Despite 2024 having an absolutely stacked lineup of sets, the title of most anticipated is miraculously still a two-way fight. In one corner, Modern Horizons 3 promises to bring new power to multiple formats, potentially ushering in a new rotation. In the other corner, Bloomburrow has one of the most enticing themes in years but is still shrouded in mystery.
Unlike Modern Horizons 3, which has been leaked to high heavens, Bloomburrow is still a few months away from release. According to Wizards, we shouldn’t be seeing another card from the set until July 9th when previews begin. That was the plan, at least, following the First Look for Bloomburrow back in February.
Disrupting these best-laid plans, Wizards of the Coast has accidentally leaked a Bloomburrow card early! Revealing a fantastic reprint and a stunning showcase treatment, this Bloomburrow leak has many MTG players seriously excited! As enticing as it is, however, there’s still a great deal we don’t know about this soon-to-be beloved MTG set.
Jace the Mind Sculptor Returns?!
In a recent WPN article, Wizards of the Coast revealed a brand new promotion for Bloomburrow. Exclusively available in North America, Wizards has teamed up with Pinfinity to create “AR-enhanced collectible pins.” As with Pinfinity’s past pins, these can be scanned to reveal “animation, music, and downloadable goodies.”
As far as possible Friday Night Magic prizes go, these pins look like a very fun addition to enticing players. So far, only one of the three available pins has been revealed, showcasing a very foxy Jace. Since Wizards revealed Jace’s inclusion in the set in February, seeing them here is no surprise at all… Right?
While we know that Jace is becoming their fursona in Bloomburrow, this art isn’t for them. Instead, as Star City Games spotted, this art is actually for a reprint of Jace the Mind Scluptor! This detail was revealed by Wizards in a video originally published alongside the WPN article.
Sadly, the aforementioned video was removed by Wizards shortly after they realized what they had done. Luckily for us, the internet is forever, so we can still gawk at the incredibly pixelated screenshot. From this, it appears that Jace, the Mind Sculptor is undeniably back, although, it’s unclear exactly where they may be found.
Curiously Courageous Critters
During the First Look for Bloomburrow, Wizards teased the Courageous Critters showcase treatment for the set. According to Wi\zards, this will “envision renowned Planeswalkers and creatures were they to visit the plane of Bloomburrow!” In theory, this sounds quite a lot like a Planeswalker-focused Bonus Sheet, which admittedly would be awesome to see.
Unfortunately for anyone hoping to see every Planeswalker’s fursona, it appears that Courageous Critters isn’t actually a Bonus Sheet. Instead, it appears that this unique, and gorgeous, showcase treatment is going to be incredibly limited. So limited, in fact, that there may only be four Courageous Critters in the entire set!
While it’s difficult to spot, this furry-themed reprint of Jace, the Mind Sculptor has the Bloomburrow Commander set symbol. This means they’ll either be found in Bloomburrow’s preconstructed Commander decks, or in Collector Boosters. Given it’s a unique art treatment, you may expect the latter, but, surprisingly, it’s actually the former!
On the WPN website, the product description for the Bloomburrow Commander decks reveals all. Here, it’s clearly listed that each deck contains “1 Borderless Imagine: Courageous Critters Foil Card.” Unless these preconstructed Commander decks have variance for the first time, this means there are only four Courageous Critters cards.
Ultimately, with Bloomburrow so far from release, it’s hard to say that we have the full picture yet. Given the potential of a Planeswalker Bonus Sheet, it’s hard not to hold out hope for this enticing possibility. Unfortunately, looking at the facts, it doesn’t appear Bloomburrow will be where this highly-anticipated Bonus Sheet appears.
Whatever It Is, We Want It
While we may not know all the details about Courageous Critters, we do know one thing; players love it. Once this leak popped up on Reddit, many MTG players were quick to share their excitement. On top of this, there were plenty of completely unsurprising comments such as “OwO *notices the top card of your library*” from u/Dawgmoth.
Alongside excitement and cringe, some players were understandably excited about the possibility of Jace, the Mind Sculptor coming to Arena. Sadly, if this variant of Jace is only available in Commander decks and Collector Boosters, their appearance isn’t guaranteed. While some recent Commander-exclusive cars have made their way to Arena, it’s hardly common practice, especially for reprints.
Ultimately, with how little we know right now, we’re just going to have to wait for more details. Thankfully, we shouldn’t be left waiting for too long, as Bloomburrow previews begin on July 9th. Before then, Modern Horizons 3 will be released on June 14th, so there’s no shortage of content coming soon.
Read More: MTG Designer Reveals Chances of Returning to Beloved Planes
