Brazen Boarding MTG Card


Instant speed makes Brazen Boarding a versatile disruption tool during critical game moments. Generates treasure for mana acceleration while potentially controlling opponent’s creatures. Demands strategic play due to its specific mana cost, discard requirement, and high mana tier.
Brazen Boarding - Alchemy: Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Abilities Conjure
Released2023-12-05
Set symbol
Set nameAlchemy: Ixalan
Set codeYLCI
Number23
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byAnthony Devine

Text of card

Brazen Boarding deals 4 damage to target creature or planeswalker. If excess damage is dealt this way, conjure a card with mana value equal to that excess damage from Brazen Boarding's spellbook onto the battlefield. If that excess damage is 4 or greater, instead conjure a card named Admiral Beckett Brass onto the battlefield.


Cards like Brazen Boarding

Brazen Boarding introduces a unique dynamic to the arsenal of red sorceries in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest relatives in terms of gameplay impact include cards like High Seas Adventure which shares the pirate theme and provides a burst of treasure, crucial for ramping up mana. However, Brazen Boarding adds a layer of interaction by allowing the destruction of an artifact when a treasure token is sacrificed.

Another related card is Fiery Conclusion, which offers a similar sacrifice element, requiring a creature sacrifice to deal damage to a target creature. Unlike Brazen Boarding, Fiery Conclusion doesn’t dabble in the generation of treasure tokens, therefore not supporting the mana acceleration aspect. Additionally, Brazen Boarding’s flexibility shines when pitted against Fiery Conclusion due to its ability to target creatures or planeswalkers.

In the realm of pirate-flavored spells, Capsize with its buyback ability can be mentioned for its permanence control, yet it doesn’t quite match the resource-generating upside that Brazen Boarding provides. Weighing these options, Brazen Boarding stands out for its multi-faceted approach, blending artifact disruption, damage dealing, and treasure creation into a single, versatile card that could shift the tides in your favor.

Fiery Conclusion - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Fiery Conclusion - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Brazen Boarding by color, type and mana cost

Quenchable Fire - MTG Card versions
Mystic Retrieval - MTG Card versions
Collected Conjuring - MTG Card versions
Experimental Overload - MTG Card versions
Truth or Consequences - MTG Card versions
Ill-Timed Explosion - MTG Card versions
Quenchable Fire - MTG Card versions
Mystic Retrieval - MTG Card versions
Collected Conjuring - MTG Card versions
Experimental Overload - MTG Card versions
Truth or Consequences - MTG Card versions
Ill-Timed Explosion - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Brazen Boarding offers the unique benefit of potentially seizing an opponent’s creature, providing you with not just removal of their threat but also the addition of a new asset to your side of the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond the potential to gain control of an opponent’s creature, this card can also give you a Treasure token, which can be a crucial boost in mana resources, especially in decks that hinge on significant plays a turn early.

Instant Speed: The versatility of Brazen Boarding is amplified by its instant speed capability, allowing for reactive play during your opponent’s turn. This creates surprise shifts in board state and can disrupt your opponent’s strategy at a pivotal moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Brazen Boarding demands that you discard a card to unlock its full potential. This requirement must be strategically navigated as it can be detrimental when hand resources are sparse, undermining the card’s utility in tight situations.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that necessitates both red and generic mana, Brazen Boarding can clash with the mana base of multicolored decks. This can make it less flexible and sometimes a burden in decks that are not heavily red-centric.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: It hovers at a higher mana tier, which can overshadow its desirability especially when options for lower mana costs that provide similar or better effects exist within the game. This makes it challenging to prioritize Brazen Boarding in a tightly curated decklist.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Brazen Boarding offers flexibility for several deck archetypes, seamlessly integrating into strategies that require creature control or need a temporary solution against opponent’s threats. Its ability to bounce an opponent’s nonland permanent is a universal response that any deck could utilize.

Combo Potential: The synergy of Brazen Boarding with cards that capitalize on casting spells during an opponent’s turn or those that benefit from pirates is notable. Combining this card with such strategies can lead to powerful turns, disrupting your opponent while advancing your board state.

Meta-Relevance: Due to the fast-paced nature of many MTG metas, having quick answers like Brazen Boarding is crucial. In environments where tempo plays a significant role, the ability to deal with an emerging threat instantly and swing back can be game-changing.


How to beat

Brazen Borrower brings a unique twist as a versatile card in MTG, disrupting opponents with its instant speed Petty Theft ability and the threat of a flying creature upon casting Brazen Boarding. While tackling this card can be tricky, the key lies in timing and resource management. Preventing the Petty Theft effect is crucial, so holding onto instant-speed interaction like Counterspells or cards that grant hexproof to your permanents can counteract the disruption. Furthermore, considering Brazen Borrower can only block flying creatures, increasing the pressure with ground forces or removal spells that can target the borrower, like Fatal Push or Heartless Act, will neutralize its threat. Asterisks like instant-speed removal shine against Brazen Borrower, as they can dispatch it before it has a chance to apply pressure or after it has bounced one of your spells.

Additionally, employing cards that incur penalties upon spell casting or creature entering the battlefield, like Torbran, Thane of Red Fell or Tocatli Honor Guard, can make it less appealing for an opponent to utilize Brazen Borrower’s abilities. With strategic play and a knack for anticipation, overcoming the challenges posed by Brazen Boarding is entirely within grasp for adept MTG players.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Brazen Boarding MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Ixalan, 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 Brazen Boarding and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Brazen Boarding has restrictions

FormatLegality
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
TimelessLegal