If you like stories of adorable animals banding together to protect their homes or going off to find new ones, you should watch the trailer for "Bloomburrow" right now. It's a brilliantly animated version of the sad animal hero stories we know from "Watership Down," "Redwall," "Nim's Secret," and "The Animals of Farthingwood," among others. (A more recent example is "Barrow's End.")

Magic: The Gathering has visited many fantasy subgenres over the years, but this is the first time it has entered the woods to help rabbits, otters, birds, mice, and raccoons unite in the face of disaster! This is the first time. The Calamity Beast, in particular, is a predator-elemental that travels the length and breadth of the Valley lands where Bloom Barrow is set, spreading plagues.

One might expect green to be a strong color in a nature-themed Magic set, and judging by the preview card "For the Common Good" (art by Serena Malyon) above, one would not be wrong. This is a sorcery card that allows you to make copies of tokens, and the more mana you spend, the more copies you receive. The tokens are indestructible until your next turn, and you gain 1 life for each one you make. It is exactly like a Butterfly Ball, a furry and feathered orgy of wild and forest beasts.

Bloomburrow's new mechanics match its theme perfectly. The Gift, which powers up spells and artifacts by giving opponents (e.g., fish) a small bonus, fits the polite charm of this setting. The Descendant summons a 1/1 token version of an existing creature card, like inviting the next generation to protect a hut or nest. (This is a good combo with "For the Common Good.") There is also "Forage," which requires certain abilities as an additional cost, requiring you to either sacrifice a food token or exile three cards from your discard graveyard.

Forage is associated with Bloomburrow's morbid squirrel folk, who excel at necromancy. I didn't know I needed a goth squirrel in my life, but it turns out I absolutely do. Each of Bloomburrow's animal-folk races has its own cultural theme: the Birdfolk are honored sky knights, the Rabbitfolk are food-obsessed cooks and farmers, and the Batfolk are eccentric astrologers who adhere to the concept of balance. The Lizardfolk derive their power from fire magic and the Frogfolk from water magic.

Yes, Bloombrow is a whimsical set, rich in personality, and perhaps the best set to introduce new players to Magic. Wizards of the Coast seems to be well aware of this and has added it to their "Magic Made Easy" tutorial video series that began earlier this year. If you know kids who have graduated from Pokémon card games and need something new to spend their parents' money on, here you go. Whether it's because it brings back fond memories of "Wind in the Willows" or because you really want to collect Gothlis decks, it's sure to be popular with adults.

Bloomburrow will be available at pre-release events starting July 26 (to participate in the Mabel's Journey play season), digitally on Arena starting July 30, and in full release on August 2