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Greenhorns and Tendershoots

Greetings and salutations, dear people of the Woods. I'm Arnaud, and I'm thrilled to be your guide into the mysteries of Bloomburrow's deepest forests, bushes, and other enchanted meadows.

I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one who's been charmed by the bucolic nature of this new set. And also overwhelmed, as this implies yet some more toys to tinker with. Wizards, please, give us time to draw breath!

At any rate, I'm especially happy this time around, as green is my favorite color in the game. The pressure is on. Without further ado, let's dive in!

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Mythics

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Lumra, Bellow of the Woods

Let's dissect this mighty Bear. Power/toughness equal to the number of lands you control implies this would likely be between a 4/4 and a 6/6 the first time you cast it. However, if Lumra is your commander, I expect it to be much, much bigger, as the 99 will likely try to fill your graveyard with lands. Things like Mulch, Satyr Wayfinder, Six, Lotus Field, Scapeshift or even Nantuko Cultivator will make sure that your bin is ripe for reaping when your commander hits the field. At this point, you'll find yourself in a commanding position in terms of resources.

Let's try fitting this into another perspective. World Shaper is currently played in 64,856 decks. It costs only 2 less than Lumra, has no enter-the-battlefield effect (ETB), needs to attack to mill, and has to die to trigger its effect. Splendid Reclamation, played in 78,850 decks, also costs four mana, for a quite similar effect. Aftermath Analyst, from the recent Karlov Manor set, is perhaps the closest contender. And despite the fact it was printed only six months ago, it's already in 22,099 decks. These stats alone show that reanimating lands en masse is a powerful and popular strategy.

Now Lumra, only needs to enter the battlefield to trigger its effect. And mill us four cards as well. All. From. The. Command. Zone.

So, granted, the keywords feel a bit underwhelming at a first glance. Vigilance is nice, as is reach, but let's be real, we all wanted to see trample written on this. And yet, the ceiling is so high for this ursine monstrosity that they almost feel excessive.

The path may fairly narrow, but I foresee a great future for this card, both in the command zone and in the 99.

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Season of Gathering

This spell, on the other hand, is quite straightforward. Buff one or more creatures, blow up all artifacts and/or enchantments, and/or draw a bunch of cards.

There's not much to say here. This is a solid modular outlet, with buffs, removal and card draw all in one, and I can't imagine why you wouldn't want to run this if you have access to green. If this doesn't become an instant staple, alongside Return of the Wildspeaker and Rishkar's Expertise, I'm not French.

On a broader scale, I can't help but thinking this cycle as a whole is fantastic. The design team has really taken modal spells to the next level.

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Rares

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Fecund Greenshell

This one feels... fun. Let's see. 4/6 for five mana is nothing to marvel at. Reach is cute. The +2/+2 buff is nice, but as far as anthems go, there are cheaper and more effective options.

The last ability is what makes it worth a second look. It strongly hints of Chulane, Teller of Tales and Cultivator Colossus, two extremely popular (if not downright broken) cards. Granted, there is a limitation, as the effect will only trigger with bigger toughness critters, but I could see several strategies which could benefit from this.

The first coming to mind is Arcades, the Strategist. As most if not all of your creatures are walls, you are guaranteed a trigger every time you cast them. This could also see play with Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper, who also cares about toughness.

Oh, and I can't help but salivating at the idea of playing this in tokens decks. Just imagine the avalanche of value you'd get when playing an Avenger of Zendikar. Or you could artificially bump toughness with enchantments such as Angelic Shield, Fortifying Provisions, Lumithread Field... But we're stretching it a bit here. And don't get me started on blink strategies; there's some value to dig in there for sure.

All in all, a fun outlet, not overpowered but offering interesting venues for exploration.

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For the Common Good

This is a deceptive one, with several layers to unfold.

Logically, it will find a spot in token-dedicated decks. Jaheira, Friend of the Forest, Esix, Fractal Bloom, Adrix and Nev, Twincasters, Chatterfang, Squirrel General... We could basically quote almost the entire section from EDHREC here.

