Modern Masters 2017: Complete Set Guide (MM3)

Some sets exist to push the game forward. Modern Masters 2017 exists to bring the past within reach - and for a lot of players, that made all the difference.

Released on March 17, 2017, Modern Masters 2017 Edition (set code: MM3) is the third entry in the Modern Masters series, following the original Modern Masters (2013) and Modern Masters 2015. Like its predecessors, it's a booster-based compilation set: no new cards, no new mechanics introduced for the first time here, just carefully selected reprints of cards legal in the Modern format, packaged into a draft-able Limited environment.

What is Modern Masters 2017?

Modern Masters 2017 is a 249-card reprint set designed with two goals that have to coexist in some tension: making high-value Modern staples more accessible, and functioning as a rich, rewarding Limited format in its own right.

It's worth being clear about what the set isn't. Modern Masters 2017 is not a Standard-legal release. You can't open a booster and find cards you couldn't already play in Modern. What you can find are cards that, at the time of release, carried significant price tags due to limited supply - reprinting them in MM3 was a direct attempt to bring those prices down and widen access to the format.

The set released on tabletop on March 17, 2017, and arrived on Magic Online six days later, on March 23, 2017.

Format check: Cards in Modern Masters 2017 are legal in whatever formats their original printings were legal in. The set itself is not Standard-legal, but it is perfectly draftable as its own Limited format.

Themes and mechanics

Because Modern Masters 2017 is a reprint set, it doesn't introduce mechanics to the game - instead, it curates a collection of existing mechanics that work well together in a draft environment. The design team's job here is less "what's new?" and more "what plays well in a pod?"

The set draws from a wide swathe of Modern-legal sets, which means the mechanical palette is genuinely broad. Graveyard synergies, token strategies, spells-matter themes, and multicolour payoffs all have homes here. That breadth is by design - a good Masters set draft format needs enough mechanical diversity that players at the same table aren't all fighting over identical cards.

The multicolour emphasis is particularly notable. MM3 gave players the opportunity to draft some of Magic's most celebrated gold cards alongside fixing that makes those ambitious mana bases viable. This gives the format a distinct feel compared to a typical single-set draft: you're often rewarded for committing to two or even three colours, and the games tend to reward tight play around synergistic packages rather than raw card power.

Limited and draft

Drafting Modern Masters 2017 has a reputation for being genuinely good - not just financially rewarding (though cracking expensive reprints is certainly part of the appeal), but mechanically satisfying.

The set is structured so that multiple draft archetypes are viable and distinct. Graveyard-based strategies sit alongside aggressive token builds and slower, value-oriented multicolour piles. Because the card pool draws from years of thoughtfully designed sets, the individual cards tend to be cleaner and more interesting than you'd find in a typical Standard-era draft format.

One thing to keep in mind when drafting MM3: the cards are expensive. Booster packs for Modern Masters sets have always carried a significant premium over standard boosters, which changes the calculus at the table. Players are often more conservative about rare-drafting (taking a card for its monetary value rather than its playability) because the stakes of each pick feel higher. That's neither good nor bad - it's just a different social texture to the draft.

A note on scarcity: Modern Masters sets are printed in limited quantities compared to standard sets. This keeps the reprints meaningful as collector items but also means that organised draft events with MM3 were - and remain - less common than with regular releases.

Notable cards and impact

The headline purpose of Modern Masters 2017 was reprint equity - getting expensive staples back into players' hands at more accessible prices. At the time of release, the set included some of the most sought-after cards in the Modern format, making it one of the more impactful reprint sets in terms of market effect.

Without overstating the case: any Masters set's long-term impact on card prices is complicated. Supply increases, but so does demand as more players enter the format. The effect on any individual card varies significantly. What MM3 undeniably did was create a window - a period where previously expensive cards were more attainable than they had been, and where new players could access the format more easily.

As a third set in a series, MM3 also benefited from lessons learned in the first two Modern Masters releases. The balance between Limited playability and reprint value was, by most accounts, handled well here.

Lore and setting

Modern Masters 2017 doesn't tell a new story and isn't set on a particular plane. It's a compilation - the cards inside it come from across Magic's multiverse, spanning multiple planes, story arcs, and eras.

If you're looking for narrative cohesion, this isn't the set for it. But there's something quietly wonderful about cracking a Modern Masters pack and finding cards that span decades of Magic history side by side. It's a reminder of how much ground the game has covered.

Set legacy

Modern Masters 2017 is remembered fondly - more fondly than its predecessor, Modern Masters 2015, which attracted some criticism for its Limited environment and reprint choices. MM3 landed better on both counts.

For players who were active in 2017, it represents a moment where some long-wished-for reprints finally arrived, and where the Limited format delivered genuine fun rather than just expensive packs. That combination - financial accessibility and a good play experience - is harder to achieve than it sounds, and it's what separates the well-regarded Masters sets from the ones that get quietly forgotten.

As the Modern format has continued to evolve and expand, some of the cards in MM3 have shifted in relevance. But the set remains a meaningful chapter in the ongoing effort to keep Modern accessible to new players, and a well-crafted draft format in its own right.