Humble the Brute MTG Card

Humble the Brute - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)

Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
2016-04-08 - Number 23

Humble the Brute - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)

Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
2023-03-21 - Number 34

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Abilities	Investigate

Key Takeaways

Drawing a card on removal with Humble the Brute balances resource trade-off when targeting creatures of power 4 or greater.
Instant speed of Humble the Brute gives flexibility in combat and strategy disruption, essential for reactive play.
Specific mana cost and power-targeting restriction limit the utility of Humble the Brute against decks with smaller creatures.

Text of card

Destroy target creature with power 4 or greater. Investigate. (Put a colorless Clue artifact token onto the battlefield with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

"The element of surprise only works when it's backed up by a bolt between the eyes."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Humble the Brute not only removes a powerful creature from the game but also allows you to draw a card if that creature’s power was 4 or greater, thus potentially balancing out the resource trade-off of a removal spell.

Resource Acceleration: While Humble the Brute itself doesn’t produce additional mana or tokens, effectively removing a key threatening creature can slow down your opponent’s pace, indirectly maintaining your mana resources for subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Humble the Brute at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn or at a moment that alters the course of combat in your favor.

Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Humble the Brute requires a precise combination of mana, including a white symbol, potentially restricting its inclusion to certain deck types or making it less flexible in multi-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of 5 mana to cast, Humble the Brute may be less economical than other removal spells, which can hinder your tempo, especially when facing aggressive opponents early in the game.

Discard Requirement: Unlike other removal spells, Humble the Brute has no additional cost in terms of card advantage. However, its condition for success—requiring the target creature to have power 4 or greater—can be a notable drawback if your opponent is wielding a swarm of smaller creatures.

Reasons to Include Humble the Brute in Your Collection

Versatility: Humble the Brute isn’t just removal; it’s a potential answer to many of the formidable creatures that dominate the game board. With its ability to target creatures with power 4 or greater, it can be a vital inclusion in decks that struggle against larger threats.

Combo Potential: While functional on its own, Humble the Brute’s real strength is realized in combination with mechanics that care about spells or removal effects. It could pair well with prowess triggers or enable delve by putting spells in the graveyard.

Meta-Relevance: In a play environment where high-power creatures are prevalent, this card provides a cost-effective mitigation tool. It’s particularly useful if the creature-based strategies are high on the curve, solidifying its place as a valuable tech choice.

How to beat Humble the Brute

Humble the Brute is a notable instant spell that can disrupt your battlefield presence in a flash. Its ability to destroy a creature with power 4 or greater can often catch players off guard, especially if they rely on a single strong creature to dominate the game. Beating this can be a puzzle to some but is pivotal for maintaining advantage.

To circumvent this, diversifying your threats can be effective. Instead of playing one large creature, consider deploying multiple, smaller threats. This could dilute Humble the Brute’s impact, as your opponent can only target one creature and leave others to press the attack. Additionally, using creatures with hexproof or shroud properties can shield them from Humble the Brute’s removal capabilities, ensuring your formidable creatures remain a force on the battlefield.

Another method is baiting the spell out. You could play a powerful creature that invites removal, only to follow up with an even greater threat after Humble the Brute has been used. Timing is crucial—knowing when to commit to the board and when to hold back can be the difference between victory and defeat against decks packing this removal spell.

Cards like Humble the Brute

Humble the Brute shines as a utilitarian removal within the expansive spellbook of Magic the Gathering. Its ability to dispatch creatures with power 4 or greater mirrors the function of cards like Smite the Monstrous. However, Humble the Brute holds a key advantage in being an instant, allowing players to react swiftly and unexpectedly during an opponent’s turn. Unlike Smite the Monstrous, which waits for a creature to attack, Humble the Brute doesn’t require the creature to be in combat.

Looking at Reprisal, another spell tailored for taking down the strongest of foes, there’s a clear distinction in mana cost and restrictions. Reprisal is cheaper but can only target creatures that have already dealt damage, potentially letting foes have one shot at you before being nullified. Moreover, a spell like Divine Verdict can protect your battlefield presence, offering not only destruction of powerful creatures but the flexibility of targeting attacking or blocking creatures. Yet, its higher mana cost compared to Humble the Brute could be a decision point for deck builders prioritizing efficiency.

In assessing their strategic versatility and ease of inclusion in various deck archetypes, Humble the Brute offers a compelling option for players seeking to keep the battlefield clear of looming threats at a moment’s notice.

Cards similar to Humble the Brute by color, type and mana cost

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Charge Across the Araba - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Humble the Brute MTG card by a specific set like Shadows over Innistrad and Shadows over Innistrad Remastered, 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 Humble the Brute and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Humble the Brute Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-04-08 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Daarken.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-04-08	Shadows over Innistrad	SOI		23	2015	Normal	Black	Daarken
2	2023-03-21	Shadows over Innistrad Remastered	SIR		34	2015	Normal	Black	Daarken

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Humble the Brute has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Commander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Humble the Brute card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2016-04-08	If you sacrifice a Clue for another card’s cost or effect, such as that of Angelic Purge or Tamiyo’s Journal, you can’t also pay and sacrifice it to draw a card.
2016-04-08	The token is named Clue and has the artifact subtype Clue. Clue isn’t a creature type.
2016-04-08	The tokens are normal artifacts. For example, they can be sacrificed to cast Angelic Purge or targeted by Root Out.
2016-04-08	You can’t cast a spell without choosing legal targets. If all of those targets become illegal, the spell doesn’t resolve and you won’t investigate.