Get ready for Bloomburrow, Standard rotation, and everything Magic: The Gathering through our first edition of MTG Madness.
The MTG Madness report keeps you up to speed on Magic: The Gathering content you may have missed throughout the week, from set and competitive news to card breakdowns and prices on the secondary market. Bloomburrow and Standard rotation are on the horizon, so let’s dive into what’s hot and not in MTG this week.
Standard rotation is finally upon us
The first Standard rotation since WotC changed the duration of set legality will have a significant impact on the meta starting on July 26. Get up to speed on what sets are leaving Standard and which ones are sticking around.
WotC had a scheduled Banned and Restricted announcement that didn’t ban any cards, in any format. And when Standard rotation goes into effect with the release of Bloomburrow, the format will be free of any banned cards.
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Birds, Rats, and Rabbits—oh my! Bloomburrow spoilers are complete
Bloomburrow has officially been fully spoiled and we’re beyond excited for the set. If you’re a Limited player like me, check out the Bloomburrow Draft archetypes. Each two-color archetype has a creature-type synergy associated with it. Nobles, formerly known as Lords, were included in the set—but buffed.
New mechanics are arriving with Bloomburrow. Here are the ones you need to know.
Did you hear about the Value booster pack? The Magic community isn’t happy with the design, and rightfully so. Anime art cards are returning through Bloomburrow. Previous anime art drops have been hit-and-miss on the secondary market. But this time may be different since all borderless anime art cards are exclusive to Collector booster packs.
On a positive note, I’m excited to try out the Bloomburrow Commander Precon decks Squirreled Away and Animated Army. Hazel of the Rootbloom, the face commander for Squirreled Away, synergizes with token and mana ramp, two of my favorite gameplay strategies. And Animated Army has Bello, Bard of the Brambles at the helm, commanding 4/4 elemental creatures into existence through a Stompy strategy in the colors Red and Green.
Secret Lair drop or flop?
Brain Dead Secret Lair drops are not a flop. Assassin’s Creed may have missed the mark but Brain Dead artists are breathing life into Secret Lair drops. There are three drops, with the Monster and Basic Land arts being my favorite.
The second of four Hatsune Miku drops was released at the end of June, selling out quickly, as we predicted. WotC hasn’t reported an increase in printing sizes for the next two drops, which means having all four drops will be highly valuable on the secondary market.
Pro Tour recap
Simon Nielsen claimed the third and final Pro Tour trophy of the season, earning a qualification seed to the World Championship and potentially a repeat winner of the Kai Budde Player of the Year award. And yes, you read that correctly. The GOAT of Magic will forever have his name remembered through the prestigious award he’s won multiple times.
But the Pro Tour in Amsterdam also had its fair share of drama.
- Intentional cheating was featured on the main broadcast during day two, almost preventing Javier Dominguez from making the top-eight playoffs.
- Five Nadu Modern Constructed decks made the top eight.
- Nielsen showed his commitment to gaming by playing Commander after winning the Pro Tour.
- Nielsen calls for a ban of Nadu, Winged Wisdom after winning with the card.
And that’s our rundown of Magic for this week. Tell others about MTG Madness to get exclusive content. And watch for next week’s edition because if it lands in spam, you’re missing out on what to play in Bloomburrow, whether it’s Limited, Commander, or Constructed.
