Foundations is here at last! The surprising late release of the year was completely previewed last week with hundreds of awesome cards coming to Standard, Pioneer, and more! While many of these are geared toward formats of all rarities, especially given the high number of reprints that clearly show this to be a love letter to Magic, it's still got its fair share of Pauper relevant commons as well. Not only that, but there's also a second release coming with it that's bringing a bunch of new commons with it as well: Foundations Jumpstart (aka Jumpstart 2025).

I'm going to be covering a select number of the cards that seem promising for the format of only commons. I'm honestly surprised by the number of impressive cards that a set like Foundations brings to the format, given that it's both a core set and boasts a large number of reprints. After all, core sets are known for low power cards compared to the typical Magic experience. This set, though, has a lot of really awesome cards despite the simplicity. There's even some really awesome surprises to be found here in the form of some interesting downshifts!

Normally I'd start things off by covering mechanics but, frankly, there aren't really a lot of cohesive and relevant ones when it comes to Pauper. Morbid makes a return, but at that point it's better to just talk about the individual cards rather than the cards bearing it as a whole. So, I'm going to be talking about individual cards instead. Not everything will be touched on, but given how these releases feature a lot of new essentially French vanilla cards at best, it's probably not worth talking about them in the first place. All the ones covered here either have some relevance, or are included to explain why they won't be relevant despite looking like they could have potential.

There's a ton to cover, so let's jump in and get right to it!

Ambush Wolf

Those are some chonky stats for a flash creature! We've already had a 3 mana 4/2 before just this year (Drover Grizzly in Outlaws of Thunder Junction) and that one wasn't very good. This having flash combined with the graveyard exile might make it a little more playable for an aggressive Green deck, though realistically it's probably not super likely.

Beast-Kin Ranger

Typically when looking at cards like this, the rate sucks. It's too expensive for Pauper and ultimately does too little. However, if you can find a deck that wants lots of creatures and can set up a massive alpha strike, this can be an incredible finisher. Decks like Elves and Jund Broodscale make absurd amounts of creatures and so if you're looking for a strong finishing move, this can provide an awesome one thanks to trampling. The downside, though, is it's really easy to remove with only 3 toughness, so while it seems awesome in theory, in practice it likely won't make the cut.

Bushwhack

Seeing this effect come down to common is awesome and somewhat unexpected. Its first printing was in The Brothers' War - a set that only came out two years ago. The problem with this one lies in the decks that want it. Think about the format a bit. Can you think of any deck that wants Lay of the Land or Prey Upon? I certainly can't. Getting the versatility of a modal option is nice, but I'd be hard pressed to find a deck that wants both sides of this equally. You'll probably see it infrequently, much like how it's an extremely minor player in select Standard lists, but I doubt this will be a regular player.

Cackling Prowler

The ward and being able to get pumped multiple times over the course of the game is nice, but this is likely too expensive to make the cut in most situations, especially when a well-timed Lightning Bolt can be all it takes to wipe this one out.

Courageous Goblin

Getting a two-mana 3/2 with menace in a relevant creature type is always pretty solid. The problem is getting a creature with 4 power in the low to the ground aggro decks that might want this. It's likely best paired with Foundry Street Denizen, but that sort of deck isn't likely what you want to be playing in 2024 Pauper.

Crackling Cyclops

Izzet Blitz has been dead for some time now, effectively replaced with Mono-Red Hot Dogs. Crackling Cyclops is for all intents and purposes a Mono-Red version of Nivix Cyclops (albeit with one less base power). Given how the latter card had a long pedigree in Izzet Blitz builds, there's a decent shot that this could be a big player for the current day Hot Dog builds.

Dazzling Angel and Hinterland Sanctifier

Covering these together because they're both new Soul Warden-esque effects, which is always something that proves popular in specific niches of Pauper. Dazzling Angel is a decent body for one of these cards, but 3 mana for a card that just gets bolted seems like a rough play. Conversely, Hinterland Sanctifier is a great new option thanks to its 2 toughness over usual suspects like Soul Warden, Soul's Attendant, and Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom. This won't trigger off your opponent's creatures like the former two, but it will give you life off your own creatures with a fairly durable body. Since Lunarch Veteran is the only one seeing real play, this could potentially be a viable alternative, but getting a second body from that card feels oftentimes more relevant.

