With Bloomburrow completely revealed for a couple of days now, it's already time to think about the new limited format and find out what awaits us!
The prerelease event will be available starting from July 26th, while if you are a digital player on MTG Arena you'll have to wait until July 30th.
Bloomburrow is a fairytale world inhabited by animalfolk and in each color pair we find a different main species, characterizing the guild.
We'll see then in detail which these animals are, but if you want a quick spoiler or a reminder, here's a picture taken from the web which gives you a perfect overview, despite its simplicity!
Each guild has its own uncommon signpost which here is the Mentor, the most experienced animal who teaches the others, as well as a common hybrid and a legendary creature as rare. But let's dive into it!
Selesnya: Rabbits (Tokens)
Cards: Seasoned Warrenguard, Brave-Kin Duo, Heirloom Epic, Warren Elder, Brightblade Stoat, Jolly Gerbils, Carrot Cake, Druid of the Spade, Harvestrite Host, Hazardroot Herbalist, Intrepid Rabbit, Hop to It, Treeguard Duo, Rabbit Response.
In white-green we find Rabbits, with tokens and a go-wide strategy. This is possible thanks to both Hop to It and Head of the Homestead that generate multiple pieces, and to the Offspring mechanic, that makes an extra 1/1 token by paying additional mana.
Benefiting from the multitude of Rabbits is Burrowguard Mentor, growing huge and pushing damage through blocks thanks to trample, but it's also possible to buff the mass itself with Warren Elder and Rabbit Response.
Combo:
- Seasoned Warrenguard + Carrot Cake / Bakersbane Duo = even if we're talking about synergy rather than combo, attacking for 3 damage on turn 2 is super aggressive, especially if then you follow up with Druid of the Spade on turn 3!
- Harvestrite Host + Head of the Homestead / Hop to It = with multiple Rabbits at once, we draw a card in addition to the buffs.
- Shrike Force + Treeguard Duo = do we have a lot of creatures on the board? It's time to win the game by giving a big buff to an evasive creature with double strike! Alternatively, you can also settle for creatures with trample like: Burrowguard Mentor, Druid of the Spade or Galewind Moose.
Boros: Mice (Valiant)
Cards: Brave-Kin Duo, Heartfire Hero, Flowerfoot Swordmaster, Might of the Meek, Whiskerquill Scribe, Nettle Guard, Brightblade Stoat, Mabel's Mettle, Roughshod Duo, Thistledown Players, Mouse Trapper, Brambleguard Captain.
Mice are the tribal for red-white and are based on Valiant. Differently from Heroic, this ability triggers once per turn, only with our and more importantly with our abilities. The strategy is obviously aggro aiming to have many creatures that are difficult to manage in combat since they get bigger merely by being targeted by a source of ours. An example of this is Seedglaive Mentor, which takes a +1/+1 counter even if targeted by seemingly harmless abilities like those of Intrepid Rabbit or Thistledown Players.
Combo:
- Heartfire Hero / Flowerfoot Swordmaster + Raccoon Rallier / Brave-Kin Duo = At the cost of 0 or 1 mana, you can easily trigger Valiant every turn and the two Boros 1-drop are an example of the best valiant creatures you can have.
- Any valiant creature + Short Bow = you can do something similar with the bow, except that you can activate it multiple times per turn by passing it between a creature with Valiant and another and making them all trigger. Yes, it's a bit like Nadu, Winged Wisdom with Shuko!
- Brambleguard Captain + Starforged Sword = each of your combat phases, a creature gets +5/+0. Then if you want to support the combo with other equipment or to move Starforged Sword for free, you can add Blacksmith's Talent to the mix.
- Shrike Force + Brambleguard Captain = once again we find the Bird with double strike which, curving out with the Mouse, attacks for 6 damage each turn.
Azorius: Birds (Fliers support non-fliers)
Cards: Lifecreed Duo, Plumecreed Escort, Brightblade Stoat, Jolly Gerbils, Builder's Talent, Dazzling Denial, Long River's Pull, Finch Formation, Shrike Force, Skyskipper Duo, Pileated Provisioner, Knightfisher.
