I think it's great. Ticktickticktickticktick then suddenly you're casting instant speed Cruel Ultimatum with enough mana left over to copy it multiple times. It is a little tricky to operate compared to say Æther Vial, with which adding a counter is always optional, because removing the counters from it is so expensive and both abilities require a tap. Scry doesn't really stop this from being a drawback to the card. I like how artifacts almost always use charge counters now, because I am a big fan of Coretapper.
The brain in the jar! The brain in the jar! He wanna get out! He wanna get out!
I do love the card. It is silly, and cool flavor, and very interesting. HOW to build around it, is a bit interesting. It's kinda like Birthing Pod where you need a good curve to really use it well, but unlike Birthing Pod, it doesn't facilitate having that curve all by itself. You need to draw into those spells yourself. But then again, just ticking it up and acting like a mana storage device so you can flash in a BIG sorcery on your opponent, followed by a huge scry, that is certainly worth having.
wait it gives sorceries sudo flash so I can ponder on some ones end step?
If that's the case then it Seems like jori en, ruin diver is a great fit for it
At the very least it builds up to a decent scry count.
I think it's way too restrictive, to the point where it's just bad.
So you play it, now you're down a card. Then you need to have instants/sorceries at cmc 1, 2, and 3, that you want to cast, before the thing even starts saving you mana (saving mana is the only reason to play it, since it doesn't generate any card advantage.) If you've made it this far, you still need to have more instants/and sorceries at cmc 4 and 5, that you want to cast, to capitalize on the thing.
And then if you give up on building charge counters you can pay 3 mana to undo your previous work to scry. Wow.
So yeah, don't use this.
Unless you're going to try to dismantle counters onto it from surge node or something, that would be hilarious, do that.
wait it gives sorceries sudo flash so I can ponder on some ones end step?
If that's the case then it Seems like jori en, ruin diver is a great fit for it
Yes. There is no timing restriction on the ability, so you can activate the ability whenever. When the ability resolves it instructs you to do so right then and there. That ignores all timing restrictions. Much like the hideaway lands and Horde of Notions.
How does brain in a jar work with split cards, or split cards that have fuse such as Beck // Call?
Pretty well with splits. Pretty darn well with fuse. The Brain lets you cast a spell with a specific CMC (let's say, 2). The game asks your split card if it has that CMC (of 2). Beck // Call says "Yes. No." The game goes: "Did you say yes? Aw-right!" and you get to cast the spell. Then, as you put the spell on the stack, the game goes: "I see that you're trying to a split card, which half would you like to play?" And you go: "The awesome half (Call)" and the game goes: "ok." So you can cast the other half of a split card with Brain.
Note, this works the same as Sunforger so far in that Split cards get to cheat a bit on which half is saying yes to the CMC question, vs. which half actually gets cast.
Now, Fuse is a bit more interesting. Fuse is a choice that's made as you cast a spell from your hand; notably, it's not an alternate cost (and not even an additional cost!), so it doesn't interfere with the "cast for free." As such, since Brain is casting the spell from your hand, you get to make that choice, and can actually fuse the spell for free.
My biggest issue with the card is the favor. The technomagic vibe isn't my favorite to begin with and has always struck me as better suited to artifacts than to instants/sorceries. I like Brain in a Jar's crunch.
wait it gives sorceries sudo flash so I can ponder on some ones end step?
If that's the case then it Seems like jori en, ruin diver is a great fit for it
Yes. There is no timing restriction on the ability, so you can activate the ability whenever. When the ability resolves it instructs you to do so right then and there. That ignores all timing restrictions. Much like the hideaway lands and Horde of Notions.
How does brain in a jar work with split cards, or split cards that have fuse such as Beck // Call?
Pretty well with splits. Pretty darn well with fuse. The Brain lets you cast a spell with a specific CMC (let's say, 2). The game asks your split card if it has that CMC (of 2). Beck // Call says "Yes. No." The game goes: "Did you say yes? Aw-right!" and you get to cast the spell. Then, as you put the spell on the stack, the game goes: "I see that you're trying to a split card, which half would you like to play?" And you go: "The awesome half (Call)" and the game goes: "ok." So you can cast the other half of a split card with Brain.
Note, this works the same as Sunforger so far in that Split cards get to cheat a bit on which half is saying yes to the CMC question, vs. which half actually gets cast.
Now, Fuse is a bit more interesting. Fuse is a choice that's made as you cast a spell from your hand; notably, it's not an alternate cost (and not even an additional cost!), so it doesn't interfere with the "cast for free." As such, since Brain is casting the spell from your hand, you get to make that choice, and can actually fuse the spell for free.
