Brass Gnat MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	1
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Insect
Abilities	Flying
Released	2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set name	Time Spiral
Set code	TSP
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	249
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Martina Pilcerova

Key Takeaways

An early play that boosts artifact synergies, Brass Gnat is a strategic fit for fast-paced decks.
With careful mana management, Brass Gnat’s untap ability can subtly influence battlefield dynamics.
Inexpensive but niche, it’s often outclassed by cards like Memnite and Ornithopter in some strategies.

Text of card

Flying Brass Gnat doesn't untap during your untap step. At the beginning of your upkeep, you may pay . If you do, untap Brass Gnat.

Its buzzing is the sound of its inner mechanisms, ever winding down.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Although Brass Gnat doesn’t directly impact card advantage, its low cost makes it an easy play that keeps your hand free for other strategic spells and actions. This can be vital for strategies that rely on maintaining a range of options each turn to respond to an evolving battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: As a one-mana artifact creature, Brass Gnat can be an early play that fits seamlessly into artifact synergy decks. By coming into play quickly, it can help ramp up your resources, especially in combination with mechanics that benefit from having artifacts or creatures enter the battlefield.

Instant Speed: Brass Gnat doesn’t have an ability that operates at instant speed itself; however, its very presence can influence how you manage your mana. With its untap ability, you have the freedom to choose when to keep it untapped, potentially bluffing instant-speed interactions or simply managing resources more efficiently.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although not needing discarding, the Brass Gnat’s upkeep cost requires a tap, potentially straining your ability to strategically time your mana and creature utilization.

Specific Mana Cost: The Brass Gnat comes with a singular generic mana for casting, which is manageable but does not benefit from any mana-specific reductions or accelerations that can be advantageous in specialized decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Its one mana may seem low, but given its only benefit is being a 1/1 flyer with a strict upkeep tap requirement, there are often more impactful cards or creatures one could deploy for the same or less cost, especially when aiming for streamlined deck efficiency.

Reasons to Include Brass Gnat in Your Collection

Versatility: Brass Gnat’s unique characteristic as a small artifact creature allows it to slide into numerous deck builds. Its low mana cost makes it a practical choice for early game presence or to fulfill artifact synergies.

Combo Potential: As an artifact, Brass Gnat can be a key piece in combos, particularly in decks that capitalize on artifact sacrifice or recursion. Its tap feature for flying can be tactically used with untap mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors quick plays and aggressive artifact strategies, Brass Gnat holds its ground. It’s a creature that can easily sneak under more cumbersome control measures and can be a subtle but consistent threat in the right deck.

How to beat

Brass Gnat is a unique single mana artifact creature card in MTG, known for its ability to untap only during your upkeep. While its flying trait provides some evasion, its fragility due to just one toughness makes it susceptible to a host of common removal spells. Cards like Shock or Push represent efficient ways to remove Brass Gnat before it becomes a nuisance in the air.

Furthermore, Brass Gnat’s forced tap each turn can be exploited. Players can use this to their advantage by timing their spells or abilities when it’s tapped and unable to block. This makes small, agile creatures or direct player effects particularly effective against it. If Brass Gnat is part of a bigger combo or an essential blocker, players might consider using tap-down or freezing effects to neutralize it without spending resources on removal.

Ultimately, overcoming Brass Gnat hinges on recognizing it as a minor threat that can be addressed with low-cost solutions. Simple tactics and cards that already fit well within most MTG deck strategies are the key to nullifying the Gnat’s potential impact.

Cards like Brass Gnat

Brass Gnat earns its spot in the Magic: The Gathering world as a distinctive artifact creature that can offer a quick and small blocker or attacker in various decks. When looking at other one-mana creatures like Brass Gnat, it’s common to come across cards such as Memnite, which also costs zero mana and can be played without tapping resources. Though Memnite lacks the flying ability that Brass Gnat possesses, it doesn’t have the drawback of having to pay mana to keep it untapped.

Another card to consider is Ornithopter, a classic in artifact strategies with a similar appeal of zero-cost deployment and flying. However, unlike Brass Gnat, Ornithopter excels by staying untapped without recurring costs, allowing for consistent blocking or synergy with other artifacts. Conversely, Signal Pest is another low-cost artifact creature that, while not able to block, boosts others on the attack and can avoid being blocked by creatures without flying or reach.

These comparisons bring to light the nuances in each card’s strategic value and role within a deck. Despite its unique upkeep mechanic, Brass Gnat maintains relevance as a versatile one-drop in the realm of artifact creatures, especially when an aerial presence is vital, or as a quick means to trigger other artifact-based synergies.

Cards similar to Brass Gnat by color, type and mana cost

Candelabra of Tawnos - MTG Card versions

Phyrexian Dreadnought - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brass Gnat MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Brass Gnat and other MTG cards: