Pick Up These Cheap Modern Horizons 3 Cards Now

16 Jul
by Steve Heisler

The Modern Way

Welcome back for another History, Restapled, a Commander-focused column that attempts to validate a newer card’s status as a staple by looking at how cards that are similar, synergistic, or competing have fared in the past financially. Prices of Modern Horizons 3 cards have been settling, which is great news for us cheapskates. Now is the golden hour when most of the attention and value are focused on the big money players making huge splashes in the Modern metagame. Here are four cards with significant potential that are sitting quite low in price.

Chthonian Nightmare

Recurring Nightmare is busted, but there’s a nonzero chance some Commander players haven’t encountered a wild one in the cardboard and may not grasp how truly busted the card can be. Even setting aside the backbreaking amount of recursion it offers, bouncing Recurring Nightmare is part of the cost to activate the ability, meaning opponents never receive priority if you resolve Recurring Nightmare and activate it right away.

Chthonian Nightmare is an attempt to fix Recurring Nightmare and usher it into a powered-up Modern. The card now runs on energy and contains an ETB to which opponents can respond and destroy Chthonian Nightmare outright. Fair enough, though I don’t think Wizards of the Coast neutered it as effectively as they’d hoped. The card plays out like the original so long as you recur a 1-2 mana value creature first, bouncing Chthonian Nightmare so it can start accumulating energy beyond the initial three. Griselbrand isn’t returning to the battlefield anytime soon, but plenty of combo pieces are on their way back.

Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if Chthonian Nightmare is banned in Modern in the foreseeable future, but it can slot into plenty of Commander decks without breaking the format wide open—or so it would seem. Grab one for $2 before the rest of the player base wises up to its true strength.

STATUS: New black staple

Chthonian Nightmare
Chthonian Nightmare (Retro Frame)
Chthonian Nightmare (Borderless)

Wight of the Reliquary

This new Golgari handsome lad ticks all the boxes of what that color combination wants to do: sacrifice creatures, put lands onto the battlefield, grow swole from death, and delight in a deliciously punny name, all with vigilance to boot, unlike its spiritual predecessor, Knight of the Reliquary. All for two mana, one less than Knight.

Wight of the Reliquary is fantastic, but likely won’t live far outside dedicated aristocrats-type strategies. It offers a repeatable ramp source at the cost of tokens, sure, but requires a turn cycle to get going, slowing its roll significantly. I’d imagine most decks want something like a mana dork or a Nature's Lore instead. Still, the card is well worth the $1.50 it costs; file it away for your next graveyard deck with the knowledge that the card is likely on its way up, price-wise.

STATUS: New Golgari staple

Wight of the Reliquary
Wight of the Reliquary (Extended Art)

Siege-Gang Lieutenant

Unfussy and uncomplicated, Siege-Gang Lieutenant does its thing with little hassle, paying homage to its Siege-Gang Commander lineage (again, for less mana) and pumping out easy tokens every turn to be sacrificed at will. The card is priced at $1.50 and would be well on its way to becoming a bulk rare if printed in a Standard-legal set and drafted ad nauseum, but it appears in a Modern Horizons 3 Commander precon, and it’s not yet clear how generously they will be printed. If your deck has a commander and is red, get a Lieutenant.

STATUS: Red token staple

Siege-Gang Lieutenant
Siege-Gang Lieutenant (Extended Art)

Copy Land

The Nitpicking Nerds YouTube channel made a great point about Copy Land, a new Modern Horizons 3 Commander card: in a roundabout way, it’s a blue Cultivate. Three mana gets you an Island or a copy of the best land on the battlefield. Is this a great rate? Absolutely not. In blue, though, sometimes we take what we can get, especially for a measly $1. I’ll be running Copy Land in most blue decks without green.

STATUS: Blue staple

Copy Land
Copy Land (Extended Art)

The Nightmare is Over?

So, is the horror of Recurring Nightmare never to be repeated, and Chthonian Nightmare a fair substitute? Am I overestimating its impact on the format? I hope I’m wrong and the card becomes a fun role-player, but I have my suspicions. Let me know what you think!

Further Reading:

Checking in on the Modern Meta After Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3

Steve Heisler
Steve Heisler

Steve Heisler is a writer and pop culture journalist covering comedy, games, television, film and the tech industry. His work has been published in Rolling Stone, GQ, Variety, The AV Club, Fast Company and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began collecting Magic cards during Fourth Edition and plays Commander and Modern primarily. He also enjoys tennis, the Dark Souls family of video games and supporting live comedy. He lives in Chicago with his cat, Rosie.


More from Steve Heisler:

Recent Sleeper Hits and a Cheap Reprint for Commander

Before we dig into Duskmourn, History, Restapled takes a look at some recent sleepers, and one very cheap reprint worth nabbing right now.

Commander Staples from Bloomburrow

Let's take a look at the recent Bloomburrow release to see if any cards have potential to become staples in Commander.

Commander Cards You Missed from Thunder Junction

While the prices are settling on MH3, let's take a look at some cards you may have missed from Outlaws of Thunder Junction that deserve slots in your Commander decks.

Sleeper Hits from Recent Magic Sets

While the prices settle down on Thunder Junction, let's take a look at some under-loved cards from recent sets that could spike.

Potential Commander Staples from Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Looking for some potential Commander staples from Thunder Junction to speculate on? Look no further!

Commander Staples From Fallout

Looking for cards to pick up for your Commander decks from Universes Beyond: Fallout? Then click here!

New Staples for Commander From Karlov Manor

Which cards from Karlov Manor will impact the Commander format the most? Find out here.

New Cards for Commander From Murders at Karlov Manor

Looking for some under-the-radar cards for Commander from Murders at Karlov Manor? Look no further!

Magic Cards You're Overlooking for Commander

With the constant cacophony of Magic cards getting released, it's easy to overlook some gems. Check out these cards you're missing in your Commander decks.

The Best Magic Set of 2023 for Commander

Which Magic set from 2023 gave Commander the best new toys? Click to find out.