On November 15, one of MTG’s most intriguing products in recent memory will be releasing. Known as MTG Foundations, this set will be introducing a ton of new cards to Standard. Unlike typical premier sets, though, these cards will not be subjected to the typical rotation schedule and will remain in Standard until at least 2029.
Well, November 15 is coming up on us awfully fast. With spoiler season just around the corner, MTG head designer Mark Rosewater decided to release his usual teaser. This time around, there are some really intriguing hints provided that have MTG players everywhere talking. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting teaser tidbits.
Two Combo Cards
Kicking things off, we have a hint that states that there will be two monocolor reprints, each of a different color, that together win the game. There are a decent number of options here, so it’ll be interesting to see how strong these reprints truly are.
Unsurprisingly, players were quick to point out combos like Demonic Consultation+Thassa’s Oracle and Splinter Twin+Deceiver Exarch. Demonic Consultation would frankly be an egregious reprint. It’s banned in Legacy for good reason and would instantly need a ban in formats like Pioneer. Splinter Twin is a little tamer, but the fact that it’s banned in Modern makes it very unlikely to be reprinted here.
However, there are other variants of the Splinter Twin-style combo that could very well be showcased. For example, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and Deceiver Exarch accomplishes the same goal, as does Kiki-Jiki alongside Restoration Angel.
Kiki-Jiki is a more cost intensive card that would be more reasonable of an inclusion. It’s still iconic that has already appeared in a previous Jumpstart set, so MTG Foundations seems like a decent fit.
Invitational Winner’s Reprint
Next up, we have another hint that is heavily debated. According to Mark Rosewater, MTG Foundations will feature a Magic Invitational winner’s specially made card as a reprint. For over a decade, a cool feature for winning one of MTG’s most prestigious tournaments each year was that your likeness would be engrained on a newly created MTG card. There are a total of 15 different creatures that could emerge as the MTG Foundations reprint. The question is, which one is most likely?
First of all, Mark Rosewater mentioned that the most powerful of the Invitational cards would not be chosen. This quickly sparked discussion about whether Dark Confidant or Snapcaster Mage was being referred to here.
Theoretically, if Dark Confidant was deemed the most powerful, we could see a Snapcaster Mage reprint in Standard and Pioneer. In fact, we know there’s a card that gives an instant or sorcery flashback in the set, thanks to a different teaser. Could this foreshadow a Snapcaster Mage reprint?
Personally, I would doubt it. Snapcaster Mage is still an incredible card for a Standard environment, and making this potent creature legal for five or more years feels a bit too risky. For gameplay, Elite Spellbinder and Fervent Champion strike a nice balance as impactful cards that will likely see play without being too format warping. Solemn Simulacrum is another card that is perfectly fair and quite popular.
Perhaps I’m wrong, and power creep has led us to a spot where Snapcaster Mage isn’t a dominant force in Standard. We’ll just have to wait and see how far Wizards of the Coast wants to push the envelope.
A Boatload of Other Cool Hints
While the two hints described above are definitely the most hyped, there are a number of others in the teaser that are worth looking into. One of them states that a character from one of Magic’s most popular online stories makes a triumphant return. With this in mind, our best guess is that Alesha is getting a new design.
Alesha feels like the perfect card to match the description. First of all, Alesha, Who Smiles at Death is the only Alesha card printed thus far. Alesha appeared in the Khanfall story, which many players believe was one of the top online stories at the time. Alesha’s role as MTG’s first transgender character only made her more impactful, and seeing the character return would be quite cool.
We also know that a creature with seven keywords is coming. This is absolutely wild. Players are already excited about the potential for this new card to fuel Commanders such as Kathril, Aspect Warper or Indominus Rex, Alpha. So far, Zetalpa, Primal Dawn is one of the premier threats to discard with Kathril at the helm. Zetalpa is also Soulflayer‘s best friend. Maybe it’s time atop the throne is finished.
MTG Foundations certainly has a lot going on. There’s a new card that gets discounted based on the number of Cats you have in play. There’s a card that gives your creatures +10/+10. Between unique designs and elite reprints, MTG Foundations could easily have an enormous impact on Constructed Magic. Make sure to be on the lookout for any new information that comes out in the coming weeks.