Timeless Set Review: Foundations

Magic: The Gathering's last expansion of 2024 has arrived. Foundations is the game's new Core Set and will be legal in Standard until 2029, being the pillar that solidifies the game's expansion projects during this period.

With several iconic reprints and cards with a more balanced power level for Standard, Foundations doesn't bring many new features to Timeless, being limited to just a few cards that can see play in occasional situations and almost none of them are expected to become immediate staples, although some show a lot of potential.

The JumpStart set that comes out alongside it, on the other hand, has plenty of new cards that will enter MTGArena for the first time, and might make some changes in the Metagame.

In this article, we present our analysis of the expansion for the Timeless format.

Raise the Past is a powerful recursion for Lurrus of the Dream-Den or Energy decks if the Metagame becomes more attrition-oriented. Currently, most of Tier 1 is Aggro/Tempo versus Combo decks, with Control lists being in the lower tiers of the format, so it shouldn't have an immediate impact.

Skyknight Squire can't compete with the power level of Guide of Souls and the like, but we have Kuldotha Rebirth and Gleeful Demolition in Timeless, and we also got Goblin Bushwhacker, and we should get Reckless Bushwhacker in Pioneer Masters - It's worth considering these cards and Boros Convoke/Kuldotha Boros as a fun Aggro for Best of One soon.

Remand should get some attention as a classic counterspell, but I don't imagine a format with Mana Drain would want this card generally, except in a Tempo list that can't support Counterspell and the like.

Now we just need Splinter Twin to conclude, through Timeless, that the Twin combo is so 2016 that it has no place in either Timeless or Modern in 2024.

Either that, or we'll have one of the most famous combo decks of all time in the format and doing well!

Along with untapped artifact lands, Thoughtcast offers more tools for Affinity in Timeless and Historic (if they aren't banned beforehand). The problem is that these decks now have to face Wrath of the Skies and Meltdown, so there is a greater risk in using lands that can be destroyed by one or two mana cards.

It is worth some tests alongside Thought Monitor in Dimir/Esper/Grixis Affinity versions, but I don't have high expectations.

Venser, Shaper Savant is an interesting answer against Show and Tell if, one day, Timeless gains Emrakul, the Aeons’ Torn or another card that justifies its inclusion instead of Atraxa, Grand Unifier or the combos with Omniscience.

It seems like a decent Sideboard option for specific situations, but without space to be a staple in the Metagame today.

Temporal Manipulation offers another extra turn that goes to the graveyard. In the more casual spectrum of Timeless, this means being one step closer to Taking Turns with Snapcaster Mage and other recursion elements that allow to cast extra turns multiple times.

Drake Hatcher grows quickly in an environment with cheap cantrips, Mishra’s Bauble and low-cost spells, and his ability can matter in Tempo mirrors and/or against Aggro. There may be better options, but it deserves a test in Dimir Tempo lists or other variants of the archetype.

Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator is part of the category of Planeswalkers that get out of control quickly in the right list. It grows with combat, puts bodies on the board, filters the hand, and also interacts well with Psychic Frog and/or creatures that have on-hit effects.

Its only flaw is the need to give up Lurrus of the Dream-Den, but it is strong in a vacuum, it is my personal choice for the most powerful new card of the set, and it can, perhaps, be a surprise in Timeless.

Kiora, the Rising Tide competes with Abhorrent Oculus for the “Murktide Regent” slot in Control and Tempo decks. I believe the Duskmourn creature is better in this category, but its ability to filter the hand and discard things can earn it space in Reanimate lists.

Never underestimate the power of a tutor in a high power level format. Mystical Teachings costs a lot of mana to run, but its toolbox aspect can grant it a space in Dimir Control and/or offer more flexibility to the archetype's conditional slots.

Balustrade Spy is the first step towards having an All Spells. We still need Dread Return to increase the consistency of the combo, but it is already possible with Reanimate and similar in hand and Thassa's Oracle in the graveyard, while we have Dark Ritual for mana acceleration and Necropotence / Necrodominance for consistency.

It has potential in the Metagame today, but it seems more vulnerable to hate than the Goblin Charbelcher combos, which have been growing in Timeless as fast as they have in Modern.

Dark Confidant feels a bit stuck in the past, but in a format without Murktide Regent and with Dimir Tempo as an option, it could gain space in lists as another source of card advantage that we can use alongside Lurrus of the Dream-Den.

Priest of Gix also fits into Jet Storm because, in addition to increasing the consistency of Storm and Diabolic Intent, it benefits the deck's controller by the amount of Jet Medallion in play, being able to transform into a Dark Ritual with a 2/2 body, in addition to having an infinite combo with Chthonian Nightmare.

My expectations for Abyssal Harvester are quite low, but it interacts well with Grief and other Evokers from Modern Horizons 2 by returning them to the battlefield after casting. I believe that Reanimate and other cards are more useful and cheaper for this purpose.

Blasphemous Edict is a strong sweeper that can be used in Dimir Control and/or other black decks if the Metagame slows down to the point where Ocelot Pride can produce enough tokens to trigger its alternative cost.

Otherwise, Damnation is a better card most of the time.

Anje’s Ravager could have some use if Timeless gains Vengevine in the future, thus establishing a Madness deck with Hollow One and Blazing Rootwalla.

Goblin Bushwhacker joins Kuldotha Rebirth and Gleeful Demolition to create its own version of Kuldotha Red in Timeless, making it a potential budget deck for the format that we can build without any rares.

It's unlikely to be a competitive deck, but it's always nice to have a Best of One option for those who don't want to spend too much.

Boltwave fits into the same category. Archetypes like Mono Red Prowess and the like get their own Lava Spike in the format, increasing their clock in less interactive matches. Unfortunately, this is an archetype that suffers too much from Guide of Souls to have a place in the Metagame today.

Scythecat Cub grows quickly in a format with Fetch Lands. With one of them, it becomes a 4/4 with Trample, and the next turn, it is already an 8/8. It is also worth mentioning that it adds counters to any creature, so it is possible to use it in aggressive lists and/or low-cost decks with attrition like Jund Delirium to increase the clock.

Genesis Wave joins Elvish Archdruid and Priest of Titania for Elf lovers in Timeless. Unfortunately, we do not have Quirion Ranger to make very explosive turns with the card, and I believe there are better options for how to use your mana efficiently in Elves.

Violent Outburst is the first Cascade enabler for Crashing Footfalls in Timeless. Banned in Modern due to Instant-Speed ​​interactions, I have doubts if it alone will be enough to bring Rhinos to the format.

Boros Charm is another important addition to Timeless to enable Burn lists and/or even some Prowess lists.

Progenitus is one of the perfect targets for Natural Order when we need a hard-to-kill threat instead of a card advantage bomb with Atraxa, Grand Unifier. It can earn slots in Elves, Yawgmoth, and other green creature-based decks, and it's also a sideboard option for attrition and Show and Tell.

There's no archetype that wants Sire of Seven Deaths right now, but if we ever get the pieces to play Tron in Timeless, this will be one of the most powerful threats the deck can play early.

Expedition Map feels like an overdue addition because Titan Field hasn't really done much since the rise of Show and Tell. Still, it deserves a mention for its ability to search any land, including Field of the Dead or a specific hate like Bojuka Bog.

Vault of Whispers and Seat of the Synod are the first artifact lands from the original cycle coming to Timeless and will serve as a reason for players to try Affinity variants, but with the challenge of dealing with Wrath of the Skies and Meltdown.

That's all for today!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!