Bloomburrow is officially set to release on August 2, which is coming up on us awfully fast. All spoilers have been revealed at this point. If you’re a fan of cute animals, Bloomburrow should be perfect for you.
Despite the clear emphasis on small and adorable critters in the set, many of these creatures are more powerful than they might appear. There are a lot of strong cards in Bloomburrow that are sure to shake up Standard, Commander, and beyond.
With this in mind, we thought it was important to give our take on what we believe the best cards in the set will be. This is clearly speculation, but some cards do stand out a bit more than others. So, without further ado, here are the top 12 MTG best Bloomburrow cards.
#12 | Seasoned Warrenguard
- Mana Value: W
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Stats: 1/2
- Text: Whenever Seasoned Warrenguard attacks while you control a token, Seasoned Warrenguard gets +2/+0 until end of turn.
Kicking things off, we have a rather simple uncommon. Don’t let Seasoned Warrenguard’s rarity fool you, though, because this card means business. There are tons of cards that make tokens in this set, and Seasoned Warrenguard hits hard if you have any token in play.
We’ve seen similar cards like Toolcraft Exemplar play a prominent role in Standard in the past. Hitting for three damage on turn two with this card after playing a follow-up Novice Inspector is no joke. If there is an aggressive white weenie-style deck in Standard post-rotation, this card could be an elite one-drop option. As such, we felt that Seasoned Warrenguard deserves a place on this list.
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#11 | Thundertrap Trainer
- Mana Value: 1U
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 1/2
- Text: Offspring 4 (You may pay an additional 4 as you cast this spell. If you do, when this creature enters, create a 1/1 token copy of it). When this creature enters, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a noncreature, nonland card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Thundertrap Trainer is another creature that has some similarities to decent MTG cards from the past. In this case, Thundertrap Trainer is reminiscent of Augur of Bolas, which has seen plenty of Constructed play over the years. In this case, Thundertrap Trainer digs one card deeper than Augur. It also lets you select any noncreature spell, not just instants and sorceries.
Furthermore, Thundertrap Trainer is a great late game topdeck thanks to its Offspring ability. It’s not quite as strong of a blocker in the early turns as a two-toughness creature, but the rest is all upside. If you’re in the market for card selection, Thundertrap Trainer delivers.
#10 | Plumecreed Escort
- Mana Value: 1U
- Rarity: Uncommon
- Stats: 2/1
- Text: Flash. Flying. When Plumesteed Escort enters, target creature you control gains hexproof until end of turn.
Up next, we have Plumecreed Escort. Plumecreed Escort is a rather simple card with a very similar design to Rattlechains. Despite the similarities, Plumecreed Escort is not a Spirit, so it obviously won’t synergize with Mausoleum Wanderer and the like in Pioneer. Where Plumecreed Escort gets its edge instead is in its ability to protect any other creature it enters, not just a spirit.
This is a huge deal in Standard at minimum. Getting to protect your Deep-Cavern Bat from removal is very strong. Of course, you always have the luxury to just Flash in this creature as an evasive threat. There are a multitude of efficient creatures with Flash that currently see Standard play right now. Amongst Faerie Mastermind and Tishana’s Tidebinder, Plumecreed Escort is a great addition. Perhaps this card will even open the door for an Azorius tempo deck other than Spirits to thrive in Pioneer. We’ll just have to wait and see.
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#9 | Keen-Eyed Curator
- Mana Value: GG
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 3/3
- Text: As long as there are four or more card types among cards exiled with Keen-Eyed Curator, it gets +4/+4 and has trample. 1: Exile target card from a graveyard.
Keen-Eyed Curator is a neat card that gives off Scavenging Ooze vibes. It doesn’t quite have the immense ceiling that Scavenging Ooze does, but the fact that it starts out as a 3/3 for two mana by default is huge. Between the printing of Pawpatch Recruit and other aggressively costed green creatures, it wouldn’t shock me if a green beatdown deck emerged in Standard.
On top of being strong by default, Keen-Eyed Curator also doubles as graveyard hate. While this ability can take some time to activate, getting a 7/7 Raccoon with Trample certainly sweetens the deal. Once this ability is activated, you should be able to crash in and win games in a jiffy. As tantalizing as this prospect is, however, Keen-Eyed Curator likely won’t see much impact outside of Standard.
