Getting into Magic has never been easier, here’s why.
As 2024 starts to wind down, there’s one more Standard release that is a little different from Bloomburrow and Duskmourn: House of Horror, a set that offers something for players entering Magic for the first time.
Called Foundations, this introductory-focused release offers the tools to learn Magic: The Gathering proper. A revitalization of Core Sets of old, Foundations will be the “vanilla” Standard release going forward and will play a massive role in the format upon the November 15 release day and beyond. As information remains light around Foundations, let’s dive into what we know so far about the upcoming release.
Foundations Key Dates
- Prerelease Events: November 8-10, 2024
- MTG Arena Release: November 12, 2024
- Magic Online (MTGO) Release: November 12, 2024
- Previews Begin: November 25, 2024 (at MagicCon: Vegas)
- Global Release: November 15, 2024
- Foundations Set Code: FDN
- Foundations Jumpstart Set Code: J25
- Special Guests Set Code: SPG
Foundations’s global release is November 15 with Magic Online and MTG Arena’s release falling a few days before. Like with most releases these days, Foundations cards are legal from Prerelease weekend onwards, which is something that began with Streets of New Capenna.
As Foundations is the next Standard release, cards are legal in Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Pauper, and Commander. Foundations also sees a Jumpstart release where these cards are Commander, Legacy, and Vintage legal. As for Special Guests, these are also legal where already available in other formats and don’t become Standard legal upon release (unless the cards themselves are already in Standard).
Typically, Standard sets last around three years before they rotate out of the format to keep things exciting for competitive players. With Foundations, the set will adhere to a five-year rotation (at least) as this is a base Magic set of sorts, which makes it easier for players to stick with Standard for longer periods. If you want the full breakdown of how Standard rotation works and what to expect going forward, we’ve got you covered.
Compared to other Standard releases, Foundations will feature five Planeswalkers that will represent a color of Magic – White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green. And based on recent Foundations promotional art, these Planeswalker cards will be Ajani, Kaito, Liliana, Vivien, and Chandra. Since Foundations isn’t set on a plane or offers a particular theme, you can expect nods from a mixture of planes from Innistrad to Theros.
Foundations Previews
Market Price: n/a
Market Price: $12.31
Foundations is a modern update to Core Sets of old, where the upcoming Standard release will feature a 50/50 split of reprints and brand new cards. There’s only been a smattering of previews which began at MagicCon: Amsterdam, where there were some reveals that indicate the kind of power level Wizards are looking to achieve in Standard going forward.
Previews will begin at MagicCon: Las Vegas on November 25, where there will be a couple of Preview Panels around Foundation. It is expected previews will begin properly after MagicCon: Las Vegas, with the Complete Card Gallery likely dropping around November 2, 2024. The preview cadence for Foundations feels shorter this time around, as this is to compensate that Foundations has a 50/50 split of new cards and reprints, meaning most of the previews will center around the new cards rather than the reprints.
Llanowar Elves
Foundations, Common
Llanowar Elves is one of the most iconic mana-generating creatures in all of Magic, where it was first printed in Alpha (Magic’s first-ever set). What makes Llanowar Elves such a notable reprint in Standard is the ability to ramp on spells and threats ahead of schedule, where it is bound to make a massive impression in Standard upon Foundations’s release.
Day of Judgment
Foundations, Rare
Another card primed to see a ton of Standard (and Pioneer) play is Day of Judgment, a board wipe that elegantly destroys all creatures at the cost of four mana. Wizards have been hesitant to print a four-mana board wipe in Standard over the years (with Sunfall remaining a popular option), but the timing seems right to change the sentiment. You can expect Day of Judgment to be a popular roleplayer in Standard (and in Pioneer, where it will slide into Azorius Control without much issue) upon release. While these cards won’t be valuable, they will be in demand as Foundations looks to make a decent impact in Standard with these exciting-yet-powerful reprints.
Anthem of Champions
Foundations, Rare
There’s also been a handful of new cards revealed, with Anthem of Champions looking to be an exciting option for any Selesnya (Green/White) aggressive strategy. For two mana, Anthem of Champions elegantly offers creatures you control a +1/+1 buff. Simple, right?
