Bloomburrow (BLB) Limited Set Review: Blue

Hey everyone! I finally swung the door of the content creation dungeon open and took a step out into the sunlight. I could feel the wind in my hair and the sweet scent of flowers in the air. I thought I was finally able to take a well-deserved break when I realized I had actually just walked through a portal to a strange new world. Not only that, but I’ve been anthropomorphized into a freaking squirrel. It’s not the first time I’ve had that problem (don’t ask questions about Bob the Magic Squirrel, trust me, it’s not a path you want to go down), but at least we know that everything is about to get nuts.   

I’ll be grading the entire Bloomburrow set for limited purposes. Maybe one day I’ll get out of this endless labyrinth of content creation, but today is not that day.

Here’s the usual grading scale:

• 5.0: Disgustingly powerful and basically unbeatable. Either answer it the turn it comes down or just pack up your cards. (Gruff Triplets, Virtue of Persistence, The Eternal Wanderer)
• 4.5: Incredible bomb that still gives your opponent a slim chance. (Virtue of Loyalty, Imodane's Recruiter, Realm-Scorcher Hellkite)
• 4.0: Great rare or the absolute best uncommons and removal. (Faunsbane Troll, Gumdrop Poisoner, Talion's Messenger)
• 3.5: Great role filler or removal that you never cut. (Candy Grapple, Hearth Elemental, Torch the Tower)
• 3.0: Good playable that I’m basically never cutting. (Shrouded Shepherd, Spellscorn Coven, Sharae of Numbing Depths)
• 2.5: Decent playable and the bar I hope nearly every card in my deck to reach. (Evolving Wilds, Archon's Glory, Flick a Coin)
• 2.0: Mediocre filler that normally is your 20-23rd card(s). (Mintstrosity, Ice Out, Grabby Giant)
• 1.5: Replaceable, overall bad filler. Could also be decent sideboard cards. (Titanic Growth, Scarecrow Guide, Territorial Witchstalker)
• 1.0: Bad filler. Gets cut most of the time. (Dark Tutelage, Kindled Heroism, Impact Tremors)
• 0.5: Very unhappy to main deck this, but maybe it has fringe sideboard applications. Cards that “could” be situationally decent, but bad in most situations. (Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Mana Flare)
• 0.0: Unplayable in every possible situation. They rarely print cards this bad these days. (Hew the Entwood, One with Nothing)

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Azure Beastbinder

Rating: 2.5/5

Pretty close to unblockable as long as your opponent doesn’t have multiple one power creatures. It binds their best creature into a Gray Ogre until your next turn in the process of doing that. That can be useful, but not that great in a set with a lot of small creatures.

Bellowing Crier

Rating: 1.5/5

I’m not going to cry over getting a loot when this comes in, but a 2/1 for two really need to be doing more these days.

Calamitous Tide

Rating: 2.0/5

This feels like it is missing something to be truly calamitous. I would be in on it if it was either one mana cheaper or an instant. Still a decent card, but nothing special.

Daring Waverider

Rating: 3.0/5

This is what I got when I ordered Goblin Dark-Dwellers off of Wish. No menace and more expensive doesn’t really make up for getting to cast something up to four mana instead of three. You’re usually just flashing back a removal spell with it anyway. I’m still happily running this as long as I have some choice targets, just reminiscing about what we had.

Dazzling Denial

Rating: 2.0/5

Here we go with our usual Quench variant. Having a bird is a pretty small ask making this still relevant later in the game.

Dire Downdraft

Rating: 2.5/5

Dire seems like a bit of an exaggeration when it comes to playing this. It is a perfectly serviceable bounce spell where you’re paying a little bit more to not go down a card. You even get a slight discount if you are playing it defensively.

Dour Port-Mage

Rating: 4.0/5

Don’t you dare be dour! Clap for your world famous frog wizard and feel the power!

There are a ton of cards that enter the battlefield with a bonus these days making a recurring way to cast them a card dripping with potential. This not only does that, but draws you an extra card when you bounce your critters. This is going to have a giant target it as soon as it hits play.

Eddymurk Crab

Rating: 3.5/5

This is usually going to cost five mana by the time you could play it, but could be even cheaper later on. While it doesn’t get to eat a creature when you play it on their turn, it still taps down their two best dudes leaving them wide open for a counter attack with this big old crab joining in.

Eluge, the Shoreless Sea

Rating: 2.5/5

Triple blue is a bit of an ask so you want to have plenty of Islands if this is in your deck. The creature itself is going to be decently sized, but nothing too amazing. It is really the dropping the cost of your spells that can get bonkers. There will be decks that this is amazing in, but going to be close to unplayable in plenty of others.