With no surprise, in white-blue we find Birds, but characterized by also providing a little support for creatures without flying, so as to facilitate the addition of other animal creatures belonging to other guilds. It's possible to notice it from the two signposts: Plumecreed Mentor and Seedpod Squire, which both give +1/+1 to a non-flying creature, as well as from Finch Formation, even if there is no lack of powerful elements that favor the Bird tribal like Knightfisher or Dazzling Denial.
Combo:
- Run Away Together + Plumecreed Escort: you can return it to your hand so that its protection effect is available again. With 4 mana you can do all of this in response to an enemy removal.
- Knightfisher / Plumecreed Mentor + Gossip's Talent (lv.3) + any Bird = with the Class at level 3, you can blink a Bird whenever it deals damage to your opponent to create a Fish token / to put a +1/+1 counter.
Orzhov: Bats (Gain or lose life)
Cards: Lifecreed Duo, Starscape Cleric, Brightblade Stoat, Sonar Strike, Moonstone Harbinger, Starlit Soothsayer, Nocturnal Hunger, Wax-Wane Witness, Star Charter, Sinister Monolith, Glidedive Duo.
White-black are Bats' colors, which are characterized by draining life, so they trigger whenever you gain or lose life.
Starseer Mentor is the ideal top end proposing a large flyer with vigilance, difficult to overcome and that will put pressure on the opponent at the end of each of your turns. Yes, because the effects that modify your life are not a few and it'll not be difficult to: manipulate the draw with Starlit Soothsayer, enhance the entire team of Bats with Moonstone Harbinger or find creatures with Star Charter.
Combo
- Lifecreed Duo + Starscape Cleric = you drain 1 life for each creature that enters under your control.
- Lifecreed Duo + Star Charter = you draw a creature every turn. Casting this creature on the next turn, guarantees you a new trigger and (possibly) a new creature for a loop.
Dimir: Rats (Threshold)
Cards: Hidden Grotto, Lilypad Village, Thought Shucker, Bellowing Crier, Bonebind Orator, Shoreline Looter, Persistent Marshstalker, Stargaze, Mindwhisker, Nightwhorl Hermit, Daggerfang Duo, Diresight, Psychic Whorl, Lightshell Duo, Thornplate Intimidator, Wick's Patrol, Calamitous Tide, Eddymurk Crab, Huskburster Swarm.
Blue-black is Rat territory. These colors are characterized by the return of Threshold, an ability first seen with Odyssey, more than 20 years ago! If active, Tidecaller Mentor returns a permanent to hand, as well as Mindwhisker which can weaken the enemy army, so it's important to focus early on reaching 7 cards in the graveyard with: Shoreline Looter, Bellowing Crier, Daggerfang Duo, and in general, everything that mills or surveils.
Combo:
- Daring Waverider + Splash Portal = with the sorcery in the graveyard, casting Daring Waverider draws a free card and can still target another instant or sorcery in our graveyard. With multiple Splash Portal in the graveyard I can predict an enjoyable time!
Golgari: Squirrels (Forage)
Cards: Bonecache Overseer, Heirloom Epic, Bonebind Orator, Bakersbane Duo, Bushy Bodyguard, Bumbleflower's Sharepot, Cache Grab, Savor, Feed the Cycle, Pawpatch Formation, Daggerfang Duo, Curious Forager, Honored Dreyleader, Heaped Harvest, Treetop Sentries.
Squirrels are Golgari and are based on the new Forage mechanic. It requires cards in the graveyard and Food tokens and these colors are the ideal environment for both of them. Vinereap Mentor gives a Food both on entry and exit and is important because the cards that create Food are not many or at least are fewer than those that make Forage. For example, you can do it every turn with Corpseberry Cultivator, but note that its second triggered ability works with any other Forage and therefore it can be convenient to preserve Foods / cards for things like Bushy Bodyguard or Curious Forager.
Combo:
- Corpseberry Cultivator + Bonecache Overseer = You can activate Overseer's ability whenever you forage and Cultivator lets you do it every turn, for an extra card each time.
- Corpseberry Cultivator + Stocking the Pantry = You can get +1/+1 counters for free just foraging around, so you can draw cards for 2 mana.
Gruul: Raccoons (Expend)
Cards: Raccoon Rallier, Bakersbane Duo, Bark-Knuckle Boxer, Brazen Collector, Take Out the Trash, Hoarder's Overflow, Roughshod Duo, Brambleguard Veteran, Teapot Slinger, Rust-Shield Rampager.
