Are you just getting settled in to Duskmourn: House of Horror? Finally getting your head around its Limited environment and spooky new mechanics? Well don’t get too comfortable, because Magic’s next major set is only a month away. Foundations is one of the biggest sets in a while, actually, since its cards will be legal in Standard for a full five years. As this cornerstone release draws near, MTG player predictions are rolling in for Foundations. What reprints will secure their place in Standard come November? The community has varied thoughts on the matter.
Rocking The Foundations
This discussion is largely taking place on an r/MagicTCG thread at present. As is always the case with MTG, some members of the community are more optimistic than others about what Foundations might be bringing to the table. The thread’s originator, Payton_IV, for example, advocated for an Aether Vial reprint so that the card might make its Pioneer debut.
Aether Vial isn’t quite the powerhouse it used to be. That said, it still sees plenty of Modern and Legacy play, and would almost certainly be too good for Standard. Aggro is enough of a force in the format as-is. Other players suggested similar eternal staples, however, on the pretense that power has crept so far that they wouldn’t be an issue.
In some cases, this is probably true. Tarmogoyf was never really a big problem in the Standard of its time. It wasn’t until it hit Modern that Fetchlands and early interaction made it a serious contender. As many in the thread, including Livid_Jeweler612, noted, the card probably wouldn’t be an issue if printed into Standard today. As jrdineen114 put it, “Hilariously, I don’t even think that Goyf would be nearly as busted as it used to be.” It would pair particularly well with Duskmourn’s Delirium support, too.
Throughout the thread, other wild suggestions like this continued. Some suggested Lightning Bolt, the classic Titan cycle, and even Snapcaster Mage. Though Tarmogoyf is borderline-acceptable, it’s safe to say these other suggestions aren’t really. This is especially true given how long Foundations will be in Standard. The argument that these reprints would be great for Pioneer doesn’t change much either, since Foundations is a Standard-focused set first and foremost.
Sensible Suggestions
These more outlandish player predictions, while exciting, are fairly unlikely to make it into MTG Foundations. They’d likely warp the format beyond the point of fun if they did. I have to agree with MTGMRB on this one: “Thank god most of you don’t design sets.”
Some players did have more reasonable wishlists for Magic’s next core set, however. Many looked to the past and examined how such sets are typically built, before venturing their predictions. Show-Me-Your-Moves, for example, suggested Giant Spider. This card has appeared in nearly every single MTG core set so far, and would frankly be a disappointing omission from this one. As Robyrt said, “This is the only correct answer. Bring back the streak!”
Other core set classics like Serra Angel also got a mention, as well as staple removal effects like Doom Blade. These types of cards are almost a shoo-in for a set like Foundations. They define what each color can do best, and are great for introducing players to those fundamentals.
“Consider (or at the very least Opt) feels like a card that should always exist in standard. It’s generic and simple enough to fit in a Core Set but powerful enough to be played in a lot of blue decks.”
_soaphie
Cantrips, like Consider and Opt, were surprisingly popular suggestions in the thread. Given the state of Standard right now, this makes sense. Delirium is now an important factor to consider, and these cards support such a game plan beautifully. They also help smooth out a lot of other decks, too.
Players also had some thoughts on which dual lands should appear in Foundations. Traditionally, these have been either Checklands or Painlands. Cycles that aren’t particularly exciting, in other words. In the thread, players suggested everything from the Shocklands as an evergreen cycle to the complete set of Horizon lands. Honestly, the former is more likely, but it’s nice to think that better quality dual lands might get locked in for five years.
What We Want To See
Whether the suggestions are reasonable or not so much, speculating on what cards will be reprinted in an upcoming set is a grand tradition among Magic players. To that end, I thought I’d throw in some predictions of my own, as a fellow player eagerly awaiting MTG Foundations.
First of all, I’d love to see a Titan-esque cycle of mythic rare creatures. This has been a feature of many a core set, with the Soul and Cavalier cycles from M15 and M20 being great examples. Many in the thread suggested reprinting the actual Titans from M11, and there’s definitely an argument for that. They’d likely be absolutely fine in Standard, though the fact that Primeval Titan is banned in Commander makes that a bit awkward. I think a brand-new cycle in a similar vein is the way to go here.
Beyond that, I think the most important thing for Foundations to bring to the table is answers. More specifically, cards that can be brought in from the sideboard to counter specific archetypes. As an extra-long-life core set, Foundations will set the tone for the next few years of competitive Magic. The more great counterplay Wizards can stuff in here, the better.
There are countless directions to go with this, but a few things do immediately spring to mind. Some quality artifact/enchantment hate like Disenchant would be great, to combat the heavy enchantment theme from Duskmourn. Cards that can punish specific creature types would be great too, to keep Bloomburrow and the like in check. Plague Engineer is a fantastic example of such a card. Sure it was originally printed in Modern Horizons, but I really don’t think it would be too good for current Standard.
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