Finch Formation

Rating: 2.0/5

A Wind Drake that gives another creature flying until EoT when it enters would be right in the card twenty-three category. The option to get an offspring when you draw it later bumps it up a bit even if the cost is a bit too high.

Gossip’s Talent

Rating: 1.0/5

I don’t think that the average deck will want to be playing this at all even if the surveils can add up. Requiring eight mana to get all the way to the value part is a bit too much. You also need to have creatures that you want to blink because Offspring is when you cast it not an ETB.

Into the Flood Maw

Rating: 1.5/5

I’m not impressed by an Unsummon that can only hit your opponent’s creatures. The option to give them a fish in exchange for being able to hit any of their nonland permanents doesn’t move the needle much for me.

Kitnap

Rating: 4.0/5

I’m not too concerned about gifting them a card when I am stealing their best creature. You’re still doing pretty well in the deal. Even if you don’t want to give it to them, it still acts like four mana removal while it takes a nap on your side for a while.

Kitsa, Otterball Elite

Rating: 4.0/5

Apparently, the otters play Blitzball around here. A different name for copyright reasons, but I’m sure that will change when we get the Final Fantasy set. Anyway, this little baller is the Jecht of Otterball.

Two mana feels otterly ridiculous for this as it’s vigilance and prowess make it a menace in combat. A free looter is also a premium card at two mana and you can even copy spells if it’s power hits three.

Knightfisher

Rating: 3.0/5

While you obviously want to have birds to maximize its value, this is still a pretty chonky flyer on its own. I feel like you’ll be happy if you get at least one fish off of it.

Lightshell Duo

Rating: 2.5/5

While you don’t want too many of these since they cost four mana, it’s a solid body that helps you set the top of your deck or fuel your graveyard. The prowess makes this especially tricky to block since it starts so big.

Long River Lurker

Rating: 3.0/5

This card is great for sneaking in some damage and getting another trigger out of whatever you ninjaed in there. Ward 1 on your frogs is more really annoying than worth a whole card so you want to get some value out of the blink.

Long River’s Pull

Rating: 1.5/5

Holding up double blue for an Essence Scatter is rough. While it’s nice to have the option to counter a non-creature spell giving them a card to do it feels terrible unless it’s a bomb.

Mind Spiral

Rating: 1.5/5

Drawing extra cards is a tried-and-true way to win in limited, but this is one mana too expensive to be sorcery speed. Giving them a Fish to stun a creature is a nice way to not die, but you don’t really want to be playing more than one of these.

Mindwhisker

Rating: 3.0/5

This little guy doesn’t mind helping you hit Threshold and once you’re there he becomes a real problem for your opponent. With creatures being a bit smaller in this set, the -1-0 will be more meaningful. This is one of those cards that can tilt a whole game, but people don’t realize its why they lost until later.

Mockingbird

Rating: 3.5/5

While I like my Clones to be mana positive, this does give it flying and the bird type (hey it could matter) on top of the normal stuff. Keep in mind that this counts the blue as part of matching the cost of what you want to copy, not just the x you pay. That means it costs x-1.

You can also Flying Men it up and use one of the many blue ways to bounce it back to your hand when it has a good target.

Nightwhorl Hermit

Rating: 1.5/5

Don’t be afraid to give this a whorl…oh man, that was bad. Kind of like this card.

You only want to be playing this in a deck that plans to get Threshold because a 1/4 vigilance creature isn’t cutting it for three mana. Being able to poke in for two unblockable damage is at least a clock, but most decks won’t want this.

Otterball Antics

Rating: 2.5/5

Those silly otters always getting up to their adorable antics. In this case it’s giving you two spells to cast off of one card with each one being a bit below what want you want for the mana. Luckily you get both out of this one which also helps you with prowess triggers for your other (mostly otters) critters.

Pearl of Wisdom

Rating: 2.0/5

One time we were driving down the road and my wife was like “Man that’s one big squirrel!” when it was an Otter just chilling. What does that have to do with this card? Not much other than giving me an opportunity to drop a Pearl of Wisdom on you. She would have been paying three mana for this and you really don’t want to be doing that.

Divination is a classic limited card, but it loses more of its luster every set as power creep continues to hit harder than Mike Tyson. Now two mana for two cards has me interested so keep your otter population in mind when you draft this.

Plumecreed Escort

Rating: 3.5/5

A two-power flyer for two mana that also lets you hold up Dazzling Denial is well worth the price of admission already. Being able to use it to counter a removal spell is even better.

Portent of Calamity

Rating: 2.0/5

You actually have to hit the four different card types with this to get the free spell. It’s not an automatically pay five mana and get to go off with it type thing. I’m not going to do the math, but you probably aren’t getting to cast the free one unless you have a good mix of different card types and do this for at least seven.

You also can’t just use it as a regular card draw spell since you can only take one of each type. That means you can’t even use it as a Divination unless you get lucky. Imagine paying six mana at sorcery speed to draw a creature and a land.  

Are there times you’ll draw this really late and win because of it? Of course, but there are plenty of times it will do very little besides fueling your Threshold.

Run Away Together

Rating: 2.0/5

I’ve always liked this card since it gives you some versatility in your bouncing actions. You can use it to “counter” a removal spell or get more value out of your creature all while setting your opponent back or killing one of their tokens.  

Season of Weaving

Rating: 4.5/5

Like the rest of this cycle, you have a ton of options here. While I doubt that you’ll just be doing a straight up draw five that often, it’s there if you need to do it. I’m guessing that copying two of your creatures while drawing a card will be the most used option.

I’m a little down on the bounce all option since their tokens will still be hanging around. Still a great choice to have if you need it though.

Shore Up

Rating: 2.5/5

I’m sure you all remember how freaking annoying this card is to play against. Only costing one mana makes it easy to hold up and sometimes you just can’t do anything about it even when you know about it.

Shoreline Looter

Rating: 3.5/5

An upgraded Looter il-Kor that turns into a Shadowmage Infiltrator as soon as you hit Threshold which, coincidently enough, this little guy helps you do. I’ll be slamming this early and often.

Skyskipper Duo

Rating: 1.5/5

You need to have some seriously busted things to blink to want to be running a 3/3 for five mana even if it is flying.

Spellgyre

Rating: 2.5/5

Four mana to counter a spell is too much, but you would rather have the option when you really need it. The surveil 2 draw 2 is close to the right price so I’m happy running this for that with the backup counter if needed.

Splash Lasher

Rating: 3.5/5

While the Hill Giant that stuns a creature is a fine card, the option to add a second stun along with another 1/1 is premium.

Splash Portal

Rating: 2.0/5

Sorcery speed on a blink effect, what set is this, Portal?

Does your deck have Pond Prophet in it? Then you want this card.

Stormchaser’s Talent

Rating: 3.5/5

This does soooo much off of one card. The 1/1 prowess creature for one mana means you are already fine right out of the gate. While four mana to bring back a spell is pricy, you’re already free rolling so get that removal spell back. The last step might cost six, but who doesn’t want to start an otter party.

Sugar Coat

Rating: 2.5/5

I’m not going to Sugar Coat it, this is about what you can expect out of blue removal these days. It is instant speed though which can really matter. It won’t feel great if they have some use for the food, but its better than giving them a card or letting the creature sit on the battlefield to do something relevant.

Thought Shucker

Rating: 1.5/5

This is great if you ever get the card off of it, but in decks that don’t hit Threshold it kind of shucks. (Editor’s Note: I’ll allow this one, but you’re definitely pushing it.)

Thundertrap Trainer

Rating: 2.5/5

How many noncreature, nonland cards do you have in your deck? That is going to determine whether this is a (Thunder) Trap or an amazing card for you.

Valley Floodcaller

Rating: 4.0/5

Giving a whole bunch of critter types prowess while untapping them (for activated ability shenanigans as well) to block is going to destroy some poor opponent who came crashing in. That’s not even getting into being able to cast sorceries as instants. Many a blowout will occur because of this.

Waterspout Warden

Rating: 1.5/5

A three-power flyer for three sounds good until you want to poke in with it later and don’t have any other creature to play.

Wishing Well

Rating: 2.0/5

A really interesting card that wants you to have plenty of instants and sorceries with different mana costs to really take advantage of it. If you’re only getting to cast one spell off of this, its pretty terrible. It’s going to take quite a bit of setup to really make it worth it.

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Wrap Up

Blue is up to its usually tricksy things with counterspells, bounce spells, and creatures with far too much text on them. Some of the cards seem like they are trying to be too cute, but I guess that’s the theme of the set (see what I did there).  At least you can do some Otterly ridiculous things. I’m going to stop there before it gets more out of hand than it already has.

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back tomorrow with my limited review of the Black cards of Bloomburrow. Until then, stay classy people!

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

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