Sweatworks Brawler MTG Card
2017-01-20 - Number 100
2019-11-07 - Number 1076
2020-11-12 - Number 149
2020-09-26 - Number AER-100
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Artificer |
| Abilities | Improvise,Menace |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
Improvise (Your artifacts can help cast this spell. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for .) Menace
The residents of Embraal were never known for finesse, just for getting things done.
Cards like Sweatworks Brawler
Sweatworks Brawler finds its niche among creatures with improvise in Magic: The Gathering. Reminiscent of Spire Patrol, which also costs four mana, Sweatworks Brawler stands out with its ability to tap artifacts to help cast it. Spire Patrol does not share this mechanism and instead focuses on detaining an opponent’s creature. Still, both offer strategic value in control-oriented artifact decks.
Mirroring another card, Embraal Gear-Smasher, Sweatworks Brawler shares the artifact synergy but diverges in functionality. Embraal Gear-Smasher requires an artifact sacrifice for direct damage, whereas the Brawler’s heftier 3/3 body makes it a more imposing presence on the battlefield without the need for an ongoing resource cost.
Gearseeker Serpent is another card in this family, yet it offers a different take with the potential for an unblockable threat. While Gearseeker Serpent leans towards a late-game finisher, Sweatworks Brawler provides more immediate board presence. Each of these cards offers unique advantages, but Sweatworks Brawler consistently stands up as a solid choice for players utilizing artifact-based strategies with an aggressive slant.
Cards similar to Sweatworks Brawler by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Sweatworks Brawler can boost your presence on the battlefield, offering a robust addition to your playing field. With its capacity to engage more substantial threats, it enhances your board position and can pave the way for increased card utility as the match progresses.
Resource Acceleration: Featuring the improvise mechanic, this card allows you to tap unused artifacts for a cost reduction, effectively speeding up your plays. This can lead to more efficient turns, setting up for dominant plays that could tip the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: While this card does not operate at instant speed, its synergies with instant-speed artifacts can be leveraged, indirectly benefiting from the flexibility that instant-speed plays provide by reducing its casting cost and allowing you to maintain a more reactionary and adaptable playstyle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Sweatworks Brawler means adjusting your strategy to accommodate its discard condition. While it can be an avenue to utilize graveyard synergies, the act of discarding may reduce your hand advantage, particularly if you’re running low on cards.
Specific Mana Cost: Managing your mana becomes crucial when integrating Sweatworks Brawler into your lineup. The community of players recognizes that a card demanding a specific mana color, like this one’s red mana necessity, can sometimes be restrictive and demands a deck built to reliably meet this requirement.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Experienced players weigh a card’s cost against its potential impact on the game. With a relatively steep investment of four mana, the cost-benefit ratio of Sweatworks Brawler must be carefully considered, especially when other options might offer similar effects with lower resource demands.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Sweatworks Brawler is a flexible pick for several deck types, functioning well in artifact-centric or aggressive strategies due to its improvise mechanic, which lets you tap artifacts to help pay its mana cost.
Combo Potential: This card synergizes with setups looking to capitalize on tapped artifacts or those that enhance artifact count for improved board presence. Its ability to become cheaper with more artifacts can accelerate your game plan.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors aggressive or synergistic artifact decks, Sweatworks Brawler provides substantial value as a cost-efficient creature that can be played earlier than expected, pressuring opponents and aligning with both fast-paced and synergistic playstyles.
How to beat
Sweatworks Brawler is a creature card known for its improvise ability, allowing players to tap artifacts they control to help cast it for a reduced cost. While it may enter the battlefield with a considerable cost advantage, there are effective strategies to handle this card. One of the simplest methods is using removal spells that can target a creature regardless of its size, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile. These cards can efficiently deal with the Brawler before it becomes a larger problem.
Counterplay can also come in the form of countering the artifacts that facilitate its improvise ability. Cards that target and destroy, or better yet, exile artifacts like Disenchant or Abrade, can cut off the resourcefulness that makes Sweatworks Brawler a potent threat. Additionally, employing an aggressive playstyle to pressure the opponent before they can cast it or tapping into control elements that restrict the opponent’s ability to play artifacts in the first place are also viable tactics.
Beyond direct removal or artifact disruption, chump blocking with smaller creatures can offer a temporary fix while you search for a permanent solution. Sweatworks Brawler, while strong, is not invincible. A balanced deck with a good mix of removal, disruption, and aggressive components can keep it in check.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sweatworks Brawler MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt 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 Sweatworks Brawler and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
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- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Sweatworks Brawler Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Zack Stella.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt | AER | 100 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1076 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | AER-100 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella | ||
| 4 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 149 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Zack Stella |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sweatworks Brawler 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 |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sweatworks Brawler card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Because improvise isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs. |
| 2017-02-09 | Equipment attached to a creature doesn’t become tapped when that creature becomes tapped, and tapping that Equipment doesn’t cause the creature to become tapped. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an artifact you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with improvise will result in the artifact being tapped when you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for improvise. Similarly, if you sacrifice an artifact to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with improvise, that artifact won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for improvise. |
| 2017-02-09 | Improvise can’t be used to pay for anything other than the cost of casting the spell. For example, it can’t be used during the resolution of an ability that says “Counter target spell unless its controller pays .” |
| 2017-02-09 | Improvise can’t pay for , , , , , or mana symbols in a spell’s total cost. |
| 2017-02-09 | Improvise doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost. |
| 2017-02-09 | Tapping an artifact won’t cause its abilities to stop applying unless those abilities say so. |
| 2017-02-09 | When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Improvise applies after the total cost is calculated. |