(Sylvan Scavenging|| Art by Quintin Gleim)

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Green Gets The Loot In Foundations!

Magic: The Gathering's new core set is releasing soon and is called Foundations! The innovation with this core set is that it remains Standard legal through at least the end of 2029.

So as other Magic sets rotate in and out, the cards in Foundations will remain available in Standard.

But what does "at least" mean here? I don't think it's been clarified, but I guess they're leaving the option of extending the Foundations legality beyond that if they're happy with what the cards are doing for Standard.

Foundations brings 148 reprints and 133 new cards to Standard for a long time.

I'll be reviewing the green cards for the set here, mostly with an eye towards Commander. Let's dig in!

New Mythics And Rares

Quilled Greatwurm

If you love +1/+1 counter strategies in Commander, Quilled Greatwurm is here to help you use every single d6 in your collection.

What's nice is this card's ability "has haste" -- you play it, attack with other creatures you already have on the battlefield, and get all those +1/+1 counters.

The ability to play Quilled Greatwurm from your graveyard is sweet, sweet icing on a beatdown cake.

Loot, Exuberant Explorer

I was not expecting to see an improved Azusa, Lost but Seeking, but Loot, Exuberant Explorer is here to brighten the day for all the landfall fans out there.

While Loot only lets you play one extra land per turn compared to Azusa's two, Loot's built-in powerful ability to use extra mana tips this over the top for me.

Mossborn Hydra

Well they're really pushing the +1/+1 counters theme in this set, aren't they? Mossborn Hydra likes those synergies and also loves landfall strategies too.

This is the kind of card people will ignore the first few turns it's on the battlefield, but soon will start asking "how big is that?!"

Preposterous Proportions

If the singles cost of Craterhoof Behemoth has you sad, Foundations turns that frown upside down with Preposterous Proportions!

Old school players will appreciate the call back to Might of Oaks. I have a Raggadragga, Goreguts Boss deck that's going to love this card as a finisher!

Spinner of Souls

Creature decks, rejoice! Spinner of Souls has your back for when opponents destroy all your creature cards with a sweeper like Wrath of God.

The Spider Spirit will let you refuel your hand with a creature from the top of your library for every nontoken creature that dies.

With just one green mana in its mana value, it's easily splashable into any deck that proactively sacrifices your own creatures for profit.

Sylvan Scavenging

And here's another card to support +1/+1 counter synergies! Sylvan Scavenging is an enchantment that fires off during your end step, putting a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control unless you control a creature with power four or greater in which case you can choose instead to create a 3/3 Raccoon. And who doesn't love more Raccoons?

Mythic Rare Reprints

Doubling Season

Commander fans are thrilled to see a reprint of Doubling Season, a powerful enchantment that goes into all sorts of strategies -- tokens, +1/+1 counters, planeswalkers.

Despite being reprinted a bunch of times it's still quite pricey to buy as a single, but hopefully this printing will be more affordable once packs are cracked and copies flood the market.

Primeval Bounty

Lovingly referred to as a "big, do-nothing enchantment," Primeval Bounty promises so much glory once you get to untap with it.

It definitely didn't need another reprinting, but in a product aimed at new players I imagine a lot of them will be oohing and ahhing when they crack this one.

Vivien Reid

Planeswalkers have a huge target on them in Commander, but cards like Vivien Reid offer a little bang for your buck right away. Whether you look for a creature or land card among the top four cards of your library, or destroy a pesky artifact, enchantment, or flying creature, any additional activation will just be gravy.

And if you have a Doubling Season on the battlefield when you cast Vivien Reid, you can use that ultimate ability right way to get that sweet, sweet emblem.

Vizier of the Menagerie

There are better cards at this sort of thing than Vizier of the Menagerie -- Augur of Autumn springs to mind -- but this is a great card to get newer players used to the utility of playing these effects.

Notable Rare Reprints

Elvish Archdruid

Elvish Archdruid basically tells any new player "hey, build an Elf deck!" It's also just a fantastic card for any Elf deck whether in Commander or competitive formats like Standard.

It can help your Elf creatures beat down, or tap for a bunch of green mana for a big splashy spell.

Genesis Wave

Speaking of big, splashy spells, there's few as big and splashy as Genesis Wave. This is another card that captures the imagination of new players who want to puzzle out how to maximize the power of this card.

One trick? Minimize the number of nonpermanent cards in your ramp deck!

Ghalta, Primal Hunger

When Ghalta, Primal Hunger hits the battlefield, all opponents instantly sit up and pay attention; a 12/12 with trample tends to do that! I have a Commander deck built around Ghalta and this card has surprising depth to it-- for instance, the cost reduction lets you discount commander tax so if you have twelve or more power worth of creatures on the battlefield, you could cast Ghalta for two green mana, sacrifice it to Greater Good to draw twelve cards and discard three, and then cast Ghalta again for two green mana.

I'm probably going to put Preposterous Proportions in my Ghalta deck too!

Gigantosaurus

Gigantosaurus is the classic huge "vanilla" creature whose only ability is a massive ten power and toughness for five mana.

But it isn't even the biggest Dinosaur in the set -- that honor goes to Quakestrider Ceratops. The one reason I mention it here is that amazing full art card treatment with stunning work by artist Loïc Canavaggia -- wow!

Predator Ooze

I've always been fond of Predator Ooze, which gives you three green mana pips for green devotion strategies attached to an indestructible body.