#8 | Emberheart Challenger
- Mana Value: 1R
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 2/2
- Text: Haste. Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn). Valiant- Whenever Emberheart Challenger becomes the target of a spell or ability you control for the first time each turn, exile the top card of your library. Until end of turn, you may play that card.
Speaking of assertive two-drops, Emberheart Challenger seems like a great inclusion for aggressive red decks in Standard. A 2/2 with Haste and Prowess is already a solid floor. If you have some ways to target Emberheart Challenger, the card gets even stronger. Monstrous Rage already sees tons of play across multiple formats and pairs perfectly with Emberheart Challenger.
Outside of mono-red aggro, Emberheart Challenger should be a slam dunk in Gruul aggro in Standard. This deck has more ways to target your own creatures, like Ancestral Anger and Snakeskin Veil, making Emberheart Challenger extra threatening. This card is just awesome and we expect it to see a lot of Standard play at the very least.
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#7 | Ygra, Eater of All
- Mana Value: 3BG
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Stats: 6/6
- Text: Ward- Sacrifice a Food. Other creatures are Food artifacts in addition to their other types and have “2, tap, Sacrifice this permanent: You gain 3 life.” Whenever a Food is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on Ygra, Eater of All.
Ygra, Eater of All is an intriguing card that, frankly, is a bit difficult to rank. It’s a bit on the expensive side when it comes to Constructed. However, on the flip side, there are a lot of ways to abuse it. Players have already pointed out unique infinite combos in Standard and Pioneer that are made possible by this card’s presence. It’s possible one of these combos comes to fruition, even if it’s a bit unlikely.
Ygra’s Ward ability can be a big pain for decks that don’t play many creatures, as well. This monster doesn’t exactly fit into a well-established home at the moment, at least in Standard. Regardless, the upside is definitely there. Add on Ygra’s potential as a sweet Commander option, and we felt as though Ygra should be given some recognition in our rankings.
#6 | Three Tree City
- Rarity: Rare
- Text: As Three Tree City enters, choose a creature type. Tap: add colorless. 2, Tap: Choose a color. Add an amount of mana of that color equal to the number of creatures you control of the chosen type.
Three Tree City seems to be a rather controversial card. The card definitely has the capability of tapping for a boatload of mana. Getting a bunch of creatures of the same creature type in play isn’t always easy, though. The reality is, that you need four creatures of the same type on the battlefield under your control before Three Tree City becomes worth it. Not to mention, playing a land that doesn’t tap for colored mana early is a big cost. This card is not as easy to maximize as Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
So, why do we have the card so high? Well, the card shines with token production, especially in Commander. Let’s say you’re playing a Chatterfang, Squirrel General deck. You may be able to flood the board with Squirrel tokens, which in turn will make Three Tree City extremely problematic for your opponents. We do think that this card is much more geared towards Commander than Constructed. Once again, the ceiling on this card is pretty insane, so it deserves a spot on the list.
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#5 | Hired Claw
- Mana Value: R
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 1/2
- Text: Whenever you attack with one or more Lizards, Hired Claw deals 1 damage to target opponent. 1R: Put a +1/+1 counter on Hired Claw. Activate only if an opponent lost life this turn and only once each turn.
Hired Claw comes in at number five, and this card’s a doozy. We are long past the days of Scorch Spitter being a premier one-drop beater for mono-red aggro in Standard. Because Hired Claw is a Lizard, it deals one damage to your opponent when it attacks. From there, you can start buffing Hired Claw, even inside of combat. This threat of activation can sometimes make it tough for the opponent to block Hired Claw effectively.
This card offers a lot for one mana. It’s worth noting that Kumano Faces Kakkazan, arguably the best one-drop for red aggro in Standard, is rotating out very soon. As such, mono-red aggro decks will be in need of another strong one-drop, and Hired Claw looks poised to fulfill that duty.
#4 | Mockingbird
- Mana Value: XU
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 1/1
- Text: Flying. You may have Mockingbird enter as a copy of any creature on the battlefield with mana value less than or equal to the amount of mana spent to cast Mockingbird, except it’s a Bird in addition to its other types and it has Flying.
