Vexing Bauble is a new Modern Horizons 3 Artifact that can shut down free casting for an incredibly cheap cost.
Magic’s Modern Horizons 3 set has seen several leaks prior to Wizards’ spoiler season, and Vexing Bauble has yet to be confirmed. We’ll keep you updated on if these leaks hold up once Modern Horizons 3’s spoiler season begins on May 21st.
For just one generic mana, Vexing Bauble will counter any spell that is cast without paying mana.
Unfortunately, this lockdown cuts both ways, preventing its controller from casting without paying mana too. But Vexing Bauble cleverly works around this drawback with an inherent sacrifice effect, allowing the Artifact to be sacrificed for cheap if it would get in the way of its controller’s big plays, drawing a card in the bargain.
While many leaked Modern Horizons 3 cards are gaining attention for their potential Commander capabilities, this one is equally relevant to the set’s core focus: the Modern format.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
One of the most broadly useful applications for the Vexing Bauble is shutting down the advantage generated by the Cascade mechanic and its variants.
Cascade is a notoriously powerful MTG ability, fetching permanent onto the field entirely for free. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan introduced Discover as a slightly more balanced version of Cascade, but it still proved to be overwhelmingly powerful when put to use.
Many all-time great Commanders like The First Sliver and recent fan-favorites like Pantlaza, Sun-Favored rely on Discover or Cascade. These decks can be very hard to defeat once they get the ball rolling and build up value, and Vexing Bauble is an easy way to stop them in their tracks.
Vexing Bauble joins the ranks of MTG’s best baubles, alongside Urza’s, Mishra’s, and Wayfarer’s. This is definitely an early gem to look out for when cracking Modern Horizons 3 packs after the set’s launch on June 14.
