (land cards that have the "basic" supertype)
And that’s it! As long as your cards are from the Eighth Edition or onward and are not on the Banned List, they are probably safe to use in a Modern deck, so go forth, construct new decks to your heart’s content, and embrace the freedom that playing the Modern format provides!
If you’re looking for some highlights from the latest release, our line of Modern Horizons 3 accessories features our favorite MH3 new art on a wide assortment of tabletop products, so you can safely build, play and store your new Modern decks in accessories featuring new designs you love! Here are a few of our top picks:
Phel, Exuberant Herder
Who doesn’t like cute puppies? And taking it a step further, who doesn’t love adorable corgis?! This design sparks joy, or rather, barks joy, among all who see it. So why not sleeve your cards in something equally as delightful to look at as it is to shuffle with? Our latest release of APEX™ Deck Protector Sleeves featuring this herd-happy pup bounding in a pile of leaves offers not only a fetching design for every “dog dad” and “crazy-dog-lady”, but also a smooth gliding shuffle that tabletop fans just can’t get enough of! And, if you’re looking to double (or triple!) up on your matching accessories, Phel, Exuberant Herder is also available on a premium Holofoil Playmat, and an Alcove Flip Deck Box® for maximum cuteness!
Eldrazi Storm
Feast your eyes upon this colossal collection of tabletop accessories featuring the latest Eldrazi Titan artwork! Eldrazi Titans, an ancient race of creatures with insatiable, plane-destroying appetites for mana and life energy, are a fan-favorite for a reason. Enormously powerful, genderless, and ever-hungry entities that can take the shape of horrific, tentacle-splaying sea creatures? Yeah, that rules. And their newest Modern Horizons 3 artwork lives up to the myth, depicting a churning, raging storm of the three best-known Eldrazi Titans, Ulamog, Kozilek, and Emrakul as they wreak cosmic havoc on a defenseless ship adrift in a roiling sea. You can devour this image yourself on a 12-Pocket PRO-Binder, which stores a whopping 480 cards inside side-loading pockets, as well as a Wall Scroll, Spiral Life Pad, and the titanic-sized 6-foot Tablemat as big as any Eldrazi. Hungry for even more Eldrazi accessories? Don’t miss the AR-Enhanced Emrakul Playmat, featuring enhanced animations in partnership with Pinfinity!
Commander Collection
Modern Horizons 3 abounds with Commanders of all kinds, so fans of the Commander format will love the latest selection of accessories that support their decks and display their Commanders of choice, like 100+ Deck Boxes, Deck Protector Sleeves, and Playmats featuring Commanders like Ede, Queen of Vesuva, Disa the Restless, Satya, Aetherflux Genius, and Ulalek, Merged Atrocity, to name a few. Even non-Commander players will love the latest Pop Art Medley comprising a wide assortment of Modern Horizons 3 Commanders in a colorful collage of side-profile art, in full display on a snazzy 4-Pocket PRO-Binder as well as a premium Stitched Edge Playmat to bring some bold fun to every tabletop. (And, can you guess which above-mentioned Corgi pup and Eldrazi Titans also make an appearance in this Commander pop medley artwork? Yep, worlds collide with Commander accessories!)
Whichever format you prefer, our Modern Horizons 3 collection of tabletop accessories offers something fun for everyone, so expand your horizons today!
