Tens of thousands of cards have been published for Magic: The Gathering throughout the course of the last thirty years. Playing a game with history and using decks that represent it as well-honed tactics ascend to the top and rule for years is, for many, a big part of the enjoyment.
However, not everyone finds the often glacial meta-changes that come from using all—or even just the most recent—70% of cards—to be very interesting. These players are kings of Standard. Give or take two or three sets, this game mode often includes cards that were published in the last two years.
But with Foundations on the way, even this could soon alter. Wizards of the Coast has revealed a new set of cards that will not be Standard-legal until 2029 at the latest. This means that for the next five years, Standard will follow an entirely different development path.
Will players of Standard Magic benefit from Foundation? We'll discuss Foundation's potential impact on the game in this section and determine whether or not players should be relieved or concerned.
Players will hardly remember the Core Sets, which were very dull and just served to create more gap between sets that players really desired to play. Foundations, on the other hand, seem to be a fresh take on those sets. The idea behind Core Sets was to support the existing Standard meta without depriving future sets of chances to reprint cards by offering fairly generic but effective cards that could be utilized in a variety of contexts.
They were rather uninteresting since they lacked the unique flavor and mechanics that provide intrigue to a set, despite their usefulness. With the addition of cards that will be Standard legal for five years, Foundations seems to be a means to finish out a number of Core Sets all at once and establish a "Foundation."
Fortunately, Wizards has positioned the release of Foundations between many other significant releases, suggesting that they recognize the negative perception that sets like as these have when they are considered mainstream releases. Early August sees the release of the Bloomburrow set, which is followed by Duskmourn in late September, Foundations in late November, and "Death Race" in Q1 2025.
Players will still have more cards to choose from when they pick and play with by sandwiching Foundations between these other sets. There will still be other cards that catch players' interest even if the set is quite dull overall.
What impact will Foundations have on Standard meta?
The primary objection that could have some merit is that a set like as Foundations might make Standard meta considerably more stale. It does seem out of place to have a pool of cards that lasts for five years in comparison to Standard's style of continual rotation. The cards in this set are yet unknown to us, but what is known from the teases so far suggests that this set might work well in Standard.
Many reprints, including Omniscience and Llanowar Elves, have already been revealed, so I believe it's safe to state that nobody is afraid about such cards manipulating the meta. One of these classic cards can be used in practically any deck that seeks basic ramp, while the other is an absurd endgame card that is quite challenging to play. The fact that these cards have been available for so long just indicates that players are already aware of their use cases, even if they may find their way into certain decks. They don't really change the rules of the game. However, the new card spoilers could provide further information.
Two new cards have been leaked so far: Anthem of Champions and Nine-Lives Familiar. Anthem of Champions only offers a less expensive anthem effect for more constrained mana; it is straightforward and helpful but by no means meta-bending. It's Nine-Lives Familiar that merits more examination.
Although Nine-Lives Familiar seems like a lot of fun and is really unique, it ultimately amounts to little more than a basic sac outlet. Perhaps this is the theme of the set, but both of these cards are generally helpful without being particularly striking or captivating. There aren't many really great cards in this collection. Rather, they will accomplish the same task as these cards, which is to provide unique takes on well-worn concepts that fit into a variety of decks. It is certain that some of these cards will wind up in Standard decks, but it is unlikely that any of them will attempt to bend the meta in any manner, so perhaps player concerns will be unwarranted.
Magic Foundations' effects
Wizards of the Coast now has a bit more influence over the Standard meta thanks to the introduction of Foundations, which lets sets stand on their own. A typical set contains between 200 to 300 cards, however it might be challenging to accommodate every playstyle's requirements inside them all. With Foundations readily accessible, card designers may focus on creating more distinctive and captivating designs, leaving Foundations cards to cover some of the more essential but uninteresting card staples.The set's durability and profitability are its greatest advantages, and they are also the ones I value the most. The cost of Magic is high. really costly. As a result, picking up where you left off in the game and picking it back up might be challenging. After two years, all of your cards are suddenly no longer Standard-legal, which means you'll need to spend hundreds of dollars to own a single playable deck in the Standard metagame. By allowing players to return to the game with a foundation of cards that will remain in Standard, foundations may make it more affordable for them to do so. Because the set has been in use for five years, there should be more cards in circulation, which will maintain their pricing reasonable. Therefore, the cards themselves should be less expensive as well.
All in all, this fulfills my every expectation for a core set replacement. There should be a quick and affordable method to get back into the game for those of us who can't afford to stay current all the time or who sometimes take vacations from it. Present Standard players don't need to worry. Wizards of the Coast seems to appreciate the format and recognize players' affection for it. For years to come, standard players will continue to concentrate on every new set, and Foundations is just that—a good starting point.