Brainwash MTG Card


Brainwash can shift board control, compelling opponents to reassess attack strategies. It demands a card discard, potentially hampering your strategy if resources are low. Despite a specific mana cost, its defensive utility in control decks is undeniable.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Text of card

Target creature may not attack unless its controller pays o3 in addition to any other costs required for the creature to attack.

"They're not your friends; they despise you. I'm the only one you can count on. Trust me."


Cards like Brainwash

Brainwash perhaps isn’t the most renowned card in Magic: The Gathering, but it certainly has its place in the realm of control spells. Comparatively, cards like Pacifism also halt creatures from attacking without directly removing them from play. Similarly, Brainwash, with its minimalistic cost, efficiently prevents an opponent’s creature from attacking unless a fee is paid. While Pacifism is more absolute in effect, Brainwash offers an economic trade-off, setting a price on aggressive strategies.

Another card to consider alongside Brainwash is Arrest. Arrest, although costing more mana, utterly neutralizes a creature by forbidding attacking, blocking, and activating its abilities. This broader scope of restriction makes Arrest a stronger control tool in many scenarios. However, when deck building on a budget or strategizing for early-game control, Brainwash demonstrates its utility with its low-cost casting.

Examining these comparisons, it’s clear Brainwash can be a valuable early-game play, potentially shaping the battlefield’s dynamics while your opponent contemplates the cost of aggression. As an economical option in a strategic deck, Brainwash supports a control player’s arsenal in Magic: The Gathering.

Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Brainwash by color, type and mana cost

White Ward - MTG Card versions
Green Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Strength - MTG Card versions
Lance - MTG Card versions
Consecrate Land - MTG Card versions
Animate Wall - MTG Card versions
Black Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Armor - MTG Card versions
Blue Ward - MTG Card versions
Red Ward - MTG Card versions
Land Tax - MTG Card versions
Green Scarab - MTG Card versions
Blue Scarab - MTG Card versions
Spirit Link - MTG Card versions
Armor of Faith - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Armor - MTG Card versions
Flickering Ward - MTG Card versions
Limited Resources - MTG Card versions
Mask of Law and Grace - MTG Card versions
Shield of Duty and Reason - MTG Card versions
White Ward - MTG Card versions
Green Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Strength - MTG Card versions
Lance - MTG Card versions
Consecrate Land - MTG Card versions
Animate Wall - MTG Card versions
Black Ward - MTG Card versions
Holy Armor - MTG Card versions
Blue Ward - MTG Card versions
Red Ward - MTG Card versions
Land Tax - MTG Card versions
Green Scarab - MTG Card versions
Blue Scarab - MTG Card versions
Spirit Link - MTG Card versions
Armor of Faith - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Armor - MTG Card versions
Flickering Ward - MTG Card versions
Limited Resources - MTG Card versions
Mask of Law and Grace - MTG Card versions
Shield of Duty and Reason - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Brainwash provides a strategic edge by enabling you to dictate an opponent’s attack, potentially saving crucial life points or disrupting their combat plans. This can lead to indirect card advantage as it helps maintain board control.

Resource Acceleration: While Brainwash doesn’t produce mana or tokens, it can slow down an aggressive opponent, effectively buying you time to ramp up your resources and establish a commanding presence on the board.

Instant Speed: The versatility of being an instant means Brainwash can be cast in response to an opponent declaring attackers, providing on-the-fly defense that can pivot the tide of battle and maintain the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Brainwash requires its controller to discard another card, potentially leading to a strategic disadvantage if their hand is already depleted or if every card held is crucial for planned combos or defense strategies.

Specific Mana Cost: Locked into a white mana cost, Brainwash may not seamlessly fit into multicolored or mana-flexible decks, somewhat constraining deck-building options and potentially disrupting mana curve efficiency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its cost set at three white mana, Brainwash may be seen as resource-intensive when evaluated against other options. Players might encounter alternative enchantments or spells that yield higher value or more immediate board impact for the same, or even a lower, investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Brainwash is a unique spell that can adapt to various playstyles, fitting well in decks that focus on controlling opponent’s creatures and dictating the pace of the battlefield.

Combo Potential: This card can be a key component in control-oriented combos, potentially locking down an opponent’s key creature and paving the way for your victory. It pairs well with tap-untap mechanics or abilities that benefit from targeting creatures.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where early creature threats are prevalent, Brainwash can serve as an efficient tool to neutralize those threats, allowing for a more stable board state until you can establish your winning strategy.


How to beat

Brainwash is a unique enchantment in MTG that can be particularly disruptive by requiring an additional payment for a creature to attack. Overcoming Brainwash requires strategy and resource management. To navigate this obstacle, players can utilize spells or abilities that allow them to untap their creatures without declaring an attack. This bypasses the need to pay the extra cost that Brainwash imposes.

Moreover, leveraging removal spells that specifically target enchantments, such as Disenchant, can provide a simple and effective solution to eliminate Brainwash from the battlefield. Cards like Naturalize or Krosan Grip offer similar results, with the added benefit of being instant-speed options. In metagames where Brainwash is prevalent, incorporating a small suite of enchantment removal in your sideboard can significantly increase your resilience against it.

To conclude, while Brainwash can pose a tactical hurdle, maintaining flexibility in your deck to deal with enchantments and honing your in-game strategies to outmaneuver such control mechanisms can assure your creatures’ unhindered attacks and preserve your tempo advantage in your MTG matches.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brainwash MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Fourth Edition, 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 Brainwash and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Brainwash Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2016-11-16. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-08-01The DarkDRK 31993NormalBlackPete Venters
21995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 111993NormalWhitePete Venters
31995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 111993NormalBlackPete Venters
41995-08-01RenaissanceREN 61993NormalBlackPete Venters
51997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 131997NormalWhiteTerese Nielsen
62016-11-16Treasure ChestPZ2 657952015NormalBlackTerese Nielsen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brainwash has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 If there are multiple combat phases during the turn, the attack cost must be paid each time if you want to attack with the creature.
2004-10-04 Paying this cost is not an instant or any other kind of ability, it is an additional cost on the declaration of the attacker.
2004-10-04 This ability is paid for during the declare attackers step of the combat phase.