Foundations Set Review - Reprints, Part 2

Nick Wolf • November 15, 2024

Set Review
 

White | Blue | Black | Red | Green | Artifacts & Lands | Allied & Shards | Enemy & Wedges | cEDH | Reprints | Pauper/Budget

Give Them Everything You've Got... And Some Things You Don't

Welcome to the back half of the Foundation Reprint Review. If you're a fan of Memento and want to do everything backwards, you're in the right place. If you want to read the first part first, in which we covered the mythic rares and Special Guests from Foundations, you can find that here. Also, please refer to that first part if you want a more detailed intro. We're not doing that here, because we're all business today.

From here, we're going to take a look at interesting rares that are making a return with this new-age core set. There are a lot of them. 

Authority of the Consuls

Did we need it?

This is one of my favorite cards in all of Commander, and I know that probably makes you rethink your opinion on me as a person and Magic player. But really, can't we all agree that sometimes, we need to just slow down? Why's everything gotta be so fast?

Anyway, Authority of the Consuls, to this point, only existed in its original set of Kaladesh (a stint on The List notwithstanding), and as a result, it generally went for about $10 for the cheapest non-promo copy. That's not an insignificant number of dollars, but with a return via Foundations, we're going to hope that the price will sink a bit more so that everyone has a chance to experience the joy of annoying their friends. 

It's definitely a worthwhile reprint, and I'm curious to see if it'll ever appear in Standard. A boy can dream.

Did we want it?

We see Authority of the Consuls appear in 4% of all decks on EDHREC playing white, or around 90,000 lists total. It's definitely in my Karlov of the Ghost Council deck, as well as around 70% of all Karlov decks logged to the site. It's also in more than half of all The Gaffer, Oloro, Ageless Ascetic, Heliod, Sun-Crowned, Kambal, Consul of Allocation and Amalia Benavides Aguirre lists. 

It's also the 12th-most popular white enchantment in the format, which is surprisingly low, considering Blind Obedience, which could be argued is slightly worse, is 5th-most popular. If I had to guess, that's a result of Authority being twice as expensive on average to buy, and until now, harder to find. This reprint will change all that. And if that wasn't good news enough, Foundations also provides us a version of Authority with the now-universal starry border for enchantments. Neat!

Rite of Replication

Did we need it? 

Coming to us via the Foundations Starter Collection, Rite of Replication has held fast to a $3-5 pricetag despite printings in its original Zendikar, Commander 2014, 2015 and 2021, and two stops on The List. Sadly, we don't get an art update, as the card's featured the same Matt Cavotta mer-fella illustration for its lifetime. This Foundations version is a foil-only inclusion.

What we do get, though, is a less common Copy token, with art that until now only appeared in Outlaws of Thunder Junction:

Currently, the Foundations version of Rite of Replication is preordering at around $9. Please, do not pay $9 for Rite of Replication, even if it is foil.

Did we want it?

Once upon a time, Rite of Replication was one of the best high-end blue spells you could cast in Commander. Many a game was reduced to nonsense with a kicked Rite on a Blightsteel Colossus. Times today are different, what with your new-fangled cordless telephones and Doppelgangs, but there are some people out there holding fast to their Rites. To be exact, about 78,000 people, good for inclusion into 3% of all decks on EDHREC playing blue.

By far, the card is seen in Verazol, the Split Current lists, with 78% of all the logged decks for the Simic snakey boy running Rite. Beyond that, Adrix and Nev, Twincasters, Sakashima the Impostor, Hidetsugu and Kairi, and Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer all see Rite sticking around at better than a 2-to-1 clip.

Gratuitous Violence

Did we need it?

Another foil-only gift from the Foundations Starter Collection, Gratuitous Violence has never really been all that expensive, topping out for the original Onslaught printing at about $6.50. Today, with reprintings in Conspiracy: Take the Crown as well as two Commander decks in the past few years, the card is flirting with bulk rare territory, which is surprising considering that it's a very good card, and often a safer one than more expensiveFurnace of Rath.

If you're really motivated to spend the most money possible on a copy of Gratuitous Violence, you'll be grabbing an Onslaught foil, as that goes for $25 or so. With Foundations, the foil-only caveat will probably prevent the card from truly hitting rock bottom price-wise, but it'll most definitely be the cheapest foil version you can get, should you need your copy shiny.

Did we want it?

Are you playing a lot of red mana sources and creatures that want to attack a lot? Then you probably want (or already have) a copy of Gratuitous Violence. Overall, it's in a hair under 40,000 lists as per EDHREC, or 2% of all decks playing red. It's most often seen in Bello, Bard of the Brambles (in which you can commit violence with violence, like a matryoshka doll of poor emotion regulation), Heartless Hidetsugu, Lovisa Coldeyes, Ashling the Pilgrim, Brion Stoutarm, and Inferno of the Star Mounts.

Crossway Troublemakers

Did we need it?

You'd be forgiven for not realizing this one's a reprint. Until now, the card's only been seen in a pair of Commander decks, for Crimson Vow and for Lost Caverns of Ixalan, two vampire-centric releases. Copies of either of those versions go for about a dime, while the extended art version from Vow is around a buck. None of those are foil, however, which means the Starter Collection version seen here is the only way to get this particular card in shiny, which is why it's preordering for $7. Again, do not buy it for that much. It'll be cheaper soon. 

Did we want it?

As a vampire card, it's pretty good, providing two relevant global effects to all your bloodsuckers. As you might assume, vampire decks really like this card, while non-vampire decks can't be bothered to know it exists. Overall, it's in 24,755 lists, which is more an indication of the creature type's popularity rather than this particular card's popularity. So in other words, if you're already running a vampire deck and have bemoaned the fact you couldn't get this card in foil, today's your lucky day. 

Giada, Font of Hope

Did we need it?

Jumping from one creature type-specific card to another, we've got Giada appearing in the Foundations main set in several forms. First, the one linked above, which is the regular version featuring new art by Kai Carpenter, joined by a Scott Fischer full-art as well as an anime treatment courtesy of Foundations Jumpstart. So for fans of Giada, Foundations is quite the set. 

With Foundations, there's a Giada available in pretty much any price range, as the set introduces us to both the new cheapest version (the regular pack rare) and the most expensive version (a foil full-art), the latter more than doubling up on the previous most pricey.

Did we want it?

Giada is the 21st-most popular commander in the format, as per EDHREC, so I think it's safe to say there'll be plenty of Angel fans who are thrilled to be receiving new versions of Giada. Giada's also the single most popular mono-white commander with 16,192 lists, more than doubling those logged for the second favorite, Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice.

Yes, people wanted more versions of Giada. Easy reprint win here.

Time Stop

Did we need it?

It's been a pretty long time since we've seen Time Stop appear in a Standard-legal set. Specifically, it's been 17 years.

Outside of a Secret Lair treatment last year, Time Stop's been AWOL since Tenth Edition, it's only reprint after its debut in Champions of Kamigawa. Putting such a weird and potentially confusing card into a "beginner" set is quite the flex by Foundations designers, and it remains to be seen whether its inclusion will be relevant in Standard. But as a reprint overall, it's a welcome one from a nostalgia standpoint, though since the other version were only around $2, it's not really that important of a reprint from a price perspective. 

Did we want it?

Like I said, it's a weird card. In most scenarios, it's a bad extra turn spell; instead of giving you another trun to work with, it just erases the turn of one of your opponents. In a 1-vs-1 scenario, that's basically a Time Warp, but in Commander, it's a "screw you in particular" spell. Essentially, it's Magic's version of a Uno reverse card.

Of all the cards we're going to talk about today, it's probably the least impactful on Commander, with only 4,773 appearances in decks logged on EDHREC. I suspect that number will rise now that new players will be exposed to it, something that might not have happened for a card that hasn't been properly reprinted in nearly 20 years. In that sense, I would say we do want it as a reprint, since one of the hallmarks of a good reprint is to breathe new life into old, forgotten cards. 

Painful Quandary

Did we want it?

Back in the Scars of Mirrodin days, when this card debuted, Painful Quandary was a villain of many a Commander game. It truly lived up to its name, and Commander players loved casting it as much as they hated seeing it cast. As a result, it was once a nearly $30 card, spiking as many cards did in 2021 before settling at around $15 for the next few years. That was when it was a surprise reprint in The Brothers' War, after which the price tanked, and it's been in the $2-4 range ever since. 

