Pauper: Best Cards from Foundations JumpStart

While we are in the middle of previews of the new Magic core set, Foundations, Wizards has also revealed the cards of a product that will be released on the same day as the new expansion: Foundations JumpStart, better known by the community as JumpStart 2025.

It is a complementary expansion where the new cards will be legal only for eternal formats and their reprints are legal in any format where the original or most recent version of the card is playable. Among some notable reprints for Pauper, there are also some new cards that may show up in the format and/or draw attention for their abilities.

In this article, we list the main new common cards of this supplemental product for the format!

Pauper was blessed this year with Mono White Aggro, an archetype that takes advantage of Lunarch Veteran to hold the clock of decks like Kuldotha Red and other more aggressive strategies. Hinterland Sanctifier follows the same pattern and with an extra point of toughness that ensures that it survives against End the Festivities, a common hate of red Aggro to deal with Lunarch and Battle Screech tokens.

Revoke Demise doesn't do anything that Unearth doesn't already do for a much lower cost. Its flexibility in taking other mana values ​​and the life gain in the process earn it an honorable mention, but without great expectations.

Scourge of the Undercity competes with Unexpected Fangs among cards that offer Lifelink to a creature. It can be worth slots because it is a creature itself and serves as a blocker for two extra life points against Aggro, but the lack of Instant-Speed ​​takes away a relevant surprise factor, and we cannot forget the importance of Unexpected Fangs as a combat trick.

Hearts on Fire is a good card. Its flavor is wonderful, and it offers a decent pump for two creatures for two mana. Since we can't choose the same creature twice to get +4/+2, it doesn't seem like something we want in Heroic or Kiln Fiend, greatly limiting its space in the format.

Cards with useful modal abilities have been more frequent in Pauper. Go Forth isn't a Thraben Charm, but it's an excellent way for two-color Aggro with green to fix their mana without paying a huge cost for it in lands or slots. Its Combat Trick effect can make a difference.

It's the kind of card I'd hypothetically consider if Stompy had some potential back in two-color variants like Gruul, or if a Prowess/Heroic deck came out with green.

Razorgrass Invoker doesn't do much for infinite mana combos with Basking Broodscale or Freed from the Real that Bloodrite Invoker or Valakut Invoker don't already do. He is, however, an Elf, and this archetype has a history of generating an abundance of mana with Priest of Titania and Quirion Ranger.

Elves already have Wildheart Invoker in this category as well, and it's not a card we usually see on lists, so Razorgrass Invoker has a long way to go to find a home in Pauper.

Cavern Harpy is a Beast which can return itself to its owner's hand. If, at some point, we have the means to play it for "free" or to untap permanents whenever it comes into play to pay its mana costs, Woodland Liege guarantees infinite draw that, eventually, leads to permanents that deal damage to the opponent whenever a creature comes into play.

If Tron still existed as a widely competitive game, regardless of the version, I would say that Shardless Outlander deserves to be included in the list due to its mix of threat and manafixing. Today, I already consider it too slow, even if it cost five mana, since it competes with Troll of Khazad-dûm, so I don't have high expectations for it in the format.

Foundations JumpStart (or JumpStart 2025) is not the type of set to be opened thinking about the new staples that can enter Pauper. Most of the new features are very conditional and/or need the ideal structure to work. Hinterland Sanctifier is the best card in the set and should have some competitive viability in the Metagame due to its ability to bypass End the Festivities.

Where the set shines, however, is in its reprints: Thoughtcast, Seat of the Synod, Vault of Whispers, Deadly Dispute, Moon-Circuit Hacker, Ninja of the Deep Hours, and Faerie Seer headline the majority of Pauper staples that are available in the packs, which will increase their availability on the market and help keep the format accessible for longer.

Thanks for reading!