If you’ve ever booted up Magic: The Gathering Arena, then you might have jumped into the tutorial if you’re new to the game. Arena is the digital version of the popular tabletop trading card game. In Arena, there are several tutorial options when you start the tutorials, allowing players to choose their deck colour and corresponding Commander. These Commanders have been in the game for eons, and now they’re making a comeback.
The latest Magic: The Gathering (MTG) set Foundations, takes us back to the roots of Magic with some of the most powerful cards from Magic’s history. Of course, there are new cards scattered throughout and to mark the occasion, there are lots of packs and boxes to choose from. Let’s take a look.
Magic: The Gathering Foundations cards
Foundations brings fans together, old and new, by drawing on key historic cards and throwing in some new additions. There are hundreds of cards to collect, craft, and play. One of my favourites in Ajani, a leonin. Ajani was the first Planeswalker I chose as my tutorial for MTG: Arena. There are plenty of Ajani-flavoured cards to collect in Foundations. There is Ajani himself, Ajani’s Pridemate, and various art-style versions of the cards. There are eight Ajani cards to collect in total.
I also love the various dragon-themed cards. As a primary red/blue player (type of deck I like to use), these red Dragon and Twinflame Tyrant cards are perfect. Dragons feature primarily in red decks, but you can find a dragon in blue and white decks too. Maybe that’s why I love red/blue decks so much because of all the dragons.
Long-time Magic: The Gathering fans will appreciate the return of Chandra, legendary Planeswalker. She’s featured in many red decks over the years and is the tutorial leader for the red MTG: Arena deck. Kaito (blue) from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (one of my favourite sets) reappears, along with Liliana (black) from the 2007 Lorwyn set, and Vivien Reid (green) from the 2019 Core set. Foundations really plays on your nostalgia so you don’t want to miss this set. If you’re a newbie to the game, then you’ll equally love the characters, artwork, and game mechanics.
There are a few different mechanics in this set, so you might want to read up on those before you dive in and play some games.
Special cards
As with many Magic: The Gathering sets, Foundations contains lots of special cards for you to keep an eye out. I’m a huge fan of Japanese artwork and this set delivers. There are 51 Japanese Showcase cards featuring new and old creatures, artifacts, and instants, sorceries, lands, enchantments, and Planeswalkers. These cards have vibrant anime-style artwork and there’s one to be found in each Foundations Jumpstart pack.
Seventy borderless cards are to be found in Collector Boosters, and ten cards are illustrated by fan-favourite artists. Special cards are a testament to the history of Magic: The Gathering over the past 30 years.
Boxes and collections
Whether you’re a seasoned Magic player, or just starting, Foundations has something for you. This set brings booster and collector boosters, perfect for crafting new decks or those wanting to have it all. The Foundations Jumpstart Boosters are perfect for those who know how to play the game, but don’t want to spend lots of time crafting a new deck.
Grab two Jumpstart Booster packs, crack them open, mash together and now you have a deck for immediate play. Have your opponent do this and there will be plenty of game time to go around. Jumpstart is also available in Magic: The Gathering Arena.
If you’re a new player, opt for the Beginner’s Box. This box contains everything you need to get underway with your Magic journey. The box includes two decks, two learn to play guides, two special Foundations playmats, eight jumpstart decks for you to crack open, and two Spindowns. There’s a Bundle with plenty of boosters and a Spindown, and a PreRelease pack with Spindown too.
For the collectors, don’t worry there’s a collector’s box for you which includes over 350 cards, a click wheel, and a storage box. You’ll be able to craft lots of decks in any colour for any style of gameplay. If you’re looking for some digital cards to add to your Magic: The Gathering Arena collection, log into MTGA, and you’ll receive three packs. Head to your inbox to find the message “Lost and (Found)ations” where you’ll be able to claim your three packs.
If you don’t have an Arena account, you can sign up for free on the website, or during the installation process. You can gather more cards by playing the game. Receive six Foundation packs when you played “Sealed”. You can earn more rewards by playing games, or purchase five Foundations packs for $4.99. You can also compete in-game to earn physical rewards.
Check them out on the Magic: The Gathering Arena website for more details. But get in quick. The event opens at 3am November 23 AEDT, and sign ups close midnight November 26, AEDT.
