Brink of Disaster MTG Card
2010-02-05 - Number 52
2011-07-15 - Number 84
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchant creature or land When enchanted permanent becomes tapped, destroy it.
"You always have a choice. That doesn't mean you always have a good choice." —Alubri, Guul Draz gatekeeper
Cards like Brink of Disaster
Brink of Disaster is an intriguing control card in Magic: The Gathering, finding its peers in the realm of enchantments that immobilize opponents’ threats. Comparable to cards like Claustrophobia, Brink of Disaster offers the utility to incapacitate a creature or land. While Claustrophobia solely targets creatures and taps them, Brink of Disaster provides the additional flexibility to nullify a land, making it a versatile tool in a player’s arsenal.
Casting a wider net, we can also draw parallels with Ice Over. This card shares the ability to freeze creatures or vehicles, maintaining them in a perpetually tapped state. Like Brink of Disaster, Ice Over is adept at stalling opponents, but it lacks the capacity to target lands, which can be critical in hindering mana-intensive strategies. Conversely, Encrust adds another layer to the comparison with its capacity to target both creatures and artifacts, including equipment, which can be pivotal in disabling key pieces of an opponent’s setup.
Assessing the functionality and adaptability of these spells, Brink of Disaster holds its ground in the selection of Magic: The Gathering control enchantments. Its potential to lock down either a creature or land can be especially disruptive, giving players the upper hand in controlling the pace of the game.
Cards similar to Brink of Disaster by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Brink of Disaster resolves, it commits a creature or land your opponent controls to a precarious situation. By forcing them to keep that card tapped, you effectively remove that resource from the game without having to expend additional cards, setting you up for potential card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t produce additional mana like some ramp spells, Brink of Disaster can functionally accelerate your resources by restricting an opponent’s mana development, especially if you target a land. This can give you a relative advantage as you continue to deploy threats unimpeded.
Instant Speed: Brink of Disaster operates at sorcery speed, encouraging strategic planning. This allows players to set traps for their opponent’s key pieces during their own turn, fostering a more premeditated approach to disrupting the opponent’s strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: A particular downside of Brink of Disaster is that it compels you to have another card to discard, which could put you at a strategic disadvantage, especially when you’re running low on hand options.
Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a black and generic mana requirement, which could be restrictive for decks that are not oriented around black mana or multicolor strategies that could run more smoothly with more flexible mana costs.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Investing four mana into an enchantment that could potentially be dealt with or avoided might not be the most efficient play, especially when other cards at a similar or lower mana cost can provide more immediate or impactful results.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Brink of Disaster has a universal appeal due to its ability to target both creatures and lands. This means it can be a strategic addition to any deck looking to disrupt opponents’ board presence or mana base.
Combo Potential: This card can be a cog in a larger machine, setting up for impactful plays. It pairs well with cards that benefit from destroying opponent’s permanents or those that can capitalize on the sudden lack of resources your opponent faces.
Meta-Relevance: Given that players often develop decks with a strong reliance on key creatures or lands, utilizing Brink of Disaster can provide you with an edge. In metas where opponents heavily invest in expansive mana bases or creature strategies, this card can be a decisive element in controlling the game’s pace.
How to beat
Brink of Disaster is a unique piece in MTG pairing the potential to disrupt an opponent’s board with an Aura that targets both creatures and lands. Unlike other control spells that may only hinder creatures or lands separately, Brink of Disaster offers a versatile solution for interfering with your adversary’s game plan. However, its strength is bound to the condition that the enchanted permanent remains in play – remove it, and the Aura’s power dissipates.
To effectively counteract Brink of Disaster, consider using instant-speed removal or bounce effects to rid the battlefield of the enchanted entity before it can settle in for the long haul. Cards with modes or flexible choices, such as Abrupt Decay or Cyclonic Rift, provide the versatility needed to respond to threats at pivotal moments. Moreover, investing in enchantment removal like Naturalize or enchantment negation effects will safeguard your key pieces from hitting the brink of disaster themselves.
Utilizing these strategies can maintain the tempo and card advantage crucial for sustaining control of the game, ultimately turning the tables on Brink of Disaster and ensuring it serves as a minor setback rather than a game-ending plight.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Brink of Disaster MTG card by a specific set like Worldwake and Magic 2012, 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 Brink of Disaster and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
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- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Brink of Disaster Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2010-02-05 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2010-02-05 | Worldwake | WWK | 52 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli | |
| 2 | 2011-07-15 | Magic 2012 | M12 | 84 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Alex Horley-Orlandelli |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Brink of Disaster has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Brink of Disaster card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2010-03-01 | Brink of Disaster may target and may enchant a permanent that’s already tapped. It won’t do anything until the enchanted permanent changes from being untapped to being tapped. |
| 2010-03-01 | If the enchanted permanent is tapped as a cost to activate a mana ability, the mana ability resolves immediately, then Brink of Disaster’s ability goes on the stack. |
| 2010-03-01 | If the enchanted permanent is tapped as a cost to activate an ability that’s not a mana ability, Brink of Disaster’s ability will go on the stack on top of that activated ability. Brink of Disaster’s ability resolves first (destroying that permanent), then the permanent’s activated ability resolves. |
| 2010-03-01 | When the enchanted permanent becomes tapped, Brink of Disaster’s ability triggers. That permanent will be destroyed when the ability resolves, even if Brink of Disaster has left the battlefield or is somehow enchanting a different permanent by then. |