Low-value set, high-value excitement.
Gosh, do I love Bloomburrow. For an old-school player like me, it feels like a much-needed respite from the multiverse-ending stakes and endless complexity of recent Magic releases. The world feels fresh and unique, the characters are fun, the aesthetics are top-notch, and there’s so much imagination and magic on display here. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way, either. The last time I saw this much positive discourse about a Magic set was Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty. People are excited about Bloomburrow, and I expect it will be a smash hit for Wizards of the Coast.
Market Price: $134.50
Market Price: $219.95
Market Price: $43.91
Financially, Bloomburrow is in an interesting place. I expect quite a lot of this set will be opened, but there’s very little financial hype around most of the Rares and Mythics leading up to the release. Three Tree City is by far the most expensive card in the set right now, and as of this publication, there isn’t another Rare or Mythic in the set that’s actively selling for even as much as $20 a copy. In addition, Play Boosters have gotten a little worse this time around. The List is gone, and there isn’t a proper bonus sheet, meaning that nearly all the expected value of a Play Booster is bound up in the set’s normal cards.
This is likely to cause an interesting paradox, at least early on, where tons of Bloomburrow boxes will be opened but very few of them will be worth the cost. This will change if we’re wildly underrating a few other Rares or Mythics, and it gives the set’s key singles a lot more financial upside than in a deeper, more powerful set. There’s a lot of expected value to go around, and we’ll have to see where it ends up. Regardless, I wouldn’t buy any boxes of Bloomburrow Play Boosters unless you’re planning to play Draft or Sealed with them. Singles and Collector Boosters will be much better value, and that’s where I’d focus my energy with this release.
But which singles have the best bet at breaking out, and which Collector Booster treatments are most likely to see an increase in value? That’s what I’m here to find out. Join me as we take a nice afternoon stroll across Bloomburrow in search of value. I promise you won’t regret the trip.
The Best Competitive Constructed Cards in Bloomburrow
Bloomburrow in the competitive space will be interesting now with Standard rotation coming into effect. However, there are plenty of exciting cards and some of these feel pretty underrated right now.
Mockingbird
Mockingbird
Bloomburrow, Rare
Let’s start by looking at Mockingbird, which might end up being one of the best one-drops in the history of Magic. Yes, I know how ridiculous that sounds, but hear me out. Most clones are only good for targeting large and expensive creatures because you’re playing at least three or four mana for the effect (if not more). Mockingbird has parity between the cost you pay and the mana value of the creature you copy, so you can copy a one-drop simply by paying a single Blue mana. That’s absurdly good, and I expect the card to make waves in Standard, Pioneer, and Modern. Mockingbird is flexible, and strong, where it was the bestselling card in the entire set during the preorder period due to competitive hype. I wouldn’t be shocked if it ends up being worth more than Three Tree City at some point, and snagging a set on release weekend seems reasonable.
Iridescent Vinelasher
Iridescent Vinelasher
Promo Pack: Bloomburrow, Rare
I swear I won’t just be going down the list of bestselling Bloomburrow cards in a row, but we need to talk about the second best-selling card so far, Iridescent Vinelasher. This card should see a little bit of Commander interest, but I like it more in constructed play, where it could end up making an impact in all three of the major competitive formats. I like it more in Standard, but the fact that it could end up in Pioneer and Modern gives it some real upside. It’s a pretty safe buy at current retail, and I’ll be picking up a playset for sure.
Sunspine Lynx
Sunspine Lynx
Bloomburrow, Rare
Next up, we’ve got Sunspine Lynx. I was high on this Rare in my card-by-card set review, and I’m still shocked that it’s one of the cheapest Rares in the set. While I find Price of Progress style effects feeling overrated in Standard, especially with Streets of New Capenna about to rotate, this card should be good enough regardless. The stats and abilities will likely be good enough to get there, at least in Mono-Red. More importantly, Sunspine Lynx has real (cat) legs in Modern. Why? Because The One Ring is omnipresent, and Sunspine Lynx helps negate its damage protection. The damage it deals when it enters the battlefield is a nice bonus, but this card will definitely show up (at least out of sideboards) regardless. With a current price tag in the $1-$2 range, I see no reason why red players in Modern shouldn’t snag a few right now.
Kitsa, Otterball Elite
Kitsa, Otterball Elite
Bloomburrow, Mythic
Speaking of underrated cards, I’m also still a big fan of Kitsa, Otterball Elite. I know Aspiringspike is high on this card in Modern, and I think it could feature in other formats as well. Merfolk Looter-style cards are better than they look, the combination of vigilance and prowess is going to do more work than you’d expect, and the fact that it’s a Wizard is relevant in multiple formats as well. Kitsa has the “best card in the set” upside, so act accordingly if you’re a believer like me.
