This is HonestAF aka Alex Friedrichsen writing to you on a chilly Vermont mid-November day in the thick of stick season. Don't fret! Brisk weather is yet another excuse to stay inside and fire some drafts.

Introduction

Magic Foundations returns to fundamentals with a core set-style draft environment that focuses on two-color archetypes and battlefield-centric gameplay. We've escaped the haunted, convoluted rooms of Duskmourn. Now, it's time to slam a Serra Angel on turn 5 and hope it sticks.

Or perhaps slam a well-fed Craw Wurm on turn 6 - *I'm looking at you, Quakestrider Ceratops*

While I appreciate complicated board states and intricate card interactions, it's refreshing to draft a set that doesn't demand too much complexity while bringing that cozy nostalgic feeling we all enjoy.

Draft Priorities

1. Premium removal - another set where efficient removal reigns supreme

2. Archetype-specific payoffs - signpost uncommons and synergy rares form the foundation of great decks

3. Efficient creatures - know which ones are generalists within a color, and which are more niche

Let's examine what's been winning! These decks are taken from the 17Lands repository of trophy decks for best-of-three matches. While I'm including images of only one 3-0 deck per archetype, the takeaways synthesize information from several successful decks.

Analysis Framework

For each color pair, I'll examine:

1. Archetype gameplan

2. Sample 3-0 deck

3. Key overperformers

4. Strategic advice

UW (Blue-White)

Gameplan

The UW deck functions as a classic "skies" strategy, combining efficient flyers with ground defense and tempo plays.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Luminous Rebuke

- Felidar Savior

- Dazzling Angel

- Healer's Hawk

Strategy Tips

- Your creatures can usually fly over blockers, while you can effectively block ground threats

- Stall the board with high-toughness creatures or lifegain effects (Aegis Turtle, Felidar Savior)

- Prioritize 2-3 mana flyers over expensive ones

- Efficient interaction helps you race against threats

- Lifegain supports your racing strategy

UB (Blue-Black)

Gameplan

UB operates as a control deck that can pivot into tempo strategies when needed.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Bake into a Pie

- Think Twice

- Burglar Rat

- Eaten Alive

- Infestation Sag

Strategy Tips

- Flashback spells combined with looter effects generate card advantage

- Dreadwing Scavenger serves as a powerful signpost that leverages graveyard synergies while finding your bombs

- Eaten Alive is strong even without fodder, but exceptional with it

- Macabre Waltz can retrieve your bombs even if discarded early

- Some builds succeed with high spell counts (Fleeting Distraction, Stab, Refute) alongside Tolarian Terror

UR (Blue-Red)

Gameplan

UR aims to establish an early threat then push damage through pings with card draw and efficient removal. Tempo heavy gameplan.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Bigfin Bouncer

- Think Twice

- Burst Lightning

- Fleeting Distraction

- Thrill of Possibility

Strategy Tips

- Maintain a high density of two-drops with a low curve

- Efficient UR decks spend all their mana every turn

- The strategy can be fragile - losing your pinger or drawing it late reduces crucial closing power

- Multiple viable builds exist, including tokens and burn strategies

- A protected two-drop backed by removal can serve as a win condition

- Can pivot to control with sufficient cheap removal and card draw

UG (Blue-Green)

Gameplan

UG ranks among the weaker color pairs, partly due to a lack of cohesive identity. While designed as a ramp archetype, the set's emphasis on curving out means ramp threats often can't recover lost tempo. Success usually comes from leaning heavily into either blue or green.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Llanowar Elves

- Bite Down

- Uncharted Voyage

- Wary Thespian

Strategy Tips

- Aim to build a primarily green deck splashing blue for cards like Uncharted Voyage, Think Twice, or Tatyova

- Avoid pure ramp strategies (multiple Grow From the Ashes)

- Exception: decks with several splashable bombs can succeed with a UG base, though this is harder than in previous sets

BW (Black-White)

Gameplan

BW is a strong color pair focusing on lifegain and fodder creatures, capable of both going wide and playing attrition games.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Squad Rallier

