Commander Review: Best Cards from Modern Horizons 3

Magic: The Gathering's newest set, Modern Horizons 3 is finally out! Even though this was a Modern-based set, it was also a treat for Commander players. Let's review "Commander Horizons 3" and see what are the best cards for Commander!

Note - we won't review any reprints, only the new cards released in this set. We will also not mention any cards exclusive to precon Commander decks. So, we'll highlight all cards that have potential for the standard Commander table, also known as EDH, and focus on casual-play. We divided these cards as usual: colors and rarities.

Uncommon

A Thalia, Guardian of Thraben that ramps? It has to be good! Jokes aside, Charitable Levy is a great card for Stax archetypes. Usually, this archetype taxes other players precisely to prevent them from ramping early on, so ramping after you delay other players by 3 non-creature spells seems incredible.

Decks that focus on +1/+1 counters are incredibly common, and get more support in every set, it seems like. Envoy of the Ancestors is a straightforward card, similar to Abzan Battle Priest, but it costs one mana less and also gives lifelink to your modified creatures.

This means Envoy of the Ancestors might fit equipment and aura decks, for instance. After all, gaining life is an important resource to remain stable in the game. The fact it's incredibly sustainable is what earned this card a mention.

We'll list almost all new MDFC cards with one color or two because the MDFC mechanic is just incredibly useful. Witch Enchanter is a white Reclamation Sage or a land for 3 life. It is simple, strong, interesting, and useful.

The best thing about MDFCs is their utility, and that's why they're so popular in Commander as well. After all, this format is based on creativity and utility.

Rare

Argent Dais is quite intriguing, particularly because its text mentions "when two or more creatures attack". This means they don't have to be your creatures. If you pay 2 mana and tap it, you get to exile a target nonland permanent, and their controller will draw 2 cards to "make up for it".

The fact it isn't limited to sorcery speed makes it even better, considering you'll be able to remove basically any problematic permanent your opponents play as an answer. Worst-case scenario, you get to exile one of your own tokens to draw 2 cards for just 2 mana. It might be even better in decks that proliferate.

We'll also mention the entire Flare cycle because they all compete with the spells that are free if you control a commander. Flare of Fortitude is not only a Heroic Intervention for free: it is practically a Fog.

It competes with Teferi's Protection for the title of best white protection, particularly because it doesn't only protect your creatures, as usual, but all your permanents, and also gives them hexproof on top of it all. Usually, you get indestructible, and nothing else, but the fact this card has all of these effects is precisely what makes it so strong. I expect to see many Flare of Fortitude in this format.

Aura decks are also really common nowadays, so the more support you get for this archetype, the better. Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice got an incredible partner: Pearl-Ear, Imperial Advisor.

Pearl-Ear, besides discounting the cost of your enchantments, also draws you cards, and thus gives decks like Light-Paws and similar the support they need. The fact it has lifelink is just another bonus; it is a good keyword in a creature you can enchant to trigger its own effect.

We might see a deck entirely centered around Pearl-Ear soon, but, for now, it seems like it will just be a support card in decks focused on auras and enchantments.

Modern Horizons 3 brought us some impressive support for energy decks - they even released a precon Commander deck with this theme. Wrath of the Skies is one of these impressive support cards. It is basically a white Gaze of Granite that also gives you energy. When you play it, you can use a high X cost and very little energy to save this resource for other strategies in your deck.

It may even see play in decks that don't really focus on the energy mechanic simply because it is a good removal.

There's nothing more adorable and cute than a puppy, right? That's why we couldn't leave out Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd of our review.

Cuteness aside, this is an incredibly strong pup. It costs very little mana, you can play it as you pass because of its flash, and, if you blink it, you can possibly remove blockers, planeswalkers that are about to ult, or your opponents' problematic permanents. If you don't have any useful enemy targets, just blink one of your own useful permanents, and Phelia will get a +1/+1 counter. You might play it in your deck just to do this, but it's important to define all the functionalities this card offers. It will certainly see play in blink decks.

