Hello, everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel Show, and today we're diving into the characters of Foundations. Magic: The Gathering's latest set, Foundations, is a monumental release with enough cards to reshape the Standard meta for the next five years. Alongside the new entries, we also see the return of several familiar characters in reimagined forms. But do these updates enhance the multiverse or fall flat as fan service?

To answer that, we'll compare the older versions of these characters to their freshly printed counterparts to see how they stack up. Let's get started!

1) Arahbo, the First Fang vs. Arahbo, Roar of the World

First up, we have the feline duo. The First Fang introduces a powerful Lord in the command zone, generating cat tokens with each cat you play. However, the eminence ability of Roar of the World is hard to pass up. Plus, it adds Green to your color identity, opening up more cat options for the 99. While First Fang is strong in the 99, the advantage here goes to Roar of the World.

2) Kiora, the Rising Tide vs. Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep

Rising Tide hits the battlefield faster, offering immediate card selection and the ability to summon an 8/8 legendary octopus token. On the other hand, Sovereign of the Deep brings Ward 3 for protection and excels as the head of a powerful Simic sea creature deck. While it's slower, Sovereign of the Deep has the edge due to its deck-building potential.

3) Tinybones, Bauble Burglar vs. Tinybones, the Pickpocket

The Pickpocket is quicker to cast and boasts deathtouch, a significant advantage. However, Bauble Burglar can trigger its own ability, forcing opponents to discard cards. Both of these creatures are trying to steal value from their opponents by getting cards into the graveyard, usually by discarding. Between the two, Bauble Burglar gets the nod for being able to enable itself with discarding mechanics.

4) Kellan, Planar Trailblazer vs. Kellan, the Kid

We got so many Kellans in the past couple of years here as he was almost the narrator, traveling from plane to plane in search of his father, Oko. The battle between these two comes down to aggro vs value. Ultimately, I do like The Kid a bit more because of the amount of colors it has access to and the value that can be produced very quickly. Advantage goes to Kellan, the Kid.

5) Loot, Exuberant Explorer vs. Loot, the Key to Everything

Loot is a divisive mascot - both adorable and unsettling. Key to Everything excels in card advantage via impulse draw while expanding its color identity. However, Exuberant Explorer shines as a Mono-Green all-rounder, akin to a simpler Urza, Lord High Artificer. The advantage goes to Exuberant Explorer for its versatility.

6) Niv-Mizzet, Visionary vs. Niv-Mizzet, Parun

Both of these commanders are cEDH caliber. Ironically, they can actually combo with each other. I do think Parun has the edge because it can turn every single instant and sorcery spell cast into damage, even counterspells or rituals. It's closer than I think people would give credit for, but the advantage goes to Niv-Mizzet, Parun.

7) Zimone, Paradox Sculptor vs. Zimone, Quandrix Prodigy

Paradox Sculptor outshines Quandrix Prodigy, functioning as a stronger version of Vorel of the Hull Clade. Meanwhile, Quandrix Prodigy is akin to a weaker Thrasios, Triton Hero. For being an absolute staple in Simic +1/+1 counters archetypes, Paradox Sculptor is the clear winner.

8) Elenda, Saint of Dusk vs. Elenda, the Dusk Rose

This comparison is challenging due to their different archetypes. Saint of Dusk excels in Orzhov Voltron strategies with hexproof from instants, while The Dusk Rose thrives in aristocrat builds, leaving behind lifelinking vampires. The edge goes to The Dusk Rose for its resilient Plan B.

9) Alesha, Who Laughs at Fate vs. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death

This matchup boils down to flexibility versus mana cost. Who Laughs at Fate triggers off any attacking creature without requiring additional mana or an attack from Alesha herself. This versatility earns Laughs at Fate the advantage.

10) Kykar, Zephyr Awakener vs. Kykar, Wind's Fury

Zephyr Awakener introduces a unique blink strategy requiring precise balance between creatures and non creatures. However, Wind's Fury dominates with its ability to generate 1/1 spirits and red mana from spells. This unparalleled efficiency makes Wind's Fury the stronger option.

11) Koma, World-Eater vs. Koma, Cosmos Serpent

Both versions are auto-includes in each other's decks. World-Eater has Ward 4 to guard against spot removal, but it's vulnerable to board wipes. Cosmos Serpent can become indestructible and tap down threats. However, World-Eater provides comparable Coil generation with less table resistance. Advantage: World-Eater.

Final Verdict

With a score of six to five, the Foundations printings have shown that they are a net improvement for these characters. I know a lot of people are looking forward to playing with these new creatures, especially since their strategies are more open ended. But, at the end of the day, the best commander is the one you decide to brew and play for yourself. Until next time, happy gaming!