So we probably didn't need another reprint of Painful Quandary, especially one bearing the same art as the Brothers' War version, but at least it's going to go from $2 to $1 now.

Did we need it?

We see Painful Quandary appear in 51,485 lists on EDHREC, around 2% of all those playing black. Like I said, there's a certain kind of Magic player who loves to jam a Painful Quandary into every black deck they can, and good for them for following their bliss. 

As you might predict, it's most popular in group-slug or discard decks centered around Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal, Tinybones, Trinket Thief, Mogis, God of Slaughter, Tourach, Dread Cantor, Kaervek the Merciless, and The Raven Man. It's in more than half of all the decks for all those commanders. It's also finding its way into nearly half of all The Lord of Pain decks.

Etali, Primal Storm

Did we need it?

In short, no. As awesome as Etali is, the card debuted in 2018 with Rivals of Ixalan, and since then has seen 14 printings in four different treatments, including two different Secret Lairs. Anyone who wants an Etali already has an Etali. 

However, with Foundations, it's the first time you can get an full art version of the card that isn't Jurassic Park or "cereal" themed:

For Etali mega-fans (a group in which I consider myself a member), this makes a reprint worthwhile, and it's extra cool that they brought in original artist Raymond Swanland to give Etali another pass. 

Do we want it?

As a commander, Etali isn't too widely used, with 1,861 to its credit. That makes Etali the 719th-most popular commander on EDHREC, which illustrates the sheer number of legendary creatures that exist these days more than it does how cool of a card Etali is. 

As a card in the 99, however, we see Etali a lot. There are 220,566 decks that have Etali somewhere in the list, good for 9% of all decks playing red. Think about that for a second. Overall, Etali's the 12th-most popular red card in the format, and the single most popular (post-Dockside Extortionist ban) mono-red creature ever printed. Those are Hall of Fame numbers for our favorite dinosaur. Etali is the 31st-most popular creature in Commander, regardless of color, actually. See if you can name the 30 creatures more popular than Etali in the comments, as a fun treat. One of them's a hobbit.

Foundations Rares Lightning Round

Main Set

  • Day of Judgment: We're getting a new treatment with Foundations (and a return of the card in Standard), but outside of that, we don't really care much about Day of Judgment. This is the tenth/eleventh printing of the card, and second in a few months since it was in Mystery Boosters 2. 
  • Extravagant Replication: Just go to my Reprint Review for Duskmourn, scroll down to the bottom, and read this card's entry there, except subtract all the quoted price numbers by half. 
  • Phyrexian Arena: We're going back to the "Koth fighting a spiky thing" art after some time with the "Vraska gooing up Jace" art, along with the first time with the "starry" border to indicate an enchantment. There's also a cool full-art treatment featuring an elephant man fighting a xenomorph. All in all, it's a very popular card but one that, with Foundations, crosses into its 20th reprinting.
  • Rune-Scarred Demon: Another Commander staple that might no longer be in its heyday, we see Rune-Scarred Demon make a return following reprints in Commander Masters, The List, and Iconic Masters. Not bad for a card that was once a Magic 2012 bulk rare.
  • Brass's Bounty: Like Etali, this debuted in Rivals of Ixalan, but didn't quite catch on like the dino did. This is another reprint following slots in The List, March of the Machine Commander and Commander 2021. 
  • Drakuseth, Maw of Flames: Probably not anyone's favorite mono-red legendary dragon, the Core Set 2020 Drakuseth is no stranger to curated box sets, with appearances in Game Night: Free-for-All and Starter Commander Decks. Something about it just seems to indicate "new player friendly" to designers, I guess.
  • Flamewake Phoenix: Foundations provides us with this card's first reprint, after first appearing in Fate Reforged nearly 10 years ago.
  • Krenko, Mob Boss: Krenko is the fifth-most popular commander on EDHREC, and with Foundations is getting new art for the first time since it showed up in Magic 2013.
  • Slagstorm: Seeing a lot of random Koth appearances in Foundations, not that I'm complaining. And surprisingly, this is Slagstorm's first and only reprint since it debuted in Mirrodin Besieged. 
  • Elvish Archdruid: The 13th printing of Elvish Archdruid, the card was once-upon-a-time a Core Set staple, with appearances in Magic 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, as well as Game Nights: Free-for-All. Showing up in Foundations seems appropriate.
  • Genesis Wave: I used to play Genesis Wave as a finisher in green big-mana decks until I got sick of resolving triggers, but if I want to give it another go, Foundations provides not just new art on a regular treatment, but a full-art version as well.
  • Ghalta, Primal Hunger: Joining Etali on the regular/full-art reprint train, Ghalta actually has a third stop as an anime Jumpstart art. Foundations designers really love them some Ghalta, I guess. 
  • Scavenging Ooze: Personally, I love seeing the Scooze return, even though in Commander it's probably out-classed these days. Ironic, since it was originally designed specifically for Commander, but saw much more play in Standard after a reprint in Magic 2014. 
  • Consuming Aberration: The Gatecrash mill monster has seen reprints in three Commander decks, two reprint-only sets, The List, and now, Foundations. 
  • Lathril, Blade of the Elves: Even though it's only been around since 2021's Kaldheim Commander, Lathril's proven to be well-liked, evidenced by the fact that it's the sixth-most popular commander on EDHREC with more than 20,000 decks devoted to it. And now, it gets its first new art. 
  • Swiftblade Vindicator: Sometimes all you need for a cool card is a bunch of keywords, which is why people are going nuts for Sire of Seven Deaths. The textbox for the Foundations version is a little bit more cluttered than the original Guilds of Ravnica printing, but reminder text is important, so I'm not complaining. 
  • Thousand-Year Storm: Another return from Guilds of Ravnica, but sharing little else in common with the previous bullet point above, the reprint of Thousand-Year Storm has already taken a $5 card and turned it into a sub-$1 card.