This can grow slowly on its own each attack step, but it's better as a receptacle to more +1/+1 counters from something like The Ozolith.

Rampaging Baloths

Rampaging Baloths is an incredibly powerful landfall payoff card, generating a formidable battlefield presence quickly by spitting out 4/4 Beast tokens.

Scavenging Ooze

The bane of graveyard strategies, I'm happy to have Scavenging Ooze back in Standard to keep those shenanigans in check.

If one of your Commander friends abuses their graveyard way too much, find room for this Ooze in your 99.

Surrak, the Hunt Caller

Haste is a powerful ability in green Commander decks, and Surrak, the Hunt Caller is one of the few ways you can tap into that without dipping into red.

Note that Surrak itself covers five of the eight power you need to unlock the ability. It's interesting the Foundations card drops the formidable keyword the earlier printed versions had.

Notable New Uncommons & Commons

Elvish Regrower

If you're in the market for third Regrowth-style effect after Eternal Witness and Timeless Witness, we now have Elvish Regrower.

Since it's an Elf you might even pick it over those other cards if you're playing an Elf deck.

Needletooth Pack

Needletooth Pack is another card for +1/+ counter synergy decks, especially ones where your own or other players' creatures die.

Elfsworn Giant

Budget landfall decks get a decent payoff with Elfsworn Giant, creating 1/1 token creatures with each trigger.

Notable New Jumpstart Cards

Foundations brings a Jumpstart product with it, a fun way to quickly play a game of Magic with your friends that also brings new cards to jam in our Commander decks.

Hurska Sweet-Tooth

Card alterists are sure to be practicing their Winnie the Poo art for Hurska Sweet-Tooth, which makes honey pot (Food) tokens each time it attacks.

Keep in mind the color identity of Hurska is Selesnya since it's got the symbol in its ability. This card will take some hoops to jump through to really unlock its power, and I'd likely start with True Conviction.

Scythecat Cub

Scythecat Cub is another good landfall payoff card, especially if your deck also has +1/+1 counter synergies -- hm, I'm sensing a Foundations theme here in green!

What's particularly nice about this Cat is its trample ability, making it an excellent vehicle for more and more +1/+1 counters.

Shroofus Sproutsire

I'm not going to lie-- I will probably build a Shroofus Sproutsire Commander deck because I just love saying "Shroofus Sproutsire." Go ahead and say it -- it's fun!

Notably, Shroofus is the very first Saproling creature card, though any creature with changeling will happily join the Saproling party.

It's kind of hilarious to put trample on a three-mana 1/1 creature with no inherent way to boost its power, but green gives you plenty of ways to do just that. Have I mentioned Preposterous Proportions too many times yet?

Slinza, the Spiked Stampede

If you want to build a Beast deck, Slinza, the Spiked Stampede is probably your best choice to lead the way. Previously we had Kaheera, the Orphanguard in Selesnya, and Tawnos, the Toymaker in Simic.

Slinza's color identity is Gruul, which seems like a much better fit for Beast synergy cards like Contested Cliffs. Slinza's abilities are great for a Beast deck, discounting your Beast spells, making already big ones a bit bigger, and making it more likely you can keep mana up for interaction even as your deploy your threats.

Braulios of Pheres Band

Braulios of Pheres Band is a pretty cool uncommon commander for a deck that cares about ramping your lands, with some built-in card draw when it attacks.

I'd be more likely to play this in the 99 of a land matters deck with the capacity for extra attack steps like Relentless Assault. Braulios is also fun to say!

Dionus, Elvish Archdruid

Elf decks often have a difficult choice to make at certain points of the game -- tap your Elves for mana, or attack with your Elf horde? Dionus, Elvish Archdruid is here to ease your pain, letting your Elves do both!

Sutina, Speaker of the Tajuru

Sutina, Speaker of the Tajuru is another card that cares about land strategies, letting you land ramp when it enters, and having a nifty ability of returning a land you control to the hand when it attacks.

Deploy the land for additional landfall triggers, or you can return a modal double-faced card like Disciple of Freyalise you deployed as a land early in the game and then cast the spell side.

Go Forth

Modal spells are awesome in Commander, and I really like the simple flexibility of Go Forth. Early on it can help ensure you make your land drops -- and potentially fix your colors in a multicolor deck -- and later you can use it as a combat trick.

It's not splashy or overly powerful but I think it will play much better than you think.

Slimy Piper

Slimy Piper isn't overly powerful either, but I find the idea of a Fungus Bard that gets larger and becomes indestructible when it attacks a lot of fun.

Equip with Nemesis Mask and make it a slimy Pied Piper! Fungus decks tend to make a bunch of Saprolings along the way, so controlling four or more creatures should be a snap.

Woodland Liege

Your Slinza, the Spiked Stampede Beast deck will appreciate a functional -- if more Noble --copy of Wirewood Savage with Woodland Liege.

Green's Preposterous Commander Proportions

Whether you love +1/+1 counter synergies, lands-centric strategies, or just humongous creatures, Foundations has something for you! Which of these cards are you most excited to build new decks around, or add to your existing decks?

Bennie Smith

Bennie's played Magic since 1994 and has been writing about it nearly as long. Commander is his favorite format, but he's been known to put on his competitive hat to play Standard and Pioneer. Recently he's dabbled in Oathbreaker and Pendragon.