Bloomburrow (BLB) Limited Overview — Red

Note: This article was translated from Chinese by AI and may contain errors. Read the original Chinese version.

Bloomburrow (BLB) will hold its prerelease events on July 26, 2024, and officially release a week later on August 2, 2024. Want to know more about individual card ratings and recommendations for Limited? Then check out this BLB Limited overview series!

For the mechanics, see this article: Bloomburrow Mechanics Explained
For a first look at the Limited themes, see this article: Bloomburrow Limited First Look

This series of Limited overview articles is based on ratings. Some average cards, or cards with relatively simple abilities, won’t receive specific comments.

Rating Scale

5.0: Unconditional must-pick
4.5: Unconditional must-pick if you’re in the right colors
4.0: First-pick value
3.5: Strong enough but not necessarily a first pick
3.0: Above average (you’d really want it in your final deck)
2.5: Average level, maybe around the 6th or 7th pick of a draft
2.0～1.0: Below average (you’d rather not play it than play this card)
0.5～0.0: Unplayable (basically don’t play it, playing it will only help you lose)

Rating Details

122	123	124

2.0	2.5	2.0

Comments:

Agate Assault is a sorcery-speed Explosive Derailment that can’t choose multiple modes, and with Prowess creatures in the environment it isn’t that flexible.
Alania’s Pathmaker having only 2 toughness is a bit lacking, but after all it can still earn card advantage. In theory this kind of card should get a 3.0, but thinking about it being a turn slower than Irascible Wolverine, I can only give it a 2.5.
Artist’s Talent is fine at level one, but the benefits at levels two and three aren’t well suited to Limited (mostly creature spells and a lack of noncreature spells), and the level-up costs are high too, so the return on investment is too low.

125	126	127

2.0	2.0	3.0

Comments:

Blacksmith’s Talent’s level three is quite powerful, and if you have other Equipment it should be a 2.5.
Blooming Blast dealing 2 at instant speed for two mana is already below par, and in Limited the side effect of burning your own life with the Gift ability is too big. Limited can’t really afford the opponent ramping and fixing colors.
Brambleguard Captain making a 2/3 for 4 mana is in fact below par, even with the ability’s buff, but given that you can add power on the turn you slam it down, and that with pump spells or several copies of Brambleguard Captain it brings multiplied effects, it still has some potential.

128	129	130

2.5	3.0	2.5

Comments:

Brazen Collector is a 2/1 first striker that can go from 2 to 4 mana, which is very good both for racing and for tempo. Think about it: turn two Brazen Collector, attack on turn three and then slam Alania’s Pathmaker, how could you lose?
Byway Barterer is a 3-mana 3/3 body with two positive abilities. Although Expend 4 isn’t easy to trigger in the late game, an ability that earns card advantage is a good ability.
Conduct Electricity is just Trick Shot. A 5-mana removal spell is really too poor, but given that this set has the Offspring ability, there may be some special effects.

131	132	133

2.5	5.0	3.5

Comments:

Coruscation Mage has a positive ability, but in Limited you won’t have that many noncreature spells, so it will feel like a permanent vanilla creature.
Dragonhawk, Fate’s Tempest is a super bomb. A 5/5 flier that can also earn card advantage or burn is really too powerful, not to mention it gets even stronger if you have a few creatures with 4 or more power.
Emberheart Challenger with standard stats plus haste and Prowess is already quite good, and it can also earn card advantage, so it should perform well in the early to mid game.

134	135	136

2.5	2.5	3.0

Comments:

Festival of Embers costs too much, with a poor return on investment.
Flamecache Gecko can effectively be cast for free as long as the opponent has lost life, or at least discard one and draw one, and the ability to discard one and draw one can also swap out excess lands in the mid to late game.
Frilled Sparkshooter is a pretty good creature if its ability triggers, and still serviceable if it doesn’t.

137	138	139

3.0	2.5	3.0

Comments:

Harnesser of Storms has stats leaning more toward defense. Although its ability can earn cards, the exiled cards can only be used that turn, so they are easily wasted in the early to mid game when you lack mana.
Heartfire Hero one-drops usually aren’t very good in slower Limited formats, but may be good if the deck is specialized.
Hearthborn Battler, a 3-mana 2/3 with haste, is not too bad, but the ability may be hard to trigger.

140	141	142

3.0	1.5	1.5

Comments:

Hired Claw can meet the condition for its self-growing ability on its own, and can also serve other Lizard abilities. It’s powerful on turn one, but a bit poor in the mid to late game.
Hoarder’s Overflow can be saved for card advantage in the late game as long as you can Expend 4 once, but spending 2 mana early without gaining any benefit hurts tempo too much, so it’s not recommended.
Kindlespark Duo has mediocre stats and ability. The only chance of it making an appearance is in decks with an especially heavy Lizard theme.

143	144	145

3.0	2.5	1.5

Comments:

Manifold Mouse has a powerful ability, but it’s a pity it can only target Mice. If you can put together a Red-White Mice theme, it would be very powerful.
Might of the Meek is a dedicated ability trigger for Mice. Triggering Valiant at instant speed, +1/+0 and draw a card is very good, but unfortunately it only suits the Mice theme.
Playful Shove’s ability isn’t excellent, but it can work with red’s four creature themes: hitting the opponent satisfies the Lizards’ condition, hitting yourself triggers the Mice’s Valiant, noncreature spells work with the Otter theme, and drawing a card for two mana accumulates the Raccoons’ Expend. Overall it’s an acceptable transitional card.

146	147	148

3.5	3.0	2.5

Comments:

Quaketusk Boar is a brutish creature with standard stats but three powerful abilities. Strong.
Rabid Gnaw’s effect used to usually be on green spells, but this time Wizards printed it in red. This kind of spell is itself powerful removal, and it works with the Valiant theme.
Raccoon Rallier has standard stats, and in the mid to late game can give a powerful creature haste or trigger Valiant.

149	150	151

2.0	2.5	2.0

Comments:

Reptilian Recruiter has mediocre stats, and Act of Treason also requires certain conditions to be met.
Roughshod Duo gets too little benefit from Expend, not recommended.
Sazacap’s Brew is an enhanced Thrill of Possibility, usually used to fill the curve or as a way to add looting.

152	153	154

3.0	1.5	2.0

Comments:

Season of the Bold’s first and third modes aren’t eye-catching. The second mode can earn cards, but for five mana it’s still too clunky.
Steampath Charger has substandard stats, and it also has to die to work with the Lizard theme.
Stormsplitter’s ability is in fact extremely powerful, because copying grows exponentially, but power 1 is really too low, so even with a strong ability the impact is small.

155	156	157

3.0	3.0	2.5

Comments:

Sunspine Lynx has powerful stats, and its can’t-gain-life ability can lock down the Bats theme.
Take Out the Trash is an excellent removal spell with a chance to loot. Nice.
Teapot Slinger, a 3/4 with menace, is average level, and the ability is in fact quite serviceable. The only worry is whether Expend can keep triggering in the late game.

158	159	160

3.5	2.0	2.0

Comments:

Valley Flamecaller is a lord-like ability, and because the ability also boosts damage dealt, in this set it is often stronger than a lord.
Valley Rally is an ordinary team-wide power boost.
War Squeak giving +1/+1 and haste is in fact quite good, and this set also has the Valiant theme to work with it.

161	162	###

2.0	2.5	—

Comments:

Whiskerquill Scribe has standard stats, but the reward from its ability trigger is too low, and it feels like something you’d only consider for filling the curve.
Wildfire Howl dealing 2 to everything looks slightly meh, but it can hit one more creature with 3 toughness, and on the draw it can also punish decks that go wide with small creatures, so it could be surprisingly effective in the right situations.