Another new mechanic is Expend, the Raccoons' one, which belongs to the Gruul colors.
Similar to Mice in Boros, these animals are very aggressive and become big, instead of being targeted, spending our fourth total mana to cast a spell (so it doesn't count for abilities). You can get a taste of it with both signposts: Wandertale Mentor and Junkblade Bruiser, but even more with Brambleguard Veteran, the true lord of the tribe since it buffs all the Raccoons. Dedicated to them is what will probably be the best removal of the format: Take Out the Trash, even if it will be still well-liked by every red deck regardless of the extra Raccoon effect.
Combo:
- Wandertale Mentor / Tempest Angler + Stocking the Pantry = similarly to what we saw with the Squirrels, if no effort is required to generate +1/+1 counters, it becomes convenient to draw for only 2 mana.
Simic: Frogs (Leave the battlefield without dying)
Cards: Sunshower Druid, Bellowing Crier, Three Tree Scribe, Long River's Pull, Run Away Together, Waterspout Warden, Long River Lurker, Stickytongue Sentinel, Clifftop Lookout, Treeguard Duo, Splash Lasher, Polliwallop, Skyskipper Duo.
In blue-green there are Frogs and their abilities are focused on entering or leaving the battlefield without dying, fully simulating a frog jumping from one side to another! There is a lot of synergy within the tribe, with creatures that blink and others that want to be blinked, providing enter or exit triggers. It happens between the two signposts: Lilysplash Mentor and Pond Prophet, and in the process you can add Three Tree Scribe buffing the team and Long River Lurker protecting it.
Combo:
- Lilysplash Mentor / Stickytongue Sentinel + Pond Prophet / Sunshower Druid = As mentioned, frog abilities restore triggers, which means extra cards and +1/+1 counters, among the other things.
- Stickytongue Sentinel + Plumecreed Escort = by taking the Bird back into your hand, you can recast it to protect a piece.
Izzet: Otters (Spellslinger)
Cards: Coruscation Mage, Playful Shove, Run Away Together, Otterball Antics, Pearl of Wisdom, Thieving Otter, Kindlespark Duo, Harnesser of Storms, Lightshell Duo, Alania's Pathmaker, Daring Waverider.
As we saw in the past with Lutri, the Spellchaser or Accident-Prone Apprentice // Amphibian Accident, Otters are red-blue and are based on spells and Prowess.
Stormcatch Mentor has everything we are looking for, being hasty and growing with prowess, in addition to acting as a Goblin Electromancer. Pearl of Wisdom for example costs only 1 mana to draw 2 cards, perhaps 2 spells that could go to grow the Mentor together with Tempest Angler, or to ping the opponent with direct damage by Coruscation Mage and Kindlespark Duo.
Combo:
- Alania's Pathmaker + Splash Portal / Skyskipper Duo = you can blink the Otter with Splash Portal to draw a card and get a fresh enters trigger, but even if you blink it with Skyskipper Duo you'll get it back at the end of your turn, so you have one more turn to play your exiled card.
Rakdos: Lizards (Opponent Losing Life)
Cards: Ravine Raider, Agate-Blade Assassin, Steampath Charger, Kindlespark Duo, Flamecache Gecko, Thought-Stalker Warlock, Scales of Shale, Frilled Sparkshooter, Glidedive Duo, Reptilian Recruiter.
Lastly, there are Lizards for the red-black colors and they specialize in the loss of the opponent's life. Ravine Raider with menace or Agate-Blade Assassin with 3 in toughness, are a good starting point to trigger Fireglass Mentor and gain new fuel for the aggression. Scales of Shale is their dedicated trick to support this strategy and make them resistant in combat.
Combo:
- Kindlespark Duo + Fireglass Mentor = without having to enter combat, Kindlespark Duo can deal direct damage and trigger Fireglass Mentor every turn, getting new cards. Alternatively, Sinister Monolith is also suitable for this purpose.
That's all for today! I hope this guide has given you a good starting idea about the archetypes and how this new limited is made up. Let me know if you manage to put together into practice some of these “combos” of mine and a good prerelease and an enjoyable Bloomburrow to you all!