Command and Conquer: Introducing Modern Horizons 3’s New Commanders

Modern Horizons 3 is the latest ‘Horizons’ set, which differs from the typical releases in that it’s designed to skip Standard and go straight to the Modern format (and Legacy, Vintage, Commander, etc). This is because the power level is so high, both with new cards and reprints, that it would tear Standard apart if it were allowed to roam free. In fact, looking at the top 8 of the most recent Pro Tour, it’s even tearing Modern apart thanks to Nadu, Winged Wisdom, and friends!

Despite the set’s focus, and name, being about the Modern format, Modern Horizons 3 has released with four new Commander decks and some really fun new MTG Commanders, much to many players’ surprise, and jest that really the set is ‘Commander Horizons’. It’s not far from the truth; this set is bound to have an impact on the format, providing fantastic new Commander options and upgrades to a plethora of decks.

The set is, in many ways, is a love letter to Magic’s past – for example Psychic Frog being a riff on Pyschatog and Necrodominance a less-than-subtle ‘fixed’ Necropotence – meaning there are more than 50 mechanics from Magic’s past that feature in Modern Horizons 3. It’s therefore a little more complex than the average set. However, there are some themes that feature more than others – namely Eldrazi (which, thanks to Writhing Chrysalis, took over the Limited format) and Energy. As such, these make up two of the set’s four Commander decks. Let’s take a look at them and their MTG Commanders in more detail.

Profiles of the new commanders – decks, strategy and deckbuilding

Eldrazi Incursion – Ulalek, Fused Atrocity

As the name suggests, Eldrazi Incursion is an Eldrazi focused deck. Interestingly, unlike Eldrazi decks of the past, Eldrazi Incursion is five-colour rather than colourless. Its ‘face’ Commander is Ulalek, Fused Atrocity, who, in terms of lore, is a fusion of parts of Ulamog and Kozilek on an unknown plane, and who has elements of both titans: Ulamog’s abilities to wrap physical properties and Kozilek’s to warp reality. This deck is aimed to start ramping with small Eldrazi spawn and scions to eventually cast some of the biggest and scariest monsters in the game.

As a card, Ulalek, Fused Atrocity is hugely powerful. Coming down as cheaply as just five mana (either WUBRG, colourless, or a combination of the two), Ulalek allows you two pay two colourless each time you cast an Eldrazi to copy all spells you control AND all triggered and activated abilities (including those unbeatable ‘cast’ triggers on the huge titans). When thinking about how hugely powerful the Eldrazis are and their abilities, this can get out of control very quickly.

Understanding how best to use Ulalek involves getting your head around the stack but simply put, cast the spell you want to copy, put any triggered abilities on the stack, activate any activated abilities you have in response to get them on the stack too, and then it’s time to activate Ulalek’s ability and copy them all! It’ll take a bit of planning, but you’ll be hugely rewarded. Ulamog’s Dreadsire will now provide TWO 10/10 tokens, or copy an Elder Deep Fiend to tap EIGHT of your opponent’s permanents and put two 5/6s into play ideally during your opponent’s upkeep to tap down their lands.  

Eldrazi players are now faced with a choice, keep things colourless, or go for all five colours. The sheer power of Eldrazi Incursion and Ulalek, from huge monsters to value-laden copy effects will make it hard for many decks to keep up with.

Graveyard Overdrive – Disa, the Restless

Full disclosure, Graveyard Overdrive is the deck I personally pre-ordered the minute it was revealed. Graveyard Overdrive is a Jund deck that’s all about filling up the graveyard to fuel powerful attacks. But what really appealed to me is the deck’s subtheme – Lhurgoyfs!

The deck is headlined by Disa, the Restless. Her history goes all the way back to Ice Age in 1995! Disa was a Kjeldoran explorer and scout, and her lore that relates to her card refers to her travels to the Fyndhorn forests where she and her companions were ambushed by a Lhurgoyf, which, rather than kill, she was able to tame. Throughout the rest of her travels, she was able to use the creatures to help and protect her.

