❘ Published: 2024-11-12T03:10:26

Magic: The Gathering Foundations has a contender for the most powerful infinite combo of the set, and according to one of the game’s senior designers, it’s meant to be there.

We are in the midst of one of the best times to be a Magic: The Gathering fan and a newcomer to the hobby. MTG Foundations is in the early stages of its launch and this last set is a back-to-basics set that caters to both long-time Planeswalkers and taking the first tentative steps in the TCG landmark.

A big reason why Foundations is so good at striking this balance is because of its lean mechanics, but there’s another factor here. Foundations features reprints of classic cards from the TCG’s 30-year lifespan and then some new entries to synergize with them.

This approach gave rise to the set’s most feared infinite combo, facilitated by Bloodthirsty Conquerer and Marauding Blight-Priest. This vampiric one-two-punch is standard legal and is about to become the bane of MTG newbies and veterans alike.

Wizards of the Coast

For some context, the Marauding Blight-Priest was first introduced in MTG’s Zendikar Rising in 2020 and received a reprint in Foundations. Bloodthirsty Conquerer is a brand new card from the recently released set.

The infinite combination of these two cards is achieved thanks to their synergistic cantrips. The bloodthirsty conqueror’s innate ability says: “Whenever an opponent loses life, you gain that much life.” Marauding Blight-Priest’s ability is sort of the reverse of this and says, “Every time you gain life, every opponent loses a life.”

So to instantly win a match, all you have to do is bring both cards to the board and find a means to remove any amount of life from your opponent. The abilities of the two cards will then trigger repeatedly in a loop until your opponent is out of life and you have plenty.
Marauding Blight-Priest’s wording stating that “each opponent loses a life” also means that this combo can be used in multiplayer formats like Commander. The sheer power of this infinite combo has led some players to wonder if the inclusion of these two cards in the same set was some sort of accident.

MTG Senior Designer Carmen Klomparens stepped in on X to reveal that this infinite combo was 100% intentional. They also took the time to explain why it was included.

“When working on Foundations, the team really wanted to make sure we made the best ‘Core Set’ ever,” Klomparens explained in the thread. “The purpose of the Foundations was something along the lines of ‘Bridging the gap between ‘someone who is a new Magic player’ and ‘a Magic player.’

Because of this, Klomparens revealed that the team wanted to make sure they didn’t “infantilize new players”. Overpowered combos are an integral part of the MTG experience, and the ability to discover them on your own or after falling victim to them is something the design team at Wizards of the Coast wanted to give new players with Foundations .

“Maybe this is coming off as too strong, but I felt like the kind of shape that was a reasonable bet to give players a taste of the exciting things that can happen in Magic,” Klomparens continued. “I’m not saying a 5th game player won’t ever call bulls**t in an infinite combo, but the odds of someone in the 50th game saying ‘Wow! can you do this Sick!’ it has that in the territory where we feel the juice is worth squeezing.”

Whether you’re just starting your journey with MTG Foundations or it’s the next in a long list of sets you’ve been collecting, you’ll want to get your hands on Bloodthirsty Conquerer and Marauding Blight-Priest. Fortunately, the Marauding Blight-Priest can be found in MTG Foundations Starter Collection. For Bloodthirsty Conquerer, you’ll have to try your luck with boosters.