Brainspoil

Sorcery

Destroy target creature that isn't enchanted. It can't be regenerated.

Transmute {1}{B}{B} ({1}{B}{B}, Discard this card: Search your library for a card with the same converted mana cost/mana value as this card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. Transmute only as a sorcery.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Freeform	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Modern Beyond Horizons	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Planar Constructed	Legal
Planechase	Legal
PreDH	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (49)

DemonDragonJ on How Can Tutor Effects Remain …

4 months ago

DreadKhan, I was new to the game during the original Ravnica block, but Brainspoil is definitely a terrible card, and I cannot imagine ever actually casting it, rather than using its transmute ability, and, on that subject, I dearly would like to see WotC print additional cards with transfigure, which currently exists only on Fleshwrither.

DreadKhan on How Can Tutor Effects Remain …

4 months ago

I'm a fan of Diabolic Revelation, obviously a bit of a build around. I think most tutors suffer from people wanting them to be almost as good as Demnonic/Vampiric Tutor, and those are badly designed/broken cards that ate bans, yet because they exist they normalize something that hurts the game. Diabolic Tutor sees a surprising amount of casual play, and I think that's a reasonable card.

I also enjoyed Transmute, but I will forever be doing penance for having actually cast Brainspoil, is that actually the worst removal spell ever printed? I think it's worse than the Portal stuff, 5 mana for sorcery speed conditional removal with an upside that almost never mattered from the day it was first used? I know they didn't want it to be a good spell, but even Murder was only 3 mana, and this is MUCH WORSE than Murder. I still wonder if they'll do something like Transmute for Boros, only it's restricted to finding Artifacts/Enchantments to keep it from being too useful. I just hope they don't nerf the spells THAT hard.

DreadKhan on Need help to make the …

9 months ago

I think most of the legal tutors in Legacy aren't very good (Legacy is a VERY fast format at this point), but if you are okay with 3 mana tutors you can look at Transmute effects, some of them are available in mono-Black. These tutors come stapled to what is almost always a terrible spell (Brainspoil might be the worst removal spell I've actually played), but they let you find anything at that spell's MV. I think the one you'd want in here is Shred Memory, this also lets you exile something if you really need that (it's even an Instant speed exile effect), I find graveyard hate needs to be in the mainboard or your sideboard, ymmv.

I second adding some duals, I would think even 1 would help, especially because Blood Moon will just turn them into Mountains anyways, so if they replaced Mountains you'd be fine.

Would Liliana's Caress make any sense? I love Rack decks and I have often wondered about Caress, but I don't have the forced draw your deck can provide, Caress + Anvil is 2 damage each upkeep, and it goes up for each extra card they have to pitch. I don't use any Caress atm in my Rack deck, but mostly because it's pricey and the one copy I have is in my Discard EDH deck already!

Maybe x1 Quest for the Nihil Stone? If your deck is working correctly the opponent very quickly has no cards, meaning this will be very quickly turned on, and 5 damage per upkeep from 1 card for {B} seems worth a look.

I'm a bit curious what happens if someone resolves a good creature before you can lock them out of cards, I run ~16 ways that interfere with creatures in my own Legacy Rack deck, but I admittedly don't lock them out of cards!

Good luck with your list, it looks like a lot of fun!

capwner on "Master of Cruelties" - Budget but Strong?

1 year ago

As an x/4 in a no fury meta I think this card could potentially be good. The deck really wants Ragavan but yeah that's not very budget. Bowmasters too.

About 'understanding what to replace,' the way I think of it is, you know there are always more potential good cards than you can actually run in any deck, usually there are multiple good ways to build a deck. Every card should play into your synergy, except for sideboard cards which can attack something very specifically. And every card should be the best possible option for its slot (most versatility, most synergies with your other cards, most favorable in specific interactions vs. specific cards). Example, this is why I love Apostle's Blessing in here, it's versatile because it protects and evades, and these are both things your deck REALLY needs. And it's a cheap instant. Great card.

But now look at Goblin Tunneler, I see a card that is part of the gameplan, but it's also an x/1 non hasty creature and a 2 drop. This is going to fall short a lot of the time. Maybe a card like Wedding Invitation or Key to the City could be better in this slot. Generator Servant is great for the haste but it has the same weakness. Splitting that with artifact ramp like you did is good, maybe consider options like Pentad Prism but go with what you think plays the best. Molten Collapse is a strictly better Dreadbore and not expensive. Sunken Citadel might be a good land to combo with Rogue's Passage, maybe then Field of Ruin instead of Ghost Quarter? And Graven Cairns? On the lands topic I really like the idea posted above of adding Leechridden Swamp but you do need the fetches to really make it work.