Thundertrap Trainer
Thundertrap Trainer
Bloomburrow, Rare
Gosh, there are so many good cards in Bloomburrow that are dirt cheap right now. Thundertrap Trainer, AKA “Otter of Bolas,” is an upgrade on Augur of Bolas, a utility creature that saw tons of play back in the day. Thundertrap Trainer is absolutely going to see Standard play, and it might even see play in Modern since it works well with Flare of Denial. At a current price tag of less than fifty cents, there’s no reason for any competitive player not to own a set of these, just in case.
Beza, the Bounding Spring
Beza, the Bounding Spring
Bloomburrow, Mythic
I don’t think Beza, the Bounding Spring will make an immediate maindeck impact in the current Standard format, especially with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse and friends still kicking around, but the power level is definitely there. At worst, Beza is a sideboard card in several top decks. At best, the new metagame will shift enough to make this into a true top staple.
Darkstar Augur
Darkstar Augur
Bloomburrow, Rare
I have no idea if this Dark Confidant variant will find a home, and I’m worried that the Offspring clause is greedy enough that it will kill its controller more often than not. That said, this ability from Darkstar Augur is wildly powerful, and this is the best version of the effect we’ve had access to in Standard in a while. It’s at least worth considering.
The Five Seasons
I haven’t seen a ton of hype for the five Rare Seasons but they all have a chance of seeing meaningful constructed play. Flexible cards like this are often underrated during preview season, as they tend to play better than they look. The fact that they’re sorceries instead of instants might be enough to keep them off the top tables, but I wouldn’t be shocked if at least a few of these cards end up surprisingly good. Season of Loss is my personal favorite, especially since it’s incredible in Commander as well.
There are a few other cards I’m keeping an eye on, like Dour Port-Mage, Stormsplitter, Maha, Its Feathers Night, Ygra, Eater of All, and Fountainport for competitive play. I actually think that Bloomburrow is a stronger competitive set than people are giving it credit for right now, and there are likely quite a few underrated gems that aren’t even on my radar right now. The bottom line is that if there’s a card out there you believe in, why not snag a few of them just in case? There’s only one card in the set that I feel is being massively overvalued right now, and we’ll get to that in just a few moments.
The Best Commander Cards in Bloomburrow
Commander is still the most important format for paper Magic prices, and it isn’t close. The most expensive cards in the set are all likely to be Commander staples, so ignore this section at your own peril.
Three Tree City
Three Tree City
Bloomburrow, Rare
Three Tree City is the only card in Bloomburrow currently selling for more than $20, and I don’t think it should be worth nearly that much. Some of its current price tag is likely due to expected competitive Constructed demand, but this card is probably not powerful enough to cut it in Standard, Pioneer, or Modern. It might show up in a rogue brew here or there, but there likely aren’t enough elite Typal deck options in Standard, while there are more powerful mana-fixing options for the kindred decks that exist in the eternal formats.
In Commander, though, Three Tree City will be a staple. I don’t think you need me to tell you how many kindred decks will want this, and it will show up in everything from Elves to Wizards. That said, it’s definitely more of a “must be nice” than a “gotta have it” in those decks, which I suspect will start to put some downward pressure on the price tag as we move forward. I’d also guess that the price will drop as other cards in Bloomburrow prove themselves and see price spikes of their own. Ultimately, this is more of a $10-$15 card, not a $20+ one. I’d hold off for now and make a note to snag a few of these during TCGplayer’s inevitable Cyber Weekend sale.
Dawn’s Truce
Dawn’s Truce
Bloomburrow, Rare
Dawn’s Truce is an incredible Commander card. It’s just as good as Teferi’s Protection a lot of the time, and it can be a better Heroic Intervention in the right deck. Cards like this nearly always become fairly pricey staples, and I’d be shocked if Dawn’s Truce doesn’t spend at least a bit of time in the $7-$10 range over the next couple of years. If you want a few copies for your personal collection, snag these on release weekend.
The Five Rare Talents
Market Price: $12.61
Market Price: $13.90
All five of the Rare talents are likely underrated right now, and they could find a home in competitive constructed formats as well. Innkeeper’s Talent is absolutely going to end up as a Commander staple due to its token doubling ability with Caretaker’s Talent being a must-play in go-wide tokens decks for the same thing. Artist’s Talent also allows you to rummage each time you cast a noncreature spell, which is absurdly good for Red. I wouldn’t mind owning all five of these cards at their current price tag, and I expect they’ll shock people with how good they are over the coming months.
