After getting an early look at the Bloomburrow limited environment, we have some advice for players going into their prereleases this weekend. With tons of packs on the line, having a strong prerelease record can get you ahead on value as this new MTG set takes over. Considering that Standard is rotating today thanks to Bloomburrow, these cards could seriously impact a competitive MTG format.
Let’s get into some tips that should help you win your MTG Bloomburrow prerelease!
Small Damage Spells Are Incredibly Powerful
There are a ton of small creatures in the MTG Bloomburrow format. It’s incredibly easy to do the Rabbit or Mouse thing and present an incredibly aggressive clock. Whether you’re going wide or going fast, the presence of these archetypes and the new Offspring mechanic means that there are a lot of creatures with small toughness about.
This makes smaller damage spells with other upsides incredibly powerful. Of all the cards I’ve played with so far, Playful Shove impressed me the most. This was routinely a two-mana spell that killed a creature and drew a card, which is strict card advantage. Playful Shove synergizes extremely well with the Otter game plan as well, just dealing direct damage while triggering a variety of different Otter payoffs.
In a similar vein, Wildfire Howl is also better than you think. If you have a slower strategy that isn’t trying to flood the board with creatures in the early game, Wildfire Howl can prevent an opponent from running away from the game. Even if this card is only killing 2-3 creatures, even at the expense of allowing an opponent to draw a card, the tempo swing is worth it.
Prioritize Synergies When Possible
Bloomburrow is a high-synergy set. Even if you get the prerelease pack with tons of playable rares in it, you will lose to a high-synergy deck made of primarily uncommons. It’s rare that you’ll be able to dedicate your entire deck to one archetype, but dedicating your deck to primarily one game plan that splashes for another is not outside the realm of possibility.
Prioritize making whatever archetype you have the most powerful synergy pieces in your pool work. Cards like Harvestrite Host can carry an entire game, and it’s not even that difficult to activate. Just play a Rabbit with Offspring, and Harvestrite Host can draw a card and give two creatures a power. That can trigger Valiant Mice in your deck, as well. Even outside of all these synergy plays, Harvestrite Host is still a 3/3 for three mana.
Splashing is Powerful but Tricky
There’s not a ton of fixing in Bloomburrow. You have Uncharted Haven and Hidden Grotto as mediocre common lands, and you have Fountainport Bell, which can fix a land to the top of your deck. This is far from ideal for three-color enthusiasts, but it’s good enough to allow for some powerful splashes. Just make sure those cards are individually powerful enough to be worth splashing.
Because Prereleases are Sealed events, it’s unlikely that your pool is going to be strong enough to wholeheartedly support one archetype. If you’re lucky enough to open an incredibly synergistic deck, however, you’ll likely be taking home the Bloomburrow crown.
Read More: Wizards Reverts Controversial Rule Change After Community Outcry