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death has a nice effect but doesn't really synergize with anything besides bringing your Master back, which it can't even do vs. LB and Solitude. Maybe adding cards that combo with her like Fulminator Mage or Augur of Skulls could make her better. Lightning Greaves also makes her and a lot of your other creatures better too, this is a card I'd consider for a 1 or 2 of. But without adding more support, you might consider cutting Alesha and adding something along another angle.

I like Brainspoil, the tutor is nice because finding the Master is definitely a bottlneck in the deck. Grim Tutor is an option but a bit more expensive, Profane Tutor is affordable but has some problems. Having at least one other tutorable 5 drop would make your BS a lot better. 1 of Glarewielder would be kind of cute.

Hand disruption is another angle you might consider, it's really good for a slightly slower combo deck like this to nullify your opponent's big early plays and buy you a couple extra turns to combo them out. Collective Brutality is a pretty decent flexible card that also finishes your opponent.

In the end I think tuning your list and making cuts is about trying to make as many of these meaningful synergy connections between different cards as possible, getting the right amount of each type of effect you want (3 vs 4 of a specific effect like Dreadbore matters a lot vs some decks!), and then you cut either your lowest synergy cards, or effects you think you could safely go down a count on. Usually you want 6-8 ways of getting your key card in action, or 6+ of each combo piece/synergy if it involves multiple cards, and in a perfect world you want 4+ post board copies of HATE for particular meta decks, like 4 Leyline of the Void vs. Living End, or 8 killspells that can kill a Primeval Titan or Sheoldred. Your board cards should address aspects of other decks that really threaten you, no need to run those Leylines if you already beat that deck most of the time. It often comes down to having the right reactive cards, so you want good numbers of the ones you'll need the most.

Sorry for the whole ass book! It seemed like you wanted the help and I liked the concept/got into it a bit once I started looking. I think there's a lot of work and playtesting you could do to really optimize this, and maybe it could end up being pretty good+still affordable!

metalflame on Pattern Recognition # 288 - …

2 years ago

This is the reason why Brainspoil is one of my favorite cards in black. If you got the colors transmute is good to fit along the mid of your curve. Even better when you can use it for something as important as removal if you got the tools you need.

Fleshwrither is kind of like this, and from what I understand is a unique mechanic of the same type.

CruelEntertainment on Date Night with Phage

2 years ago

Have you Though about adding any transmute cards to the list, like Dimir House Guard or Brainspoil, if anything just to save a bit of money, also, thanks for making the list, I feel like it is a cool primer for how to

zapyourtumor on Good Vibrations

2 years ago

Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (allows t4 thrumming stone with cabal coffers)

Diabolic Intent over Brainspoil?

LittleMy on Tribal Vampires Help Wanted

3 years ago

I saw another comment say this, but stressing it, Phyrexian Arena can be replaced (and same with Greed). For an enchantment that can be removed, same cost as Necropotence which you have included and doesn't generate nearly the same amount of value? Personally, I'd rather slot in a card like Sign in Blood or Night's Whisper, or for doing double duty, Castle Locthwain (and considering you're Mono Black, having it come in untapped shouldn't be an issue) These also are more on demand, situational impulse draws for when you really need them.

I'm a huge fan of mana doublers, and I personally don't like Extraplanar Lens. While I understand the upside, I can't get past the exiling a land. I think that's too much of a downside. On the flip side, two mana doublers I like, Crypt Ghast and Magus of the Coffers, do double duty as blockers/attackers, and all for more mana, and you keep a land. I see you have Nyx Lotus in your maybe board as well, and I'd even say slot this in over Extraplanar Lens.

While Adaptive Automaton and Metallic Mimic both are decent anthems, they don't offer possible utility like other cards can. Considering you're running a lot of vampires, I'd recommend slotting in two other cards for them. Veinwitch Coven brings back cards from the dead when you gain life, which seems often. Return combo pieces, big threats, or mana helpers. And if you are still concerned about card draw, Champion of Dusk.

You already have a lot of tutors, Brainspoil might be pushing it, unless there's a combo that I am not seeing. To be more dynamic, I'd recommend Go for the Throat or Doom Blade depending on your meta. Having cheap removal at instant speed can be the difference in a game.

Charcoal Diamond I'd highly recommend switching out for Arcane Signet as this does not come in to play tapped and can be used immediately.

Door of Destinies or Coat of Arms I'd also highly recommend. They're fantastic tribal anthems and I'd argue puts in more work than Herald's Horn. I say that because I like the philosophy of, "the best healing is damage" or "more damage, less dead" (and also Coat of Arms with a full board and constant threat replacement with Veinwitch Coven is terrifying)

Hope this helps!