Mythic

Ocelot Pride is clearly a staple for token decks. treasures, clues, and food are very common nowadays in Commander, particularly next to cards like Academy Manufactor. Ocelot Pride basically doubles the number of tokens you create, and, considering the more tokens you have in token decks the better, it is quite easy to play it in these builds. It will see a lot of play with cards like the aforementioned Academy Manufactor, Mondrak, Glory Dominus, and Anointed Procession.

Uncommon

Brainsurge is an "upgraded" Brainstorm, but it costs 3 mana. It is a simple, fair card; card draw that costs 3 at instant speed is usually good, and this is also the case for Brainsurge. After all, there's nothing better than bluffing a counter and drawing cards as you pass.

This is one of the, if not the best MDFC in this set for Commander. Even those of us who don't like blue can see how much Sink into Stupor is strong: it is a Venser, Shaper Savant on one side, and an island on the other. This card will potentially fit any blue deck in this format really well.

Hydroelectric Specimen is as good as the MDFC above, and most likely will be incredibly popular. Though we already have many other cards that redirect targets and do it better, this card stands out simply because it is an MDFC.

The utility of this type of card, as we mentioned before, is enough to make players consider it in any of their blue decks.

Rare

Of course, the blue Flare is a counter. Flare of Denial may see play in several decks - Mono Blue, Dimir, Sultai - and any minimal interaction with sacrifice will extract even more out of the free cast this card gives you. Gone are the days when you could trust a control player with no untapped lands.

Now, besides Fierce Guardianship, Force of Will, and Force of Negation, you also have Flare of Denial. It has a lot of potential competitively.

Mulldrifter's cousin, Nulldrifter, is now in Commander in Eldrazi form. They released it in blue because of its color identity; after all, you can only use it with Commanders in this color. Read its text carefully. You'll draw cards when you cast it, and not when it enters the battlefield, as Mulldrifter. This might be a determining factor depending on the build you play it in, considering it won't trigger double ETB effects like Panharmonicon or Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines.

Nonetheless, it's still a 4/4 with anihilator 1, so you can use it quite often.

This card has an incredible design that will catch many players off guard. Amphibian Downpour is another debuff aura, but it has storm. This is simply fascinating and mainly why it will surprise most of your opponents.

It will greatly inconvenience that Izzet Storm player that has many creatures that discount the cost of their cards in play, and many other opponents as a bonus. Of course, this is just one case. Even if one of your opponents casts only two or three spells, it will be enough to disable practically all your opponents' commanders.

Gate players, prepare yourselves, because Harbinger of the Seas is here. Nonbasic lands in Commander are typically critical - Field of the Dead, Cabal Coffers, Glacial Chasm, Maze's End, and many others are examples of that, and force players to have more answers to land destruction. Or cards that disable them, like Harbinger of the Seas. Its Merfolk Wizard creature type is also really helpful because it means this card will easily see play in kindred/typal builds.

I imagine this card will pop up in more competitive tables, but you might just see it in other tables as well because it disrupts several archetypes.

This is one of the counters that will potentially become a staple in Commander. Strix Serenade is Swan Song's lost sister, and counters something Swan Song doesn't - artifacts, creatures, or planeswalkers. It's clearly strong because it counters a creature for just one blue mana, which shows that, with just one blue mana, you can counter any and every commander, even if they are a planeswalker. This is just one of its strengths, though, considering it counters any problematic creature or game finisher for very little.

Now, your opponents will have to fear not only An Offer You Can't Refuse and Swan Song, but also Strix Serenade, particularly when you only have one blue mana untapped.

Mythic

As if one Cyclonic Rift wasn't enough, you now have two.

Eldrazi decks always create some debate in the community: you either love them or hate them - there's rarely a middle ground. However, regardless of your taste, you can now take an Ugin's Binding straight from their graveyard as if it is a Cyclonic Rift with overload, thanks to its triggered ability.

