Many have joked that Modern Horizons is really Commander Horizons. While I disagree, it's impossible to deny the set brings a lot of goodies. So, what are you going to be after? Here's my wishlist:
Ephemerate - A very decent value card that might just make the cut in Bant Blinky Shenanigans. Generous Gift - Every white deck might want one of these as much as Green decks want Beast Within. Ranger-Captain of Eos - A great way for my Zacama to combo uninterrupted, and the deck has a small selection of targets for it to tutor too. Vesperlark - Reveillark's little brother is still very much valuable. Archmage's Charm - Don't know if it'll make the cut, but it's a good option to have for control decks. Echo of Eons - A non-self-exiling Timetwister? (At least not the first time) I'll take it! Force of Negation - Seems like a control staple. Mirrodin Besieged - I'm going to be building Urza, I feel I'll want this. Urza, Lord High Artificer - My new deck. I'm probably not alone in this. Watcher for Tomorrow - I like value when I blink stuff. This is a lot of value. Changeling Outcast - A 1-drop for Edgar Markov that's better than one or two of the ones I already play. Cordial Vampire - A 2-drop for Edgar Markov that's going to allow things to get out of hand really fast. Seasoned Pyromancer - Chandra will appreciate the filtering and the occasional tokens. Tectonic Reformation - New Red/Boros staple, IMO. Insane card. Throes of Chaos - I don't care that it's a terrible, terrible card. It's fun. That's what EDH is about. Force of Vigor - Great rate on artifact/enchantment removal even if you hardcast it. Llanowar Tribe - What's better than one Llanowar Elf? Winding Way - Very good value for a mere 2 mana. More of a "Just in case" option admittedly. Ice-Fang Coatl - I like early game value. This is a lot of early game value. Soulherder - Conjurer's Closet with legs is a card I want.
Various Horizon lands - Yeah they're really good.
Not as big a list as I thought but that's still a nice selection.
Or Mortal Combat, the most directly-analogous card to this one?
I mean, in my Iname as One deck, I could cast Iname, Death Aspect and immediately dump 20 spirits in my graveyard to win with Mortal Combat. And I've done it before, too. But nobody is clamoring to ban Mortal Combat.
Mortal combat requires setup and then a full turn cycle, whereas besieged can only be answered by instants.
However Mortal Combat also wins the entire game right away which this...doesn't.
Yea but Lattice is ran for different things than Servant would. Like, you'd run Servant for fun colour-matters interactions (Provided your intention is to stay fair, mind) whereas you'd run Lattice for artifact synergies. The end result (a ruined game by virtue of someone else casting something that interacts jarringly with the card in question) is the same, but the approach is very different.
He's here boys and girls. The ultimate big bad himself, in human form. Finally, we have pretty much every major character from MtG lore in black-border. We are lacking a few side characters like Gix, but honestly, this set delivered big time lore-wise.
And boy, he's good. Costless sacrifice engine that kills creatures, draws cards and has a very relevant protection clause, all for a measly lifepoint? Sweet baby Jesus that is strong. Probably the best Aristocrat enabler ever made, and wouldn't be surprised at all to see him hitting Constructed. The proliferation is just a nice bonus, and I honestly think he might be even stronger than Urza when it comes down for Modern applications (but Urza is still much stronger in Commander).
sorry thats incorrect theres still a few missing
gix
belbe
gaea
leshrac
jared
and theres a few other well known phyrexians as well
Those aren't major characters. Gix is probably the most important one in your list, and he's still a "man behind the man" character that manipulated Mishra but accomplished pretty much nothing and had an uncertain fate in the end. If we're listing side characters, the list is far bigger and includes far more important characters (Kerrick, Taysir, Ratepe, aforementioned Guff/Bo Levar), but I'm talking about major characters here, aka. main protagonists and antagonists.
Gix very much returned later on in the story, and was involved in what ended Xantcha and Ratepe. He ended up dying in that same confrontation. For Urza, it was a bit of closure at the cost of his dearest (at the time) friend.
Ephemerate - A very decent value card that might just make the cut in Bant Blinky Shenanigans.
Generous Gift - Every white deck might want one of these as much as Green decks want Beast Within.
Ranger-Captain of Eos - A great way for my Zacama to combo uninterrupted, and the deck has a small selection of targets for it to tutor too.
Vesperlark - Reveillark's little brother is still very much valuable.
Archmage's Charm - Don't know if it'll make the cut, but it's a good option to have for control decks.
Echo of Eons - A non-self-exiling Timetwister? (At least not the first time) I'll take it!
Force of Negation - Seems like a control staple.
Mirrodin Besieged - I'm going to be building Urza, I feel I'll want this.
Urza, Lord High Artificer - My new deck. I'm probably not alone in this.
Watcher for Tomorrow - I like value when I blink stuff. This is a lot of value.
Changeling Outcast - A 1-drop for Edgar Markov that's better than one or two of the ones I already play.
Cordial Vampire - A 2-drop for Edgar Markov that's going to allow things to get out of hand really fast.
Seasoned Pyromancer - Chandra will appreciate the filtering and the occasional tokens.
Tectonic Reformation - New Red/Boros staple, IMO. Insane card.
Throes of Chaos - I don't care that it's a terrible, terrible card. It's fun. That's what EDH is about.
Force of Vigor - Great rate on artifact/enchantment removal even if you hardcast it.
Llanowar Tribe - What's better than one Llanowar Elf?
Winding Way - Very good value for a mere 2 mana. More of a "Just in case" option admittedly.
Ice-Fang Coatl - I like early game value. This is a lot of early game value.
Soulherder - Conjurer's Closet with legs is a card I want.
Various Horizon lands - Yeah they're really good.
Not as big a list as I thought but that's still a nice selection.
However Mortal Combat also wins the entire game right away which this...doesn't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyS90dOdmIo Coming from Orc's Head Magic and it's probably our final reprint.
Yay.
My excitement is immeasurable.
Step 2: Throw the pile into the nearest bin.
Step 3: Build a deck that actually makes for fun gameplay.
Why is Painter's Servant banned and Mycosynth Lattice, who has a bevy more of "accidental" gamenuking combinations, still legal?
Astral Drift planners rejoice.
From Turnonethoughtseize: https://turnonethoughtseize.com/2019/05/28/modern-horizons-free-preview/
Mutilate's frosty little sister.
Gix very much returned later on in the story, and was involved in what ended Xantcha and Ratepe. He ended up dying in that same confrontation. For Urza, it was a bit of closure at the cost of his dearest (at the time) friend.
You weren't missing much, but I updated the card.
Cancel + Fateful Hour draw a card.
- Reprint a card that sees play in Legacy and might as such very well see Modern play
- Still whine about "Commander Horizons"
Good job.
Coming from PureMTGO: https://puremtgo.com/articles/pure-presents-modern-horizons-preview-roundtable
Well. At least it's a strictly better Cancel at common.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiCzmz4XohI&feature=youtu.be From the Masters of Modern podcast
Will be nice to have this in non-foil.