Brain Freeze MTG Card


Brain Freeze excels in decks with high spell counts, disrupting opponents by milling their strategies. Instant speed allows strategic responses, aligning well with cards enhancing graveyard plays. Its blue mana requirement and storm reliance pose both deck building challenges and opportunities.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Mill,Storm

Text of card

Target player puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. Storm (When you play this spell, copy it for each spell played before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)


Cards like Brain Freeze

Brain Freeze stands out in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering as an iconic card, particularly within the Storm archetype. It shares a kinship with other spells that bank on casting multiple spells, like Grapeshot, which also deals damage per spell cast before it. However, where Grapeshot scorches life totals, Brain Freeze chills an opponent’s strategy by milling their library, which can circumvent traditional defenses.

Another parallel card is Tendrils of Agony, a spell that also thrives on the storm count. Like Brain Freeze, it can create a significant impact on the game but in a different style. Tendrils of Agony saps life directly from the opponent, offering a direct route to depleting an opponent’s life total, whereas Brain Freeze works towards an alternate win condition of depleting an opponent’s deck.

Lastly, Empty the Warrens deserves mention. While this card doesn’t mill or cause direct damage, it leverages the Storm mechanic to flood the board with Goblin tokens, showcasing the versatility of the mechanic. Each card, including Brain Freeze, serves a unique purpose, giving players different angles to explore their deck’s storm potential within Magic: The Gathering.

Grapeshot - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Agony - MTG Card versions
Empty the Warrens - MTG Card versions
Grapeshot - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Agony - MTG Card versions
Empty the Warrens - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Brain Freeze by color, type and mana cost

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Hurkyl's Recall - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions
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Boomerang - MTG Card versions
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Hoodwink - MTG Card versions
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Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions
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Impulse - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Metamorphose - MTG Card versions
Flash Counter - MTG Card versions
Echoing Truth - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Hurkyl's Recall - MTG Card versions
Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions
Lat-Nam's Legacy - MTG Card versions
Flash - MTG Card versions
Boomerang - MTG Card versions
Updraft - MTG Card versions
Rebound - MTG Card versions
Memory Lapse - MTG Card versions
Hoodwink - MTG Card versions
Tidal Bore - MTG Card versions
Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Teferi's Response - MTG Card versions
Aether Burst - MTG Card versions
Impulse - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions
Metamorphose - MTG Card versions
Flash Counter - MTG Card versions
Echoing Truth - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Brain Freeze. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Lurrus SagaLurrus Saga VintageLurrus SagaVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-20
Grixis Underworld BreachGrixis Underworld Breach VintageUnderworld BreachVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-13
High TideHigh Tide LegacyHigh TideLegacy Challenge 32 2024-04-27 (1)
4c Underworld Breach4c Underworld Breach VintageUnderworld BreachVintage Challenge 32 2024-04-18
4c Tempo4c Tempo VintageBlue TempoVintage League 2024-04-23
Tinker BreachTinker Breach VintageUnderworld BreachLondon Vintage Tournament #4 - April 2024
WUBRWUBR VintageVintage League 2024-04-12

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Brain Freeze excels in milling a substantial number of cards from an opponent’s library. Every spell cast prior to Brain Freeze amplifies its effect, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy by removing key pieces from their deck.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, Brain Freeze can help facilitate resource acceleration by enabling strategies built around graveyard manipulation and spell recursion effects. It synergizes with cards that benefit from casting multiple spells or having numerous cards in an opponent’s graveyard.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Brain Freeze at instant speed gives players the flexibility to wait until the optimal moment. This adaptability is crucial as it allows the player to respond to an opponent’s actions during their turn, potentially milling them out when they’re most vulnerable.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Unlike other spells that can be cast freely, Brain Freeze requires you to have a spell cast previously in the same turn to get the full benefit. This can sometimes be a challenging setup, especially if your hand is running low on cards or if your deck isn’t built around a storm mechanic.

Specific Mana Cost: Brain Freeze’s blue mana cost demands a dedicated investment in blue mana sources, potentially restricting its inclusion in decks that are not based primarily on blue or that are built with a tight mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given that Brain Freeze is a situational card requiring a series of spells to be cast beforehand to be effective, it isn’t always as efficient as other low-cost cards designed to disrupt an opponent’s library. Its dependency on the storm mechanic to be cost-effective can make it a less attractive option compared to more straightforward, lower-cost alternatives.


Reasons to Include Brain Freeze in Your Collection

Versatility: Brain Freeze offers an adaptive role in any deck that employs spellslinger strategies. Its capacity to scale its effect with the number of spells cast makes it a useful tool for decks geared towards storm or high-spell-volume tactics.

Combo Potential: This card is a linchpin in decks that revolve around casting numerous spells in a single turn. It synergizes with cards that untap lands or provide additional draws, enabling a player to mill opponents out in one grand flurry of spellcasting.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames with an emphasis on combo or control decks, Brain Freeze shines by disrupting opponents’ strategies. As graveyard-based mechanics are prevalent, having a targeted mill card like Brain Freeze can be crucial in hindering your opponents’ game plan.


How to beat

Brain Freeze can be a powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering when played in a deck designed around spell-slinging and combo finishes. The card’s strength lies in its potential to quickly mill an opponent by copying itself for each spell cast before it in a turn. This effect can end games abruptly, especially when stacked with numerous spells.

To effectively counter Brain Freeze, it is important to have strategies in place to prevent massive milling. One key method is to include cards that disrupt combos or spells, such as counterspells or instant-speed removal that can be played in response. Another is to utilize cards that reshuffle your graveyard back into your library, negating the mill effect and prolonging your ability to stay in the game. Keeping the pressure on a Brain Freeze player and forcing them to use their spells defensively rather than offensively can also diminish the card’s impact. Understanding the mechanics at a deeper level and planning accordingly can raise your defenses against a surprise freeze-out.

Overall, while Brain Freeze can be a daunting force in the right setup, knowing how to disrupt the card’s mechanics or even turn its strategy against itself can shift the tide in your favor.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’ve been intrigued by the strategic depth Brain Freeze adds to your MTG matches, there’s a whole iceberg to explore beneath the surface. Navigating through its pros and cons, and understanding its potent combo potential, can be game-changing. Whether you’re crafting a new spell-heavy deck or seeking an edge in your local meta, the addition of Brain Freeze should be considered with both its power and its limitations in mind. Dive deeper into the world of MTG strategy with us, sharpen your gameplay, and discover how to integrate cards like Brain Freeze into your winning arsenal.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brain Freeze MTG card by a specific set like Scourge and Vintage Masters, 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 Brain Freeze and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Brain Freeze Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2003-05-26 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12003-05-26ScourgeSCG 291997NormalBlackTim Hildebrandt
22014-06-16Vintage MastersVMA 572015NormalBlackTim Hildebrandt
32019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 4102015NormalBorderlessRorubei
42020-09-26The ListPLST SCG-291997NormalBlackTim Hildebrandt

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brain Freeze has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-06-07 A copy of a spell can be countered like any other spell, but it must be countered individually. Countering a spell with storm won’t affect the copies.
2013-06-07 Spells cast from zones other than a player’s hand and spells that were countered are counted by the storm ability.
2013-06-07 The copies are put directly onto the stack. They aren’t cast and won’t be counted by other spells with storm cast later in the turn.
2013-06-07 The triggered ability that creates the copies can itself be countered by anything that can counter a triggered ability. If it is countered, no copies will be put onto the stack.
2013-06-07 You may choose new targets for any of the copies. You can choose differently for each copy.