Magic: The Gathering has been struggling for years to get people to start playing. At least, in its traditional formats. Commander, its premier multiplayer format, works very well and attracts many new players, but it is literally the only gateway into the game. One that is not even particularly suitable for new players. But this is because the game is not appealing to people outside of it. And for good reasons.
Looking for a format that everyone can play
Historically, Standard has been the format through which people enter Magic. The format that most people play. That is no longer the case. In Standard, cards from the last two years are played, and that means there is a significant monetary and mental burden for players, who over the years have switched to less demanding formats. And over the years, those formats have become impenetrable for new players. Something that Wizards has decided to change.
The first step has been to make Standard now rotate every three years, allowing the cards from each collection to be played for one more year than before. The other way to do this has been to create Foundations. A collection that aims to create an entry and meeting point for all Standard players in the years to come.
Cimientos is the new Magic: The Gathering collection and it starts from a very simple premise: they are cards that will last in standard for five years. With half of the collection consisting of cards that appeared in old collections and the other half of new cards, the aim of this collection is to create a solid foundation for the format. Even though decks and some of the cards that compose them may change, a significant core of them will remain all the time. With everything that entails.
A five-year collection means there is a lower economic and mental cost. Having a series of cards over those five years that we can always return to, like the Foundations, means there is an effective mental cost that we don’t need to pay. It’s easy to know that in green decks Llanowar Elves are always a good inclusion or that in angel decks we absolutely have to include Giada, Font of Hope. Even if practically everything else around them can change radically from year to year.
But the same applies on an economic level. Magic: The Gathering can be a very expensive hobby. It’s something that many jokes are made about. And Cimientos wants to solve this, at least a little. If some of the most important pieces of the decks are permanently available and constantly being opened in packs, there will be greater circulation of them and their price will not rise. But also, all the Cimientos cards we have will automatically be more valuable, even if their monetary value is lower. Precisely because they are well positioned to have something that cards until now did not have: longevity.
All this addresses the problem of providing a more accessible format for everyone, both veterans and new players. But how is it possible to lower the entry barrier for those who are just starting? At Wizards of the Coast, they have also thought about that.
New products for new players
In Cimientos, in addition to the usual products, they have decided to release two new ones. The first is the Starter Collection, which, as its name suggests, gives us everything we need to start playing Magic: The Gathering, especially if we want to start a new collection. But if we are convinced that we want to fully immerse ourselves, we have the Beginner’s Box, which includes five beginner decks, a mat that indicates all the different play zones, as well as a good collection of cards, which is a perfect way to get started in the game and learn how to play properly.
This is what makes Foundations special. It is a step towards making Standard the reference format for all players again, but also, making the game accessible to new players in a way that it hasn’t been, at least, for a decade. If all of this has caught your attention and you would like to start playing Magic: The Gathering, or simply return to the game, Foundations is already available on Amazon and in specialized stores.