I see, that's actually quite cool. I did hear somewhere around my LGS that brain in a jar worked well with fuse so I asked here for clarification. Maybe I'll brew a deck that uses brain in a jar with split/fuse cards.
I imagine it's pretty good in decks that try to do degenerate things by repeatedly untapping artifacts/lands. Cast Twitch off it, untap it, draw a card, cast something else. Good times. That's an admittedly narrow application, though.
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What do we think the critical number of applicable spells that are needed to support this as an inclusion? My Mizzix runs almost 50 sorceries and instants, so this seems like a natural fit. Other decks, I'm not so certain
What do we think the critical number of applicable spells that are needed to support this as an inclusion? My Mizzix runs almost 50 sorceries and instants, so this seems like a natural fit. Other decks, I'm not so certain
I'd only play it if, among your instants and sorceries, you have 6-10 at cmc 1, 6-10 at cmc 2, 6-10 at cmc 3, 4-8 at 4, 4-8 at 5, 3-6 at 6 or some such
this card is SO NARROW AND HARD TO USE.
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I don't think it's necessary to use this exactly like a birthing pod. If I used it to cast a 1 CMC and had a 3 CMC sorcery in hand, I'd likely put a second counter on it without casting anything if it meant I'd cast the 3 CMC for 1 during the following turn.
I don't think the card has to be optimally utilized just to generate really good value.
I don't think it's necessary to use this exactly like a birthing pod. If I used it to cast a 1 CMC and had a 3 CMC sorcery in hand, I'd likely put a second counter on it without casting anything if it meant I'd cast the 3 CMC for 1 during the following turn.
I don't think the card has to be optimally utilized just to generate really good value.
Apart from that its pretty epic as a foil
The brain in the jar! The brain in the jar! He wanna get out! He wanna get out!
I think it has a LOT of potential.
If that's the case then it Seems like jori en, ruin diver is a great fit for it
At the very least it builds up to a decent scry count.
So you play it, now you're down a card. Then you need to have instants/sorceries at cmc 1, 2, and 3, that you want to cast, before the thing even starts saving you mana (saving mana is the only reason to play it, since it doesn't generate any card advantage.) If you've made it this far, you still need to have more instants/and sorceries at cmc 4 and 5, that you want to cast, to capitalize on the thing.
And then if you give up on building charge counters you can pay 3 mana to undo your previous work to scry. Wow.
So yeah, don't use this.
Unless you're going to try to dismantle counters onto it from surge node or something, that would be hilarious, do that.
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WUBRGProgenitus
URGMaelstrom Wanderer
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BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher ($100)
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Pretty well with splits. Pretty darn well with fuse. The Brain lets you cast a spell with a specific CMC (let's say, 2). The game asks your split card if it has that CMC (of 2). Beck // Call says "Yes. No." The game goes: "Did you say yes? Aw-right!" and you get to cast the spell. Then, as you put the spell on the stack, the game goes: "I see that you're trying to a split card, which half would you like to play?" And you go: "The awesome half (Call)" and the game goes: "ok." So you can cast the other half of a split card with Brain.
Note, this works the same as Sunforger so far in that Split cards get to cheat a bit on which half is saying yes to the CMC question, vs. which half actually gets cast.
Now, Fuse is a bit more interesting. Fuse is a choice that's made as you cast a spell from your hand; notably, it's not an alternate cost (and not even an additional cost!), so it doesn't interfere with the "cast for free." As such, since Brain is casting the spell from your hand, you get to make that choice, and can actually fuse the spell for free.
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But in general, I think it's just too slow.
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I see, that's actually quite cool. I did hear somewhere around my LGS that brain in a jar worked well with fuse so I asked here for clarification. Maybe I'll brew a deck that uses brain in a jar with split/fuse cards.
WUBRGProgenitus
URGMaelstrom Wanderer
WUBOloro, Ageless Ascetic
WURZedruu, the Greathearted
BRGProssh, Skyraider of Kher ($100)
GWUDerevi, Empyrial Tactician ($100)
UGKruphix, God of Horizons ($100)(retired)UTalrand, Sky Summoner (French 1v1, $100)
I'd only play it if, among your instants and sorceries, you have 6-10 at cmc 1, 6-10 at cmc 2, 6-10 at cmc 3, 4-8 at 4, 4-8 at 5, 3-6 at 6 or some such
this card is SO NARROW AND HARD TO USE.
Knowledge is power, money is power, time is money, you are actually gaining time by reading my posts
Click here and check out my Formerly Pauper Cube.
check out my EDH and Pauper EDH decks here
I don't think the card has to be optimally utilized just to generate really good value.
you really shouldn't think about it as a birthing pod rather more of an Æther Vial