Brain Maggot MTG Card
2014-05-02 - Number 62
2020-03-12 - Number 7
2002-06-24 - Number 54551
2014-01-01 - Number 11
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment Creature — Insect |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
When Brain Maggot enters the battlefield, target opponent reveals his or her hand and you choose a nonland card from it. Exile that card until Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield.
Cards like Brain Maggot
Brain Maggot enters the enchanting world of hand disruption in Magic: The Gathering, reminiscent of cards like Mesmeric Fiend. Both creatures share the ability to temporarily exile a card from an opponent’s hand upon entry, creating immediate disruption. Brain Maggot has the advantage of being an enchantment creature, which offers synergy with cards that care about enchantment types.
Comparatively, Kitesail Freebooter soars into a similar role. It is also a two-mana value creature that peeks into an opponent’s hand, plucking away a noncreature, nonland card. While Freebooter’s flying ability gives it a little evasion, Brain Maggot’s enchantment classification makes it a slightly more versatile tool in decks that benefit from enchantment-related triggers.
Evaluating Brain Maggot’s position, it’s a versatile option for players who appreciate the intersection of creature plays and enchantment dynamics, carving its niche amongst hand disruption cards in Magic: The Gathering. Its unique type combination and the temporary snag of an opponent’s resource enable strategic gameplay that both disrupts and utilizes the broader synergies available within the enchantment creature domain.
Cards similar to Brain Maggot by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Brain Maggot. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Abzan Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 08 2024 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Brain Maggot offers a unique form of card advantage by temporarily denying your opponent access to a nonland card of your choice from their hand, potentially disrupting their game plan.
Resource Acceleration: While Brain Maggot itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it operates as a form of tempo play, potentially setting your opponent back and allowing you to get ahead in board presence.
Instant Speed: Although Brain Maggot is not an instant, the information and control it provides can be pivotal, allowing for strategic plays that can affect the tempo of the game, similar to how an instant might be used tactically.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Brain Maggot requires a specific action to be taken – your opponent must choose and reveal a nonland card from their hand for you to exile. If your opponent has no nonland cards to reveal, the card’s ability is essentially nullified, making it situationally ineffective.
Specific Mana Cost: Brain Maggot has a color-specific mana cost, requiring one black mana to cast. This can be restrictive as it necessitates a deck with sufficient black mana sources, potentially limiting deck-building options for players who use a wider color palette.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At two mana for a 1/1 creature, Brain Maggot might be considered a higher investment for the effect it offers. This is particularly true considering similar cards in MTG that may provide more impactful board presence or additional utility at a similar cost threshold.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Brain Maggot offers utility in a variety of decks, mainly those looking to disrupt opponents early in the game. It serves as both a creature and a temporary removal, making it a flexible pick for sideboards against certain match-ups.
Combo Potential: This card aligns well with strategies that exploit enter-the-battlefield triggers or those requiring sac outlets. By integrating it with flicker effects or sacrifice mechanics, you can repeatedly exploit its ability to extract key pieces from opponents’ hands.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where hand information and timely disruption are crucial, Brain Maggot shines by plucking crucial spells from the opposition and providing key insights into their planned plays. It keeps pace with a meta that emphasizes control and advance knowledge of the opponent’s strategy.
How to beat
Confronting the challenge of Brain Maggot in your Magic the Gathering matches requires a specific strategy. This pesky enchantment creature can disrupt your game by exiling a card from your hand until it leaves the battlefield. To navigate around this, instant-speed removal spells are your best tools. By quickly removing it before your turn ends, you can reclaim your card with minimal impact on your game plan.
Another effective strategy is to employ cards with hexproof or shroud capabilities to your key pieces, making them ineligible targets for Brain Maggot’s enter-the-battlefield effect. Finally, having an overabundance of redundant card effects in your hand can minimize the inconvenience caused by Brain Maggot, as losing one won’t significantly hinder your game. It’s about maintaining a robust hand and swiftly reacting to its disruption.
In conclusion, although Brain Maggot can apply early pressure and disrupt your hand, it’s not insurmountable. Through tactical hand management and timely removal, you can mitigate its impact and stay on course. Understanding and preparing for such encounters will strengthen your control over the game’s course and set you on the path to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Brain Maggot MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Friday Night Magic 2014, 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 Brain Maggot and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Brain Maggot Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-05-02 and 2020-03-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Magic Online Promos | PRM | 54551 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | ||
| 2 | Friday Night Magic 2014 | F14 | 11 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dave Kendall | ||
| 3 | 2014-05-02 | Journey into Nyx | JOU | 62 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Min Yum | |
| 4 | 2020-03-12 | Historic Anthology 2 | HA2 | 7 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Min Yum |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Brain Maggot has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Brain Maggot card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-04-26 | Brain Maggot's ability causes a zone change with a duration, a new style of ability that's somewhat reminiscent of older cards like Tidehollow Sculler. However, unlike Tidehollow Sculler, Brain Maggot has a single ability that creates two one-shot effects: one that exiles the nonland card when the ability resolves, and another that returns the exiled card to its owner's hand immediately after Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield. |
| 2014-04-26 | If Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield before its enters-the-battlefield ability resolves, the opponent will reveal their hand, but no card will be exiled. |
| 2014-04-26 | In a multiplayer game, if Brain Maggot's owner leaves the game, the exiled card will return to its owner's hand. Because the one-shot effect that returns the card isn't an ability that goes on the stack, it won't cease to exist along with the leaving player's spells and abilities on the stack. |
| 2014-04-26 | The exiled card returns to its owner's hand immediately after Brain Maggot leaves the battlefield. Nothing happens between the two events, including state-based actions. |