I can see someone playing Ugin's Binding on any permanent, and then a 0-mana Not of This World right afterward. So it's a 3-mana Cyclonic Rift. Right after that, the Eldrazi player will have many free aliens ready to attack whoever they like. You can be sure of this: if the deck is a blue Eldrazi typal deck, it will definitely play Ugin's Binding.

Uncommon

Then we have this black card, which features some incredible flavor. And when I say flavor, I'm not referring to a flavor text, as sagas don't even have them. I mean their overall design and their story. The Creation of Avacyn is one of my favorite cards from this set because it is a fair tutor long-term. Obviously, some decks will use it better, either with proliferate or another similar tech, but, in general, it is quite interesting. You might have to wait 3 turns for it to actually work, but, still, I can see this card in a few budget builds and even more expensive ones. It is a good card that may see a lot of play.

Speaking of tutors, here's one more: Grim Servant. Its devotion mechanic makes it fair, and, as it has an ETB effect, you can blink it or reanimate it several times. It can definitely see play in almost any Mono Black deck, and many other builds, like Orzhov, Dimir Zombies, and so on and so forth.

In the worst case-scenario, as in you only have your own devotion to black, it is a Sol Ring tutor.

Boggart Trawler is a black MDFC with Bojuka Bog's ability in its ETB, and also a creature. This card already gains a lot of points because it is an MDFC, and also costs very little mana for its ability, which makes it somewhat unbalanced. Commander players know that nowadays you need to play some kind of graveyard hate because any one of your opponents may just take the opportunity to dig their graveyard for resources. So, removing a land to fit a Boggart Trawler is an option for today's builds.

This is one of the most beloved black uncommons in this set. It may not be an Aristocrat like Zulaport Cutthroat or Blood Artist because it doesn't gain life, but it is as annoying as they are.

Marionette Apprentice mentions not only creatures, but also artifacts that go into a graveyard. So, this means that many builds with treasure, clue, or food tokens will use it even as their game finisher. The fact it only costs two mana and creates two bodies also makes it quite interesting - you never know when you'll need blockers.

Rare

And, of course, we had to add Flare of Malice from the Flare cycle. Out of all 5 Flares, I believe this might be the easiest to cast when you sacrifice a creature in its color to pay for it - after all, sacrificing units is black's specialty. Removing high-cost planeswalkers or creatures in exchange for any of your creatures has to be good, besides easy to do with this color. This card has a lot of potential, and might become very popular in Commander.

This card scared me when I first saw it. Warren Soultrader has a lot of potential in many decks - reanimate, combo, Aristocrats, and many more. Paying one life is nothing, particularly when you play a Blood Artist or similar with it.

What stands out the most to me is the fact it creates a treasure token, and not only one mana. This opens an array of possibilities considering it creates a permanent, or three, if you use Academy Manufactor with it. It will be really popular from now on.

Shilgengar, Sire of Famine earned an honorable mention in our review as a commander. It doesn't seem that strong, but it is quite fun, particularly because it interacts with Angels. One really different build you can play is a reanimate Orzhov deck with him as your commander and plenty of Angels, like an Angel typal.

Common

This isn't a red Krosan Grip, but it's close. Siege Smash is a great card that destroys artifacts thanks to its split second, or gives you evasion through its trample buff. It earned an honorable mention as well because it's almost like a split second Abrade.

Uncommon

Usually, getting instants or sorceries back from your graveyard when one of your creatures enters the battlefield is something blue would have, like Archaeomancer. The closest we got to this type of mechanic in red was Anarchist, but it only targets sorceries. Nonetheless, Pinnacle Monk definitely breaks this trend, and also has prowess, besides being an MDFC itself.

What most stands out about this card is that it will simply replace any one of your lands, and still give you more options and resources. After all, if you need to use it as land, you can.

Rare

Flare of Duplication is quite practical because it copies instants or sorceries. It may see play competitively in Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh lists because this commander costs 0. This means it will be easier to copy one of your opponent's ramps, tutors, or counters. This might be one of the weakest out of all Flares, but that's no reason to underestimate it.

