Brineborn Cutthroat MTG Card
Text of card
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Whenever you cast a spell during an opponent's turn, put a +1/+1 counter on Brineborn Cutthroat.
"I always attack from where their spyglasses can't see."
Understanding the Impact of Brineborn Cutthroat
Brineborn Cutthroat has carved out a niche in the world of Magic: The Gathering as a staple in decks focused on instant-speed interaction. When comparing Brineborn Cutthroat to similar creatures, it shines in environments where casting spells on opponents’ turns is prevalent. A close relative in terms of play style is Thieves’ Guild Enforcer, which, like Brineborn Cutthroat, grows stronger with certain types of gameplay—specifically, if the opponent’s graveyard is filling up.
Cards like Brineborn Cutthroat
Brineborn Cutthroat creates a dynamic that rewards players for keeping up mana and playing spells on the opponent’s turn. In a similar fashion, creatures like Prowling Serpopard offer benefits for specific actions—an immunity to being countered. While Serpopard focuses on ensuring your creatures hit the board, Cutthroat becomes a more formidable threat with each instant or flash spell played.
Murkfiend Liege is another card with resonance, boosting creatures during your turn and untapping all creatures you control during each opponent’s turn. While the Liege promotes a larger board presence, Brineborn Cutthroat thrives in decks with fewer creatures, emphasizing quality and timing over quantity.
When assessing the unique strengths of Brineborn Cutthroat in the vast array of creatures within Magic: The Gathering, it stands out for its synergistic potential in decks designed around flash and instant spells, proving exceptionally formidable as the game progresses.
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Brineborn Cutthroat. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | UB | Vintage | Vintage Preliminary 2024-04-30 | |
 | Dimir Flash | Explorer | The Pizza Box Open: Explorer | |
 | Esper Flash | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 13 2024 | |
| Simic Flash | Pioneer | Simic Flash | NRG Series $10,000 Showdown - Chicagoland, Illinois (Pioneer) |
 | Simic Aggro | Pioneer | Simic Flash | #21 Last Chance Qualifier: Pioneer |
 | Simic Tempo | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Brineborn Cutthroat grows its power and toughness each time you cast a spell on an opponent’s turn, effectively increasing the value of your cards without spending additional resources.
Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana acceleration, Brineborn Cutthroat’s ability to scale quickly enables you to apply pressure with less investment, thereby allocating your mana to other strategic plays or counterspells.
Instant Speed: Synergizes exceptionally well with instant-speed spells, allowing the Cutthroat’s prowess to shine by consistently catching opponents off guard and growing stronger during their turn, leading to a formidable presence on the board.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Brineborn Cutthroat itself does not mandate a discard, introducing it to your deck may pressure you to include cards that feed its growth mechanism—namely instants may force discards to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Brineborn Cutthroat demands blue mana for casting, potentially restricting its integration in multi-colour decks or those not heavy on blue mana sources, affecting deck flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Although costing only two mana may seem efficient, in fast-paced games, this can be significant. Further, to reap the benefits of its ability, additional mana is needed to cast instants, which increments the total mana investment, sometimes making it less streamlined compared to other aggressive two-drops.
Reasons to Include Brineborn Cutthroat in Your Collection
Versatility: Brineborn Cutthroat is a flexible staple for any blue-centric deck. Its adaptability shines in decks that focus on instant-speed interaction, allowing it to grow larger every time you play a spell on your opponents’ turns.
Combo Potential: This card’s prowess in boosting its power and toughness with each instant or flash spell makes it a prime candidate for synergistic combos. It can become a significant threat rapidly when paired with cheap counterspells and flash-enablers.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-present role of control and flash strategies in the gameplay environment, Brineborn Cutthroat remains a relevant asset. Its ability to become a larger attacker or blocker on the fly helps it maintain a strong presence in various meta scenarios.
How to beat
Brineborn Cutthroat thrives in decks packed with instants, growing stronger with each spell cast on an opponent’s turn. This sleek menace from the deep can turn the tide quickly, becoming a formidable force if left unchecked. Countering this slippery threat requires strategic removal or disruption. Utilize removal spells that can target creatures without triggering upon cast, such as board wipes or abilities that don’t involve casting a spell—for instance, activated abilities from other creatures or artifacts.
In this context, look toward spells like Deafening Clarion or Shatter the Sky, which sweep the battlefield clean regardless of how pumped the Cutthroat has become. Additionally, employing instant-speed removal when the opponent is tapped out ensures that the Cutthroat can be dealt with before growing out of control. Keep a watchful eye on mana availability and seize the window of opportunity to remove the Cutthroat before it can become a dominant presence.
Ultimately, disrupting the tempo of an opponent looking to exploit Brineborn Cutthroat’s strengths is key to victory. Proper timing and choosing the right removal spell or strategy can efficiently handle this stealthy creature, ensuring it remains more a nuisance than a nightmare.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Brineborn Cutthroat MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and Game Night: Free-for-All, 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 Brineborn Cutthroat 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 Brineborn Cutthroat Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Caio Monteiro.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019-07-12 | Core Set 2020 | M20 | 50 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Caio Monteiro | |
| 2 | 2022-10-14 | Game Night: Free-for-All | GN3 | 24 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Caio Monteiro | |
| 3 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 278 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Caio Monteiro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Brineborn Cutthroat 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 |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Brineborn Cutthroat card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-07-12 | Brineborn Cutthroat must be on the battlefield for its last ability to function. Notably, the ability won’t trigger as you cast Brineborn Cutthroat during an opponent’s turn. |
| 2019-07-12 | Brineborn Cutthroat’s ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered. |
Guide to Flash card ability
Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.