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Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 Metagame Breakdown
The decklists are in, the data is ready, and the third Pro Tour of 2024 begins tomorrow! At Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3, taking place June 28–30 at MagicCon: Amsterdam, 243 of the world’s best Magic: The Gathering players will bring their Modern decks to compete for $500,000 in prizes, invitations to the World Championship, and a prestigious trophy. The field includes top players from Regional Championships, online qualifiers, and previous Pro Tours, so we can look forward to an awesome weekend of high-level Magic.
The formats are Modern Horizons 3 Booster Draft on the mornings of Friday and Saturday, followed by Modern for five rounds afterward each of those days. Modern is also the Top 8 format on Sunday. Modern Horizons 3 infused a lot of unique, powerful build-arounds into the Modern format, resulting in the emergence of brand-new archetypes and an upheaval of the metagame.
To follow all the action, catch the stream at twitch.tv/magic, which begins at 11 a.m. Central European Time on Friday and Saturday and at 10 a.m. Central European Time on Sunday. See the viewer’s guide for more information.
Modern is a nonrotating 60-card format that allows cards from expansion sets, core sets, and straight-to-Modern sets from Eighth Edition forward, spanning 21 years of history.
In recent months, the Modern metagame had already been through some changes, including the introduction of surveil lands, the dominance of cascade decks, the ban of
Deck Archetype | Number of Players | Percentage of Field |
---|---|---|
1. Bant Nadu | 49 | 20.2% |
2. Ruby Storm | 23 | 9.5% |
3. Jeskai Control | 22 | 9.1% |
4. Mono-Black Necro | 17 | 7.0% |
5. Eldrazi Tron | 14 | 5.8% |
6. Four-Color Nadu | 13 | 5.3% |
7. Boros Energy | 13 | 5.3% |
8. Jeskai Wizards | 12 | 4.9% |
9. Mono-Black Grief | 6 | 2.5% |
10. Jeskai Dress Down | 6 | 2.5% |
11. Gruul Eldrazi | 6 | 2.5% |
12. Izzet Murktide | 5 | 2.1% |
13. Esper Goryo’s | 5 | 2.1% |
14. Mardu Energy | 5 | 2.1% |
15. Golgari Yawgmoth | 4 | 1.6% |
16. Gruul Prowess | 4 | 1.6% |
17. Izzet Wizards | 3 | 1.2% |
18. Boros Burn | 3 | 1.2% |
19. Living End | 3 | 1.2% |
20. Rakdos Grief | 2 | 0.8% |
21. Jeskai Chant | 2 | 0.8% |
22. Temur Eldrazi | 2 | 0.8% |
23. Merfolk | 2 | 0.8% |
24. Amulet Titan | 2 | 0.8% |
25. Dimir Mill | 1 | 0.4% |
26. Grixis Shadow | 1 | 0.4% |
27. Abzan Soultrader | 1 | 0.4% |
28. Azorius Hammer | 1 | 0.4% |
29. Gruul Scapeshift | 1 | 0.4% |
30. Jund Creativity | 1 | 0.4% |
31. Dimir Grief | 1 | 0.4% |
32. Bant Control | 1 | 0.4% |
33. Boros Prowess | 1 | 0.4% |
34. Mono-Red Prowess | 1 | 0.4% |
35. Mardu Midrange | 1 | 0.4% |
36. Hardened Scales | 1 | 0.4% |
37. Four-color Control | 1 | 0.4% |
38. Sultai Vengevine | 1 | 0.4% |
39. Domain Zoo | 1 | 0.4% |
40. Dimir Murktide | 1 | 0.4% |
41. Jeskai Prowess | 1 | 0.4% |
42. Dimir Nethergoyf | 1 | 0.4% |
43. Four-Color Reclamation | 1 | 0.4% |
44. Devoted Nadu | 1 | 0.4% |
All Modern Constructed decklists for the tournament will be published on the Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3 event page on Friday June 28 at the beginning of Round 4 gameplay, approximately at 2 p.m. Central European Time. Until then, you can find short summaries of the most-played archetypes below.
