Color fixing and ramp that can be reset. Yet another great EDH cards.
brilliantmumbler
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Essentially a Birds of Paradise without the body to aim for. Oh, and you have to play it again whenever it runs out of juice.
Still the fact that it's an enchantment makes this thing almost vulgarly bothersome to kill. However if it is blasted right after someone pumped a lot of mana into it.... That's a lot of wasted momentum.
lorendorky
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Flippin' lovely art and great synergy with cards like Verduran Enchantress and Azorius Æthermage .
Merlin117
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The amount of ramp in green for RVR is not only scary, it crosses to terrifying.
For my opponents obviously :)
Control + bomb FTW
DoragonShinzui
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Definitely an odd card, but I like it. Wish it had been Uncommon though, it's not nearly as powerful as R&D seems to think. Always gonna be less efficient and abusable than Sphere of the Suns, and the requirement of a specific color means that yet again you have to run green if you want to fix or accelerate your mana.
alblast
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
@Lord_of_gelectrodes
it doesn't work that way. You can only use it's ability once a turn.
Weird card. Doubt it will take off in standard. It will either use a turn pouring a lot of mana into it wasting a turn, or a few mana making you need to recast it every few turns. Also oblivion ring is a card.
Lotsofpoopy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Pros like me know this card's flavor is very fitting for it's in-game ability, which is to "bloom" mana for you. And when you run out, don't worry, it will bloom for you again next turn.
Ragamander
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Mana Bloom kinda reminds me of Pentad Prism, which was an awesome card. Except the former is reusable once it runs out, while the latter can produce all its mana at once.
Unless you need to use the mana on your opponents' turns as well as your own or unless you REALLY need mana of ANY color, the answer to basically every single one is, "No."
If you could withdraw all your mana at once, this card would be much more interesting. It would still be far from broken. Heck, it still might not be playable. Who knows?
NobleWhiteGangsta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Killer Combo: Mana Bloom & Veilstone Amulet And then apply the minimum and keet you creatures spell and ability proof. Muah haha!!!!
Domak
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(3 votes)
I so wish this card was a little better. I love the concept behind it. I guess this would be a strange thing to do for an enchantment, but give it flash. I think it would be totally usable then.
RAV0004
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not worth rare (wastes a valuable spot, not powerful enough). Not worth Uncommon (wastes a valuable spot). Not worth Common (wastes a NONvaluable spot in a pack) It's just all around in general ***. And that's terrible. It should have done something a little more powerful besides being a crappy multicolored Omnath.
lagg
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If only you could use more than 1 mana per turn with this... but it would be to broken this way.
Barjin-N-Blastum
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Looks like a fun way to pull off 'off-color' tricks in what looks like a solid green deck.... like radiate and boomerang when you have multani, maro-sorcerer in play and ready to swing.
Half-dead
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
At first I thought this was sort of a better version of Ice Cauldron and was thinking "FINALLY", then I realized it was once a turn effect, and cried.
It's a godsend for splashing a third or fourth colour in Return to Ravnica Limited, but other than that, I found that I I'd rather have played a Slime Molding for 4+.
Removing multiple counters at any time would've been amazing: it would've made Pentad Prism somewhat redundant (unless you're not playing Green).
Unfortunately, it's just a mediocre rare now. Like what DoragonShinzui said, could've been uncommon.
Thaifortune
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I was trying to figure out why no one liked this card since it was first spoiled. Tap out and essentially double your mana the next turn?! How could you not like that? And now that I've finally noticed the "once a turn" part, I suddenly understand. It's just an enchant-dork now. :\
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Cool, so now we have a Wall of Roots that doesn't block, costs a ton, and bounces itself. Just more underpowered mana accel and fixing.
Tynansdtm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I came on here hoping someone could think of a better use for this than I could. I thought of Verduran Enchantress. Nobody had anything better.
TPmanW
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So I guess my enchantress deck can splash other colors now? And once I have enough lands out I can just pay 0 for the X to draw a card each turn for G? Here's hoping the next set has an enchantment subtheme.
EDIT - Something interesting I didn't quite realize at first. You can use it on your turn and your opponent's turn, so twice between untap steps instead of just once. Hmm. Has to be some merit to that, if X is more than 1 it can be used to cast spells on your turn and to keep up counterspells or whatever on his turn.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's a "X" Johnny-spell. It probably is on the low end of Rare power, but I agree it shouldn't be uncommon, it has potential for greatness.
endersblade
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I was totally about to drool all over this card (green is my main color), and go out and buy a ton of them...until I caught that final line: Activate this ability only once each turn.
That killed it. Dead rare, I'd absolutely HATE to pull this from a pack. There are just so many other useful cards that can work like this, but better. I actually ended up using Druids' Repository in some of my decks, and it's rather efficient.