Mythic

Ashling, Flame Dancer, the iconic Elemental, has returned in Modern Horizons 3, and has a lot of potential as a commander. Her first effect, which "saves" red mana, is already quite strong, but it gets even stronger when you add in the fact that Ashling gives you 4 red mana when you cast your third spell that turn. This is an incredible commander for spellslingers, as well as one of the other 99 cards in your deck.

Common

Here's another Witness to complete your set. Besides Eternal Witness and Timeless Witness, you now have Evolution Witness. Even though it only returns permanents, and not just any card, you can use this effect multiple times: more precisely, any time one or more +1/+1 counters are put on it. In decks that focus on counters, it is a treat, particularly because it is easy to use.

Uncommon

This is a really practical uncommon; it even powercrept cards like Naturalize. Collective Resistance is a modal spell that protects one of your creatures besides also breaking an artifact or enchantment, which is just the bare minimum. Its escalate only makes it even stronger, precisely because it lets you choose all options for just 4 mana.

Monstrous Vortex is an incredibly interesting enchantment. Decks with big creatures are already a problem, so imagine them with a discover equal to the cost of the creature they just cast - they'll be a nightmare for their opponents. This is an underestimated enchantment that has a lot of synergy with many decks, particularly Mono Green lists. It might not be too popular, but it's still a great card.

We also got some green debuff auras: Song of the Dryads, Lignify, and Kenrith's Transformation are ways to deal with certain enemy cards in this color. Now you got another one: Trickster's Elk.

This is basically a Kenrith's Transformation without card draw, but it is a 3/3 body when the creature you enchanted it on leaves play. It's a terrific card that has a lot of potential.

Now, we'll mention another MDFC: Disciple of Freyalise. This is Disciple of Bolas' long-lost cousin; it has the same effect, but it costs 6 mana. We mentioned before everything that makes MDFCs incredible, and Disciple of Freyalise is a great example of why they are so great. It is even green, the color that is home to many big creatures - you'll draw a lot of cards when you sacrifice them.

Rare

This is one of the, if not the best mana dork ever made. Fanatic of Rhonas will give you 4 mana if its ferocious is active, which is just absurd. It is also extremely easy to activate it in green, and it will be even easier with its own 4-mana eternalize. This card will easily show up in any Stompy list around.

To close out our Flare cycle, we have Flare of Cultivation. You can imagine many possibilities with this card, such as playing any mana dork on turn 1 and then sacrificing it to cast Flare of Cultivation. It is practically a Cultivate or Kodama's Reach, but it is also free as a bonus.

Finally separated from Wrenn, you now have Six, in its solo version. Six gives retrace to all nonland permanents in your graveyard, which makes it great for self-mill decks and reanimate decks, as they want to take advantage of graveyard recursion. Either as your commander or one of the other 99 cards, this card works well and will get you many cards from your graveyard.

Springheart Nantuko is incredibly versatile. Eternal Witness, Terror of the Peaks, Peregrine Drake, and Gray Merchant of Asphodel are just a few cards that you could easily enchant Springheart Nantuko on and significantly impact the game.

There's an infinite number of creatures in Commander you can copy with it, and thus get a lot out of this Insect Monk.

Sowing Mycospawn is a great tutor for any land, and the best thing about it is that it happens when you cast it - this means that even if your opponent counters it, you'll still get your land. On top of it all, you get to exile one of your opponent's problematic lands, like Field of the Dead or Cabal Coffers. You'll clearly look for these lands among the many other utility lands in Commander.

Mythic

Birthing Pod is an iconic card, considering it also names the entire Pod archetype: these are decks centered around a "rising" mana cost for their creatures, which you'll search gradually. Birthing Ritual easily fits these decks, particularly because it doesn't need you to activate it and instead happens directly at the beginning of your end step.

As much as it doesn't get you cards straight from your deck, a selection of 7 cards looks like enough to make Birthing Ritual work.