And that’s the point of Foundations, the Standard set is designed to be easy to understand as it’s a starting point for new Magic players. Nothing in Foundations is overcomplicated, meaning it will be fantastic for newer Magic players as they learn the game properly. Also, the set serves as a refresher for those who haven’t played Magic in a while.
Foundations Products
Market Price: $135.06
Market Price: $94.56
Market Price: $237.36
As Foundations is a Standard release, there will be your usual Play and Collector Boosters, Bundles, and Jumpstart Boosters to help you begin your Magic journey. While Jumpstart Boosters don’t exist with most Standard releases these days, Wizards made an exception with Foundations as it’s a fantastic way to play Magic. Jumpstart Boosters contain twenty cards in each pack where if you have two Jumpstart Boosters, you shuffle them together then you have a playable deck! It is as simple as that.
Due to the nature beginner nature of the release, Foundationsdoes not have a Commander Precon product to support the release this time around. Given the introductory focus with Foundations, there are a few other products available that will help kick-start your journey into Magic. These are brand new for Foundations where it is unlikely we’ll see these product lines in future Standard releases.
First, there’s the Starter Collection, which contains the following:
Magic: The Gathering Foundations – Starter Collection
Foundations
- 350+ Magic: The Gathering cards
- 22 traditional foil cards
- 3 Foundations Play Boosters
- 95 Basic Lands, where 10 of these are Full Art Basic Lands.
- 14 Tokens
- A Click wheel
- A “How to Build a Magic Deck” Booklet
For those looking to play Standard and want a starting point to grow their collection, this is the place to begin. Containing a whopping 350 cards and a few Play Boosters thrown in for good measure, the Starter Collection means you can build a mixture of decks for you and your friends to jam. These cards are also Standard legal, meaning you can go down to your LGS and play in Standard events using only cards from the Starter Collection.
If you’re looking to get more people involved and want to treat Magic as a board game of sorts, then the Beginner Box is the way to go. This contains the following:
Magic: The Gathering Foundations – Beginner Box
Foundations
- 10 Jumpstart Boosters
- These Jumpstart Boosters are predetermined and designed for beginner play.
- 2 Reference Cards
- 1 Reference Guide
- 2 “How to Play” Booklet
- 2 Gameboard Playmats
- 2 Spindown life counters
The Beginner Box is aimed at players who are brand new to Magic. As the Beginner Box features 10 Jumpstart Boosters, the experience is curated in a way that you can play by following the How to Play Booklet, making the game so much easier to learn. Once you’ve understood how to play Magic, you’ll have five Jumpstart decks to play where you can use these for casual game nights or to teach a friend how to play Magic!
Our very own Zach Mussen played with the Foundations Beginner Box at Gen Con earlier this year, where Zach interviewed Wizards Executive Producer Max McCall about the upcoming set and how it’s geared towards newer players. If you want to read more about it, you can do so here!
The Special Guests in Foundations
Special Guests are confirmed to return in Foundations as these are Masters-style reprints that marry the flavor of the set they’re printed in, which began in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Since Foundations is an updated revisit of Core Sets that doesn’t have a particular theme, it will be interesting to see which cards will feature in the growing subset soon. As with previous reveals of Special Guests cards, you can expect these to be revealed during the Foundations preview season when it begins.
Foundations Card Treatments
Omniscience
Core Set 2019, Mythic
Given that Foundations is an entry-level Standard release, this also means the visual design of the set is easy to parse. As such, Borderless treatments return in Foundations as these are easy to read from across the table and have remained consistent in previous Magic sets. Unsurprisingly, Omniscience sees a Borderless treatment in Foundations as it is one of the headline Mythic Rares from the release, where you can expect budding Commander and Pioneer Lotus Field Combo players to snap up this stunning treatment upon release.
Vivien Reid
Foundations, Mythic
Borderless cards also extend to Rares and Mythic rares in Foundations, where Vivien Reid will see the treatment for players to collect. It is unlikely there will be Showcase treatments this time around given the nature of the release. However, you can likely expect Extended Art cards to return as these adhere to the visual accessibility that Wizards are looking to achieve with the release.