Lumra, Bellow of the Woods
Lumra, Bellow of the Woods
Bloomburrow, Mythic
Lumra, Bellow of the Woods is currently the most popular card on EDHREC by a wide margin. While this is in large part because the card was previewed several weeks ahead of the rest of the set, I do think Lumra has real legs in Commander. There are plenty of decks out there that want to recur lands from the graveyard, and both Splendid Reclamation and World Shaper see play having the same effect. I think Lumra is a tad overpriced right now, and I wouldn’t buy in at current retail, but it should be a solid $5-$7 card for months to come.
For the Common Good
For the Common Good
Bloomburrow, Rare
I don’t think For the Common Good will be a super expensive staple, but it will see enough play in tokens decks to make this list. The fact that it’s excellent in decks with super large tokens is quite nice, but the real reason I like it so much is that for one mana it makes all your tokens indestructible and gains you a bunch of life. Loads of decks will want that, with the added versatility of making you more tokens in the late game.
Bria, Riptide Rogue
Bria, Riptide Rogue
Bloomburrow, Mythic
Bria, Riptide Rogue is the third-most popular card in the set on EDHREC right now, but it was also previewed early like Lumra. I don’t think it’s the third-best Commander card in the set or anything, but it will see plenty of play both as a Commander and as a member of the ninety-nine. Giving all your creatures prowess is absolutely awesome, and Bria’s third ability can end the game in a hurry. I think Bria is a tad overpriced right now, but this is due to the card being exclusive to the Bloomburrow Starter Kit. It’s a very good card and should be fine to snag in the high single digits.
The Squirrel Cards
Squirrels have long been one of the top casual creature types in Commander, and the top squirrel cards in every set tend to hold their value well. There won’t be huge money here, but they should be nice long-term holds, especially if you can buy in for next to nothing. Cards like Camellia, the Seedmiser, Valley Rotcaller, and Thornvault Forager are already seeing more demand than you’d expect based on their power level, and I expect demand to remain strong for years.
Patchwork Banner
Patchwork Banner
Bloomburrow, Uncommon
Patchwork Banner is an Uncommon, but it’s worth putting on this list since I think it’ll be an expensive card the further we move away from Bloomburrow. It’s close to a must-play in kindred decks, and I’d guess it’ll make more of an impact for them than Three Tree City in most games. Snag premium copies of this card early and sit on them. You’ll be glad you did.
Stormcatch Mentor
Stormcatch Mentor
Bloomburrow, Uncommon
Stormcatch Mentor is another Uncommon I really like. Goblin Electromancer has seen play for years, and all the Commander decks that want to run that card are going to run this one as well. Again, you won’t get rich speculating on these, but snagging a few playsets of foils while they’re cheap is unlikely to go wrong.
Bloomburrow’s Best Variants and Treatments
Market Price: $315.12
Market Price: $193.81
Market Price: $168.49
Looking at prices at the time of publication, Bloomburrow’s Anime Borderless Raised Foils are the chase treatment of the set. These will be quite scarce, and many will sell between $50 and $100 or even a bit more. These cards tend to drop in price as the hype dies down so patience will get you a long way. I’d probably focus on snagging these at some point this fall when the hype is low but supply is still fairly high, and I’d especially look at cards that are likely to spike the next time there’s a new synergistic Commander spoiled. Camellia, the Seedmiser, for example, will likely spike the next time there’s a good Squirrel Kindred card printed, and I’d rather have the most premium version if possible.
Market Price: $14.05
Market Price: $14.40
Market Price: $20.41
I’m also fairly high on the Field Notes versions of the Calamity Beasts. These treatments are just plain awesome, and I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews from the community. These variants are roughly comparable in price to the base versions of the cards, but over time, they should perform quite a bit better. If you’re buying any Calamity Beast cards, you should prioritize this version as long as you don’t have to pay a huge premium.
Market Price: $16.83
I wouldn’t sleep on the Imagine: Critters versions of existing cards. I’d especially focus on popular characters who now have cool animal interpretations, like Jace, Liliana, Tamiyo, Elspeth, and Nissa. There’s not a ton of short-term upside here, but over time, these versions will likely command more of a premium over the normal versions than we’re currently seeing. At the very least, if you’re in the market for these cards, you should strongly consider this version.
Lastly, you may want to consider snagging the rare variants of Bloomburrow’s Full Art Lands while they’re still cheap. Winter versions only drop 10% of the time in packs, and they’re all absolutely gorgeous. Again, you won’t get rich doing this, but if you’re in the market for cool new lands, these should hold their value and will likely be worth a decent amount in a few years.