Braids's Frightful Return MTG Card


Braids's Frightful Return - Dominaria United
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment — Saga
Abilities Read Ahead
Released2022-09-09
Set symbol
Set nameDominaria United
Set codeDMU
Number85
Frame2015
LayoutSaga
BorderBlack
Illustred byDominik Mayer

Key Takeaways

  1. Grants dual benefits of reanimation and casting, bolstering card advantage and in-game tactics.
  2. Instant speed play enhances flexibility, catching opponents off-guard with sudden blockers or responses.
  3. Can swiftly alter the battlefield dynamic, offering a resource acceleration edge when played adeptly.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Braids's Frightful Return MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United, 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 Braids's Frightful Return and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Read ahead (Choose a chapter and start with that many lore counters. Add one after your draw step. Skipped chapters don't trigger. Sacrifice after III.) I — You may sacrifice a creature. If you do, each opponent discards a card. II — Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. III — Target opponent may sacrifice a nonland, nontoken permanent. If they don't, they lose 2 life and you draw a card.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Braids’s Frightful Return offers more than just the reanimation of a creature from your graveyard. It also gives players the bonus of casting another spell from the hand, which ensures that your hand size is replenished, enhancing your overall card advantage on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to return a high-cost creature to the battlefield early can significantly propel your game, accelerating your resources. Furthermore, if played correctly, it positions you ahead of your opponents in terms of board presence, giving you the edge to command the game.

Instant Speed: The versatility offered by instant speed cannot be overstated. Braids’s Frightful Return can be cast at the most opportune moment, whether that’s at the end of your opponent’s turn to surprise them with an unexpected blocker or in response to a removal, to ensure you maintain presence and pressure.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Braids’s Frightful Return necessitates discarding a card upon activation. This drawback can be particularly punishing when your hand is already stretched thin, potentially forcing you to let go of key pieces in your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: With its blend of black and generic mana requirements, the card demands a dedicated mana base. This cost structure can cause complications in multicolored decks where mana flexibility is vital.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card asks for a substantial mana investment before it can influence the battlefield. When considering your deck’s curve, you might find that the cost of this card is on the higher end for its potential impact, which could lead to it being a less optimal choice compared to other lower-cost options.


Reasons to Include Braids’s Frightful Return in Your Collection

Versatility: Braids’s Frightful Return is a compelling choice for a variety of deck strategies. Its ability to disrupt opponent plays while offering reanimation can be a significant advantage across multiple formats.

Combo Potential: This card excels in creating powerful synergies, particularly in decks that exploit creature sacrifices or graveyards. Integrating it within such strategies can lead to devastating turn sequences for your adversaries.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-changing MTG landscape, having a card that can adapt and potentially counter dominant deck themes is invaluable. Braids’s Frightful Return can be a formidable tool against creature-heavy decks, keeping you one step ahead in the meta-game.


How to Beat Braids’s Frightful Return

Braids’s Frightful Return presents a unique challenge in the MTG arena. This card allows for a direct interaction with your graveyard, offering a significant advantage by bringing creatures back to the battlefield. To counteract this ability, it’s crucial to have graveyard control mechanisms within your deck. Cards like Rest in Peace or Tormod’s Crypt can remove your opponent’s graveyard options, nullifying the advantage Braids’s Frightful Return could provide.

Another effective strategy is to employ counter spells or instant speed removals that can disrupt the card’s return ability. Countering Braids before it hits the battlefield prevents any creatures from making that frightful return. Should Braids make it onto the field, having a Swift End or Path to Exile can ensure that she doesn’t stay long enough to make a significant impact. It’s also worth considering pressure strategies that keep the opponent on the defensive, reducing their ability to exploit Braids’s powerful effect successfully.

Overall, the key to overcoming Braids’s Frightful Return lies in preemptive deck building and strategic in-game decisions that either eliminate graveyard resources or mitigate the card’s activation. Careful planning coupled with timely execution will help maintain control over a game facing this dread-inducing card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Delving into the intricacies of MTG demands keen attention to detail and a robust knowledge of how each card can tip the scales in your favor. Braids’s Frightful Return embodies the essence of surprise and tactical advantage with its potential to swing momentum. As you ponder its place in your deck, consider the broader impact of the card’s advantages, from card advantage to resource acceleration, ensuring that you maintain upper hand during gameplay. Should you face hurdles aligning this card within your deck’s structure, explore our in-depth guides and resources. Join us and refine your deck-building skills to seamlessly integrate game-changing cards like Braids’s Frightful Return.


Cards like Braids's Frightful Return

Braids’s Frightful Return is a distinctive piece in the puzzle of reanimation spells within the world of Magic: The Gathering. This card bears resemblance to Animate Dead, a classic enchantment that allows the return of a creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield. However, Braids’s Frightful Return provides an added level of strategy with its conditional attachment to the cards that cost at least four mana, tweaking the dynamics for deck building with its constraints.

Exhume is another card in this paradigm, also with the purpose of resurrecting creatures from graveyards. While it doesn’t have mana constraints, Exhume does differ as it applies to both players, potentially turning the tide for an opponent. There are noticeable differences in tactical applications with cards like Zombify, which unconditionally brings a creature back, but at the higher mana investment of four and at sorcery speed, unlike Braids’s Frightful Return which can surprise opponents during their turn.

To summarize, Braids’s Frightful Return etches its niche within the variety of reanimation spells available, offering flexibility and surprise elements that could be vital for players looking to seize the moment and turn the game in their favor.

Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Animate Dead - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Braids's Frightful Return by color, type and mana cost

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Gloom - MTG Card versions
Season of the Witch - MTG Card versions
Tourach's Gate - MTG Card versions
Withering Wisps - MTG Card versions
Funeral March - MTG Card versions
Casting of Bones - MTG Card versions
Blanket of Night - MTG Card versions
Necropotence - MTG Card versions
Hecatomb - MTG Card versions
Megrim - MTG Card versions
Recurring Nightmare - MTG Card versions
Contamination - MTG Card versions
Oppression - MTG Card versions
Maggot Therapy - MTG Card versions
Murderous Betrayal - MTG Card versions
Noxious Field - MTG Card versions
Tainted Well - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Arena - MTG Card versions
Gravestorm - MTG Card versions
Mortiphobia - MTG Card versions

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Braids's Frightful Return has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-09-09 As a Saga with read ahead enters the battlefield, its controller chooses a number from one to that Saga’s greatest chapter number. The Saga enters the battlefield with the chosen number of lore counters. Neither choosing the number nor putting the counters on the Saga use the stack, and neither can be responded to.