Mockingbird is an awesome take on a Clone variant. Unlike with Clone, you get to determine how much mana to sink into Mockingbird and copy something in play with the appropriate mana value. This does take away your ability to copy an enormous bomb on the cheap, making Mockingbird a little less interesting in a Commander setting.
In Constructed, however, you now have free reign to play Mockingbird early in the game. You can always play it as a 1/1 with Flying for one mana, which isn’t too bad. There’s been some discussion about playing Mockingbird in Spirits decks in Pioneer, since Mockingbird can double as both an evasive one-drop to put Curious Obsession on and a way to copy Supreme Phantom or Skyclave Apparition later in the game.
In Standard, you can copy any beefy threat your opponent plays in the early game to make sure you don’t fall behind. Having access to a card that is this versatile and scales nicely as the game goes on is powerful. Mockingbird really is one of the best Clone effects ever printed.
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#3 | Gev, Scaled Scorch
- Mana Value: BR
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 3/2
- Text: Ward- Pay 2 life. Other creatures you control enter with an additional +1/+1 counter on them for each opponent who lost life this turn. Whenever you cast a Lizard spell, Gev, Scaled Scorch deals 1 damage to target opponent.
Just recently, we wrote an article detailing our thoughts on Gev, Scaled Scorch and why this card has so much potential. Gev is simply such a great card on rate. For only two mana, you get a three-power creature that can let your follow-up creatures enter even stronger. Alongside other potent Lizards like Hird Claw and Iridescent Vinelasher, Gev becomes scarier.
In a multiplayer environment like Commander, Gev works well in conjunction with cards that can deal damage to each opponent at once. Then, creatures you play will enter with multiple +1/+1 counters each. If your opponents can’t kill Gev right away, they risk falling behind quickly. If someone can kill Gev with a traditional removal spell, they take two damage in the process. Gev does everything you could ask for in a two-drop creature.
#2 | Maha, Its Feathers Night
- Mana Value: 3BB
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Stats: 6/5
- Text: Flying, Trample. Ward- Discard a card. Creatures your opponents control have base toughness 1.
Maha is a wild Magic card. Obviously, the bar for a five-drop creature in Constructed is pretty high. It’s quite possible Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal proves to be a better card in most situations given its resiliency. However, Maha has such a strong effect on the game that it can’t be overlooked.
Thanks to the Ward ability, your opponent at least has to go down on resources to answer it with spot removal. If the opponent can’t answer it, their creatures become very vulnerable. The combination of Maha and Tectonic Hazard likely wins the game on the spot in Standard against any creature deck. Similarly, in Commander, expect to see cards like Toxic Deluge pop up if Maha is at the helm. These “combos” are devastating enough to earn Maha a spot high on this list.
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#1 | Jackdaw Savior
- Mana Value: 2W
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 3/1
- Text: Flying. Whenever Jackdaw Savior or another creature you control with flying dies, return another target creature with lesser mana value from your graveyard to the battlefield.
At the top spot, we have yet another card we featured recently. Jackdaw Savior is a card that is also rather tough to rank. Much like Ygra, Jackdaw Savior has plenty of combo potential. If a new combo arises that no one has thought of yet, we wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.
Other cards with similar effects, like Scrap Trawler, have proven to be Constructed and Commander all-stars. With Jackdaw Savior in play, it’s easy to generate tons of value in Commander with other potent Fliers and a free sacrifice outlet like Ashnod’s Altar. In Constructed, your opponent will be pressured to kill Jackdaw Savior right away. Otherwise, navigating combat is tough, since any Flier your opponent blocks down can reanimate another creature right to the battlefield.
Even if your opponent kills Jackdaw Savior, as long as you have another creature to bring back, you are still up on resources in the exchange. Deep-Cavern Bat is a great card to play alongside Jackdaw Savior, both as a card to return to play when Jackdaw Savior dies and as a card to pave the way for Jackdaw Savior to help prevent Jackdaw Savior from getting killed.
We wouldn’t fault anyone if their list looks different. There are a lot of cards that should help shake up Standard and Commander at the very least. Yet, there are also no immediate standouts that look “broken” in Eternal formats by any stretch. That may be for the best, especially after MH3 came out and completely shifted the Modern metagame on its head. It’ll be cool to see what cards end up overperforming. For now, at least, these are our predictions for the top 12 MTG best Bloomburrow cards.
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