Yes, I can see its 'potential' uses. If you happen to have a bit of spare mana, you can carry it along for a while. But in that case, why not just run Omnath? At least get more use out of it. (I know, Omnath only works for green.)
Oblio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is awful. Only marginally useful in very specific situations and combos. NOT rare worthy.
darkrai88
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I don't really see it being played in Standard, but I absolutely love it in my Doran, the Siege Tower EDH. Really, EDH is the only place I can see Mana Bloom being played; the game is generally slow enough to allow for it, it's possible to activate it on everybody's turns to activate, say, Mind's Eye, and it fixes mana for those tricky multi-colored EDH decks.
sonorhC
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Even if you used some crazy combo to make infinite... It's still just one mana every turn. If you're playing green, you already have about eleventy zillion ways of getting the same effect, most of them far more cost-effective.
chrome_dome
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
2/5.
Lyriq
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's a rechargeable mana battery! The foil version looks pretty, but that's about all this card's got going for it.
Scimon
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Ok, look at your Mana Bloom. Now look at Extort. Look back and Mana Bloom, now it's a card you can cast for Extort triggers every turn. I'm on a horse.
Rootkit9208
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Wish the ability don't have that silly "once per turn" restriction. I'd definitely pay it then, even if it went to the graveyard.
Diachronos
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I'll admit, it's not great, but there are a few uses for it despite its glaring drawbacks.
For one, it can make it easier to run multiple colors, since you're less likely to get stuck waiting for that one color you still need. It also slightly increases your ramping ability, giving you one mana that you might not have had otherwise.
Probably the biggest bonus in my opinion is that it's an Enchantment, which is a card type that a lot of people don't really have an answer to, and it's a lot harder to remove Mana Bloom than it is to remove a mana dork.
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I am pretty sure manalith is the stronger card. Baring combos this is just a manalith with a drawback that requires green mana. I would have loved this card if they removed that stupid "once a turn" line. Could increase the cost to if it was broken.
LordRandomness
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I actually think a card saying that "play this ability only once each turn" abilities may be played any number of times in a turn would be an interesting combo piece at this stage in the game.
enjoy
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
good with gates, why? you get the mana that any gate would produce. still jank mana producer though :/ it has itts uses
Mode
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The fact that the once-a-turn restriction makes sure it can't be used as a powerful ramp is a bit of a letdown. Still, I think it would be really good if just it entered with X+1 charge counters instead. As it is, i'd usually rather have a Pentad Prism, Manamorphose or something similar.
It can find a good place in Enchantress decks though, since it allows you to draw a card each turn for . (And unlike other bouncable enchantments - which are mostly auras - that can be abused with Enchantresses, it has some considerable mana-fixing properties and can be played without a valid target in play.)
Mana Bloom is much better in an Aura/Enchant deck than it seems and that is because it can be cast with X=0 and thus have it bounce to hand each turn. Oh how can that be abused? Here's how in my planned W/G Aura/Enchant/Token deck (featuring M14 cards):
Mana Bloom + Ajani's Chosen=A 2/2 Cat token every turn
Mana Bloom + Oath of the Ancient Wood= a 1/1 counter on a creature every turn + a 1/1 counter on a creature when OotAW comes in.
Mana Bloom + Blind Obedience= Extort once each turn
Mana Bloom + Primeval Bounty= Three 1/1 counters on a creature every turn
Obviously the deck is going to have other enchants that can trigger the above four cards (Ethereal Armor, Alpha Authority, Hold the Gates, Soul Tithe, Arrest, Divine Favor, etc. but you can see how Mana Bloom can get dumb by turn 4 or 5 for the rest of the game with any one of these combos much less multiple ones going off at the same time.
And, if nothing else, its decent mana ramp until then :D
nopemx6
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This thing is amazing with Ajani's Chosen and Blightcaster. It's underrated, much like other niche cards. :)
Manite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
How is it no-one's yet built a deck designed to abuse Bloom's self-bounce effect? Azorius Aethermage lets you draw an extra card every turn for effectively , Mesa Enchantress lets you draw a card every turn for , Ajani's Chosen yields a 2/2 Cat token every turn, and Blightcaster can disfigure a creature every turn.
Don't think of it as a mana ramper; think of it as a repeatedly bouncing enchantment
It works really well with enchantresses to draw a card each turn for
It also works very well with the new "Constellation" mechanic in Journey Into Nyx, which triggers an ability whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control
It really shows how much forethought Wizards puts into the set designs, as the small "enchantment matters"-subtheme in the Return to Ravnica block (exemplified in cards like Ethereal Armor and the enchant land cards such as Debtor's Pulpit) interacts so well with Theros, and how even a poorly-rated, very niche card such as this one can become much more useful in a different environment
Araes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One word, Constellation.
