Brainwash MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 3
1995-04-01 - Number 11
1995-04-01 - Number 11
1995-08-01 - Number 6
1997-03-24 - Number 13
2016-11-16 - Number 65795
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Target creature may not attack unless its controller pays o3 in addition to any other costs required for the creature to attack.
"They're not your friends; they despise you. I'm the only one you can count on. Trust me."
Cards like Brainwash
Brainwash perhaps isn’t the most renowned card in Magic: The Gathering, but it certainly has its place in the realm of control spells. Comparatively, cards like Pacifism also halt creatures from attacking without directly removing them from play. Similarly, Brainwash, with its minimalistic cost, efficiently prevents an opponent’s creature from attacking unless a fee is paid. While Pacifism is more absolute in effect, Brainwash offers an economic trade-off, setting a price on aggressive strategies.
Another card to consider alongside Brainwash is Arrest. Arrest, although costing more mana, utterly neutralizes a creature by forbidding attacking, blocking, and activating its abilities. This broader scope of restriction makes Arrest a stronger control tool in many scenarios. However, when deck building on a budget or strategizing for early-game control, Brainwash demonstrates its utility with its low-cost casting.
Examining these comparisons, it’s clear Brainwash can be a valuable early-game play, potentially shaping the battlefield’s dynamics while your opponent contemplates the cost of aggression. As an economical option in a strategic deck, Brainwash supports a control player’s arsenal in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Brainwash by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Brainwash provides a strategic edge by enabling you to dictate an opponent’s attack, potentially saving crucial life points or disrupting their combat plans. This can lead to indirect card advantage as it helps maintain board control.
Resource Acceleration: While Brainwash doesn’t produce mana or tokens, it can slow down an aggressive opponent, effectively buying you time to ramp up your resources and establish a commanding presence on the board.
Instant Speed: The versatility of being an instant means Brainwash can be cast in response to an opponent declaring attackers, providing on-the-fly defense that can pivot the tide of battle and maintain the element of surprise.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Brainwash requires its controller to discard another card, potentially leading to a strategic disadvantage if their hand is already depleted or if every card held is crucial for planned combos or defense strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: Locked into a white mana cost, Brainwash may not seamlessly fit into multicolored or mana-flexible decks, somewhat constraining deck-building options and potentially disrupting mana curve efficiency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost set at three white mana, Brainwash may be seen as resource-intensive when evaluated against other options. Players might encounter alternative enchantments or spells that yield higher value or more immediate board impact for the same, or even a lower, investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Brainwash is a unique spell that can adapt to various playstyles, fitting well in decks that focus on controlling opponent’s creatures and dictating the pace of the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key component in control-oriented combos, potentially locking down an opponent’s key creature and paving the way for your victory. It pairs well with tap-untap mechanics or abilities that benefit from targeting creatures.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where early creature threats are prevalent, Brainwash can serve as an efficient tool to neutralize those threats, allowing for a more stable board state until you can establish your winning strategy.
How to beat
Brainwash is a unique enchantment in MTG that can be particularly disruptive by requiring an additional payment for a creature to attack. Overcoming Brainwash requires strategy and resource management. To navigate this obstacle, players can utilize spells or abilities that allow them to untap their creatures without declaring an attack. This bypasses the need to pay the extra cost that Brainwash imposes.
Moreover, leveraging removal spells that specifically target enchantments, such as Disenchant, can provide a simple and effective solution to eliminate Brainwash from the battlefield. Cards like Naturalize or Krosan Grip offer similar results, with the added benefit of being instant-speed options. In metagames where Brainwash is prevalent, incorporating a small suite of enchantment removal in your sideboard can significantly increase your resilience against it.
To conclude, while Brainwash can pose a tactical hurdle, maintaining flexibility in your deck to deal with enchantments and honing your in-game strategies to outmaneuver such control mechanisms can assure your creatures’ unhindered attacks and preserve your tempo advantage in your MTG matches.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Brainwash MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Fourth Edition, 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 Brainwash 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Brainwash Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2016-11-16. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 3 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters | |
| 2 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 11 | 1993 | Normal | White | Pete Venters | |
| 3 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 11 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters | |
| 4 | 1995-08-01 | Renaissance | REN | 6 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Pete Venters | |
| 5 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 13 | 1997 | Normal | White | Terese Nielsen | |
| 6 | 2016-11-16 | Treasure Chest | PZ2 | 65795 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Terese Nielsen |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Brainwash has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Brainwash card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If there are multiple combat phases during the turn, the attack cost must be paid each time if you want to attack with the creature. |
| 2004-10-04 | Paying this cost is not an instant or any other kind of ability, it is an additional cost on the declaration of the attacker. |
| 2004-10-04 | This ability is paid for during the declare attackers step of the combat phase. |