Botanical Brawler
Creature — Elemental Warrior
Trample
This creature enters with two +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on another permanent you control, if it's the first time +1/+1 counters have been put on that permanent this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- March of the Machine
- Price
- $0.37
- EDHREC rank
- #6403
Botanical Brawler enters with a +1/+1 counter for each counter already on the battlefield, which in a dedicated counters deck means it routinely lands as a 4/4 or larger for three mana. Antler Skulkin can recur it repeatedly to keep reloading that enter-the-battlefield count, and Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam turns every one of those entry counters into fuel for the next spell — Botanical Brawler isn't a support piece in those shells, it's a payoff.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam
Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam cares directly about +1/+1 counters entering the battlefield, so Botanical Brawler's burst of counters on arrival translates immediately into Dyadrine's triggered advantage — it's one of the cleanest single-card hits for that engine at 42% inclusion across Dyadrine lists.
Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
Hamza, Guardian of Arashin reduces the cost of creatures you cast for each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter, and Botanical Brawler almost always enters with at least one counter in that deck, making it both a cost-reducer for subsequent plays and a self-funding threat.
Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion // Master Chef
Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion adds an extra counter whenever creatures get counters, so Botanical Brawler's ETB pile doubles in size under Lae'zel — every counter it enters with becomes two, which can swing the board state immediately.
Sovereign Okinec Ahau
Sovereign Okinec Ahau pumps attacking creatures based on their highest power, and a Botanical Brawler that enters as a 5/5 or larger turns every combat into a counter-stacking event across the whole team.
Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar draws cards when creatures with counters deal combat damage, so Botanical Brawler's reliable entry size means it's almost always contributing to Kutzil's draw trigger the turn it attacks.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Botanical Brawler is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker — but Commander is where it actually gets played. In Modern and Pioneer, a 3-mana creature that scales off a condition you have to build around doesn't clear the bar when the format's threats are faster and less situational. Legacy and Vintage have no interest. Commander counters decks are the natural home: the format's slower pace and larger boards mean Botanical Brawler regularly enters as a substantial threat rather than a vanilla 1/1, and the density of synergy commanders in the Simic color space makes the payoff reliable.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Antler SkulkinAshnod's AltarBotanical Brawler
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.37 bulk tier
At $0.37, Botanical Brawler is bulk — easy to pick up as a set of four without a second thought. Bulk rares with narrow tribal or counter-synergy homes rarely spike, so don't expect movement unless a future commander pushes the archetype hard.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Antler Skulkin
- Dyadrine, Synthesis Amalgam
- Hamza, Guardian of Arashin
- Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion // Master Chef
- Sovereign Okinec Ahau
- Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
- Ashnod's Altar
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.