Bant Nadu (49 players): Bant Nadu is a brand-new combo strategy that tries to assemble
Ruby Storm (23 players): Ruby Storm is a new combo strategy based around
Jeskai Control (22 players): Jeskai Control features spot removal, countermagic, card draw, sweepers, and the powerful new
Mono-Black Necro (17 players): Mono-Black Necro features cheap, efficient interaction to trade resources in the early turns before refilling with
Eldrazi Tron (14 players): Eldrazi Tron exploits
Four-Color Nadu (13 players): Four-Color Nadu is basically Bant Nadu splashing for
Boros Energy (13 players): Boros Energy is a midrange deck that makes the most of the energy mechanic brought back in Modern Horizons 3, combining cards like
Jeskai Wizards (12 players): Like Jeskai Control, Jeskai Wizards features
Mono-Black
Jeskai
Gruul Eldrazi (6 players): Gruul Eldrazi leverages
On the whole, the Pro Tour metagame is dominated by combo strategies. Last week, in my analysis of the first Magic Online events after Modern Horizons 3, Ruby Storm and Bant Nadu already seemed to be very promising. After an additional week of testing, these two decks are on top of the Pro Tour metagame. Between Bant, Four-Color, and Devoted Nadu, nearly 26% of the field will try to assemble the combo of
However, Modern has been evolving rapidly. For example, established archetypes such as
Even with the high bar set by the existing Modern card pool, Modern Horizons 3 has had a considerable impact on the format. In fact, 242 out of the 243 Pro Tour competitorsuse at least one new-to-Modern card from this set in their deck. The following table breaks down all new-to-Modern cards among Pro Tour decklists.
Card name | Total number of copies | Main deck | Sideboard |
---|---|---|---|
Galvanic Discharge | 268 | 268 | 0 |
Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury | 264 | 211 | 53 |
Nadu, Winged Wisdom | 252 | 252 | 0 |
Springheart Nantuko | 232 | 232 | 0 |
Consign to Memory | 190 | 20 | 170 |
Wrath of the Skies | 183 | 138 | 45 |
Tune the Narrative | 162 | 162 | 0 |
Static Prison | 115 | 50 | 65 |
Ral, Monsoon Mage | 92 | 92 | 0 |
Ruby Medallion | 92 | 92 | 0 |
Amped Raptor | 92 | 92 | 0 |
Devourer of Destiny | 88 | 88 | 0 |
Kozilek’s Command | 88 | 88 | 0 |
Ugin’s Labyrinth | 88 | 88 | 0 |
Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student | 85 | 81 | 4 |
Unstable Amulet | 79 | 79 | 0 |
Guide of Souls | 78 | 78 | 0 |
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah | 77 | 77 | 0 |
Glimpse the Impossible | 73 | 73 | 0 |
Necrodominance | 68 | 68 | 0 |
Sylvan Safekeeper | 68 | 68 | 0 |
Arena of Glory | 65 | 65 | 0 |
Invert Polarity | 55 | 45 | 10 |
Disruptor Flute | 53 | 9 | 44 |
Boggart Trawler | 52 | 52 | 0 |
Fell the Profane | 48 | 48 | 0 |
Shifting Woodland | 43 | 42 | 1 |
Flare of Malice | 41 | 31 | 10 |
Phyrexian Tower | 36 | 36 | 0 |
Orim’s Chant | 36 | 6 | 30 |
Nethergoyf | 34 | 34 | 0 |
Volatile Stormdrake | 33 | 10 | 23 |
Sink into Stupor | 27 | 27 | 0 |
Vexing Bauble | 27 | 4 | 23 |
Nulldrifter | 27 | 26 | 1 |
Sorin of House Markov | 23 | 23 | 0 |
Psychic Frog | 22 | 22 | 0 |
Emrakul, the World Anew | 22 | 22 | 0 |
Toxic Deluge | 21 | 0 | 21 |
Harbinger of the Seas | 21 | 7 | 14 |
Flare of Denial | 20 | 19 | 1 |
Malevolent Rumble | 20 | 20 | 0 |
Sowing Mycospawn | 16 | 10 | 6 |
Ocelot Pride | 16 | 16 | 0 |
Ulamog, the Defiler | 15 | 15 | 0 |
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd | 13 | 13 | 0 |
Chthonian Nightmare | 9 | 9 | 0 |
Thief of Existence | 9 | 0 | 9 |
Wastescape Battlemage | 9 | 8 | 1 |
Flare of Cultivation | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Eldrazi Linebreaker | 8 | 8 | 0 |
It That Heralds the End | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Brainsurge | 8 | 8 | 0 |
Barbarian Ring | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Marionette Apprentice | 6 | 6 | 0 |
Monumental Henge | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Meltdown | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Spymaster’s Vault | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Rush of Inspiration | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Warren Soultrader | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Cephalid Coliseum | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Drowner of Truth | 4 | 4 | 0 |
White Orchid Phantom | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Birthing Ritual | 4 | 4 | 0 |
Flusterstorm | 3 | 0 | 3 |
Deep Analysis | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Kozilek, the Broken Reality | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Bridgeworks Battle | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Six | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Accursed Marauder | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Consuming Corruption | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Grist, Voracious Larva | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Buried Alive | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Null Elemental Blast | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Collective Resistance | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Ghostfire Slice | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Revitalizing Repast | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Legion Leadership | 1 | 1 | 0 |
662274
662349
In terms of raw card count, the most important new additions are
662345
Springheart Nantuko
662201
662227
Energy cards get better the more you have of them. Running multiple energy sources allow you to spend your energy resources in the best way for the game at hand. While
Ral, Monsoon Mage
Ruby Medallion
Ugin’s Labyrinth
Devourer of Destiny
The final set of cards that I’dlike to highlight are the various new Eldrazi cards.
Partly due to the prominence of
At Pro Tour Modern Horizons 3, all competitors who clinch 36 match points and/or reach the Top 8 will receive an invitation to Magic World Championship 30—the crown jewel of Magic organized play. As we count down the weeks leading up to that tournament in late October, each week I’m taking a look at a great deck from a past Magic World Championship. After previously reviewing World Championships from 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, let’s go back in time to 2008.
At the 2008 World Championship, a total of 329 players from 57 countries came to Memphis to compete across Standard, Draft, and Extended. In the end, Antii Malin from Finland took the trophy with Faeries. Although his decklist and performance was excellent, I’d like to take the opportunity to highlight another Faeries decklist from the same Top 8—mine!
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About the Author
Akinwumi Ajadi
Akinwumi Ajadi is a passionate blogger and technology enthusiast specializing in the information technology niche. With a keen eye for the latest trends and innovations, Akinwumi delivers insightful, engaging, and practical content to help readers navigate the ever-evolving world of tech. From software development to cybersecurity, Akinwumi's expertise spans a wide range of topics, making complex concepts accessible to both novice and experienced tech enthusiasts alike.
technology
Here’s an alleged Pixel 9 in a vibrant pink [Video]
Google is releasing the Pixel 9 series very early, and right on cue the leaks are coming. In a first leaked video, we’re getting a look at a surprisingly vibrant Pixel 9 in a pink color.
It’s almost inevitable for every Pixel to leak in a hands-on video ahead of its launch, and that’s what it seems we’re now seeing for the Pixel 9.
A leaked video posted by @hanibioud on Twitter/X supposedly shows the Pixel 9 in a bright pink color. The device is supposedly from Algeria and is claimed to have 256GB of storage.
Focusing in on the color, it’s way brighter than any color we’ve seen in recent years outside of the A-Series, but matches the leaked “Peony” color that first surfaced back in May. The color is unusually vibrant for Google’s flagship lineup. As mentioned, we’ve not seen a color this vibrant on a Pixel outside of the A-Series since 2019’s Pixel 4 (with its delightful “Oh So Orange”).
The design, of course, lines up perfectly with past leaks, with the device having flat edges and a glossy back, just like we’ve seen previously. This model also has two cameras, unlike what the similarly-sized Pixel 9 Pro is expected to have.
We’re taking this video with a grain of salt, but the user posting images claims we’ll hear more details tomorrow.