Eladamri, Korvecdal shows us what green can really do: big creatures. Besides its great effect, which casts creatures directly from the top of your deck, there's also its activated ability, which cheats out a creature straight onto your battlefield, either from your hand or your topdeck. This is a great as your commander and also as one of your 99 cards in many Stompy and "big creatures" decks - it will put any useful, strong, and/or aggressive creature straight on your board, and really scare your opponents.

Uncommon

This card will catch many players off guard. For just one colorless mana, you get to counter or destroy many commanders, considering how common it is to use at least 2 colors. Because many decks play utility lands like Myriad Landscape, Demolition Field, Reliquary Tower, and similar, it will be easy to use Null Elemental Blast even though it costs one colorless mana.

Rare

As if annihilator wasn't strong enough, you will trigger it one extra time thanks to Echoes of Eternity. Besides this, we'll also copy all colorless spells. This opens an array of possibilities for you with colorless decks and cards like Field of the Dead, many mana rocks, and, of course, almost all Eldrazis. Zhulodok, Void Gorger fans will be delighted with this card, even if the rest of the table is miserable.

This card isn't as annoying as Back to Basics, but it is useful enough to see play in basically any mono color deck. Winter Moon will be great support for mono color players because it is very cheap and significantly impacts the game state when you put it in play. It will hold off many archetypes, considering how many lists use nonbasic lands nowadays.

Mythic

Out of the new three Eldrazi Titans, the most relevant and popular for Commander will clearly be Ulamog, the Defiler. Nowadays, 10 mana in Commander is nothing. Of course, Kozilek, the Broken Reality and Emrakul, the World Anew are also valuable, but most times they'll only fit typal Eldrazi builds.

Ulamog, the Defiler will literally annihilate your opponents and their decks. He is so hungry that he'll devour half an opponent's deck as soon as you cast him. While he is on the board, its annihilator will often be bigger than 5, considering Commander. And if that isn't enough, he protects himself with Ward (sacrifice two permanents). This Titan will be quite controversial in Commander from now onward, and will fit many builds.

Uncommons

Urza's Cave will potentially be in any Commander deck from now on. Nowadays, almost every deck uses some utility land that benefits from this mechanic, and Urza's Cave will put it on the board for you efficiently and fast. Reliquary Tower, Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, Cabal Coffers, Baldur's Gate, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Phyrexian Tower, and many other lands are perfect targets to do this.

This card will most likely be incredibly popular.

Rare

This new "cycle" of lands is quite fascinating, particularly Shifting Woodland and Spymaster's Vault. Shifting Woodland will open many lines for you, either copying a planeswalker or permanents like One with the Multiverse and Omniscience, for instance.

Furthermore, you'll be able to activate Spymaster's Vault with a reasonably big X because it is black. After all, playing a global removal right after conniving while playing a reanimate deck to draw and discard many cards seems incredible.

The other ones, Archway of Innovation, Arena of Glory, and Monumental Henge, are also valuable, and might be even more powerful if you find the right build for them.

Mythic

Ugin's Labyrinth will potentially see play in many decks, particularly the new Eldrazi decks that will certainly come along soon. It is almost an Ancient Tomb, but it is a bit more fair because it relies on impriting a colorless card with mana value of 7 or more to indeed create two colorless mana. If you use the Eldrazi Titans, either the old ones or the new ones, it will be easier to play this card.

And, of course, we added the 5 mono color creatures that turn into planeswalkers. These are all great commander options, and some might be useful among the other 99 cards in several builds. You can expect to see Sorin of House Markov, Grist, Voracious Larva, and Ral, Monsoon Mage much more among the other 99 because they work better in Commander. They are all valuable and pleased many fans.

This set was fantastic, and brought many new, strong cards for Commander. We have so many new commanders who created more possibilities and inspired new builds that it makes sense some people are calling this set Commander Horizons 3!

Not to mention the precons, which have many new cards that will also bring a lot to this format. One of the best things about Commander is that you can always get something out of the new set, even if very little.

Do you agree with our review? Would you mention another card we didn't? Share your thoughts with us down below in our comment section!

See you next time!