Explore the inherent conflict within Modern Horizons sets shaping MTG’s future!
The Modern Horizons Phenomenon
It’s been a couple of months since Modern Horizons 3 burst onto the scene, but it’s once again the talk of the town. After Mark Rosewater dropped his latest State of Design article for 2024, players are buzzing about the highs and lows of this set. He even pointed out a couple of cards that might have crossed the line into ‘broken’ territory.
As players dive back into this expansion, discussions about its impact on the Modern format are heating up. Currently, the strongest decks are largely composed of cards from Modern Horizons 3. Rosewater had said this installment learned from its predecessors, which makes it all the more puzzling that we’re seeing such significant shifts in gameplay.
So, is it Wizards of the Coast that’s to blame? Or could the dilemma lie in the very essence of what Modern Horizons sets represent?
Chasing Higher Power Levels
Let’s face it—power sells, and Modern Horizons has been a testament to that fact. Rosewater might have claimed that Modern Horizons 3 would be an improvement, but we all saw the writing on the wall. Since the first set dropped, it was clear that the trend was set in stone. The chase for power is relentless, and it seems to drive the success of these sets.
According to Rosewater, “Modern Horizons 3 is also doing very well,” and while The Lord of the Rings might still hold the title for the best-selling set, Modern Horizons 3 isn’t lagging far behind. This robust sales performance means that a Modern Horizons 4 is pretty much guaranteed.
Even though other Universes Beyond sets are crowding the calendar, the allure of Modern Horizons is just too strong to ignore. At the end of the day, Wizards of the Coast is a business, and they’ll always print what boosts their bottom line. However, there’s a significant portion of players clamoring for these powerful MTG offerings.
Before the debut of the original Modern Horizons, Rosewater noted, “there were a lot of requests for us to make sets of a higher power level, so we did.” Who can blame them? Back in 2019, it felt like card innovation had hit a wall, leaving the Modern format a bit stale. Modern Horizons injected a much-needed jolt of excitement, even if it might have gone a bit overboard.
The Inherent Conflict in Modern Horizons
So what’s the problem? Well, when it comes to Modern Horizons sets, power is a double-edged sword. It doesn’t just excite; it creates a necessity. If you want to stay in the game, you’ve got to keep up with the latest and greatest cards. This is true whether you’re playing Modern, Commander, Legacy, or even Vintage.
Leaving your collection behind simply isn’t an option. As a player pointed out on Blogatog, looking solely at a set’s financial success can be misleading. Players often feel compelled to keep pace, especially Commander enthusiasts on the hunt for new staples.
Thanks to player feedback, Wizards has gained some insight into these dynamics. But Mark Rosewater himself acknowledges that there’s a fundamental issue at play. Some players revel in the high-powered cards, while others despise the forced rotation that comes with them.
“There is an inherent conflict between old cards staying relevant and us printing new cards of a higher power level. The challenge is there are players that prioritize each over the other. Can we make both groups happy at the same time? We’re trying, but it’s complicated.” — Mark Rosewater
It seems like this divide will likely persist. If Modern Horizons 4 turns out to be underwhelming, players will bemoan its lack of impact. Conversely, should Wizards decide to go full throttle with power once again, they’ll face complaints about another set warping the format.
Navigating Forced Rotation
Even if players aren’t wholly satisfied, the likelihood that Modern Horizons sets are here to stay appears high. What’s crucial now is determining the timing of these releases. If we must endure a forced rotation in Modern, let’s hope it won’t occur too frequently.
The longest gap between Modern Horizons sets so far has been three years—between MH2 and MH3. While this wait isn’t unbearable, let’s not forget that Modern Horizons isn’t the only heavyweight MTG set. The impact of The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth on Modern was undeniable.
Mark Rosewater has already acknowledged that cards like The One Ring and Orchish Bowmasters are problematically strong. In isolation, these cards could be dismissed as mere miscalculations, but repeating this kind of power creep is a legitimate concern.
Looking ahead, we’ve got two significant Universes Beyond sets scheduled for 2025 and every year thereafter. While their power levels remain a mystery, they’re likely to be direct-to-Modern releases, which means there’s a chance they could introduce one or more game-changing cards.
If every Universes Beyond set follows a similar trend and throws in another card like The One Ring, we could face an accelerated cycle of forced rotation—not just every three years, but every two years! Thankfully, that’s merely a worst-case scenario, but it’s certainly a concern worth monitoring.
FAQ
- What are Modern Horizons sets? Modern Horizons sets are specialized MTG releases focused on introducing new cards that significantly impact gameplay in formats like Modern.
- Why are players concerned about the power levels of these sets? Players worry that high power levels in new cards can render older cards obsolete, leading to forced rotations that disrupt existing decks.
- How often are Modern Horizons sets released? Historically, there has been a three-year gap between sets, but this cycle may change with the introduction of new Universes Beyond sets.
- What did Mark Rosewater say about the conflict in card power levels? He acknowledged there’s a struggle between keeping older cards relevant and the demand for high-powered new cards.
- Is there a possibility of another Modern Horizons set coming? Given the financial success of the previous sets, it’s highly likely that Wizards will continue to produce Modern Horizons expansions.
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