Graham O'Brien MTG Card

Drawing extra cards with Graham O’Brien can shift game momentum in your favor during crucial turns. Early access to high-impact spells through resource acceleration can define the game’s outcome. Instant speed playability offers strategic flexibility, keeping opponents constantly on their toes.

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 396

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 104

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 987

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 709

Card sets	Released in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Human Pilot
Abilities	Doctor's companion,Food,Paradox
Power	2
Toughness	2

Text of card

Paradox — Whenever you cast a spell from anywhere other than your hand, create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.") Doctor's companion (You can have two commanders if the other is the Doctor.)

"Now, I always come prepared."

Cards like Graham O'Brien

Graham O’Brien is a unique figure among creature cards in MTG, inviting comparisons with other cards that bring similar strategic advantages to the table. Comparable to effects found on cards like Snapcaster Mage, Graham O’Brien offers players the ability to recycle spells. While Snapcaster Mage grants an instant or sorcery in your graveyard flashback until the end of the turn, Graham O’Brien operates differently. It allows for the reuse of an instant or sorcery at a specific trigger, which provides a different kind of flexibility and timing.

Similarly, Eternal Witness is another card that retrieves spells from the graveyard. However, Eternal Witness brings back any card, not just instants or sorceries, giving it broader utility. The main difference between Graham O’Brien and Eternal Witness lies in the recurrence potential. While Eternal Witness is a one-time use upon entering the battlefield, Graham O’Brien offers a repeated ability, albeit under certain conditions.

When lining up Graham O’Brien against its peers, it’s clear that while its effect might mirror that of others, the conditions of activation and the recurring nature of its ability offer a unique approach for players seeking to maximize spell usage in their MTG matches.

Cards similar to Graham O'Brien by color, type and mana cost

Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions

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Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Generates additional draw options, bolstering your ability to outpace opponents in terms of accessible resources. This feature of the Graham O’Brien card can be pivotal in gaining the upper hand during the mid to late game phases, ensuring you have a greater selection of plays available each turn.

Resource Acceleration: The card is designed to accelerate your resource pool, potentially providing an early game advantage. This acceleration can lead to casting high-impact spells sooner than usual, giving you a strategic edge by being one step ahead of your opponents in deploying your game plan.

Instant Speed: The ability to play the card at instant speed grants you the flexibility to adapt to the flow of the game. Such versatility allows for responding to an opponent’s threats in real-time or maximizing the efficiency of your mana usage by waiting until the end of your opponent’s turn before making a move, keeping them guessing about your hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the setbacks of the Graham O’Brien card is the necessity to forfeit another card from your hand. This could be a difficult ask, especially if your hand count is already dwindling, and you are in dire need of all the resources you’ve got.

Specific Mana Cost: Deck flexibility can suffer with this card due to its precise mana demands. Incorporating Graham O’Brien implies committing to the mana color requirements specific to this card, potentially limiting the variety of other cards in your deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the overall cost-effectiveness, Graham O’Brien’s mana expenditure is on the heftier side. For the mana you invest in summoning this card, alternatives could be available that provide a similar or greater impact on the game, often at a lower mana cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Graham O’Brien card can easily adapt to multiple deck archetypes, making it a valuable asset in both casual and competitive play. Its ability to seamlessly fit into a variety of strategies enhances its utility for MTG enthusiasts.

Combo Potential: As a card with inherent synergy possibilities, Graham O’Brien has the capability to interact with other cards to unlock powerful combinations on the battlefield, providing players with game-changing tactics.

Meta-Relevance: Keeping pace with the constantly evolving MTG landscape means recognizing the importance of current meta trends. Graham O’Brien’s design and mechanics can play a significant role in decks crafted to thrive within the prevailing competitive environment.

How to beat

Graham O’Brien is one of those MTG cards that requires a strategic approach to counter. If you find yourself up against this card, your game plan should involve a mix of disruption and control. Firstly, consider cards that prevent graveyard interaction, as these can directly weaken Graham O’Brien’s impact. Cards like Rest in Peace or Grafdigger’s Cage can be quite effective in shutting down any potential value your opponent might gain from graveyard synergies.

Another angle of attack is to use removal spells that can deal with Graham O’Brien before your opponent gets a chance to leverage its benefits. Direct damage spells or those that can exile it from the game can be crucial in your strategy. Try using Path to Exile or Assassin’s Trophy for an efficient solution. Lastly, keeping a watchful eye on the board state and maintaining a line of play that restricts your opponent’s ability to capitalize on Graham O’Brien’s strengths can steer the game in your favor.

The key takeaway is to always be prepared with a diverse set of answers when facing such cards. Adaptability and foresight can often spell the difference between victory and defeat in MTG.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Graham O'Brien MTG card by a specific set like Doctor Who and Doctor Who, 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 Graham O'Brien and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Graham O'Brien Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-10-13 and 2023-10-13. Illustrated by Tyukina Tatiana.

#	Released	Name	Code	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO	396	2015	Normal	Black	Tyukina Tatiana
2	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO	104	2015	Normal	Black	Tyukina Tatiana
3	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO	987	2015	Normal	Black	Tyukina Tatiana
4	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO	709	2015	Normal	Black	Tyukina Tatiana

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Graham O'Brien has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-10-13	A triggered ability that triggers when a spell is cast from anywhere other than your hand, such as that of The Thirteenth Doctor, functions only on the battlefield, so it doesn't trigger when you cast that spell from a zone other than your hand.
2023-10-13	Although Doctor's companion is a new variant of the partner ability, the rules for partner have not otherwise changed. Notably, Time Lord Doctors and cards with Doctor's companion do not interact with cards which have another partner ability.
2023-10-13	An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
2023-10-13	An instant or sorcery that counts how many spells you've cast from anywhere other than your hand, such as Surge of Brilliance, counts itself if it was cast from a zone other than your hand.
2023-10-13	Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
2023-10-13	If a spell or ability allows you to copy a spell on the stack but doesn't specify that the spell is cast, that spell wasn't cast and won't be counted by paradox abilities. However, if a spell or ability allows you to cast a copy of a spell, that spell will be counted for paradox abilities.
2023-10-13	If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
2023-10-13	If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities.
2023-10-13	Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.
2023-10-13	Paradox abilities count any spells cast from zones other than your hand. These are usually spells cast from exile, the graveyard, or the command zone. They also count spells cast from outside the game, such as spells cast with Wish or Garth One-Eye's ability.
2023-10-13	The Doctor's companion ability allows you to have two commanders if one has the ability and the other is a legendary creature that is a Time Lord Doctor and has no other creature types. Creatures with the changeling ability, for example, can't be a second commander this way.