Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft MTG Card


Provides card advantage by bouncing nonland permanents, disrupting opponents while maintaining card parity. Tempo acceleration is key, instant-speed Petty Theft disrupts opponents’ plays outside normal turn structure. Fits multiple strategies, its flash and flying abilities make it a flexible and evasive creature.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeInstant — Adventure

Text of card

Return target nonland permanent an opponent controls to its owner's hand.


Cards like Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft

Brazen Borrower is an exceptional card within the realm of flexible creature spells in MTG. Like other creature spells such as Vendilion Clique, it brings more than just a body to the board. The Borrower also includes a petty theft adventure, allowing it to temporarily remove an opponent’s nonland permanent to their hand. This ability is reminiscent of the creature spell Snapcaster Mage, which also has the power to affect the board by granting instants or sorceries in your graveyard flashback until end of turn.

Comparing it with the aforementioned Vendilion Clique, both creatures share the flash ability which permits casting at almost any time, offering surprise and strategy to gameplay. However, Vendilion Clique’s ability to peek at an opponent’s hand and potentially disrupt their plan is a one-time event, whereas Brazen Borrower’s adventure can be cast from exile, giving it a persistent potential for annoyance.

In essence, while there are other creature spells with similar disruptive abilities, Brazen Borrower offers a blend of utility and evasion with its flash and flying characteristics that make it stand out in MTG gameplay. Its capacity for recurring interference through its adventure sets it apart from similar cards and solidifies its role as a versatile addition to many blue decks.

Vendilion Clique - MTG Card versions
Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Vendilion Clique - MTG Card versions
Snapcaster Mage - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft by color, type and mana cost

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Mana Short - MTG Card versions
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Forbid - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Exclude - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dream Fracture - MTG Card versions
Oona's Grace - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Brazen Borrower is a versatile pick in any deck, offering more than just a fleeting presence on the battlefield. By bouncing an opposing nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, you gain the upper hand by disrupting your opponent’s board while keeping card parity.

Resource Acceleration: While Brazen Borrower itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the traditional sense of ramping mana, it does grant a form of tempo acceleration. By returning a permanent during your opponent’s end phase, you effectively time-walk them, gaining a virtual resource in terms of speed and board state.

Instant Speed: The Petty Theft adventure can be cast at instant speed, allowing you to act on your opponent’s turn with flexibility. This keeps your strategy adaptable and positions you to react efficiently to threats, maintaining the element of surprise and tactical advantage.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: A negative aspect is the absence of a discard effect, which limits opportunities for strategic hand management that can be advantageous in some gameplay scenarios.

Specific Mana Cost: Brazen Borrower’s mana cost demands both blue mana. This specificity narrows deck-building options and can be problematic in multicolored decks with a tight mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana for its primary ability, there are instances where players might find cheaper alternatives for instant-speed creature interaction, potentially offering a more efficient use of resources in a match.


Reasons to Include Brazen Borrower in Your Collection

Versatility: Brazen Borrower shines in its ability to adapt to various in-game situations. Its capability to bounce an opponent’s nonland permanent is a flexible answer for troublesome cards. Additionally, as a flash creature, it can be a surprise blocker or an end-of-turn threat, making it a dynamic inclusion in blue-based control or tempo decks.

Combo Potential: This faerie rogue can complement strategies that exploit the casting of spells on an opponent’s turn, maximizing the synergy with cards that draw on such conditions. It doesn’t just set back your opponent’s board, it also advances your own position with a flying body that can contribute to reducing life totals or defend when necessary.

Meta-Relevance: Given the card’s relevance in disrupting opponent strategies and providing a quick clock as an evasive creature, it fits comfortably into a metagame that values tempo plays. Whether the meta is filled with creature-heavy decks or slower control builds, having an instant-speed interactive card that doubles as a threat is exceptionally useful.