More on Pixel 9:
H/T Mishaal, Brandon
Follow Ben: Twitter/X, Threads, and Instagram
Update: Removed speculation over date.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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About the Author
Akinwumi Ajadi
Akinwumi Ajadi is a passionate blogger and technology enthusiast specializing in the information technology niche. With a keen eye for the latest trends and innovations, Akinwumi delivers insightful, engaging, and practical content to help readers navigate the ever-evolving world of tech. From software development to cybersecurity, Akinwumi's expertise spans a wide range of topics, making complex concepts accessible to both novice and experienced tech enthusiasts alike.
technology
The first Thunderbolt 5 cables are here, but there’s barely anything to plug in
Available today from Amazon in 1-foot (0.3m), 1.6-foot (0.5m), and 3.3-foot (1m) lengths for $23, $27, and $33, respectively, the new cables obviously don’t do anything on their own — you’d need a computer with a Thunderbolt 5 port and a dock or accessory of some sort to get some real use out of it.
But as of today, the only laptop we’ve heard of with a Thunderbolt 5 port is the Razer Blade 18, and even there, it’s not guaranteed. You’d have to buy the $4,500 Mercury edition of the laptop to get that port. (You do also get an Intel i9 and a mobile RTX 4090 for the money.)
And unless you own two of those laptops, there’s still probably nothing special you can do with a Thunderbolt 5 cable as of today because the peripherals we saw at CES aren’t yet ready: Belkin, J5Create, OWC, and Sabrent do not yet list any of those Thunderbolt 5 products on their websites, and Hyper still shows its $400 dock as being out of stock with a “Sign up to be notified” button.
But if you do have two of the exact same $4,500 Razer laptops, could you use Thunderbolt Share to transfer files between them at ludicrous speed? Inquiring minds want to know. If not, I suppose you could use it as a USB4 / Thunderbolt 4 cable for now.
According to Cable Matters’ press release, its cable is manufactured by Lintes, the same company that provided the prototype cable we saw at CES.
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About the Author
Akinwumi Ajadi
Akinwumi Ajadi is a passionate blogger and technology enthusiast specializing in the information technology niche. With a keen eye for the latest trends and innovations, Akinwumi delivers insightful, engaging, and practical content to help readers navigate the ever-evolving world of tech. From software development to cybersecurity, Akinwumi's expertise spans a wide range of topics, making complex concepts accessible to both novice and experienced tech enthusiasts alike.
technology
Instagram’s ‘Made with AI’ label swapped out for ‘AI info’ after photographers’ complaints
On Monday, Meta announced that it is “updating the ‘Made with AI’ label to ‘AI info’ across our apps, which people can click for more information,” after people complained that their pictures had the tag applied incorrectly. Former White House photographer Pete Souza pointed out the tag popping up on an upload of a photo originally taken on film during a basketball game 40 years ago, speculating that using Adobe’s cropping tool and flattening images might have triggered it.
“As we’ve said from the beginning, we’re consistently improving our AI products, and we are working closely with our industry partners on our approach to AI labeling,” said Meta spokesperson Kate McLaughlin. The new label is supposed to more accurately represent that the content may simply be modified rather than making it seem like it is entirely AI-generated.
The problem seems to be the metadata tools like Adobe Photoshop apply to images and how platforms interpret that. After Meta expanded its policies around labeling AI content, real-life pictures posted to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Threads were tagged “Made with AI.”
You may see the new labeling first on mobile apps and then the web view later, as McLaughlin tells The Verge it is starting to roll out across all surfaces.
Once you click the tag, it will still show the same message as the old label, which has a more detailed explanation of why it might have been applied and that it could cover images fully generated by AI or edited with tools that include AI tech, like Generative Fill. Metadata tagging tech like C2PA was supposed to make telling the difference between AI-generated and real images simpler and easier, but that future isn’t here yet.
Read Other Similar Stories Here
About the Author
Akinwumi Ajadi
Akinwumi Ajadi is a passionate blogger and technology enthusiast specializing in the information technology niche. With a keen eye for the latest trends and innovations, Akinwumi delivers insightful, engaging, and practical content to help readers navigate the ever-evolving world of tech. From software development to cybersecurity, Akinwumi's expertise spans a wide range of topics, making complex concepts accessible to both novice and experienced tech enthusiasts alike.
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