Dwynen's Elite

Oh baby, now this is what I'm talking about! Elves has been on a bit of an upswing lately and this is a juicy pickup for the deck. Pioneer and Modern builds of Elves have historically run Dwynen's Elite to set up large boards quickly that pair nicely with Heritage Druid in Modern. We don't have that card in Pauper, but we do have Birchlore Rangers, making this a nice and solid get for the deck. The big problem is that there aren't exactly a ton of flex slots in Elves lists most of the time, so it's going to be interesting to see where the numbers land for this one. I could see it anywhere from a 2-of to a 4-of quite easily, and it'll largely depend on the build.

Elementalist Adept

Typically, I wouldn't be super thrilled about a 2/1 prowess for 2 mana. They usually get removed pretty easily so it's hard to get good value out of them. Here, though, you can flash this in, which either provides a potent blocker or a strong way to push damage through once your opponent taps out. Play it on their end step and go to town. I think it's got plenty of hurdles to get over to make the cut, but I'm sure players will likely try it out.

Elfsworn Giant

Sporemound hasn't been playable in years, if ever. This one does make elf tokens and it also has reach, which makes it a little more relevant for something like Elves. That deck utilizes Quirion Ranger so you should be able to get regular land drops every turn, right? Well, in reality, five mana is still usually going to prove to be way too much to be reliable. Even casting a Lys Alana Huntmaster - a card bound to make more tokens - can be a serious challenge in Elves if it gets choked on mana and this is that much worse. It's a neat addition that ultimately likely goes nowhere.

Erudite Wizard

Casting this into any cantrip gives you a creature that gets out of bolt range. Then you can pass the turn, cast a Brainstorm, and put it out of Galvanic Blast range. It takes a lot of setup, though, and if you can't build it up and/or protect it, you're going to have a rough time. As such, the decks that could use this likely stay the course with what they're already doing and ignore this in favor of creatures that provide more inherent value on their own.

Fleeting Flight

There's a lot to love about this. A small buff, plus flying, plus damage prevention? That works on a whole ton of different axes and makes it a pretty solid play. Comparatively, though, Jump Scare provides a bigger damage boost and since Duskmourn: House of Horror released at the end of September, that card hasn't really made a splash in Pauper. That means it likely falls onto the damage prevention side to carry this card, and in practice, it's probably not going to be enough to make it a worthwhile player.

Gilded Scuttler

I'm typically quite low on the usual Frost Lynx style of card that taps down a creature for a turn and just sticks around. At three mana, it's hard to justify most of the time. The fact that this is also an artifact and that it can't be blocked make it a touch more enticing, but in practice it's probably going to do far too little to use even if it can always push damage through.

Goblin Boarders

Getting this to come in with a counter is honestly going to be a breeze if you're really pushing a hard aggro deck. The problem is most of them are so low to the ground in terms of mana costs that it's kind of hard to justify paying three mana for this. If you want it, it's not bad, but probably not reliable.

Goblin Surprise

Burn Bright effects have always felt somewhat borderline, but they have a tendency to rot in your hand if you can't use them on a decent sized board. Goblin Surprise provides you with an alternative solution: making the creatures that can be pumped in the first place. Now this still might not be enough to make a card like this actually playable, but it's probably the best Burn Bright variant we've seen thus far.

Go Forth

Speaking of solid modal cards, here's another fairly solid one. This one falls into the realm of Bushwhack, where it begs the question of how many decks actually want Lay of the Land (albeit at instant speed) or Giant Growth (in a smaller form, at that)? I'd say usually none, but I like getting to cast this as an instant far more than Bushwhack's sorcery, allowing you to use whichever side is relevant at a wider range of points in the game. The decks that will want this are few, but it might be a reasonable option for the right deck, like Infect with its lower land count.

Hare Apparent

Typically, I think most of the cards that say "a deck can have any number of [these]" are more memes than viable options. This, however, seems like it actually has some real potential. The first one provides only a 2/2, but each subsequent copy makes a bunch of tokens with it for a pretty low investment. I definitely think we'll see White Weenies builds rocking this pop up in the early weeks post-release, but I wonder if they'll actually be better than existing lists. If I had to guess, I'd say probably not, but I also wouldn't be surprised it it turned out to be a viable option.

Hearts on Fire

This is a pretty reasonable multi-pump spell, allowing you to buff up two individual targets. For something like Hot Dogs, this allows you to buff two creatures from its effect while also buffing the creatures from their own abilities. That can prove to be a tremendous amount of damage from one spell, but I imagine burn spells are usually going to be more versatile. They'll usually push less damage through, but can be used to clear the way for attacks as well, therefore making them more valuable. As such, this is a neat card, albeit extremely narrow in uses when it comes to Pauper.

Helpful Hunter

You know what card sometimes shows up in the format? Spirited Companion! The big draw for that iteration of White's Elvish Visionary, though, is the fact that it's also an enchantment. That made it great for Bogles as a way to boost your aura buffs while also giving you a creature you could sacrifice to edicts. Nowadays, it's hardly used in Bogles, or anywhere else for that matter. It's nice having this, but for the time being probably isn't going to be a major player in the format. It'll likely show up from time to time, though.

Hungry Ghoul

We've seen a decent number of these cards showing up lately over the past few years. Malevolent Noble and Mold Folk come quickly to mind for me. This one comes in with the stats of the Noble, but has a much cheaper activation cost. The tradeoff is that you can't sacrifice artifacts, but in the decks that want this sort of effect, you're usually sacrificing creatures instead. This also has the bonus of being a zombie, but this begs the simple question: why not just play Carrion Feeder? That can't block, but it costs nothing to sacrifice and the creature comes down for one mana. You can get up to more shenanigans with that much more easily and at that point, do you really want 5-8 of that sort of effect in a single deck?

Infestation Sage

Well, if you are looking to run Hungry Ghoul - or Carrion Feeder - this is some excellent fodder for such a deck. This is basically Black's Doomed Traveler, which makes it the perfect creature to sacrifice away for good value. It's even an elf, so while not the best home for it, you could run it in Elves if you wanted. It's not terrible if your opponent casts a board wipe, but the problem is casting it in the first place in a deck typically known for running exclusively Forests. Play this in sacrifice decks and leave it out of just about anywhere else.

Inspiring Paladin

This is a pretty decent body at three mana and has first strike on your turn (i.e. relevant when you're attacking). Not only that, but it gives your creatures first strike also if they have counters on them. The easy comparison to make is Ainok Bond-Kin, which does something quite similar. The problem with that one is you usually have to play it on turn two, tap it on turn three, and then you can utilize it on turn four. Here you can just play it, have a blocker, and then go in the following turn. Unfortunately, this would be best suited for a deck like White Weenies, and that deck doesn't typically produce a lot of +1/+1 counters, making it hard to get the most out of this.

Pilfer

Much like Bushwhack, this is another fairly recent card getting a relatively swift downshift. This one is pretty close to a Thoughtseize in that it lets you rip out any card from your opponent's hand with no downside. Well, the downside just happens to be in the mana cost. Thoughtseize is a busted card at one mana while Coercion is stone unplayable at three. Pilfer finds itself somewhat middle of the road here, unlikely to make a major impact until turn two when your opponent may have already started to do their thing. Plus, you're tapping out completely on turn two to use this without getting to do anything else in the process. That doesn't put you in a great spot. I think this is another case of once in a while you'll see it but by and large it's not going to make the cut in a format like Pauper.

Prideful Parent

Usually three mana 2/2s that bring a friend with them don't get played anywhere, but I'll note this one for having vigilance on it. That does make it a little better than most, but probably not enough to actually see any play.

Razorgrass Invoker

The most direct comparison to this card is Wildheart Invoker, a card that shows up in Elves lists as a one-of from time to time. I do like how this can buff multiple things and has vigilance as well, but there's one big thing it lacks: the granting of trample. One of the things that makes Wildheart Invoker so good is the fact that you can both pump defensively and use it offensively to push through a lethal strike thanks to the trample. Not having the trample side means this is way easier to chump block, and so personally as a longtime Elves player, I'd rather stick with Wildheart Invoker over this. Both are probably respectable options, though.

Refute

I normally dislike Cancel variants in a format where you have outright Counterspell, however this one allowing you to loot as well makes it far better than your average one of these at common. I'd say You Find the Villains' Lair was probably the closest option, giving you either a Cancel or a draw two, discard one. Getting both the Cancel and the loot, though? That's a lot juicer. I'm unsure that it actually sees play anywhere given the decks looking to counter spells, but this is definitely one of the better three mana counters by a lot and is probably worth keeping an eye on.

Revoke Demise

I normally skip over five mana reanimate spells because they simply don't have a good track record in the format. They almost always end up being unplayable and so at this point, why bother mentioning them in the first place? This one is far better than most of those, however, as you can either go for a big creature at five mana or a smaller one at three, and there's some pretty decent creatures at three mana. Right now, I can't think of anything that necessarily wants this, however it's a card that I could certainly see make an appearance in the right kind of deck somewhere down the line.

Scholar of Combustion

If you're really looking to play this effect, just play Ardent Elementalist or else an Archaeomancer variant. The power behind those cards is getting the card back to your hand where you can save it for later. Forcing you to use it in the same turn robs you of this, even if you can still repeatedly cast spells in much the same way since the spells aren't permanently exiled so long as you actually cast them.

Shardless Outlander

It's another pretty unexciting landcycler, but this is one you can easily cast with Tron, so I guess that's worth pointing out. Tron doesn't usually run any basics, though, so while it might be okay for the variants that do, I don't think you can expect to see this reasonably show up anywhere.

Slimy Piper

Whoa now this is a sweet card! Even just attacking as a 3/2 for 2 mana is a huge deal. Smacking down for four damage with four or more creatures on the board? That's a big chunk of a player's starting life! Consider that decks like Stompy - admittedly down in showings over the last few years - try spitting out tons of creatures quickly. In a deck like that, getting four creatures on the board is trivial, and this card is a beating. I'll be very curious if this one ends up making a showing because this is definitely a strong contender among cards that could potentially bring back Stompy into the mix.

Squad Rallier

Having a mana sink in late games when you have nothing to do is always great, especially when it's on a creature that finds you more creatures. Heck, having 4 toughness is solid too, as it can't be hit with a Lightning Bolt, though Galvanic Blast is still a major player in the format currently. The real downside to this is the four mana it costs to cast, which makes it a difficult card to play for the decks that might want it. I could see it showing up in small numbers, though, just because of how it can help close out games that drag on a bit.

Stab

Disfigure has been outclassed in the format for some time now ever since Defile was printed in Modern Horizons. While it's neat to have a functional reprint, it's unlikely this is a huge player in the format the majority of the time.

Strix Lookout

Storm Crow, eat your heart out! This is competing quite heavily with the other powerful fliers of the format (see: Faeries) but it also blocks many of them well too. Not only that, but you can also attack with it and then loot on your opponent's end step if you don't have anything else to do. It's still probably too weak stat-wise to make a major impact, but it definitely does a bit more than it looks like it would at first glance.

Woodland Liege

Draw engines are cool and all but, uh, Wirewood Savage was first printed over 20 years ago and doesn't see play. It'd be cool if you could go for all 8 copies with, say, Changelings for some kind of payoff, but that feels like an easy way to end up in the 0-3 bracket really fast.

As you can tell, there's a ton of really awesome cards to be found in these releases! Foundations looks like an incredible collection of cards for every format that it impacts, and Pauper sure seems like no exception. Cool new cards, relevant downshifts, interesting build arounds - there's a lot to love! I'm excited to see how it impacts the format in the coming weeks and see what new brews players build utilizing the cards.

What ones are you most excited to play with?

Paige Smith

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