Introduction

Modern Horizons 2 is a slam-dunk of a set for Cube curators. The set's high-power level combined with an emphasis on creating cool new synergies for constructed formats has caused a plethora of new themes and interactions to become potentially Cube viable. For people wanting to build a Delirious Squirrel Storm Cube, Modern Horizons 2 is the perfect set! Because this set has so many cool cards, it can be a little intimidating to unpack everything. I want to make this task easier by highlighting some of the coolest new things in Modern Horizons 2, discuss why they're exciting, and whether or not they might be good. Please understand that this article is not a "best cards" list or a review. Instead, it is a discussion of things that I am excited to test and an explanation as to why.

Card 1: Timeless Dragon

I don't usually evaluate cards in terms of "Xth best in slot," but Timeless Dragon is a worthy exception. This card is simultaneously the best white 4-mana creature, the best white 5-mana creature, and the best white card draw spell, all at the same time. Here's the break down.

First, the 5-mana "main" mode of Timeless Dragon is a great way to end games, especially when mana flooded. Many Cubers still run low-power beef like Baneslayer Angel, Lyra Dawnbringer, and Exalted Angel in high-power formats to help decks close out the game. These cards can be problematic outside of formats that don't make an effort to let them be playable, as they will often immediately die to removal or rot in hand without being cast. Timeless Dragon is able to mitigate the damage from "dying to removal" or not being able to be cast from its other abilities. If one can't cast Timeless Dragon, they can plainscycle it and move on. If Timeless Dragon immediately dies to removal, it can usually be reanimated later. For this reason, Timeless Dragon is already ahead of the competition. But that's not all this card can do...

Next up is the draw spell mode. Plainscycling Timeless Dragon is effectively the same thing as casting an instant-speed two-mana Divination. The only difference is that a player knows exactly what two cards they draw: a Plains and a 4/4 flying dragon. That's a pretty good rate of return for White decks, which normally don't have any efficient ways to get card advantage. In essence, Plainscycling Timeless Dragon ensures both a turn two and a turn 4 play for a White player, which is very strong.

Finally, the 4-mana Eternalize mode. While Timeless Dragon will normally have been cycled or cast normally before this situation ever occurs, it is worth noting because it will most often see play as a creature in this mode. The 4/4 flying Eternalized Timeless Dragon may not be the most exciting thing White can do at the four-mana slot, but it is powerful considering that it often will come free following the mini-draw spell that is this card's Plainscycling ability. It can even sometimes be discarded to an effect such as Faithless Looting or Liliana of the Veil for value! The only real downside of the 4-mana Eternalize mode is that it dies to a bounce effect, something which wouldn't happen if it weren't a token. However, in Cubes where bounce effects are scarce or non-existent, the 4-mana mode's status as a token is usually irrelevant.

What really pushes Timeless Dragon over the top in terms of playability is its flexibility. Because it has so many knobs to turn, it gives players a lot of agency in their decisions that most other Baneslayer-y creatures in this class just can't. Timeless Dragon will be a great addition to almost any Cube of virtually every power level. It will even give some MTGO-Style Vintage and Legacy Cubers a good reason to cut one of their clunky old Baneslayers in favor of new hotness that fills the same role but better. Timeless Dragon is amazing, and it will see Cube play for years to come.

Card 2: Flametongue Yearling

A few years ago, I designed this card:

Questionable implications about gender roles and Canadian Imperialism aside, this magnificent Mountie proved to be quite the broken card. Most of the time, it would come into play, pick off a mana dork or another small creature, and go on to deal a ton of damage to the opponent through combat.

I would call Flametongue Yearling a "fixed" Chad Mountie in that it doesn't have first strike and can only hit creatures. The ability to kill the opponent's utility creatures provides great value— Flametongue Yearling will almost always be a two-for-one in most formats. Plus, the multikicker ability means that this card retains value into the late game. While Flametongue Yearling isn't as broken as my weird custom, it's going to do a lot of work in a lot of Cubes.

