Bloomburrow Set Review

The readable link and the messy one. 

So, in the interest of not burying the lede, I think Bloomburrow is one of the most exciting sets I've seen in awhile. I can't wait to get my hands on it: I think the art direction is wonderful and the mechanics are exhibited in compelling ways. It looks like a lot of fun with cool choices to be made so let's get into it!

Mechanics. I like the ease of Offspring. It's very clear what it does and the uses are pretty obvious. Like most kicker-style mechanics, there is always that tension; should you go for the early boost, or can you wait to get something better? In this case, the something better is tangible and less vulnerable to basic  removal so that consideration becomes more complex!

Gifts are another great mechanic. It's been awhile since WotC has done a 'drawback' mechanic but I really appreciate the execution on this one. Again; what choice are you willing to make to advance your gamestate? What risks are worth it? 

Good stuff.

Forage is the one I'm most so-so about. Because it's reliant on other resources (having a food or having enough cards in the graveyard to use), the reliability of the mechanic isn't there so now we're talking about straight up power. And the power level isn't that high--but that doesn't mean this is bad, either. 

Valiant is Heroic redux. I'm not upset about that but I wish they'd made it so the trigger could happen whenever your opponent's targeted the creature, too. It's also limited to the first time you target the creature; we'll see if they boosted the power level appropriately.  

Expend is the most awkward mechanic to explain I think. Also, it's the most fiddly as you have to keep track of exactly how much mana you've spent. That part isn't fun but it does reward you for doing what you want to do in Magic: cast spells. So I'm not too down on it.

I also like that they've brought back Class enchantments. These are such elegant ways to show progress and I feel like even new players can get them easily.

White
I can't say there are any card standouts here but at the same time, everything seems useful. I do enjoy the tie to Black with things that are triggering on life gain or loss. Also, I dig the artwork on Crumb And Get It. It isn't going to be easy to really stand out in Bloomburrow--this set is packed with great art and I bet a lot of people are going to have multiple favorites. 

Blue
Dour Port-Mage is weird in a good way. I like the synergies that it can represent and the way it can push a tempo-oriented deck. I also appreciate the support for the card there. The use of the Threshold mechanic is a bit odd but I think will work OK for Limited matches. 

Black
Fell might be my favorite artwork in the set. But there are also Bat Warlocks and I mean...bat warlocks, people. The use of color throughout Black reminds me a little of Wilds of Eldraine and I like that. There's a smattering of Threshold cards but I'm not sure that's the U/B theme for this set, especially since it's so clearly about creature types. But as with White: not a lot different but all of it useful.

Red
Festival of Embers looks like a strange one. The cost probably puts it in the Commander realm but the ability is quite good. Flamecache Gecko has a little bit of Burning-Tree Emissary energy and that card is certainly better than it has any right to be. 

Green
Possibly the weakest of the colors this time around-although that isn't saying much. I consider the power level here to be pretty even amongst the colors, and while nothing is leaping out at me, there isn't anything that sucks either. Possibly most damning is that the artwork all seems to come from the same 5 color palate and it makes things look very samey. That's unfortunate, since the art is so good! But perhaps it will stand out better when mixed with the other colors, instead of when I look at all the Green cards at once. 

Multi
I love that there's a Mentor cycle, because I get to add to my Liege decks. I also would've preferred it if Mabel, Heir to Cragflame let you search for an actual card, instead of generating a token, but that's mostly because I would've liked to see art for it. Other than that, this area feels like a good spot for shoring up the themes of the other cards in the set. 

Artifacts/Lands
Again; good stuff-nothing too overpowering but with excellent synergies for players to look for and exploit. 

So all in all, I feel like Bloomburrow may be a home run of a set! Looks like a solid power level, great art, fun interactions within the set and a lot of cool things to do. I have high hopes for this set and can't wait to get it in my hands.