Standard: The Best Cards from Foundations for the Format!

Foundations is the newest Magic: The Gathering set. It will act as a new Core Set for Standard, and remain available until 2029. It also includes a considerable number of reprints.

In today's article, we'll take a look at the cards from this set that most stood out to me. I believe they will become staples in this format and improve already-established strategies or inspire new ones.

White

This is precisely the tool Standard needed to deal with aggro decks. Authority of the Consuls will unquestionably become the main answer in this format for aggro decks, particularly against the popular Gruul Prowess. Control decks will now have another way to gain time so they can control the game, and it only costs one mana.

This card will also be quite useful whenever you need to control the game. Standard already has a reasonable number of board wipes (Sunfall, for instance, is the most popular), but Day of Judgment will become another alternative. Either in your main deck or side deck, this tool will make sure you can control the board in a metagame where creatures are incredibly important for many decks.

Humans have just made a new friend. Knight of Grace is a 2-drop with first strike that performs really well against black-based decks, like Golgari Midrange. The main removals in the format also can't deal with it.

I can see space for this creature in the sideboards of some decks. It will be a very interesting option.

While on one side white will have powerful board wipes, on the other, it'll also have the perfect answer for that. You can use Raise the Past after your opponent plays a board wipe, and bring back all the creatures they destroyed. However, what's most interesting about this card is how you can use it to create value in sacrifice decks.

All this strategy needs is a good sac outlet, like Bartolomé del Presidio, and some payoff (which we'll discuss later on).

Blue

Flashfreeze can be a great sideboard option against red and green, which are very popular in Standard. This is specially true for Gruul Aggro, as you'll be able to answer basically everything this deck does. The fact aggro decks don't typically use Cavern of Souls just makes this card even better.

This is a three-mana planeswalker with a passive ability that speeds up his ultimate quite a bit. He also has an incredible synergy with Kaito, Bane of Nightmares. Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator should find space in Dimir Midrange, considering his synergy with this strategy. You'll also be able to use his ultimate quite easily, which, in most cases, wins the game.

Omniscience is absurdly powerful in the right build, but it doesn't have a clear home in Standard. Still, it will be available in this format for a long time. Playing spells for free will always enable broken strategies, so I believe we must keep an eye on this card and be aware of what it may do in Standard in the future.

Tempo strategies will be glad to see Spectral Sailor return to this format, as this 1-drop has seen a lot of play in its time and is still a staple in some formats. Azorius Flash is quite fun in Standard, and should, I believe, return after this card comes along.

Even decks like Dimir Midrange can use it, particularly considering its similarity with Faerie Mastermind.

Black

As Unholy Annex is still popular, this card should find space in Demon lists. It is another 4-drop that makes this enchantment even stronger. Desecration Demon's 6/6 flying body is already a good reason to play it in this strategy, and its ability will create value for you in one way or another.

Once again we need to talk about sacrifice decks. Midnight Reaper is another reprint that will return to Standard with style, and can be the perfect payoff next to Raise the Past and Bartolomé del Presidio. It will be an incredible draw engine.

Furthermore, Vengeful Bloodwitch can be the perfect win condition in this build, as it drains your opponent's life and prevents any damage Midnight Reaper would deal to you. It also improves this entire engine.

I really do believe a sacrifice deck will come along. All the tools necessary for this to happen are already available in this format in a very solid color combination.

Red

Burn should also return to Standard after Boltwave comes along. This is a one-mana spell that deals 3 damage to each opponent. It is still early to tell if burn will be better than Gruul Prowess, for instance, but we'll surely see some burn versions in MTGO (Magic Online) tournaments, and Arena ranked matches.

Then, we have Burst Lightning, which is also connected to burn, as it deals damage to your opponent directly for just one mana, at instant speed. It also has Kicker, which means it deals even more damage if you pay an extra cost.

This card is quite interesting as a possible win condition in versions of RG Ramp, considering Llanowar Elves, one of the best mana dorks in the game, will return to this format. Ramp cards like Invasion of Zendikar and Glimpse the Core will speed up your game plan. Some versions of this deck also play Smuggler's Surprise, which enables a few interesting plays.

Oh, yes, Standard "Ragavan". Kellan, Planar Trailblazer is a very interesting 1-drop that often gets better as the game goes on. It also gives you an advantage by dealing damage to your opponent and becomes a true threat in the late game. I see space for this creature in some strategies, like burn, possibly.

Green

Considering how many strong Elves were released in this set, it is easy to say some solid version of Elves will become meta. I don't know if it will be strong enough or if it will survive against the rest of the metagame, but I'm certainly anxious to test out my own version.

Scavenging Ooze was one of the best green grave hates in its time in Standard, and has now returned with style to improve decks like Golgari Midrange even more. It exiles cards from your opponent's graveyard and becomes a powerful threat that gets stronger and stronger when it exiles creature cards. It will act as a powerful piece both in your sideboard and your main deck, considering that it is a powerful source of lifegain, and will be the difference between losing and winning in many matchups.

This classic planeswalker has also returned, and will make green decks even stronger. Its +1 creates card advantage; its -3 removes an artifact, enchantment, or flying creature; and its ultimate can even guarantee a win. Vivien Reid will open many possibilities for this format, and should find space in some decks.

Multicolored

Boros Charm should also improve the Burn strategies that I mentioned before in this article, and is versatile enough to find space in other aggro strategies.

I remember when Immersturm Predator was in Standard, just when Mardu Sacrifice and its variants were very relevant. This is another sac outlet that will support sacrifice-focused strategies and can also be a payoff, as it has evasion and grows as you use its ability. It also protects itself from most removals in Standard.

Maelstrom Pulse is an interesting removal, as it can deal with a series of permanents that Golgari colors struggle with, like Planeswalkers. I can even see this card seeing play in this archetype's main deck, as a one-off.

Colorless

I also played this card a lot in past Standard metas. Mazemind Tome doesn't win matches, but is interesting for some decks, particularly those that are more control.

Solemn Simulacrum is a classic ramp card with a body that has also returned in Foundations. It will certainly see its parcel of play in Standard as an important piece in any deck that wants to accelerate mana. Furthermore, it can create card advantage, and the fact it is colorless just makes fitting it into a deck easier.

Lands

Foundations will bring back some interesting lands, but, out of all of them, the one that stood out the most to me at a first glance was Secluded Courtyard. This land goes on the board untapped and creates mana of any color - as long as you use it to cast creatures or abilities that need that color.

After this card comes along, Standard's mana base will be even more solid, so we'll possibly see a Humans deck or another deck that focuses on a single creature type really soon. Particularly if they need to splash colors in an easy way, like 5C Legends.

Foundations will be a mark in Standard's history: it will remain in the format for 5 more years and bring cards that will become this format's base for those years. This will change how Standard was seen in the past couple of years.

What's most interesting is the potential this set has for the future, as the right mechanics or a certain card can make one of its cards extremely powerful in certain strategies. I'm anxious to see how this set will impact Standard in the next few years.

What did you think of Foundations? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!