BLOOMBURROW DRAFT META UPDATE!!! Best Decks, Underrated Cards, and MORE!!!

[@NicolaiBolas]

Interested in the Bloomburrow Draft Cheat Sheet I showed in the video? You can find a Free PDF version on the NicolaiBolas Patreon here: www.patreon.com/nicolaibolas If you join the Patreon, you also gain access to my Format Thoughts Document and Card by Card Tier List!

[@Zelein]

Hey Nicolai, just wanted to let you know: After finding your channel I've actually been killing it in drafts. Got my first ever 7-0, and have several 7 win drafts under my belt at the beginning of Bloomburrow. This despite the fact that I was never any good at drafting the last sets, I'm free to play player, and is still a relatively new Magic player. So these videos of your have helped me immensely - so much so that I now have more gems than ever before, and that after purchasing the mastery pass. So thank you!

[@NicolaiBolas]

Thank you so much for sharing! This is awesome to hear! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my videos and finding more success in your events!

[@jclementz123]

Hey man just got back into magic after a 14 year break. My parents threw away all my cards as a teenager and crushed my love for it for a long time. Watching you channel has boosted me right back into being successful in limited both at my shop and on arena. I’ve moved up to emerald so far with one trophy and a few 6 wins

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you've been finding my videos helpful!

[@dukvader8759]

My favorite deck was u/r. 3 kindlespark duos and 3 tempest otters and 3 of the light shell duos and TONS of shore ups and bounce effects and two crabs 7-0. Was super fun.

[@NicolaiBolas]

Sounds like a blast!

[@AJHornet1]

When frogs are open, it is by far the most fun archtype in the format.

[@NicolaiBolas]

It's a blast!

[@RowanKelsen]

These are really helpful when you've gotta be ready to commentate for someone's draft stream

[@Slightly.Lost.]

Participating in my first draft in over ten years tonight. Super excited, and this video helped a lot! #LateBloomer

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@4stringjoe2]

When the frogs can't clog, it's quite the bog. And a frog in a bog can be quite the slog...

[@NicolaiBolas]

Well played.

[@00110000]

Love having an update. You're a real one ❤

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@faelgb1]

#latebloomer I'm going to my first draft in a store tomorrow and I'm very excited. Your videos are super helpful. Thank you!

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you're enjoying them!

[@sethkeighley6750]

Interesting to see red over black. Some of the other streamers I've seen have that ranking switched. I prefer the hard removal for black, and I think cards like savor are still being taken later than they should be. I think red lacks some depth because of the weaker otters. That being said the mice are very strong! At this point, do you prioritize cheap removal early in your picks? Or with the wide nature of this set are you picking multiples of say wiskerquill scribe?

[@NicolaiBolas]

I've been slightly prioritizing threats over removal spells, but I think that's just because I had a couple drafts with basically no removal that went pretty well, so I'm seeing if it works out in other drafts.

[@GoreDough92]

Always posting top tier content, thanks for your updates, this was very well put together and the commentary is top notch, cheers man

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you liked the video!

[@londonsushi9244]

Happy to see an endorsement for stompy racoons. I’ve seen some people say they’re not a good draft pick but I’ve won a fair number of draft games by turn 4 without even having to throw down a rare

[@NicolaiBolas]

I feel like the card quality is pretty high and the cards work well together.

[@lessthangio]

#latebloomer going to my first in person draft tonight!

[@NicolaiBolas]

Good luck at your event!

[@alokosradarada]

Nice video thank you

[@NicolaiBolas]

You’re welcome!

[@gcard2112]

#latebloomer thanks!

[@NicolaiBolas]

You are welcome!

[@darksquirtle3041]

I was hyped for this set, but I have really struggled in draft compared to other sets. I thunk it is the speed and I get run over too much. #LateBloomer

[@NicolaiBolas]

Quick formats can certainly be tricky sometimes. Slow formats can be challenging in a different way, but they sometimes feel like you have more control.

[@loop4x454]

#latebloomer probably my favourite set of magic since i started playing the game in Amonkhet block, ive recently fallen in love with limited and your channel is fantastic!

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos! I appreciate the kind words!

[@felipegajardo8980]

Great Video (Y) Now i'm up to use my draft tokens. Thank you! I'm also printing that pdf :) #LateBloomer

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@Redpoppy80]

What was the last set where Blue was the best color to be limited? Was it back in Streets of New Capenna?

[@NicolaiBolas]

It wasn’t that long ago. Blue was widely regarded as the best color in Lost Caverns of Ixalan.

[@Redpoppy80]

@@NicolaiBolas Oh! I missed that set.

[@chiuka0]

nice video!

[@NicolaiBolas]

Thanks!

[@luisquintanilla1954]

I've gotten frog clogged way too many times, I hate frogs!!

[@NicolaiBolas]

Luckily there's plenty of other decks to draft if you don't enjoy one.

[@paper3522]

#latebloomer I also had great success with izzit otters and actually won my first prerelease with them with some great spells

[@NicolaiBolas]

One of the cool things about Magic is even the lower tier decks can find success. I'm glad you won your event!

[@paper3522]

@@NicolaiBolas Right? Its cool since I want to work on building a decent Boros Mice Deck that so far has seen great success but falls off hard.

[@MrChando]

Lets go! #latebloomer

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@aDSdl_l]

It’s really frustrating to me that they made all of the otters just 1 mana too expensive in a lot of cases

[@aDSdl_l]

Like why is Alania, Divergent Storm 5 mana??? She’d be just ok a 4 mana and would be good at 3, but 5 is just terrible

[@aDSdl_l]

And why does the common otter cost 3, and come in at 2/2? If it was 2 mana and came in at 1/1 or even 0/1, it would be so much better

[@fikamonster2564]

Agree

[@NicolaiBolas]

There’s pretty much always one or two misses in a set. It is easy to imagine a world (and there have been sets like this) where all of the cards you’re thinking of do cost one less and then everyone complains about Otters being way too strong. Balancing these things is quite difficult so I just focus on what’s working and generally don’t fixate on the misses.

[@tylerhk9391]

#LateBloomer I think I'd rate frogs higher than you. Blue is always open and if I see an early Waterspout Warden I feel I can think about things like Stickytongue Sentinel and Three Tree Scribe speculatively. Then if the Warden comes back around on the wheel I can double down and go all in.

[@NicolaiBolas]

It feels like a gamble to me sometimes because if someone fights over the archetype it feels like it can fall apart. It can definitely be strong when it gets there though!

[@mategido]

Damn blue be sweating

[@NicolaiBolas]

It's not great.

[@МаксимБалашов-м9ц]

Nicolai, i just wanted to ask where do you come from?)

[@NicolaiBolas]

I'm from the USA.

[@WkSplacc]

boros is good this time around

[@NicolaiBolas]

I've enjoyed playing it.

[@Remdog44]

Eddiemurk Crab though

[@NicolaiBolas]

That card is pretty fun when it works out.

[@KresuGaming]

#LateBloomer

[@ChristianCruz-dz4mw]

#latebloomer

[@Alive7ill]

#LateBloomer - went 2-1 in my draft! Two people cut me on white 🥲 otherwise I would have beaten the Grixis deck too

[@Criceti90]

#latebloomer

[@gigaset41a1]

#latebloomer