Bloomburrow has to be one of the most hyped sets Magic has had in a while, and players can see why. The art style is on point, the mechanics are fun and inventive, and it really feels like a plane of old with its own unique flair.
With all that out there, it should be easy to understand that I, personally, have been obsessing over this set. Foaming at the mouth, crazed for it, buying card after card. Every day is another brew, another deck that I hope to build. And now, I share my crazed longing with you.
Here, I’ll list my top 10 Commanders from the Bloomburrow set. Be aware that this only covers cards from the main set, so the Commander-only cards will have to be covered another time. For now, let’s dive deep into which legendary creatures will helm your next favorite deck.
Hugs, Grisly Guardian
Hugs is perfect for players who just want to ramp into the endgame. Play lands, play more lands, and whenever you do end up playing Hugs, spend as much as you can to make your next turn huge. While he does lack power upon entry, his ability lends a lot toward playing for the next few turns, whether or not he’s still around on the field. He’s almost like a supportive commander, just forwarding the plans of any growing deck rather than building around himself.
Helga, Skittish Seer
Helga isn’t one of the most exciting commanders, but she still provides players with a straightforward and effective strategy. Ramp into big creatures, get card draw and life from them, then play even bigger creatures. Her colors are also fantastic for this strategy, with WUG having a near-infinite number of ways to ramp into big creatures and then protect them as well. The fact that she also gets bonuses for casting creatures with X in their cost is interesting, as it means we may have a new option for a Hydra-themed commander deck.
Gev, Scaled Scorch
Gev is an interesting commander. Creatures coming in with a bonus +3/+3 is nothing to sneeze at, and the fact that this happens in the form of +1/+1 counters makes this even more appetizing. Brute force strategies usually struggle in Commander when faced with infinite combos and, more often than not, the dangers of diplomacy, but Gev can accomplish some pretty cool things in an Impact Tremors-type deck. Ping all your opponents, then watch your normally small lizards grow to gargantuan size.
The Infamous Cruelclaw
Cruelclaw had to be on this list, if not just for the meme potential. Playing a card from the top of your library for free is nuts, especially in a way that doesn’t seem difficult to facilitate. Everyone has talked about playing 99 lands and an Emrakul, or maybe a Wordfire, and it would be worth a few laughs. Still, to make the deck a bit more consistent and a little less jokey, some work needs to be done. Using tutors that put cards on the top of your deck rather than in hand could be huge, as getting the choice of a free card could be game-ending.
Vren, the Relentless
Do you like Pack Rats? Do you like killing things and making lots of Pack Rats? Do you dream of one day leading a horde of Pack Rats into glorious combat against a swath of sun-dwelling losers? Vren is a fun, flavorful commander, creating your own swelling rat horde. The fact that he also sends things into exile is a bit of a bonus, as it keeps your opponents from using any reanimator or graveyard types of shenanigans.
Mabel, Heir to Cragflame
I don’t know if Mice will be able to make much of a splash in Commander, but Mabel makes me want to try. A cheap lord with an interesting ETB, Mabel is perfectly made to support the mice archetype from Bloomburrow. Mice have the keyword Valiant, which requires them to be targeted by a spell or ability. The equipment that Mabel creates isn’t just nice on its own, but it lets you activate the other Mice’s valiant abilities as soon as they enter the field. The fact that the equipment sticks around if Mabel dies is just icing on the cake.
Zoraline, Cosmos Caller
The bats in the Bloomburrow set have an incredibly interesting mechanic, which Zoraline embodies perfectly. Bats want players to simultaneously gain and lose life in the same turn, usually on their own, so life-gaining and life-costing cards are equally important. Thankfully, Zoraline provides both! Fulfilling both prerequisites for the bat cards is solid, but the fact that she also serves as a way to replenish a player’s bats is incredibly helpful. While not the most powerful by itself, Zoraline is emblematic of the bat archetype.
Eluge, the Shoreless Sea
Eluge is a cool Blue commander, and of a type we’ve never seen before. The only problem is its speed. Its ability requires being on the field and attacking a few times to truly become terrifying, but the payoff is bonkers. Triggering on every player’s turn means you could end up playing four free spells every rotation. Cast cards to protect Eluge, or if they don’t target him, cast spells that draw so that you have more options for free casts. Eluge has to be dealt with on sight, or it could spiral a game faster than many would expect.
Maha, Its Feathers Night
Maha was one of the most hyped cards to come out of Bloomburrow, and it’s easy to see why. The art is sick, the card is durable, and the ability to affect all of your opponent’s creatures makes it dangerous. There are so many ways to completely destroy an opponent’s board state, and the fact that Maha has a “discard a card” ward means that even dealing with it early comes at a cost. Play cards with Wither, or just field effects that grant -1/-1, and watch your opponents despair as their creatures die even upon entering the field.
Ygra, Eater of All
Ygra is my personal favorite commander from this set, providing both a unique playstyle and an absolutely wonderful flavor win. Turning all creatures into food is hilarious and also gives way to some interesting deckbuilding decisions. Green has a ton of artifact removal, multi-target options and cheaper ones than usual, meaning no creatures are safe. The real question is whether or not you want to play around with food tokens as well or just make as many creatures as possible to turn into food later.
Baylen, the Haymaker
It is no surprise that Baylen ends up at the top of this list. Tokens decks have always been popular, and this commander is one of the best the archetype has seen in a while. While it does nothing to generate tokens on its own, Baylen makes more effective use of tokens than any commander in recent memory. Draw, damage, mana: She does it all, even giving players immediate return as she can tap tokens as soon as she enters the field, even if they have just entered the field themselves. Seek to go infinite and win instantaneously, as infinite tokens suddenly also equal infinite mana, infinite draw, and an infinitely large Baylen. A perfect token queen.
Published: Aug 31, 2024 10:00 am