Card 3: Grist, the Hunger Tide

Grist, the Hunger Tide is quite possibly the most unique card in all of Modern Horizons 2. In addition to being a powerful Golgari midrange planeswalker in its own right, Grist is also a 1/1 creature in zones other than the battlefield. This interesting ability opens Grist up to interactions that other midrange planeswalkers can't have. For example, Grist can be reanimated using cards like Unearth, tutored with Chord of Calling type effects, or even cheated into play from hand with cards like Sneak Attack. Black-green based midrange decks often have lots of recursion for creatures, so Grist counting as a creature means that it can be brought in to play more reliably and more often than its planeswalker brethren.

But Grist's creature ability is meaningless if its loyalty abilities aren't good. Luckily, Grist's loyalty suite is more than adequate to let the card shine in its own right. Grist's first ability creates a 1/1 insect and mills a card, allowing the planeswalker to both protect itself and fuel the graveyard for future reanimation, dredge, and delve spells. Its second ability can be used to destroy an opposing threat, at the cost of an insect token, mana dork, or some other creature that has passed its prime. Grist's last ability can sometimes win the game by dealing upwards of 5 damage to the opponent, depending on how many creature cards are in its controller's graveyard.

Grist, the Hunger Tide has several unique interactions that other cards simply do not. It does everything Golgari midrange strategies in most Cubes want to be doing. I expect this card to be very powerful for a very long time.

Card 4: Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer

Aggro creatures have been falling behind in recent years. Aggressive strategies must have a turn 1 creature to play and start immediately applying pressure in high power environments. Unfortunately, with the rise of Commander as the most popular Magic format, midrange threats have become increasingly pushed to match the demands of multiplayer games. Meanwhile, since aggro one-drops don't usually scale to Commander, they have almost exclusively been designed and balanced for two-player Standard constructed. In short, midrange decks are getting turbo-juiced threats like Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath, while aggro decks have mostly been getting Savannah Lions with tiny upsides.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer breaks the trend by representing an aggro 1-drop with an insane ability. This mischievous monkey is a huge deal for aggro, allowing both ramp and card draw in a strategy that normally has access to neither. The dash ability even allows a Ragavan drawn late to have an immediate impact on the game.

There are some pitfalls to Ragavan's design that might keep him out of some Cubes. First, the fact that he exiles cards from the opponent's library can lead to some card ownership tracking issues, since Cubes normally have all cards in the same sleeves. This can be especially problematic in red mirror matches. Otherwise, Ragavan's power level is insanely high, to the point where he is too good for lots of Cubes that would normally play a Jackal Pup with upside. Ragavan looks like it will be too good even my Cube, which has a high power level archetypes designed to mirror some of my favorite constructed decks. However, Ragavan's high power level is more of a boon than a bane for plenty of designers.

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is probably the best red 1-drop ever printed, at least in a vacuum. It almost assuredly has a home in any cube of a high power level supporting an aggressive strategy. Hopefully, we will see more cards cut from the same cloth as this magnificent monkey in the future.

Card 5: Ignoble Hierarch

Noble Hierarch has solidified itself as a Cube staple, providing powerful ramp and fixing while also pumping solo attackers. Ignoble Hierarch basically does the same thing, except it fixes for black and red mana instead of white and blue mana. The color difference in mana fixing provided by each Hierarch might mean that Ignoble Hierarch is a little weaker than Noble Hierarch in Cubes where unfair blue strategies are supported. However, the color swap shouldn't be an issue in fair environments.

Much of the discourse surrounding Ignoble Hierarch involves people trying to decide which mana dork to cut in order to free a slot for this ever-exalted goblin. However, this approach is flawed. Mana dorks are at their best in what is often referred to as a "critical mass," or environments with enough versions of an effect to make sure players can draw their copies on time and consistently. Ramp strategies usually want to start their curve on turn 1 with a Llanowar Elves variant of some variety, including Ignoble Hierarch. The faster these decks can get going out of the gate, the quicker they can play big threats, and the less likely they are to lose to drawing the incorrect cards. Players often complain about their ramp decks not working because they either have not enough ramp and too many big things, such as Eldrazi, or ramp in abundance but not enough big things. A good way to mitigate this issue is to replace the largest threats in a Cube (that aren't serving roles outside of being ramp targets) with slightly more affordable threats in the 3 to 5 mana range, and cutting big ramp spells like Cultivate and Oracle of Mul Daya for more mana dorks. The net result here is Ramp decks that are more powerful on average and less likely to draw "the wrong half" of the deck. While these midrange-oriented ramp strategies are a little less explosive than super-ramp decks, they are less likely to lose games to variance and give players more agency overall. Anecdotally, I've found that my players enjoy this style of ramp far more than more traditional variants, and several designers I have spoken to across many platforms have found the same.

In short, Ignoble Hierarch is a powerful card for cubes supporting ramp strategies. If you want to give Ignoble Hierarch a try, consider cutting something other than a mana dork to include it, as the decks that want to play something like this want its friends as well.

Card 6: The Evoke Elemental Cycle

I don't have much to say about the quality of these cards that other writers haven't said at this point. However, I did notice something interesting regarding a broader trend of this cycle: they're all cards that go into fair decks to help combat unfair decks. Solitude is a great way to disrupt creature-based combos such as Splinter Twin and Reanimator without needing to hold up mana. Subtlety can prevent a vital creature or planeswalker from resolving, even if it is just for a turn. Endurance can nuke a graveyard against reanimator or dredge in a pinch, but it is also a decent midrange ramp payoff in its own right. Grief is awesome at getting rid of key combo pieces or removing an important control card before it has the chance to be cast. Fury is the least geared against combo of the bunch, but it's ability can actually be used to generate card advantage against opposing decks by removing a board of small things. It can also remove a key planeswalker without needing to be cast for mana.

All of the new elemental incarnations are great options for Cubes looking to give fair strategies an extra edge. Designers who wish to give fair decks options against unfair strategies like combo should consider using these awesome cards.

Card 7: Priest of Fell Rites

Orzhov has had a bit of an identity crisis as of late. It has a lot of good removal and some decent aggro cards. However, it really doesn't have any coherent themes beyond the "sacrifice matters" stuff that WOTC has been printing for the last few years. While an aristocrats theme is certainly a good option in the middle of the power band, sacrificing creatures for value becomes a lot worse at higher power levels. At a certain point, the "Orzhov Deck" morphs into a mediocre aggro deck or part of an Esper control deck. Luckily, Modern Horizons 2 is here to help Orzhov find a new identity by giving reanimation strategies a shot in the arm. Priest of Fell Rites is the headliner for this new deck.

While Orzhov has had some playable reanimation for some time now, there hasn't been enough of it to justify expanding the theme beyond black to include white. However, between the introduction of several new graveyard dump cards in white and black, and new cheap reanimation in Modern Horizons 2, Orzhov can now function as both a combo-reanimator strategy and as a value reanimation strategy. Abzan, Esper, and Mardu can all take advantage of some of the new cards as a means to bring back valuable midrange threats such as Siege Rhino after their first use. Priest of Fell Rites is especially suited for this goal, as its unearth ability means that it can be used as a reanimation spell even after being milled, discarded, or simply used for a second time. However, the Priest can also be used to enable a turn 3 Griselbrand or Iona, Shield of Emeria formats where that play pattern is desirable.

Cube designers should not ignore the power level and potential fun capacity of Priest of Fell Rites. This card has a lot of play to it and can be instrumental to making an Orzhov section feel like more than just a bad aggro color pair, an aristocrats deck, or support for blue-based control. The reanimator archetype isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the Priest is amazing for designers who like that style of deck.

Card 8: Hard Evidence

Hard Evidence is a bit of a weird card, but it is one that will likely see inclusion in various Cubes of every size and almost every power level. Thraben Inspector is often considered a staple card in Cube circles— it's akin to a blinkable cantrip in White. While Hard Evidence isn't able to be blinked for repeated uses, it can trigger magecraft/prowess and be re-cast using Snapcaster Mage. The 0/3 Crab token created by the card is a good defensive tool for stonewalling Savannah Lions-style aggro strategies, helping controlling decks survive until they can stabilize. I view this card as a Cantrip that replaces the immediate draw with an immediate Crab and the potential for value later.

Hard Evidence is awesome, and I expect it to be playable in all but a small minority of Cubes. It's going to be hard to get rid of these Crabs!

Card 9: Damn

Damn, this card is strong! Wrath of God was already considered a staple effect in many environments for its utility in controlling strategies. Damn is basically Wrath of God, but better because it has a Walk the Plank attached.

