Briarberry Cohort MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Faerie Soldier
Abilities	Flying
Released	2008-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Shadowmoor
Set code	SHM
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	30
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Critchlow

Key Takeaways

Briarberry Cohort scales with green creatures to establish a strong board presence early in the game.
It’s constrained by specific mana needs and a strict synergy requirement for optimal play.
Despite its limitations, Briarberry Cohort provides versatility and combo potential within faerie-centric decks.

Text of card

Flying Briarberry Cohort gets +1/+1 as long as you control another blue creature.

A clique can cause far more mischief than one faerie on its own.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Briarberry Cohort can provide substantial benefits in decks looking to capitalize on creature synergies. When paired with other green creatures, its power can scale, potentially creating formidable board presence and swinging matches in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although Briarberry Cohort itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its low casting cost makes it an efficient play. Deploying it early in the game allows for a quicker buildup of your creature base, facilitating swifter execution of your strategic plays.

Instant Speed: While Briarberry Cohort isn’t an instant and can’t be used at instant speed, its natural place within a responsive green deck allows it to complement instant-speed interactions. It’s important to consider how this creature can benefit from other spells cast at instant speed that could alter the state of the battlefield in your turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One downside to incorporating Briarberry Cohort into your MTG deck can stem from its potential inefficiency when you’re unable to maintain a steady flow of similar creatures in hand. Without another blue creature, its seamless synergy is noticeably disrupted, making it less appealing compared to other options that might freely bolster your board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: Briarberry Cohort needs both generic and blue mana for casting, tethering it predominantly to blue-inclined or multicolor decks specializing in faeries or similar creature types. This specific mana cost can narrow deck-building choices, potentially excluding it from a wider variety of deck archetypes where it could, under different circumstances, shine.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Moreover, the card demands two mana for a relatively modest creature. This cost evaluates as steep, especially when pitted against the plethora of lower-cost creatures that might provide more immediate board impact or come equipped with built-in abilities that offer greater value or versatility throughout the game.

Reasons to Include Briarberry Cohort in Your Collection

Versatility: Briarberry Cohort easily fits within mono-blue and dual-color decks that capitalize on the presence of faeries or flyers. A perfect addition for anyone looking to bolster their aerial capabilities or tribal synergies.

Combo Potential: This card plays well with others that buff your blue creatures or leverage the number of faeries you control. It can become a significant threat when combined with bounce effects or spells that capitalize on blue creatures.

Meta-Relevance: Given the right deck, Briarberry Cohort can be unexpectedly formidable in a meta that undervalues smaller, efficient creatures. Its ability to scale with other faerie-type creatures can catch opponents off guard.

How to beat

Briarberry Cohort is a unique creature within the enchanting world of MTG, shining in decks that capitalize on faerie synergies. Found in blue-focused decks, this card is particularly known for its ability to gain strength when paired with other blue creatures. However, despite its merits in a tribal strategy, overcoming this card can be straightforward with the right approach.

To effectively counter Briarberry Cohort, one needs to consider its reliance on other blue creatures for power enhancement. Removal spells targeting creatures, especially those that can clear multiple targets or those that prevent the use of abilities, can disrupt the synergy it thrives on. Board wipes like “Wrath of God” or selective removal spells such as “Doom Blade” can remove Briarberry Cohort’s support network, rendering it less formidable. Additionally, making use of creatures with abilities like “deathtouch,” that can neutralize any creature regardless of its power, provides a strategic edge in combat.

Employing these strategies not only neutralizes Briarberry Cohort’s influence on the board but also maintains pressure on your opponent to find answers to your responses. In doing so, one can maintain control of the game and effectively mitigate the advantage that cards like Briarberry Cohort are meant to provide.

Cards like Briarberry Cohort

When delving into the intricacies of mono-blue faerie decks in Magic The Gathering, Briarberry Cohort quickly becomes a topic of discussion. It shares the company of cards like Zephyr Sprite for its low-cost, flying ability, offering players nimble defenders or assailants from the early stages of the game. Yet, Briarberry Cohort stands out by having the potential to be a more substantial presence on the battlefield, gaining power as you control more blue creatures.

Comparable to this is Cloud Sprite, another low-cost faerie creature with flying that can swiftly invade enemy defenses. However, unlike Briarberry Cohort, Cloud Sprite restricts its attacks to only creatures with flying, making it less versatile. Then we have Faerie Miscreant, which, along with its flight and similar cost, offers the added benefit of card draw when multiples of it are in play, something Briarberry Cohort does not provide.

Ultimately, Briarberry Cohort fits uniquely within the spectrum of similar MTG cards. It commands a particular niche where it can surge in power while supporting a synergetic blue creature strategy, making it an attractive choice for players looking to cultivate a strong faerie tribe in their decks.

Cards similar to Briarberry Cohort by color, type and mana cost

Soratami Cloudskater - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Briarberry Cohort MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Briarberry Cohort and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Briarberry Cohort has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal