Embalmed Brawler MTG Card

Embalmed Brawler exploits graveyards, offering card advantage and instant-speed play for strategic edge in games. Despite its discard requirement and specific mana costs, it remains versatile with strong combo and meta relevance. Exile effects and sacrifice-enforcing spells can effectively counter the resilient and recurring nature of Embalmed Brawler.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie
Abilities	Amplify
Released	2003-02-03
Set symbol
Set name	Legions
Set code	LGN
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	69
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Justin Sweet

Text of card

Amplify 1 (As this card comes into play, put a +1/+1 counter on it for each Zombie card you reveal in your hand.) Whenever Embalmed Brawler attacks or blocks, you lose 1 life for each +1/+1 counter on it.

Cards like Embalmed Brawler

The intriguing dynamics of Embalmed Brawler positions it within a unique niche of zombie warrior cards in Magic: The Gathering. It bears resemblance to cards like Doomed Dissenter, which also summons a creature upon death. Embalmed Brawler, however, offers an incremental advantage through its built-in ability to grow stronger whenever it’s targeted by a spell or ability. Unlike Doomed Dissenter, which simply provides a token creature, Embalmed Brawler can become an increasingly formidable threat.

Looking at the broader scope, Tenacious Dead shares the theme of resurrection similar to Embalmed Brawler. Both cards return from the graveyard, ready for combat. Nevertheless, Tenacious Dead requires mana investment to come back, while Embalmed Brawler’s potential growth doesn’t necessitate extra mana, ensuring it can make an impact even with limited resources. Conversely, Unruly Mob, which grows stronger as other creatures die, offers a different kind of scaling power, though it lacks the self-recurring aspect that makes cards like Embalmed Brawler so resilient.

In summary, the capabilities of Embalmed Brawler to persistently bolster its own strength and haunt the battlefield post-mortem, brings about a solid strategic value. This allows it to stand out among MTG creature cards that capitalize on the undead and offer tactical advantages through enduring presence and growth.

Cards similar to Embalmed Brawler by color, type and mana cost

Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Embalmed Brawler lets players exploit their graveyard by returning it to the battlefield, essentially drawing from an alternative resource to maintain hand advantage.

Resource Acceleration: This card synergizes with self-mill strategies, accelerating your resource pool by enriching your graveyard, which behaves like a second hand in many gameplay scenarios.

Instant Speed: Its ability to be activated at instant speed offers a strategic edge, allowing players to surprise opponents by bringing back a blocker or attacker at the most opportune moment without using the main phase resources.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Embalmed Brawler card necessitates discarding another card from your hand, which can hinder your play if your hand is already diminished.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card demands an exact mana combination to cast, which could pose challenges for decks that aren’t suited to its color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With the need to pay a relatively substantial amount of mana to bring the Embalmed Brawler into play, it may compete with other creatures or spells in the same mana range that could be more impactful during a match.

Reasons to Include Embalmed Brawler in Your Collection

Versatility: Embalmed Brawler adapts to a variety of game situations. It’s valuable in decks that emphasize graveyard interactions or need resilient creatures that can come back onto the battlefield.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, Embalmed Brawler can synergize with other cards to leverage its embalm ability, offering multiple uses from a single card and enabling intricate combos.

Meta-Relevance: As environments evolve, the role of durable creatures with recursive capabilities often becomes more prominent, making Embalmed Brawler a strong consideration against decks that aim to exhaust resources.

How to beat

Embalmed Brawler comes onto the battlefield with an aura of inevitability due to its resilience and penchant for returning from the graveyard. Defeating this card requires a multi-faceted approach. Since it can come back as a token when it’s embalmed, exiling it from the graveyard can halt its return effectively. Cards with exile effects like Scavenger Grounds or Bojuka Bog can scrub it from the game permanently.

Moreover, utilizing spells that force the opponent to sacrifice creatures can also sidestep the Brawler’s embalming ability, as they don’t target the creature directly. This tactic makes sure it doesn’t get the chance to come back to the field. Think of cards such as Liliana’s Triumph or Diabolic Edict as prime examples. Lastly, adapting a strategy that outpaces the Embalmed Brawler through aggressive plays or overwhelming the board can also ensure it becomes less of a threat, allowing you to secure your win before it becomes a concern.

Successfully countering the nuances of Embalmed Brawler lies in a thorough understanding of its mechanics and having the right answers at the ready to prevent it from tipping the scales in your opponent’s favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Embalmed Brawler MTG card by a specific set like Legions, 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 Embalmed Brawler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Embalmed Brawler has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal