Where MH3 Actually Landed

Modern Horizons sets are designed to shake formats, and MH3 delivered. Eight months in, the metagame is still settling, which is exactly when it makes sense to decide where to invest your proxy budget. Not every pushed card stuck. These five archetypes have the best combination of current results and long-term format staying power.

We analyzed 2,000 tournament results from the last three months to identify them.

1. Eldrazi Ramp

Ruby Medallion, Ugin's Labyrinth, and Emrakul, the World Anew gave Eldrazi Ramp the consistency it was always missing. The deck now reliably casts an Eldrazi between turns 3 and 5. That's fast enough for a format that used to kill on turn 4, which tells you something about where the power ceiling moved.

The Emrakuls are the expensive part. Proxy the list before you commit.

2. Nadu Combo

Nadu, Winged Wisdom was banned from Legacy and survived Modern anyway. It continues to put up top-8 results. The combo ceiling is turn 3 to 4 with the right draw, and the deck is deceptively difficult to disrupt once it's moving.

Nadu is the most technically demanding deck in the format right now. If you want to improve as a player and don't mind losing while you learn, this is the deck to be on.

3. Boros Energy

The energy mechanic returned in MH3 and it's better than the previous iteration. Amped Raptor, Galvanic Discharge, and Ocelot Pride give Boros an aggro-midrange shell that goes wide and goes tall. It's more forgiving to pilot than Nadu and approaches the same ceiling. If you want results without the steep learning curve, start here.

4. Jeskai Control

MH3 gave control players two cards they'd been waiting on: Consign to Memory (a modal counterspell that handles permanents) and Sorin of House Markov, a planeswalker that generates card advantage and closes games on its own. Jeskai Control is back as a tier-1 option. It's been overrated in previous iterations; this one actually has the tools.

5. Golgari Yawgmoth

Yawgmoth hasn't fallen out of tier-1 since Modern Horizons 2. MH3 added Orcish Bowmasters as an additional sacrifice outlet, tightening the combo and making the deck harder to disrupt. If you're looking for a deck to play competitively for the next two or three years, this is the safest pick on this list.

Proxy Lists

All five lists are print-ready in the Builder. Paste the decklists directly via the links in the navigation.