There have been numerous Lhurgoyf’s in Magic: the Gathering’s history, starting from the eponymous card in Ice Age, to perhaps the most famous of all, Tarmogoyf in Future Sight. For a long time, Tarmogoyf was one of the best creatures in the game, a mainstay in both Standard and Modern, and carrying an eye-watering price tag of £100+. Due to the power creep of, ironically, sets like Modern Horizons 3, Tarmogoyf isn’t what it once was, but remains an indelible part of MTG’s history, especially in old school Modern Jund.

It's fitting, then, that Disa the Restless is a Jund commander who cares about lhurgoyfs. Much like the creature she tamed rather than killed, Disa puts any lhurgofys that would go into the graveyard (from anywhere other than the battlefield) into play, while also creating Tarmogoyf tokens whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to an opponent. This mean Disa wants to do two things: cheat lhurgoyfs into play via mill and self-discard, and make sure creatures can deal combat damage to players. Cards like Grisly Salvage enable you to find cards you need while cheating in ‘Goyfs, and remember ‘changeling’ creatures like Graveshifter are lhurgoyfs in disguise! Creatures with evasion, whether that be flying or shadow, or simply packing lots of removal to clear the way, are good approaches to make sure creatures connect. Seeing as you’re already milling and discarding, a powerful reanimator subtheme can be built in too.

Creative Energy

Creative Energy focuses on the other big theme of Modern Horizons 3, Energy. Energy as a mechanic almost appeared all the way back in Mirrodin, but didn’t actually appear until much later in Kaladesh. Providing players with an additional resource for free, energy was known for being broken in Standard, from combo to midrange decks, leading to multiple cards being banned. Energy, however, didn’t have the same impact on Modern, and there weren’t lots of options when it came to Commander… until now! Creative Energy is a Jescai deck that’s all about generating tonnes of energy counters to increase the power level of all your cards and lead to some electrifying pay-offs.

The deck is fronted by Satya, Aetherflux Genius, who makes token copies of creatures you control when he attacks while netting two energy, and allows you to keep them around by paying energy. Obviously any energy cards work well with Satya, either providing more of a resource to fuel his ability, or using the energy he nets for other purposes. As Satya wants to create token copies of creatures, any creatures with abilities that stack or have enter the battlefield triggers (Angel of Invention being an example of both) work especially well. Satya does love to attack, and while already having haste and menace, more ways to ensure he won’t die in combat are essential. The strength of this deck is that we already know providing players with the additional resource of energy is viable in constructed, so other decks could struggle to keep pace with the value Creative Energy will create.

Tricky Terrain

Tricky Terrain is indicative of what is fast becoming Green/Blue’s primary identity – lands matter. Put simply, this deck wants to ramp up to huge threats and stamp all over the opposition. The commander Omo, Queen of Vesuva, however, can allow much more trickiness than just the straight-forward ramp package. Hailing from Vesuva, an island that’s home to shapeshifters, Omo allows you to put ‘everything’ counters on lands and creatures, making them every land and creature type.

Lands wise, this means you can make normal lands into Urza or Locus lands, for example, meaning they’ll tap for the extra mana (see Urza’s Tower and Cloudpost). Maze’s End is also nice, as Omo can turn any lands into Gates, providing an additional win-con. The pre-con deck even comes with some classic land combos, including Dark Depths and Vesuva/Thespian Stage, allowing you to copy the Dark Depths but without the counters, creating an instant giant monster!

Thinking about creatures, Omo has the really fun ability to make a tribal deck for all creature types. So you can run Priest of Titania alongside Azami, Lady of Scrolls, and have them work alongside each other as both elves and wizards to add loads of mana and draw copious amounts of cards.

The beauty of this deck and Omo is that you can get as tricky as you like, or just keep it simple – ramp into huge monsters and smash!

Where to buy Modern Horizons 3 at Magic Madhouse

If this article has whetted your appetite, the good news is that you don’t have to look very far to get your hands on these exciting new commanders. Each can be bought on Magic Madhouse, either as single cards, or within the new decks they are leading. You can also find singles and sealed product for the main Modern Horizons 3 set – all available right now!