Deadeye Brawler MTG Card


Deadeye Brawler provides card advantage by drawing cards during combat, giving players a winning edge. It enhances resource acceleration, enabling spells to be cast sooner and strengthens board presence. With instant speed spell synergy, Deadeye Brawler offers tactical flexibility in MTG matches.
Deadeye Brawler - Rivals of Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Abilities Ascend,Deathtouch
Released2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set nameRivals of Ixalan
Set codeRIX
Power 2
Toughness 4
Number155
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJesper Ejsing

Text of card

Deathtouch Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.) Whenever Deadeye Brawler deals combat damage to a player, if you have the city's blessing, draw a card.


Cards like Deadeye Brawler

Comparable to Deadeye Brawler, there are other creatures in Magic: The Gathering that sport the elusive prowess known as conniving. Lurking in the depths of the card pool is Shadowmage Infiltrator, a card that shares a fondness for card advantage but opts for dealing combat damage to a player to trigger its effect. Unlike Deadeye Brawler, it doesn’t require the ascend mechanic to unlock its potential, making it slightly easier to reap the benefits in a game with fewer permanents.

Not to be overlooked is Nightveil Sprite, with its nimble two mana cost and an ability to surveil upon attacking, ensuring more control over the next card draws and graveyard setup without a condition attached. Although not directly drawing a card, it offers a subtle filtration that can be crucial in long-term strategies. Meanwhile, Whispersilk Cloak does not directly compare as a creature, but instead it offers any creature the coveted unblockable trait coupled with shroud, ensuring that card advantage and protection come hand in hand, albeit at the expense of equipping to a suitable creature.

Ultimately, when examining cards akin to Deadeye Brawler, one must consider mana efficiency, conditions for triggering the ability, and additional benefits, all of which contribute to Deadeye Brawler’s place in decks that aim for consistent card advantage and a solid board presence.

Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Nightveil Sprite - MTG Card versions
Whispersilk Cloak - MTG Card versions
Shadowmage Infiltrator - MTG Card versions
Nightveil Sprite - MTG Card versions
Whispersilk Cloak - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Deadeye Brawler’s ability to draw a card whenever it deals combat damage to a player while having the ascend keyword, players can outpace opponents by consistently refilling their hand, ensuring a steady flow of options.

Resource Acceleration: Commanding a powerful presence on the board, the card can ramp up your available resources, giving you the flexibility to cast spells earlier or maintain a lead in board state over your adversary.

Instant Speed: The synergy with instant speed spells is undeniable, as holding up mana becomes less risky. You can respond to threats at a moment’s notice or capitalize on an open board, making Deadeye Brawler a versatile and tactical addition to your arsenal.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deadeye Brawler demands a card to be discarded to enable its connive ability. During gameplay, this requisite becomes a strategic setback, especially when your hand is already depleted or the card choices in hand are pivotal for maintaining control over the game’s direction.

Specific Mana Cost: Deadeye Brawler has a dimir mana cost that requires both blue and black mana. This specification narrows your deck-building options, tethering you to those two colors or a deck that can reliably produce both types of mana, potentially complicating your mana base and limiting the card’s versatility in multi-color decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With four mana needed to cast Deadeye Brawler, this cost is on the higher side for creatures with its statistics. There are options in the MTG universe that can offer similar or even more substantial effects or board presence for an equal or lower mana investment, which may lead players to seek alternatives for a more efficient deck build.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Deadeye Brawler is a flexible addition to any collection due to its adaptability in various deck builds. Its capacity to control the board while providing card advantage makes it a valuable piece in decks looking for those qualities.

Combo Potential: This card stands out for its synergy with other pieces, particularly when combined with cards that capitalize on the connected keywords. Its ability to potentially draw cards each time it deals combat damage to a player combines excellently with evasion-enabling cards.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the current landscape of the game, Deadeye Brawler can be an asset against a range of popular strategies. Its place in the meta is secured by its versatility and the inherent value it provides through card draw and damage mitigation.


How to beat

Deadeye Brawler stands out in MTG as a formidable adversary with its adaptability and card advantage. As a byproduct of its ascend mechanic, it becomes a real challenge, granting consistent card draw coupled with deathtouch to deter attackers. To effectively counter this prowess, controlling the battlefield is paramount. Tactics such as utilizing removal spells that bypass deathtouch, like Murder or Doom Blade, can dispatch Deadeye Brawler efficiently before its controller reaps the benefits of card draw.

Focusing on grave exile effects, such as with Scavenging Ooze, can also be highly effective, reducing the chances of the brawler making a comeback from the graveyard. Additionally, countering the ascend mechanic by controlling the number of permanents your opponent has prevents Deadeye Brawler from becoming the card-drawing engine it’s meant to be. In direct confrontations, flying creatures and those with ‘can’t be blocked’ abilities can outmaneuver Deathtouch, safely applying pressure.

Ultimately, recognizing the right moment to disrupt your opponent’s synergy with Deadeye Brawler, whether through precision removal or strategic creature plays, can turn the tide of the game in your favor and showcase smart MTG gameplay.


BurnMana Recommendations

Deepening your understanding of MTG card dynamics is crucial for any player looking to excel. Deadeye Brawler exemplifies the delicate balance of risk versus reward in deck building and strategy. Harnessing its full potential hinges on mastering its synergies and navigating its limitations. Whether it’s adapting to its mana demands, exploiting its card draw capability, or skillfully playing around its cons, there’s much to learn from this card. We encourage you to dive further into our insights on MTG gameplay, where we unravel the complexities of cards like Deadeye Brawler and help you refine your deck for the ultimate gaming edge.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deadeye Brawler MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Deadeye Brawler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deadeye Brawler has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-01-19 A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren’t permanents.
2018-01-19 Ascend on a permanent isn’t a triggered ability and doesn’t use the stack. Players can respond to a spell that will give you your tenth permanent, but they can’t respond to getting the city’s blessing once you control that tenth permanent. This means that if your tenth permanent is a land you play, players can’t respond before you get the city’s blessing.
2018-01-19 If you cast a spell with ascend, you don’t get the city’s blessing until it resolves. Players may respond to that spell by trying to change whether you get the city’s blessing.
2018-01-19 If you control ten permanents but don’t control a permanent or resolving spell with ascend, you don’t get the city’s blessing. For example, if you control ten permanents, lose control of one, then cast Golden Demise, you won’t have the city’s blessing and the spell will affect creatures you control.
2018-01-19 If your tenth permanent enters the battlefield and then a permanent leaves the battlefield immediately afterwards (most likely due to the “Legend Rule” or due to being a creature with 0 toughness), you get the city’s blessing before it leaves the battlefield.
2018-01-19 Once you have the city’s blessing, you have it for the rest of the game, even if you lose control of some or all of your permanents. The city’s blessing isn’t a permanent itself and can’t be removed by any effect.
2018-01-19 Some cards have triggered abilities with an intervening “if” clause that checks whether you have the city’s blessing. These are worded “
-rigger condition], if you have the city’s blessing,
-ffect].” You must already have the city’s blessing in order for these abilities to trigger; otherwise they do nothing. In other words, there’s no way to have the ability trigger if you don’t have the city’s blessing, even if you intend to get it in response to the triggered ability.