Can be repeatedly 0-cast to trigger each turn. Almost ensures you can turn on Constellation every turn if you want to. Only thing better might be one of the Gods that poops out enchantment creatures, and they're not as cheap.
Plus, in a pinch you can use this the way it was meant to be used to smooth out your deck.
Comments (42)
Still the fact that it's an enchantment makes this thing almost vulgarly bothersome to kill. However if it is blasted right after someone pumped a lot of mana into it.... That's a lot of wasted momentum.
For my opponents obviously :)
Control + bomb FTW
it doesn't work that way. You can only use it's ability once a turn.
Weird card. Doubt it will take off in standard. It will either use a turn pouring a lot of mana into it wasting a turn, or a few mana making you need to recast it every few turns. Also oblivion ring is a card.
The question is whether
Is it better than a turn 2 Farseek?
Is it better than a turn 3 Somberwald Sage, Chromatic Lantern, or Keyrune?
Is it better than a turn 4 Ranger's Path?
Is it better than a turn 5 Gilded Lotus?
Unless you need to use the mana on your opponents' turns as well as your own or unless you REALLY need mana of ANY color, the answer to basically every single one is, "No."
If you could withdraw all your mana at once, this card would be much more interesting. It would still be far from broken. Heck, it still might not be playable. Who knows?
Removing multiple counters at any time would've been amazing: it would've made Pentad Prism somewhat redundant (unless you're not playing Green).
Unfortunately, it's just a mediocre rare now. Like what DoragonShinzui said, could've been uncommon.
Just more underpowered mana accel and fixing.
EDIT - Something interesting I didn't quite realize at first. You can use it on your turn and your opponent's turn, so twice between untap steps instead of just once. Hmm. Has to be some merit to that, if X is more than 1 it can be used to cast spells on your turn and to keep up counterspells or whatever on his turn.
That killed it. Dead rare, I'd absolutely HATE to pull this from a pack. There are just so many other useful cards that can work like this, but better. I actually ended up using Druids' Repository in some of my decks, and it's rather efficient.
Yes, I can see its 'potential' uses. If you happen to have a bit of spare mana, you can carry it along for a while. But in that case, why not just run Omnath? At least get more use out of it. (I know, Omnath only works for green.)
I'm on a horse.
For one, it can make it easier to run multiple colors, since you're less likely to get stuck waiting for that one color you still need.
It also slightly increases your ramping ability, giving you one mana that you might not have had otherwise.
Probably the biggest bonus in my opinion is that it's an Enchantment, which is a card type that a lot of people don't really have an answer to, and it's a lot harder to remove Mana Bloom than it is to remove a mana dork.
Still, I think it would be really good if just it entered with X+1 charge counters instead.
As it is, i'd usually rather have a Pentad Prism, Manamorphose or something similar.
It can find a good place in Enchantress decks though, since it allows you to draw a card each turn for
(And unlike other bouncable enchantments - which are mostly auras - that can be abused with Enchantresses, it has some considerable mana-fixing properties and can be played without a valid target in play.)
Mana Bloom + Ajani's Chosen=A 2/2 Cat token every turn
Mana Bloom + Oath of the Ancient Wood= a 1/1 counter on a creature every turn + a 1/1 counter on a creature when OotAW comes in.
Mana Bloom + Blind Obedience= Extort once each turn
Mana Bloom + Primeval Bounty= Three 1/1 counters on a creature every turn
Obviously the deck is going to have other enchants that can trigger the above four cards (Ethereal Armor, Alpha Authority, Hold the Gates, Soul Tithe, Arrest, Divine Favor, etc. but you can see how Mana Bloom can get dumb by turn 4 or 5 for the rest of the game with any one of these combos much less multiple ones going off at the same time.
And, if nothing else, its decent mana ramp until then :D
It works really well with enchantresses to draw a card each turn for
It also works very well with the new "Constellation" mechanic in Journey Into Nyx, which triggers an ability whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control
It really shows how much forethought Wizards puts into the set designs, as the small "enchantment matters"-subtheme in the Return to Ravnica block (exemplified in cards like Ethereal Armor and the enchant land cards such as Debtor's Pulpit) interacts so well with Theros, and how even a poorly-rated, very niche card such as this one can become much more useful in a different environment
Can be repeatedly 0-cast to trigger each turn. Almost ensures you can turn on Constellation every turn if you want to. Only thing better might be one of the Gods that poops out enchantment creatures, and they're not as cheap.
Plus, in a pinch you can use this the way it was meant to be used to smooth out your deck.