Simian Brawler MTG Card

Coldsnap (CSP)
2006-07-21 - Number 122

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 729

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Ape Warrior
Power	3
Toughness	3

Key Takeaways

Simian Brawler can yield card advantage by pressuring opponents to deal with it, potentially consuming their resources.
While it offers aggressive strategy potential, its discard prerequisite and specific mana costs may limit versatility.
It holds a niche for combo and tribal synergies, making it a resilient choice in evolving MTG strategies.

Text of card

Discard a land card: Simian Brawler gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"It's odd to see the apes rip down trees to arm themselves in defense of their forests." —Taaveti of Kelsinko, elvish hunter

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Simian Brawler card offers players the capability to consistently apply pressure on the battlefield, which can indirectly lead to card advantage. Since it demands an answer from your opponent, this can occasionally lead to a two-for-one situation where your opponent is forced to use more resources to deal with it.

Resource Acceleration: This card may not directly provide resource acceleration in the traditional sense of producing mana or reducing costs, however, it can be a piece of an aggressive strategy that allows you to capitalize on the early game momentum. Efficiently using your mana to deploy threats turn by turn builds up a board presence that may accelerate you towards victory.

Instant Speed: While Simian Brawler itself isn’t an instant, it benefits from instant-speed spells and effects that can support its role in the deck. For instance, playing combat tricks or removal at instant speed can clear the way for your Brawler to deal damage or ensure that it stays on the board to keep presenting a threat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Simian Brawler brings with it an intrinsic challenge as players are asked to discard another card to muster this creature onto the battlefield. This can potentially strain your hand, especially if you’re playing a strategy that doesn’t capitalize on having an empty hand or graveyard synergies.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting this creature requires a precise combination of colored mana, one green and one red, making it less flexible for decks that aren’t dedicated to these particular colors. This may limit the Simian Brawler’s inclusion in a wide variety of decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for the Simian Brawler is significant when compared to other creatures with similar stats. Players might find better value in creatures or spells that are less demanding on mana resources, providing a more cost-effective presence or immediate board impact.

Reasons to Include Simian Brawler in Your Collection

Versatility: Simian Brawler offers adaptability in deck-building with its flexible mana cost and creature type. As a beast, it pairs well with strategies that capitalize on tribal synergies and can easily fit into green-based aggro or midrange decks.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent synergy with discard mechanics, allowing players to maximize their graveyard strategies. Pair it with cards that benefit from or enable discarding to turn a simple creature card into a significant threat.

Meta-Relevance: In the ever-evolving MTG scene, a card like Simian Brawler holds its ground by being a cost-effective creature that can quickly escalate in power, making it a justifiable choice against various common deck archetypes.

How to beat

Simian Brawler presents a unique challenge for Magic the Gathering players with its impressive stats relative to its mana cost. As a creature card, one of its distinguishing traits is its ability to become more formidable through the discard of creature cards, boosting its power significantly for that robust offensive push.

To tackle this formidable opponent, prioritizing removal spells that bypass its potential power-ups can be crucial. Direct damage spells or exile effects are particularly effective, as they can handle the Simian Brawler before it has a chance to gain momentum and turn the tides. Efficient removal tools such as Path to Exile or Doom Blade offer a noteworthily quick solution. Countering this creature on the stack can also prevent the player from leveraging its power-boosting ability from the get-go.

Board control is key when facing opponents who use cards like Simian Brawler. By keeping pressure with your creatures and maintaining the ability to remove threats instantly, you ensure you’re always one step ahead, ready to disarm the looming menace that Simian Brawler can present.

Cards like Simian Brawler

Exploring the vast world of creatures in Magic the Gathering brings us to Simian Brawler, a creature that certainly packs a punch. It’s not alone in its niche; cards such as Kird Ape also harness the power of lands to strengthen themselves. Kird Ape gains strength from having a Forest on the battlefield, akin to how Simian Brawler relies on the presence of lands for its power-up ability. Both cards draw strength from land synergy, yet Simian Brawler requires a more active contribution of discarding a land to beef up.

Another relative is Territorial Baloth, which benefits from landfall, increasing its might every time a land enters under your control. Unlike Simian Brawler, Territorial Baloth’s power boost is only momentarily tied to the land drop, not requiring a discard. This makes the Baloth an autonomous force as the game progresses and more lands are played. However, it lacks the instant impact and control over power increases that Simian Brawler provides.

When assessing creatures that evolve with the land, Simian Brawler holds an interesting position. Its ability to trade unused lands for a temporary combat advantage creates immediate threats and gives players flexibility during the fight. This attribute positions Simian Brawler as a versatile combatant among land-centric creatures in Magic the Gathering.

Cards similar to Simian Brawler by color, type and mana cost

Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Simian Brawler MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Simian Brawler and other MTG cards: