Laboratory Brute MTG Card
2016-07-22 - Number 67
2019-11-07 - Number 414
2023-03-21 - Number 79
2020-09-26 - Number EMN-67
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Zombie Horror |
| Abilities | Mill |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
When Laboratory Brute enters the battlefield, put the top four cards of your library into your graveyard.
It keeps intruders out and experiments in.
Cards like Laboratory Brute
Laboratory Brute is an intriguing card in the Magic: The Gathering universe that offers a distinctive approach to leveraging your graveyard. Comparable to other self-mill cards like Stitcher’s Supplier, which mills three cards when it enters the battlefield or dies, Laboratory Brute takes this further by milling four cards as soon as it enters the battlefield. Though it doesn’t have the recursion aspect of Stitcher’s Supplier, the immediate impact of milling four can significantly change the landscape of your graveyard strategies.
Mirroring Laboratory Brute’s self-mill capacity is Armored Skaab, which provides a defensive body along with milling four cards. Though both are valuable in a self-mill deck, Laboratory Brute lacks the defensive stats that can prolong your survival on the battlefield. Merfolk Secretkeeper is another card performing a similar function, offering a low-cost mill option, but it separates the creature and mill aspects into different modes, giving you flexibility that Laboratory Brute does not.
When weighing the options for self-mill cards, Laboratory Brute finds its niche with its substantial single instance of milling, making it a workhorse for graveyard-filling strategies in Magic: The Gathering but without the versatility and additional benefits of some similar cards.
Cards similar to Laboratory Brute by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Laboratory Brute shines in its ability to mill four cards, potentially stocking your graveyard with resources critical for strategies that capitalize on large graveyards. This kind of self-mill can pave the way for powerful plays in the later stages of the game, turning your graveyard into a valuable extension of your hand.
Resource Acceleration: Though not directly providing mana, the act of self-milling can enable mechanics like delve or threshold, effectively reducing the cost of spells in your deck. By filling your graveyard, Laboratory Brute can act as a catalyst for spells that require a certain number of card types in your graveyard to unleash more potent effects or become easier to cast.
Instant Speed: While Laboratory Brute itself isn’t an instant-speed spell, it can synergize with instant-speed mechanics. For instance, it can quickly stock the graveyard for various surprise interactions, like reanimation spells or abilities that you may activate on the fly during the game. Additionally, having a creature with this self-mill impact at instant speed could be incredibly versatile, allowing you to wait for the most opportune moment to prepare your graveyard-centric combos.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Laboratory Brute enforces a discard of the top four cards of your library, which could potentially result in losing key spells or creatures you needed to maintain a strategic advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card has a specific mana cost which necessitates both colorless and blue mana, potentially making it a less flexible option for decks that aren’t heavily blue or those who struggle with mana fixing.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana to play, Laboratory Brute might lag behind in tempo when compared to lower-cost creatures that offer immediate board presence or more impactful abilities for the same or lesser investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Laboratory Brute offers a reliable way to fill your graveyard, making it a solid inclusion in decks leveraging graveyard synergies or enabling threshold and delirium abilities.
Combo Potential: This card pairs well with mechanics like flashback or spells that capitalize on having a variety of card types in your graveyard, enhancing decks built around such interactions.
Meta-Relevance: With graveyard-based strategies frequently surfacing in various MTG formats, the self-mill feature of Laboratory Brute gains traction, potentially giving your deck an edge in the current environment.
How to Beat Laboratory Brute
Laboratory Brute is known for its mill four cards ability upon entering the battlefield, a factor that can be both a hindrance and a boon in Magic: The Gathering. When facing this card, one effective tactic is to use graveyard management strategies. Introducing cards that shuffle your graveyard back into your library, like Elixir of Immortality or the powerhouse that is Gaea’s Blessing, ensures that the milling effect of Laboratory Brute doesn’t deplete your resources and instead may bolster your strategy by recycling key elements.
Disruption is another avenue to counteract the Laboratory Brute’s impact. Spell counters like Cancel or Negate, ensure that Laboratory Brute never hits the battlefield to trigger its mill ability. Removal spells are equally important post-deployment; having an instant like Murder or a board clear such as Wrath of God ensures that Laboratory Brute’s presence is short-lived. By keeping the board clear and disrupting your opponent’s plays, Laboratory Brute becomes less of a threat.
Overall, while Laboratory Brute may present a unique challenge, it’s one that can be overcome with careful planning and the right countermeasures. Combining graveyard management with strategic disruption makes Laboratory Brute much less daunting to deal with.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Laboratory Brute MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Mystery Booster, 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 Laboratory Brute 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Laboratory Brute Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-07-22 | Eldritch Moon | EMN | 67 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 414 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | EMN-67 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | ||
| 4 | 2023-03-21 | Shadows over Innistrad Remastered | SIR | 79 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Laboratory Brute has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |