The official release of MTG Foundations is right around the corner, and players are eager to try out all the new goodies that will now be Standard legal. MTG Foundations is a very powerful set with a lot to offer, so chances are, we’re in for some major shakeups.
One area that has been getting a lot of hype is all the new typal synergies that MTG Foundations is adding to the format. Whether you’re a fan of Cats, Zombies, or Elves, there are certainly some powerful new additions worth consideration.
However, as fun as many of these typal decks sound, I believe there’s a high likelihood most if not all of them fall flat. There are a multitude of reasons why these strategies are overhyped, especially considering the current Standard environment. So, let’s dive in and discuss what’s really holding even the strongest of the typal decks back.
Minimal Number of Payoffs and Support Cards
The first thing that many of the various typal decks are lacking is a healthy mix of payoffs and support cards. With regards to payoffs, most of the heavily discussed creature types from MTG Foundations have only a couple cards that actively pull you into the archetype.
For Cats, Arahbo, the First Fang is absolutely a strong card. There’s no denying that in games where you draw Arahbo and it sticks around, you’ll be able to apply an immense amount of pressure. The problem is that in order to fully maximize Arahbo, you need a critical mass of Cat support cards, which is lacking.
Sure, you can fill out your curve with Savannah Lions and Ajani’s Pridemate and such, but these cards aren’t very strong individually. This means that when you don’t draw Arahbo, you’re simply playing mediocre creatures to the board. Regal Caracal is another payoff, but five mana is a lot for an assertive typal deck.
Goblin and Zombies are in a similar boat. Rundvelt Hoardmaster is excellent, and Dropkick Bomber is a decent Lord. Unfortunately, all it takes is getting your payoff hit with Torch the Tower and you’re left with a pile of below average creatures. The same is true for Zombies when your copies of Zur Ashur, Lich Lord or Death Baron bite the dust.
The typal deck with the highest density of support and payoffs is certainly Elves, but even that deck has some issues. Between Leaf-Crowned Visionary and Elvish Archdruid, you have multiple Lords to buff your team. Llanowar Elves is an excellent one-drop accelerant, and Dwynen’s Elite pairs nicely with your Lords.
Once again, though, it’s easy for your Lords to get removed and then you can’t apply much pressure anymore. This brings us to the next weakness that typal decks have as things currently stand: removal and board wipes are plentiful.
A Poor Environment
We mentioned Torch the Tower hitting your Lords, but that is far from the least of your worries as a typal deck enjoyer. Nearly every deck in Standard plays a lot of efficient removal. From Go for the Throat to Get Lost, it’s tough to rely on some specific payoffs to stick around to give you an advantage.
Once you factor in board wipes, though, things look much grimmer. Standard presents a wide array of Wraths, some of which are very cheap, across most colors. Domain decks obviously get to utilize Sunfall as well as the newly reprinted Day of Judgment as catchup mechanisms. Black midrange decks have access to Malicious Eclipse and Gix’s Command.
Likely the scariest cards of the bunch lie in red. Pyroclasm costs only two mana, and Slagstorm is here to stay for a long time once Pyroclasm rotates.
This isn’t to say that creature decks can’t exist in Standard. Instead, it means that the creature-centric archetypes that succeed have elements that these typal decks lack.
For example, mono-red aggro has a plethora of Hasty creatures and Urabrask’s Forge to play around board wipes. Convoke decks can often rebuild with a single Gleeful Demolition and Imodane’s Recruiter follow-up. For typal decks to have a better chance to succeed, some new toys would need to enter the format.
Missing Tools
While Elves, Goblins, Zombies, and Cats all seem like a longshot at the moment to rule Standard, there are some styles of cards that could get printed to make them more intriguing. First and foremost, these decks could use more resilient elements.
In order to have a better shot at fighting through hate, you need cards that advance your gameplan that disrupt the opponent or make removal worse. Take a look at Humans decks in Pioneer, for example.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben helps you push your advantage while slowing the opponent down. Unlike most Lords, Thalia’s Lieutenant leaves behind +1/+1 counters on your other creatures. This way, even if Thalia’s Lieutenant dies, you generated extra pressure in the process. Throw in cards like Extraction Specialist that generate value and help you rebuild, and you’re in business.
These are the style of cards that could really help the typal decks mentioned above in Standard flourish. Value engines like Goblin Ringleader could go a long way. On top of that, if an elite source of card advantage and tempo advantage like Collected Company ever enters the format, some of these typal decks should get a lot stronger.
As a typal enthusiast myself, I’m really hoping one of these decks proves to be more powerful than I’m anticipating. It’s entirely possible that MTG Foundations is setting things up and we visit a set focused on Elves or Cats in the near future. For now, I’m excited to see how the format shakes out over time and where typal decks stand.