How to Beat

Confronting the Brazen Borrower in Magic: The Gathering can be a challenging endeavor for many players. This elusive faerie rogue, known for its Petty Theft ability, allows players to return target nonland permanent an opponent controls to its owner’s hand, presenting a tempo setback for the opponent. Additionally, with flash, the Brazen Borrower can be cast at almost any time, disrupting the opponent’s strategies.

Given its evasive nature, as it can only be blocked by creatures with flying, one effective strategy to counteract Brazen Borrower is to leverage spells that can remove creatures without targeting them directly. Board wipes like Shatter the Sky or Storm’s Wrath can clear the way without being hindered by its protections. Moreover, playing around the Petty Theft ability by not committing to expensive nonland permanents until the Borrower is dealt with can mitigate its impact on the game’s tempo.

In summary, maintaining patience, carefully planning your spell casting, and using non-targeted removal are key tactics when facing this cunning adversary. Combining these elements can help players reclaim control and navigate around the mischief caused by the Brazen Borrower’s presence on the battlefield.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deck optimization is an art in the MTG arena, and Brazen Borrower is a card that offers unique advantages. Its duality as a creature and an interactive spell provides a strategic edge worth considering for your collection. As you refine your deck, consider the tempo Brazen Borrower can inject into your gameplay. Its ability to bounce threats and join the fray as a flying blocker or attacker is a multifaceted tool in blue-centric decks. Interested in mastering the finesse required to wield this faerie rogue effectively? Dive deeper with us and discover advanced strategies to maximize your Brazen Borrower’s impact.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Throne of Eldraine, 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 Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-10-04 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 788262015AdventureBlackIris Compiet
22019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 2812015AdventureBlackIris Compiet
32019-10-04Throne of EldraineELD 392015AdventureBlackEric Deschamps
42019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2342015AdventureBlackAlexandre Chaudret
52020-09-26The ListPLST ELD-2812015AdventureBlackIris Compiet
62023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 852015AdventureBlackEric Deschamps

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brazen Borrower // Petty Theft has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-10-04 An adventurer card is a creature card in every zone except the stack, as well as while on the stack if not cast as an Adventure. Ignore its alternative characteristics in those cases. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Giant Killer is a white creature card whose mana value is 1. It can't be the target of the triggered ability of Mystic Sanctuary.
2019-10-04 Casting a card as an Adventure isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to the Adventure.
2019-10-04 If a spell is cast as an Adventure, its controller exiles it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard as it resolves. For as long as it remains exiled, that player may cast it as a creature spell. If an Adventure spell leaves the stack in any way other than resolving (most likely by being countered or by failing to resolve because its targets have all become illegal), that card won't be exiled and the spell's controller won't be able to cast it as a creature later.
2019-10-04 If an adventurer card ends up in exile for any other reason than by exiling itself while resolving, it won't give you permission to cast it as a creature spell.
2019-10-04 If an effect copies an Adventure spell, that copy is exiled as it resolves. It ceases to exist as a state-based action; it's not possible to cast the copy as a creature.
2019-10-04 If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative Adventure name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
2019-10-04 If an object becomes a copy of an object that has an Adventure, the copy also has an Adventure. If it changes zones, it will either cease to exist (if it's a token) or cease to be a copy (if it's a nontoken permanent), and so you won't be able to cast it as an Adventure.
2019-10-04 If you cast an adventurer card as an Adventure, use only its alternative characteristics to determine whether it's legal to cast that spell. For example, if Giant Killer is exiled with the last ability of Vivien, Champion of the Wilds, you can't cast it as Chop Down.
2019-10-04 When casting a spell as an Adventure, use the alternative characteristics and ignore all of the card's normal characteristics. The spell's color, mana cost, mana value, and so on are determined by only those alternative characteristics. If the spell leaves the stack, it immediately resumes using its normal characteristics.
2019-10-04 You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions for the creature spell you cast from exile. Normally, you'll be able to cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.