Modern is the most popular eternal competitive format in Magic: The Gathering that attracts players to tabletop events and Magic Online. The upcoming set Modern Horizons 2 is created with Modern in mind, designing new cards specifically for the format.
The original Modern Horizons in 2019 had a major impact on the format, even leading to several bans due to power-level concerns. Despite the introduction of a handful of overpowered cards, Modern Horizons accomplished the goal to create a dynamic Limited format and introduce playable cards into the high-powered format.
Modern Horizons 2 is continuing the trend of unique card designs that couldn’t be printed in a Standard-legal set, but are ideal for Modern. On today’s Weekly MTG stream on Twitch, Wizards of the Coast previewed three cards from Modern Horizons that exemplify the unique design space the set can explore.
Modern Horizons 2 will release on Magic Online on June 3 with a full tabletop release on June 18. Spoiler season for Modern Horizons 2 starts on May 24 and ends on June 2.
Urza’s Saga
- Type: Enchantment Land Urza’s Saga
- Rarity: Rare
- First ability: Urza’s Saga gains “Tap: Add one colorless mana”
- Second ability: Urza’s Saga gains “Pay two mana, tap: Create a 0/0 colorless Construct Artifact Creature token with ‘This Creature gets +1/+1 for each Artifact you control.”’
- Third ability: Search your library for an Artifact card with mana cost zero or one, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Urza’s Saga is a showcase of the experimental design that was present in the original Modern Horizons and appears to be a part of the sequel, too. Urza’s Saga is the first-ever Land Saga and creates unique lines of play.
Urza’s Saga can create colorless mana for the three turns its on the battlefield. The second chapter creates an Artifact creature that’s also created by Urza, Lord High Artificer or Karn, Scion of Urza. When the third chapter resolves, Urza’s Saga is sacrificed, but it allows you to find an artifact that costs zero or one generic mana. Some options that can be found are Mox Amber and Tormod’s Crypt.
Brainstone
- Mana Value: One mana
- Type: Artifact
- Rarity: Uncommon
- First ability: Pay two mana, tap, Sacrifice Brainstone: Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
Brainstone is an artifact variation of Modern staple Brainstorm. Brainstone is one mana Artifact that can be sacrificed for two mana to get a Brainstorm effect. This Artifact is an underpowered Brainstorm that requires an investment of two more mana.
Colorless decks and non-Blue strategies could use Brainstone. It is a way for other strategies to get the same effect, but part of what makes Brainstorm great is its one-mana cost. This should be a solid card in Modern Horizons 2, but won’t make a huge impact on Modern.
Diamond Lion
- Mana Value: Two mana
- Type: Artifact Creature Cat
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 2/2
- First ability: Tap, Discard your hand, Sacrifice Diamond Lion: Add three mana of any one color. Activate only as an Instant.
Diamond Lion is similar to Brainstone as a variation on a more powerful Modern staple. Lion’s Eye Diamond is found in some combo decks like Dredge and Storm. Lion’s Eye Diamond is a powered-down Black Lotus. Diamond Lion costs two more mana, but it is a 2/2 Creature which isn’t that bad.
Diamond Lion could see play since the ability is coming with a decent body, which is better than Brainstone coming in as a do-nothing Artifact.
