MTG Modern Horizons 3's Ugin's Binding is the best version of Cyclonic Rift ever printed

MTG Modern Horizons 3’s spoilers continue to go wild, with card rush-media’s reveal of Ugin’s Binding. This might be the most powerful version of Cyclonic Rift ever printed, and the best part is that it can come out of nowhere. You technically get to save the huge mana cost of Overloading Cyclonic Rift, since you’re playing a specific creature to trigger its effect. I’m such a huge fan of this card, and it’s one of the more interesting designs revealed so far.

I have a feeling this card is going to be used in quite a few decks going forward. MTG Modern Horizons 3’s Ugin’s Binding carries on the rich tradition of incredibly powerful cards linked to/named after the mighty Ugin. But what does this card do, exactly? Let’s take a look.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer solely.

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What is Ugin’s Binding in MTG Modern Horizons 3?

Ugin's Binding can suddenly put the kibosh on any strategy (Image via Wizards of the Coast)

At first glance, Ugin’s Binding is a decent card in MTG Modern Horizons 3 - it bounces a nonland permanent you don’t control back to its owner’s hand. For 3 mana, it costs 1 more than a regular Cyclonic Rift in Magic: The Gathering. However, for one more mana, it provides an incredible amount of value.

Several of the cards revealed so far for Modern Horizons 3 feel familiar - such as Fanatic of Rhonas - but this might be one of the cards with the greatest possibility of strength yet. I’m a huge fan of what it can do. Here are the specifics:

Ugin’s Binding

• Mana Value: 2U
• Card Type: Instant
• Rarity: Mythic Rare
• Keyword: Devoid (Has no color)
• First Ability: Return target nonland permanent you don’t control to its owner’s hand.
• Second Ability: Whenever you cast a colorless spell with a mana value of 7 or greater, you may exile Ugin’s Binding from your graveyard. When you do, return each nonland permanent you don’t control to its owner’s hand.

All you must do is get Ugin’s Binding in your graveyard to make this MTG Modern Horizons 3 spoiler take off. At that point, just wait until you cast a colorless spell that costs 7 or higher. That means, if you’re playing Commander and have an Eldrazi or Ugin commander, you’re going to easily have that covered.

When you meet that one condition, exile Ugin’s Binding from your graveyard, and suddenly, all nonland permanents you don’t control get returned to their owner’s hands. Now you have a clear lane to attack and wrap the game up. It’s also incredibly great if your opponent is flooding the board with tokens because now, those tokens don’t exist anymore.

This is even more devastating in a multiplayer game because it affects everyone who isn’t specifically you. No matter how powerful your opponent’s Commander Deck is, their board is almost certainly getting cleared.

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MTG Modern Horizons 3 releases on June 14, 2024, and promises to offer some truly incredibly powerful cards to players of Eternal formats - Modern, Legacy, Commander, and more.