Beginner Box

  • Ancestor Dragon: Yes, this is a reprint, with the card's first and only appearance in Global Series Jiang Yanggu & Mu Yanling, a quasi-Duel Decks box set that I won in a raffle for ten dollars once, and actually lost money on the transaction. That said, I'm happy to see it in Foundations, because now I can get a copy for Karlov of the Ghost Council without breaking open the sealed box in my closet. Gotta retain that value, guys.
  • Jazal Goldmane: This is actually the first time we see Jazal printed in a set that doesn't have "Commander" in the title, which is impressive considering it's been printed seven times before now.
  • Corsair Captain: Once originally a Jumpstart exclusive, it's no surprise that for awhile in 2020 this was a $25 card. Remember that if you ever look up the current price and see it going somewhere in the 10-15 cent range.
  • Mystic Archaeologist: First from Core Set 2019, then a spot in Jumpstart, and now, Foundations. Maybe now, it'll see play in more than the 1,014 decks reported by EDHREC currently using it. 
  • Death Baron: Once, you couldn't get the original Shards of Alara version of Death Baron for less than $22.  That was before reprints in Core Set 2019 and Midnight Hunt Commander. 
  • Dropkick Bomber: If it's a reprint in a set that is printed at the same time as its debut set, is it a reprint? Such is the question with Dropkick Bomber, which is in both Foundations and Foundations Jumpstart. I do not have the answer to that question, so I'm adding it to this list, just in case.
  • Terror of Mount Velus: Mount Velus is in Theros, if you're curious, which is where this card was originally printed.
  • Aggressive Mammoth: It's a big green creature that appeared in Core Set 2019 and 2020 before being scooped up in Foundations. That's all there is to it, which is fine, because sometimes big green creatures need no explanation.

Starter Collection

We're going to go even more lightning-y now, because we're scraping the bottom of the barrel and I don't want to waste your time.

A Spark of Resistance Against a Tide of Corruption

And with that, if I never speak about a reprint in Foundations again for as long as I live, it'll be too soon.

I'm joking, of course. Foundations looks to be an amazing set and likely in retrospect will be the highlight of 2024 for plenty of players, new and old. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Foundations reprints, or just the set in general, really. So don't be shy in those comments.

See you next year for more Reprint Reviews -- I'm sure Spider-Man will be involved.