Foundation Breaker MTG Card


Foundation Breaker - Modern Horizons 2
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Elemental
Abilities Evoke
Released2021-06-18
Set symbol
Set nameModern Horizons 2
Set codeMH2
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number160
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byYeong-Hao Han

Key Takeaways

  1. Foundation Breaker can change games by both advancing your board and disrupting opponents.
  2. Evoke adds flexibility, offering surprise removal without full casting cost.
  3. Balance its resource impact against the discard required for its Evoke ability.

Text of card

When Foundation Breaker enters the battlefield, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment. Evoke (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)

The castle finally got vengeance for enduring years of royally bad taste.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Foundation Breaker provides an edge by enabling you to effectively deal with threats on the board while simultaneously advancing your own board state. Its ‘Evolve’ ability can be a source of card advantage by transforming it into a more powerful creature when the conditions are met.

Resource Acceleration: By potentially removing an artifact or enchantment that’s hindering your resource development, Foundation Breaker can pave the way for more consistent mana flow or cripple an opponent’s mana base, indirectly accelerating your resources relative to theirs.

Instant Speed: Although Foundation Breaker itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability to be cast using flash via the ‘Evoke’ mechanic allows you to adapt to the board at critical moments, surprising an opponent with sudden removal during their turn or at the end of their turn to clear the way for your next move.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the gameplay, Foundation Breaker requires you to discard a card as part of its evoke cost. Using this ability comes at the price of losing another potential play or an important card in your hand, which can be quite the setback when you’re trying to maintain card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands both green mana and generic mana to cast. While its mana cost isn’t prohibitive for a green-focused deck, it does constrain the card’s inclusion to those that can reliably produce green mana, possibly limiting its versatility in multi-colored or colorless decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana including one green, Foundation Breaker’s cost may seem steep considering its relatively moderate stats and single use ability. Players might find that in a format where mana efficiency is key, dedicating three mana for a creature that might not impact the board significantly can be a considerable downside, especially when there are alternative lower-cost creatures or direct removal options available.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Foundation Breaker is a card that offers flexibility in many deck archetypes thanks to its ability to destroy enchantments or artifacts, making it a valuable option for sideboards or versatile main decks that need to handle a range of threats.

Combo Potential: With its Evoke cost, Foundation Breaker can be seamlessly woven into strategies that capitalize on creature entering or leaving the battlefield. This enables synergistic plays and interactions, enhancing combo-driven decks that use such mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of artifact and enchantment-based strategies in the current meta, having Foundation Breaker as a tech choice can significantly tilt matchups in your favor. Its inclusion in your collection allows you to adapt swiftly to the evolving competitive landscape.


How to beat Foundation Breaker

Foundation Breaker is a versatile tool for any player dealing with artifacts or enchantments in MTG. This creature excels at disrupting strategies reliant on non-creature permanents, making it a formidable opponent. It offers a direct way to dismantle an opponent’s setup, especially when cast using its evoke ability for immediate impact. Yet, this card’s strength is also its limitation—it requires a target upon entry to be truly effective.

Overcoming Foundation Breaker requires adaptability and foresight. Protect your valuable artifacts and enchantments with counterspells or by prioritizing permanents that provide hexproof or shroud. You can also bait out the breaker with less crucial targets, preserving your game-changing pieces for the crucial moments. It’s important to note that without a target, Foundation Breaker’s destruction ability can be turned against its controller, forcing them to potentially sacrifice their own assets if played incautiously.

While it may seem daunting, remember that cards like Foundation Breaker provide an opportunity to outthink and outmaneuver your opponent, turning their strengths into weaknesses. Understand when to deploy your key permanents, and you’ll neutralize the breaker’s disruptive capability, maintaining the upper hand in your MTG matchups.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic depths of MTG with Foundation Breaker at your fingertips. As you balance the pros and cons of this versatile card, think about the adaptability it offers in both main decks and sideboards. Embrace the possibility of disrupting opponent’s strategies with its Evoke mechanic or enhance your combos for a more powerful board presence. With artifact and enchantment-heavy metas, Foundation Breaker can be a valuable addition to your arsenal. Ready to refine your deck-building skills and outmaneuver your opponents? Join us as we explore more strategies and cards that will sharpen your gameplay and enrich your collection.


Cards like Foundation Breaker

Foundation Breaker stands out in the roster of artifact and enchantment removal options in Magic: The Gathering. It’s reminiscent of other naturalize effects like Reclamation Sage, as both cards have the ability to destroy an artifact or enchantment upon entry. Still, Foundation Breaker has the additional edge with its evoke mechanic, allowing it to be played for its evoke cost for an immediate effect without leaving a body on the battlefield.

In the realm of flexible removal, Ainok Survivalist also shares the spotlight with its morph ability, which similarly can take opponents by surprise and deal with unexpected artifacts or enchantments. Even though Ainok Survivalist can be a stronger and re-usable board presence, it lacks the straightforwardness and lower evoke cost of Foundation Breaker. Comparably, Caustic Caterpillar offers the possibility to control the timing of destruction while also being a creature on board, but with an additional mana investment for the activated ability and without the potential surprise element of evoke from Foundation Breaker.

Evaluating these options shows that Foundation Breaker holds a valuable position among its peers, with its versatile use either as a creature or a direct removal spell, making it a strategic choice for decks that value flexibility and efficient board control.

Reclamation Sage - MTG Card versions
Ainok Survivalist - MTG Card versions
Caustic Caterpillar - MTG Card versions
Reclamation Sage - MTG Card versions
Ainok Survivalist - MTG Card versions
Caustic Caterpillar - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Foundation Breaker MTG card by a specific set like Modern Horizons 2, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Foundation Breaker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Foundation Breaker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Foundation Breaker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-06-18 If you pay the evoke cost, you can have the creature's own triggered ability resolve before the evoke triggered ability. You can cast spells after that ability resolves but before you have to sacrifice the creature.
2021-06-18 To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an evoke cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined by only its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast that spell was.

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