Usually, cards like Damn are good because of their flexibility. For example, Hieroglyphic Illumination and Fire // Ice are great because they can fill multiple roles in a deck using only a single card's worth of space. Damn is excellent in this regard, as both the normal spell and overload "modes" are desirable for control decks. However, unlike most traditional wraths, Damn can also be deployed in midrange strategies to great effect. Decks like Abzan and Orzhov midrange will often find themselves in board states where having a wrath is beneficial against the opponent. But, since these strategies often make heavy use of creatures themselves, putting actual wraths in the deck can cause problems. Damn is a good potential solution, behaving as a wrath when needed and a spot removal spell in situations where killing everything is not beneficial.

Damn is an awesome card and a great inclusion for any Cube where a 4-mana Wrath effect is workable from a power level perspective. The card's high level of flexibility means it will rarely be dead in hand, and it can be played in more decks than traditional wrath effects.

Card 10: Dragon's Rage Channeler

This card was previewed by The Third Power, a Cube podcast, and for a good reason. Dragon's Rage Channeler is one of the sweetest Cube cards in all of Modern Horizons 2. In my Strixhaven top 10, I called Symmetry Sage the "New Delver of Secrets." Unfortunately, the Sage has struggled to live up to the Delver name. Dragon's Rage Channeler, by contrast, might as well be called "Delver of Secrets but Red."

Dragon's Rage Channeler fills several roles in aggressive Red strategies. Its surveil ability can help clear excess lands from the top of a deck to ensure spells are drawn. It can also be used to put cards with useful abilities into the graveyard, such as Phoenix of Ash and Firebolt. Meanwhile, the Channeler's delirium ability turns it into a flying attacker far larger than the majority of aggressive red creatures. While it may seem difficult to consistently enable delirium outside of dedicated graveyard strategies, remember that most burn decks will play at least lands, creatures, instants, sorceries. In some formats, burn might reliably have artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers as well. Since the Channeler has a graveyard-fueling ability, it won't be too hard to enable delirium in a normal game.

Some have criticized Dragon's Rage Channeler because it has to attack each turn when its delirium mode is enabled. While this is a valid concern, it misses the broader context of the decks that want the Channeler. This card is primarily at home in spell-heavy Burn strategies and Prowess decks. Both of these archetypes are not interested in holding anything back, especially in the air. There simply aren't that many situations where Dragon's Rage Channeler is going to be stonewalled by other creatures. The types of cards that would beat a delirious Dragon's Rage Channeler are cards like Baneslayer Angel and Bloodgift Demon. These creatures are beefy expensive fliers that don't stack up well against other decks in the formats that tend to want a card like Dragon's Rage Channeler. While forced attack might be an issue with some cards, it shouldn't be for this one.

Dragon's Rage Channeler is a powerful, fun card for low-to-the-ground Cubes or Cubes supporting spells matter as an archetype. I wholeheartedly believe this card would have been the best 1-drop in the set if Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer didn't exist. However, it is almost assuredly playable in more Cubes as its power level is lower than that of the monkey. Pick up your copies of Dragon's Rage Channeler now- it's going to be very good for a long time.

Honorable Mention: The Enemy Fetchlands.

Fetchlands are the premier fixing for Cube and Constructed alike. While the Khans of Tarkir reprint of the allied fetchlands has made those cards accessible until the recent price spikes, the enemy-colored fetchlands haven't been accessibly priced since the early 2010. With the reprint in Modern Horizons 2, thousands of Cubers who want access to these powerful pieces of fixing can finally get their wish. Just don't pay too much for the fetchlands. Modern Horizons 2 has an unlimited print run, and new booster boxes will be hitting shelves until no one wants to purchase them anymore. The pre-order prices for these cards are artificially high and will drop with time.

Conclusion

Modern Horizons 2 truly lives up to the legacy of its predecessor. Plenty of fan-favorite archetypes have been bolstered to viability in new colors and power levels. Tons of these new cards are going to shake up an equally large number of Cubes. Modern Horizons 2 is awesome, and it will most likely go down in history as one of the best Cube sets of all time.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to @Onderzeeboot for helping me proofread this article!