The Stone Brain MTG Card


The Stone Brain allows for strategic play by denying opponents crucial spells and gaining those resources. Instant speed disruption offers players significant advantages in controlling the flow of the game. Despite potent effects, its discard requirement and mana specificity present strategic deck-building challenges.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Artifact

Text of card

, , Exile The Stone Brain: Choose a card name. Search target opponent's graveyard, hand, and library for up to four cards with that name and exile them. That player shuffles, then draws a card for each card exiled from their hand this way. Activate only as a sorcery.


Cards like The Stone Brain

The Stone Brain enters the Magic: The Gathering arena as a unique artifact card with an intriguing ability to disrupt opponents. Its closest relatives in terms of functionality are cards like Pithing Needle and Phyrexian Revoker. Each of these has the power to neutralize the abilities of cards on the field by naming them specifically and preventing their activated abilities from being used.

While Pithing Needle comes with a lower casting cost and can be played earlier in the game, The Stone Brain distinguishes itself with the ability to choose a card from an opponent’s hand, thus combining disruption with information gain. Phyrexian Revoker offers a similar naming capability like The Stone Brain, with the added bonus that it’s a creature, which can be advantageous for strategies that benefit from the presence of creatures on the battlefield.

Examining these cards together, The Stone Brain stands out with its blend of preemptive interference and hand reveal, offering a strategic edge in controlling the game’s tempo and gaining valuable insight into an opponent’s potential moves in Magic: The Gathering. This gives it a distinct position alongside its counterparts in the control artifact card genre.

Pithing Needle - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Revoker - MTG Card versions
Pithing Needle - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Revoker - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to The Stone Brain by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions
Wurm's Tooth - MTG Card versions
Liquimetal Coating - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions
Wurm's Tooth - MTG Card versions
Liquimetal Coating - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using The Stone Brain. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Azorius ArtifactsAzorius Artifacts StandardAzorius ArtifactsStandard Challenge 32 2024-05-04 (1)
Colorless PrisonColorless Prison LegacyColorless CloudpostLegacy League Mont
Mono-White MidrangeMono-White Midrange ModernMono-White MidrangeModern Preliminary 2024-04-11 (1)
Mono-White MartyrMono-White Martyr ModernSelesnya MidrangeModern $5k 2-Slot RCQ, Cyphacon MTG Weekend
Prison TronPrison Tron ModernPrison TronModern Challenge 64 2024-01-15
WGWG PioneerPioneer League 2024-03-27
Thopter ComboThopter Combo ModernThopter ComboModern Challenge 64 2024-03-11
Mono-Green DevotionMono-Green Devotion PioneerAzorius Lotus FieldReCQ - Pioneer - SCG CON Philadelphia - Friday - 1:30 pm (Bronze)
Abzan CompanyAbzan Company PioneerAbzan Amalia ComboReCQ - Pioneer - SCG CON Philadelphia - Friday - 1:30 pm (Bronze)
Azorius ControlAzorius Control StandardAzorius ControlStandard Challenge 64 2024-03-03

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Stone Brain offers a strategic edge by potentially exiling valuable spells from the opponent’s library, hence denying their game plan and simultaneously providing you with additional options.

Resource Acceleration: By enabling access to the opponent’s spells, The Stone Brain can serve as a form of resource acceleration. It essentially grants you an expanded pool of resources to utilize, which can lead to more dynamic plays and potentially overwhelm the opponent.

Instant Speed: The ability to disrupt your opponent’s strategy at instant speed makes The Stone Brain a flexible and powerful tool in any player’s arsenal. Whether it’s during the crucial end-of-turn window or in response to an opponent’s threat, the instantaneity of this card can give you the upper hand in the battle of wit and timing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside of The Stone Brain card lies in its discard requirement to activate certain abilities. This condition can create challenges during gameplay, especially when your hand is already sparse, forcing tough decisions on which assets to sacrifice for a greater strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands a precise combination, The Stone Brain could clash with the fluidity of multi-colored or color-flexible decks. This rigidity demands players to have a reliable source of the required mana, potentially complicating deck construction and limiting in-game flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although The Stone Brain brings some powerful effects to the table, its high mana cost compared to similar cards could deter players. Given that MTG is a game where tempo can be crucial, dedicating a significant amount of mana to a single card can sometimes set you back in the race against an opponent wielding more cost-efficient spells.


Reasons to Include The Stone Brain Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: The Stone Brain offers a unique ability to control opponents’ draws, making it adaptable to various strategies focusing on disrupting the opponent’s plans.

Combo Potential: This card’s ability to peek at an opponent’s next draw and potentially lock them out of important spells paves the way for combinations with cards that capitalize on deck and hand disruption.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where players rely heavily on well-timed draws, The Stone Brain can shift the balance of the game, making it a crucial addition against decks that bank on synergy and specific card sequences.


How to beat The Stone Brain

Overcoming The Stone Brain in MTG relies on strategic deck building and timely plays. This artifact has the potential to seriously disrupt your strategy by forcing you to play with the top card of your library revealed and allowing your opponent to cast copies of nonland cards from it. To mitigate the damage, focus on instant-speed interaction and graveyard synergy. Cards that can destroy or exile artifacts, like Nature’s Claim or Return to Dust, should be in your deck to deal with The Stone Brain directly. Increase your reliance on flash creatures and instants, which can be played in response to your opponent’s actions, preserving the element of surprise and potentially disrupting their plans.

Another angle is to embrace graveyard strategies with cards that benefit from having a stocked graveyard or those that allow you to play cards from your graveyard such as Underworld Breach or Sevinne’s Reclamation. This turns any potential loss into a setup for your own gain. Directly countering The Stone Brain’s activated ability through stifle effects, such as Trickbind or Disallow, can also protect your game plan by keeping your top-deck secret while thwarting an opponent’s strategy to exploit your deck’s resources.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Stone Brain MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and The Brothers' War, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the The Stone Brain and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Stone Brain Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Irina Nordsol.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1058342015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol
22022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 2472015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol
32022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 3672015NormalBlackIrina Nordsol

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Stone Brain has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The Stone Brain card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-10-14 The ability has no effect on permanents with the chosen name that are on the battlefield.
2022-10-14 Unlike most effects of this kind, The Stone Brain's ability allows its controller to choose the name of a basic land. Note that you may only search for up to four copies of that card, even if you find more of them.
2022-10-14 You don't have to choose the name of a card that you've already seen this game; you may guess at a card you think your opponent might have in their deck, if you'd like.
2022-10-14 You don't have to exile each card you find with that name. If you want to leave one in their graveyard, for example, you may.
2022-10-14 You target a player as The Stone Brain's activated ability is put on the stack, but you don't name a card until it resolves. Notably, this means that players don't get to respond to the ability knowing what card you will name.