- Dazzling Angel

- Helpful Hunter

- Vampire Soulcaller

- Luminous Rebuke

Strategy Tips

- Squad Rallier provides both repeatable card advantage and a mana sink, rare qualities in BW

- Cards like Ravenous Amulet and Vampire Gourmand offer sacrifice outlets that generate value from cats and rats

- Prioritize efficient removal (Eaten Alive, Stab, Luminous Rebuke)

- Deep common pool means playables are readily available

BG (Black-Green)

Gameplan

Another of the weaker color pairs, BG centers on the morbid mechanic. Like similar mechanics that trigger from normal gameplay patterns, it's difficult to build around deliberately. BG typically plays as a "good stuff" archetype.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Evolving Wilds

- Bushwhack

- Bake into a Pie

- Treetop Snarespinner

- Dwynen's Elite

Strategy Tips

- Focus on raw card power level first, incorporating synergies where possible

- Two-for-one effects help compensate for weaker synergies

- Combine permanent-heavy builds with regrowth effects - casting Elvish Regrower as a vanilla 4/3 feels like you lost the game already

- Strong candidate for splashing bombs thanks to green's fixing (Evolving Wilds is the highest-winrate common)

- Treetop Snarespinner provides a mana sink at common

BR (Black-Red)

Gameplan

BR is deceptively complex - rather than focusing purely on the raid mechanic and aggression, it performs best as a midrange sacrifice deck that generates value while steadily dealing damage.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Hungry Ghoul

- Gutless Plunderer

- Burst Lightning

- Gorehorn Raider

- Involuntary Employment

Strategy Tips

- The classic "steal, attack, sacrifice" pattern is particularly effective here

- The archetype utilizes several cards that other black decks value less, creating draft opportunities

- Gorehorn Raider is a knock-off Flametongue Kavu

- Remain flexible between attrition and aggressive gameplans based on the matchup

GW (Green-White)

Gameplan

GW focuses on +1/+1 counters with high synergy potential. The deck can succeed by either going wide or tall with careful counter distribution.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Banishing Light

- Treetop Snarespinner

- Bite Down

- Healer's Hawk

- Inspiring Paladin

Strategy Tips

- Treetop Snarespinner provides a valuable mana sink in a color pair with few options

- Healer's Hawk excels as a counter target, often drawing removal

- When playing against GW, watch for opponent's Claws Out, especially against cat-heavy decks

- Strong rare and mythic bombs complement an already solid common/uncommon base

- The combination of efficient creatures and synergy makes GW both powerful and consistent

GR (Green-Red)

Gameplan

While the Gruul mechanic centers on power 4 or greater, like GB, this usually happens naturally through normal gameplay.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Wary Thespian

- Treetop Snarespinner

- Beast-Kin Ranger

- Ambush Wolf

- Cackling Prowler

Strategy Tips

- Prioritize early plays to avoid clunky draws with too many 4-6 drops

- Few GR commons provide evasion (trample, menace)

- Removal is largely conditional on toughness - use it wisely

- Develop a clear plan: either stall and win with dragons or trade and dominate the ground

- Both Ambush Wolf and Beast-Kin Ranger easily enable 4-power synergies

WR (White-Red)

Gameplan

WR embodies classic go-wide token aggro, heavily dependent on synergy.

3-0 Deck Example

Overperformers

- Dazzling Angel

- Hare Apparent

- Felidar Savior

- Fleeting Flight

- Prideful Parent

Strategy Tips

- Best home for Hare Apparent strategies

- Heroic Reinforcements can end games suddenly - multiple copies are exceptional

- Can leverage red's 4-power creatures effectively alongside go-wide plan

- Fanatical Firebrand underperforms expectations

Color Pair Rankings

1. UW 

2. BW - BR - UB

3. GW - GR - WR

4. GB - UR

5. UG

Conclusion

Foundations rewards fundamental Magic skills, but a skilled player still has the tools to beat variance and come up on top most of the time. Drafting is more straightforward than usual given restrictive splashing and focused color pairs. Focus on curve, removal, and synergy over complicated combinations. Take on color dual lands highly. Gain an edge through knowing your gameplan, deck construction post draft, and playing towards your win condition.