Lawless Broker MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Aetherborn Rogue
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Beneficial in trades, Lawless Broker’s death grants a +1/+1 counter, subtly enhancing board presence.
  2. Though not instant speed, its death-triggered ability allows for reactive strategic plays.
  3. Specific mana cost and requirements may limit Lawless Broker’s versatility in diverse decks.

Text of card

When Lawless Broker dies, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.

Kaladesh's illicit marketplaces are known as "night markets," but if you know who to ask, you can find what you're looking for at any time of the day.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lawless Broker shines in scenarios where trading creatures is frequent. Upon death, it grants you a +1/+1 counter to bolster another creature in your lineup, subtly shifting the power dynamic on your battlefield and keeping the pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, the inclusion of Lawless Broker in your deck can be seen as resource acceleration via strategic creature enhancement. The +1/+1 counter it offers could be exactly what you need to enhance a key creature, making it a more formidable force and a better investment of your resources overall.

Instant Speed: Although Lawless Broker doesn’t operate at instant speed, its ability triggers on something that can happen almost any time – death. This allows for a reactive play style, where you’re not simply casting spells on your turn but also preparing for how the board might look after your creatures’ demise, ensuring their impact lasts beyond their time on the board.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One potential downside of the Lawless Broker card is its requirement to have another creature you control die before its ability can be utilized. This means you’re forced to lose a resource before gaining the card’s advantage, which could hinder your board presence and momentum in the game.

Specific Mana Cost: With a specific mana cost that includes both black symbols, Lawless Broker can be restrictive in multicolored decks. This particular mana requirement can make it less versatile and sometimes hard to cast on curve, especially in decks that aren’t heavily black.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Lawless Broker enters the battlefield at a cost that could be deemed high for its stats and abilities. With three mana for a 3/2 creature, the impact on the game is modest compared to other cards at similar cost points that may offer immediate value or have more potent abilities.


Reasons to Include Lawless Broker in Your Collection

Versatility: Lawless Broker serves as a reliable creature in decks that capitalize on +1/+1 counters, playing well with a multitude of cards and strategies found in such builds.

Combo Potential: Upon death, Lawless Broker grants a +1/+1 counter to another target creature you control, paving the way for interactions with cards that thrive on counters or death triggers.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based combat is prevalent, having creatures like Lawless Broker that leave behind value after a trade can give you a subtle yet impactful advantage.


How to beat

Lawless Broker from Magic: The Gathering is a versatile creature that can shift the balance of power on the battlefield once defeated. When it passes away, a +1/+1 counter is bestowed upon another target creature you control, potentially making another one of your assets more formidable. However, to counteract Lawless Broker’s advantage, having removals that exile instead of destroy can eliminate the creature without triggering its ability. Cards like Path to Exile or Silent Gravestone can prevent the aftereffect of enhancing another creature on the board.

Another approach is using counterspells to stop Lawless Broker from ever entering the battlefield. Countering a creature spell ensures that it never gets the chance to influence the game. Additionally, employing board wipes before the Broker’s death trigger can be advantageous, ensuring that there are no creatures left to receive the counter, nulling its potential threat. Overall, the key to outmaneuvering Lawless Broker lies in preventative measures and strategic removals, ensuring that its last gasp doesn’t become a lasting problem for your gameplay.


Cards like Lawless Broker

Lawless Broker stands out in Magic: The Gathering’s vast array of creatures designed to impact the board even after they leave play. This card shares a similar design space with creatures like Doomed Traveler, which also leaves a benefit behind after being dealt with—Doomed Traveler provides a flying creature, whereas Lawless Broker offers a +1/+1 counter to another target creature you control.

Exploring further, Unruly Mob springs to mind with its ability to grow stronger as other creatures you control die, whereas Lawless Broker focuses on empowering another single creature. The Broker’s strength lies in its strategic value, presenting a more immediate and potentially game-changing power boost to key creatures in your battlefield.

Comparable to these is the Hallowed Spiritkeeper which, like Lawless Broker, has a death-based ability that affects the state of the board by creating multiple 1/1 spirit creature tokens with flying. Each of these cards, including Lawless Broker, provides various strategic options, ensuring that the demise of your creatures can still contribute positively to your gameplay.

Doomed Traveler - MTG Card versions
Unruly Mob - MTG Card versions
Hallowed Spiritkeeper - MTG Card versions
Doomed Traveler - Innistrad (ISD)
Unruly Mob - Innistrad (ISD)
Hallowed Spiritkeeper - Commander 2014 (C14)

Cards similar to Lawless Broker by color, type and mana cost

Nettling Imp - MTG Card versions
Royal Assassin - MTG Card versions
El-Hajjâj - MTG Card versions
Plague Rats - MTG Card versions
Frozen Shade - MTG Card versions
Scathe Zombies - MTG Card versions
Sorceress Queen - MTG Card versions
Wall of Bone - MTG Card versions
Lost Soul - MTG Card versions
Mindstab Thrull - MTG Card versions
Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions
Strongarm Thug - MTG Card versions
Razortooth Rats - MTG Card versions
Ghastly Remains - MTG Card versions
Lord of the Undead - MTG Card versions
Deepwood Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Dross Prowler - MTG Card versions
Nim Lasher - MTG Card versions
Nim Abomination - MTG Card versions
Vesper Ghoul - MTG Card versions
Nettling Imp - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Royal Assassin - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
El-Hajjâj - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Plague Rats - Foreign Black Border (FBB)
Frozen Shade - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Scathe Zombies - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Sorceress Queen - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Bone - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Lost Soul - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Mindstab Thrull - Fifth Edition (5ED)
Mischievous Poltergeist - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Strongarm Thug - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Razortooth Rats - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Ghastly Remains - Legions (LGN)
Lord of the Undead - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Deepwood Ghoul - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Dross Prowler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Lasher - Mirrodin (MRD)
Nim Abomination - Darksteel (DST)
Vesper Ghoul - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lawless Broker MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh 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 Lawless Broker and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Lawless Broker Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Darek Zabrocki.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30KaladeshKLD 862015normalblackDarek Zabrocki
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 6982015normalblackDarek Zabrocki
32020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2492015normalblackDarek Zabrocki
42020-09-26The ListPLST KLD-862015normalblackDarek Zabrocki

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lawless Broker has restrictions

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

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