So, for , we get a copy of a token. For we get two copies. Unless you can make X big enough, this is slightly underwhelming, even with the tokens creating through the Offspring keyword. However, there are two caveats here.

First, if you're playing with huge tokens, this takes your deck to another dimension. Think of Constructs for example, the kind Urza, Lord High Artificer makes. It's likely you'll be playing around all sorts of artifact tokens. Suddenly, making a 10/10 for three mana or two 11/11s for five doesn't sound so bad.

Second, you can also forego the cost altogether. Play this spell for , and you've got a somewhat Heroic Intervention for your tokens that will last until your next turn. Talk about a mana-efficient way to protect yourself against boardwipes for an entire rotation! Sure, it's not instant speed, but if you want to make sure the board you're patiently building for your big turn survives, this is nice insurance.

Oh, and the lifegain is nothing to scoff at either. In go-wide strategies, this could potentially allow you to survive an extra turn in a pinch.

Apparently versatility is a thing in this set.

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Innkeeper's Talent

Class is not dismissed! I'm actually quite happy to see those return to our tables. Several of the initial ones from Adventures in the Forgotten Realms were very fun to tinker with (I'm looking at you, Wizard Class).

This one surely has potential. At the very least, it's an ongoing if humble buff. The second level, giving ward is already better. Granted, the protection is limited to stuff you have that already has counters, but it synergizes well with the first ability.

The third level is where things go slightly crazy. Sure, it hints strongly at Doubling Season and consorts. But there's more here. Unlike most of these effects (aside from Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider), Innkeeper's Talent is not limited to your stuff. This means that suddenly, Putrefax or Phyrexian Hydra could become instakills. This also means double -1/-1 or stun counters on opponent's creatures.

Sure, it's overall more expensive than most of their counterparts, but you don't have to pay it all at once.

Another fun Swiss-Army knife!

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Keen-Eyed Curator

Well, if you need a sign of ages past definitely belonging to the past, this is a prime example. The card immediately reminded me of good old Withered Wretch, except this one has been fed growth hormones.

For the same mana value, you get a 3/3 instead of a 2/2, which can eventually become a decent beater while trimming down the most problematic cards in all graveyards.

There's not much to say here, solid value all-around, and playable in basically any deck with green (beware of the double pip though).

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Mistbreath Elder

This is a deceptive one. At a glance, there's nothing too interesting about it. It's 2/2 for , which looks more cut for other formats than ours. Its growth rate is unlikely to turn it into a significant threat anytime soon, especially since it doesn't have any built-in evasion.

The only real application I could see for this Frog is in ETB-matters deck. Things like Yarok, the Desecrated or Reaper King, to send stuff back to your hand so you can reap their effects again and again. But it's overall extremely niche, and I'm not entirely sure it will see much play in Commander.

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Pawpatch Recruit

Another disappointing rare. A Savannah Lions on steroids, coming with a buddy. Sadly, the payoff is fairly disappointing. Most of the time, your opponents will use removal when targeting your stuff and, more importantly, they will master the timing for those. I suppose giving two +1/+1 counters to another creature is not too bad, although situational and quite expensive for 3 mana. Maybe if you manage to convince an opponent to grow your creatures to deal with another threat?

I don't know, this seems quite far-fetched, and overall mediocre.

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Scrapshooter

Another unconvincing candidate. Reclamation Sage costs pretty much the same and triggers without needing to gift someone a card. Granted, the stats are not quite the same, but a 4/4, even with reach, is not game-breaking.

Maybe in a Group Hug deck, to help out a player that's behind with the gift?

Again, not downright bad, but it's a hard pass for me.

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Tender Wildguide

A nice mana dork, who can potentially bring a friend along for the ride. nets you two mana of any color on subsequent turns. It can technically also buff itself, but that's kinda anecdotal.

Not much to say here. I wish the Offspring cost would have been one less, but I understand this is asking a lot.

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Thornvault Forager

I'm... undecided. In Squirrel decks this is a no brainer. I could potentially give it some thought as a decent candidate in brews that care for Changelings. And the Forage could go a long way in Food decks, such as Gyome, Master Chef.

All in all though, I feel like these are all very niche and focused strategies. In the end, what you have is a mana dork for with a hypothetical upside...?

Not a rare I'd be happy to crack in a pack.

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Valley Mightcaller

This will be a quick one. Unless you are playing Frog, Rabbit, Raccoon or Squirrel typal, this is a hard pass. And given that Squirrel is the only (at the time of writing) fairly represented type, it narrows its use quite a bit.

Sure, slap this thing in Chatterfang, Squirrel General and watch it grow and grow and grow as tokens invade the playing field, all for a single .

But aside from that? No.

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Commander Precons Rares

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Bloodroot Apothecary

In these scorching summer days, I'm trying to survive Elden Ring's DLC. I cannot imagine for one second that this card is not a hommage to Hidetaka Miyazaki's masterpiece.

Aside from the flavour, I really like this Squirrel. Toxic 2 is cute, making a shiny is not bad either. And that third ability could very well block any player abusing Treasure tokens. You played a Smothering Tithe? How about you only used four of those Treasures? You're investigating? I guess those Clues led you to a dead end...

Logically, you'll need to grant your Squirrel some decent protection, as it will most definitely incur some wrath. But even if you're not playing Infectopoison Toxicity, I believe this could make its way in a lot of lists, if only to keep other players in check. A very nice design.

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Brightcap Badger

Let's get the obvious out of the way. There are currently 4,637 Slimefoot, the Stowaway decks, and this looks like an auto-include, no questions asked.

Fun fact: there are also 64 cards with the Fungus type, 6 of which are Legendary. The Mycotyrant in particular is the only one to care about both Fungi and Saprolings, and that makes it another fine candidate.

I suppose you could also decide to play this Badger in another token-heavy deck – Jaheira, Friend of the Forest jumps to mind) – but the costs start adding up. Three mana for a couple of tokens, then four to cast the Badger... Sure, it's decent ramp, and incremental at that.

I'll be honest, this the kind of card I'd need to see in action prior to making up my mind.

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Communal Brewing

Pump, pump, and then pump some more! Let there be +1/+1 counters galore! We'll sweep their remains by the shore! And this card I absolutely adore!

There's only one way I can imagine playing this: give everyone a card, and spew huge monsters one after the other from your hand. And accept absolutely no complaints from your opponents: you gave them a card for their trouble!

All joke's aside, giving a +4/+4 buff to any creature you cast is no laughing matter. In a way, this reminds me of Beastmaster Ascension for regular creatures. Even puny Birds of Paradise become big boys. And for Voltron, this could considerably shorten your path to Commander lethality. I can't wait to add this to my Skullbriar, the Walking Grave.

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Evercoat Ursine

This is a great beast. It will definitely attract unwanted attention. But if you manage to hit someone with it, it's guaranteed value.

Heck, worst case scenario it ramps you a land. The stats are more than half decent for the price, especially with trample – not giving it this keyword would definitely have been a faux-pas.

It's hard to suggest any specific commander to play this with, as it will fit in basically any deck that cares about big bodies and value.

I've already reserved a spot for it in my Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty/Keruga, the Macrosage list.

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Gourmand's Talent

Initially, I thought that no, this card wasn't worth wasting two cents on. Turning your Treasures into Food is cute and all, but the levelling costs are just too steep for the rewards.

However, I believe there might be more to uncover here. Any life gain during each turn will trigger the levels 2 and 3. Soul Warden on the field? That's almost a guaranteed Raccoon every turn. Level 3? Beware of the Soul Sisters my friends, lest you see my board grow godlike.

Suddenly, the required costs to level up don't seem so steep anymore.

I don't believe this will ever be competitive. But it's a deceptive card that could provide significant value in a single rotation. Worth a shot.

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Rootcast Apprenticeship

Well, this is not bad, just slightly underwhelming. All of the modal effects are nice, and I like having the four choices. It's just that they don't hype me quite as much in terms of innovation. The nontoken artifact touch is nice I suppose.

