Red players are going to have a ball in the Standard format. Sure, Monastery Swiftspear will be rotating out of the format soon, but there are so many insane burn cards being printed in MTG Foundations that I don’t think Burn players will have time to complain.
If someone had told me that Lava Spike would be Standard legal in any capacity, I would have never believed them. Now, we have an upgraded Lava Spike that will be legal in Standard for the next five years. Based on the fact that Boros Charm is seeing a similar reprint, Boros Burn could become a pillar of the Standard format.
Lava Spike, but Better
Boltwave may just look like a newfangled Lava Spike, but the card is a bit better. Dealing three damage straight to your opponent’s face isn’t as good as a Lightning Bolt, but when you’re trying to end the game as quickly as possible, this is highly efficient.
Boltwave’s upside over Lava Spike comes from the fact that it does not target for damage. This allows the card to get through effects like Leyline of Sanctity that give players Hexproof. Considering that this is one of the more challenging cards for Burn to beat in older formats, this is a big boost.
Boltwave being nontargeted damage to all opponents gives it some Commander use, but three damage does not go too far in that format. You would need other synergies to make it worthwhile there. The formats that will be really exciting to receive Boltwave are Pioneer and Standard.
Pioneer has had some Burn strategies frequent the format over time. Still, Rakdos Prowess is the current go-to aggressive strategy after banning Amalia Life out of the format (which invalidated aggressive decks). Since Rakdos Prowess is combat trick-oriented, Burn cards won’t really see play there, but this could create the rise of Boros Burn in Pioneer.
Burn in Standard?
With Boros Charm and Lava Spike 2.0 coming to Standard, it seems like the burn era is upon us. Add on the fact that, after an insane run at the 2024 World Championships, Mono-Red Aggro is considered one of the best decks in the format, and Burn’s ascent to the throne seems almost ironclad.
Even after Monastery Swiftspear rotates out of Standard, we’re getting multiple red one drops in MTG Foundations. Ghitu Lavarunner, Stromkirk Noble, Viashino Pyromancer (a two-drop, but a burn staple in slower formats) and Burst Lightning are all seeing reprints in MTG Foundations. Kellan, Planar Trailblazer is another new red one-drop seeing print in Foundations that could be a great sideboard option against attrition-based matchups. Throw in the powerhouse Mouse Typal package from Bloomburrow, and you’ve got a winning strategy that’s tough to beat.
Fortunately, MTG Foundations is also printing some robust counterplay options that should help decks against burn. Lyra Dawnbringer is one of the stronger five drops you can stabilize with against burn. You do need to get to turn five, but if you do, this is a tough card for burn to beat.
Other lifelinking Angels already exist in Standard. Archangel of Wrath is a strong option from Dominaria United that can act as lifegain, a body, and removal if you have enough mana. Joust Through is a cheap removal spell in white that should help stabilize against early attackers from Burn decks. Charming Prince is another MTG Foundations reprint that can gain life on entry but also has other Blink-based applications that can provide different kinds of value in various matchups.
Burn seems strong enough to warp the Standard format, at least when MTG Foundations releases. There are way too many good options for the deck available, and Burn has been known to be a common metagame titan in the early days of a format where players are still figuring things out. If you’re fiending to play some aggressive Magic, Foundations will be your best friend.