Ezuri's Brigade MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Elf Warrior |
| Abilities | Metalcraft |
| Released | 2010-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Set code | SOM |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 121 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Nic Klein |
Text of card
Metalcraft — As long as you control three or more artifacts, Ezuri's Brigade gets +4/+4 and has trample.
Riding ravenous, ever-growing vorracs is almost as dangerous as fitting them with saddles.
Cards like Ezuri's Brigade
Ezuri’s Brigade is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering that stands out for its synergy with artifact-heavy decks, especially those that seek to exploit the Metalcraft ability. Standing toe-to-toe with Ezuri’s Brigade is the renowned Alloy Myr. While Alloy Myr doesn’t pack the same punch power-wise, it compensates with its mana-producing versatility, making it a staple in artifact-oriented strategies.
On the other side of the spectrum lies Master of Etherium, a card that not only buffs your other artifacts but also grows in power alongside your artifact count. While it doesn’t have the binary condition for a power boost like Ezuri’s Brigade, its consistent board presence enhancement can be a valuable asset.
Finally, considering Vengeful Reaper offers a different approach, this card brings speed and evasion to the table with flying and haste abilities. Though it lacks direct interaction with artifacts, its offensive capabilities can rival the conditional power spike that Ezuri’s Brigade promises.
Evaluating Ezuri’s Brigade among its competitors reveals its potential as a formidable creature in artifact-centric decks, offering a significant combat advantage when the Metalcraft condition is met.
Cards similar to Ezuri's Brigade by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ezuri’s Brigade grants significant card advantage as it can quickly become a sizable threat on the board. With the right setup, it translates into a formidable creature that opponents must answer, potentially pulling removal away from other critical pieces of your strategy.
Resource Acceleration: This card pairs excellently with decks that focus on ramping and proliferating artifacts or creature tokens. It accelerates your resources by incentivizing the deployment of more artifacts, which in turn, can turn Ezuri’s Brigade into a towering creature without additional mana investment.
Instant Speed: While Ezuri’s Brigade itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it synergizes with cards that can be played at instant speed to quickly meet its metalcraft condition. This allows you to surprise your opponent by transforming it from a manageable 4/4 creature to a daunting 8/8 with trample during the last moments of their turn or right before combat on your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One significant drawback of Ezuri’s Brigade is its reliance on a full hand. Without additional creatures to support its Metalcraft ability, you may find yourself discarding cards to maintain a strong board presence, which can strain your resources and leave you vulnerable in the late game.
Specific Mana Cost: Ezuri’s Brigade’s casting cost is specifically green-centric, demanding a heavy presence of green mana sources in your deck. Players running multicolored decks might struggle to consistently meet the mana requirements to summon Ezuri’s Brigade in a timely fashion, limiting its playability across diverse deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At four mana, the cost of bringing Ezuri’s Brigade into play is relatively steep when considering its base stats. Despite potential advantages when Metalcraft is active, players may find alternative four-mana creatures or combos that offer more immediate impact or utility, potentially relegating Ezuri’s Brigade to a secondary option rather than a main strategic component.
Reasons to Include Ezuri’s Brigade in Your Collection
Versatility: Ezuri’s Brigade offers flexibility to green-centered artifact decks, as it becomes a powerhouse 8/8 with trample as long as you control four or more artifacts, which is common in such builds.
Combo Potential: Working exceptionally well with token-generating artifacts or the proliferate mechanic, this card can become a central piece in a synergistic machine, empowering both offensive strategies and intricate combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a format where artifacts are prevalent, Ezuri’s Brigade holds its ground against other creature-based strategies, potentially swinging games in your favor with its substantial battlefield presence.
How to beat
Ezuri’s Brigade is a formidable creature card featuring Metalcraft, and it shines in a deck loaded with artifacts. Once activated, Metalcraft transforms Ezuri’s Brigade into a behemoth on the battlefield, significantly increasing its power and toughness. This colossal change imbues it with the might to dominate combat phases against your forces.
To counteract the Brigade’s strength, it’s essential to interfere with its artifact synergy. Cards that dismantle artifact strategies, such as artifact removal spells or abilities that limit artifact activations, can stifle Ezuri’s Brigade’s effectiveness. By cutting down the number of artifacts your opponent controls, you keep the Brigade’s Metalcraft dormant, rendering it a far less intimidating threat. Additionally, employing control elements such as counterspells or creature-based strategies that can neutralize big creatures before they leverage their full potential, can prevent the Brigade from overpowering you during the game.
In essence, the key lies in proactively managing the battlefield and halting the mechanisms that empower Ezuri’s Brigade. Timely removal, strategic counters, and keeping a keen eye on the artifact count can ensure that the Brigade remains just another creature, rather than an unstoppable force.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ezuri's Brigade MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, 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 Ezuri's Brigade 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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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ezuri's Brigade has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |