MTG Foundations is quickly proving to be a very powerful set. Despite giving off core set vibes, there are a ton of strong cards to build around in a Constructed setting. This goes beyond just Standard play. In fact, a handful of new MTG Foundations cards have given new life to some otherwise long-abandoned archetypes in Pioneer.
From Metalwork Colossus shells to Goblin typal strategies, MTG Foundations is encouraging players to bust out some sweet decks with new improvements. To start, let’s take a look at how Leyline Axe has revolutionized the Metalwork Colossus deck.
Metalwork Colossus
Metalwork Colossus is a really cool card. In order to maximize it, you need to fill your deck with a lot of noncreature artifacts. As a resilient threat, Metalwork Colossus has no problems ending the game once it lands. The problem with the Metalwork Colossus shell, though, is that the deck’s game plan is rather slow.
Portable Hole helps a bit against aggro decks, of course, but many of your other noncreature artifacts do not. Simulacrum Synthesizer, for example, does nothing to impact the board the turn it comes down. That said, the card is nonetheless a nice alternative win condition to provide added consistency.
Similarly, Brass Knuckles is an awesome enabler for Metalwork Colossus, providing eight mana worth of discount to Metalwork Colossus. Once again, however, it can be tough to find a window to slam Brass Knuckles without falling too far behind. This is why Leyline Axe is a game-changer.
Leyline Axe is a perfectly reasonable card to hard cast. After all, it makes Metalwork Colossus a reliable killing machine when equipped. It even triggers Simulacrum Synthesizer for added synergy. As if that wasn’t good enough, it also provides a huge burst of speed to the deck when you have it in your opening hand.
If you’re lucky enough to have multiples in hand, you can cast Metalwork Colossus way ahead of schedule. Leyline Axe gives the Metalwork Colossus deck brand new “nut draw” potential, which is a huge boon versus aggro and combo decks.
Goblins
Goblins is another deck that has popped up here and there in Pioneer but hasn’t quite had the tools necessary to sustain success. Payoffs like Conspicuous Snoop and Rundvelt Hordemaster give you a solid incentive to play lots of Goblins. The supporting cast is reasonable, too.
The downside is that Goblins isn’t exactly the most resilient strategy in the world. If your payoffs get removed, you’re left with some mediocre, low-powered creatures. Things get even worse in the face of board wipes.
Players have tried in the past to make use of Rally the Ancestors or Return to the Ranks as a way to combat this problem. Rally suffers from the fact that the creatures don’t stick around long-term. Return, meanwhile requires a lot of mana investment in order to resurrect a lot of creatures without access to a big board state already.
Raise the Past gives you the best of both worlds. For four mana, you get to revive as many creatures as possible (with mana value two or less), and they stick around. Raise the Past synergizes perfectly with Skirk Prospector, as well.
While not present in this decklist, some players are also testing Searslicer Goblin in the two-drop slot. Searslicer Goblin can generate a lot of value if left unchecked. It’s unclear if Boros Goblins will pick up a ton in popularity, but these new MTG Foundations additions certainly help.
Elves
The last archetype we wanted to highlight is none other than Elves. Elves is another typal strategy that has had off-and-on success for quite a while. With Abzan Amalia out of the picture and some MTG Foundations cards in the mix, perhaps the deck is poised for a comeback.
As you might expect, the reprint of Elvish Archdruid has a lot of players interested. If you ever get to untap with it, you’ll have access to a boatload of mana. The Lord effect is also quite nice, enabling some big attacks with your otherwise puny mana dorks.
This excess mana pairs nicely with Leaf-Crowned Visionary to help you draw cards and chain spells. Even the activation of Elvish Warmaster becomes a real threat if you have a lot of mana to work with.
Beyond Elvish Archdruid, some players are looking towards Banner of Kinship. Banner of Kinship is a neat take on Coat of Arms, letting you present some enormous attacks out of nowhere. It is definitely mana-intensive to cast, but the upside of breaking open any board stall is huge.
MTG Foundations may feel like a core set in a Limited setting, but the number of elite inclusions for Constructed is staggering. We’re excited to see if any of these off-the-wall decks make a resurgence thanks to these MTG Foundations powerhouses. There’s still plenty of time for more cards to make names for themselves, so make sure to keep an eye out for any sweet innovations in the coming weeks.