Is it playable? Sure, almost anywhere. Will it be a dead card? Probably not, with all the various choices offered. Will I play this with Riku, the Modal spellslinger? Most certainly.

Is it exciting? Not really.

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Scurry of Squirrels

Let's make a Squirrel, and then another, and then two more, and more, and more and mooooooooore Squirrellzzzzzzzzz!!!

Ahem, let me rephrase. This is a really fun one. The double Myriad simply begs for ETB effects: Cathars' Crusade, Angelic Chorus, Devilish Valet (how about I sent a 16/3 to your face?), Gala Greeters, Purphoros, God of the Forge... The list could go on and on and on. The only thing to pay attention to is to give some sort of protection and/or evasion to our original Squirrel. Aside from that, this card screams fun and excessive board states to me. Oh, and sure, the added +1/+1 bonus is cute.

I foresee an interesting future for this card, well beyond Squirrel decks.

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Thickest in the Thicket

First off, this name is... mwha! Try repeating that five times in a row as fast as you can, I dare you!

Second, it's a good outlet, with two significant effects packed in an enchantment. You will grow a creature, hopefully making it the biggest in the room, and draw a couple of cards every turn after that. Granted, five mana is a lot to pay to target something that will likely die to removal. But even so, it's guaranteed value in basically any Stompy deck. I'm looking forward to seeing you in action with Mr. Orfeo, the Boulder and its clique of monsters, my friend.

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Trailtracker Scout

See, this is exactly on the opposite end of the dork scale, compared with the couple of creatures we've seen above. 1/3 makes it a decent blocker early on, any color of mana is always a nice touch, and the final ability is not that hard to achieve in more casual games. This could repeatedly bring stuff back to your hand turn after turn. I really like how Expend was limited to the actual eighth mana spent, and not triggered for every eight mana.

A revolution it is not, just a well-thought card.

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Uncommons & Commons

Galewind Moose

These new cards just keep reminding me how far we've come since Craw Wurm.

Still, for that hefty cost, I would have expected nothing less that deathtouch, lifelink, double strike, undying, flying, hexproof, and obviously indestructible, in addition to the already existing keywords. A failed opportunity to make a fair card if you ask me...

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Overprotect

An interesting protection outlet. Want to make sure your creature survives? Cast this with a boardwipe on the stack. Want to deal lethal and provide evasion with not a care in the world for what's blocking it? Cast this in combat. Want to show off and waste this gem of versatility? Play it on an opponent's end step and waste its potential.

Oh the fun!

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Peerless Recycling

Probably my favourite uncommon of the set.

Gifting a card is a small price to pay to get two permanents from the graveyard. I'd be nitpicky and probably ask too much for this to hit any card, but even as it is, this is a solid recursion outlet.

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Stocking the Pantry

This is good. Don't get me wrong, you want to play a deck with a strong streak of +1/+1 counters, ideally spread out onto several creatures. But for that small of a cost, it's a reliable draw engine in green.

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Three Tree Scribe

I love the concept of a triggered ability from a creature leaving the battlefield without dying. Agreed, the effect is not spectacular, but it's quite fun. I could imagine this being played in a weird Ninja deck, or in Simic colors with bouncy castle effects all around.

Not the card of the century, not by a mile, but a very fun concept.

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Longstalk Brawl

Removal spell, yadda yadda, one single mana, yadda yadda, +1/+1 counter, Yabba Dabba Doo.

Yes, there are countless spells like these. But how many can you use to gift a fish to your opponent? I'd love to play this on a table, killing a giant monster while telling someone else: "I told you this was fishy...".

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Conclusion

This was a cute set. I'd be hard to convince it has not been inspired by The Wind in the Willows, The Animals of Farthing Wood, Peter Rabbit and maybe a tinge of Mémoires de la Forêt (although since there are apparently no English translations, this last one might a little far-fetched).

If you made it through all of these ramblings, first of all, congratulations and many, many thanks. Since you're already here, why not share your thoughts on these cards as well? Any disagreements? Something I blatantly overlooked or got wrong?

The Forest is counting on you!