Brain Pry
Sorcery
Choose a nonland card name. Target player reveals their hand. That player discards a card with that name. If they can't, you draw a card.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dissension
- Price
- $0.18
- EDHREC rank
- #26633
Brain Pry trades one card for one card and leaves the opponent's hand intact except for a single named card — that's a bad deal in a format where cards are already scarce. Targeted discard exists in much stronger forms, and Brain Pry doesn't clear the bar.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Brain Pry is too narrow — stripping one card from one opponent while doing nothing about the other two or three players at the table is a poor investment of a card slot and two mana. Legacy and Vintage have access to Thoughtseize, Duress, and Inquisition of Kozilek, all of which either cost less or offer broader coverage, leaving Brain Pry without a realistic home in those formats either. Modern is the same story: the bar for one-mana discard is already high, and a two-mana sorcery that can whiff if the named card isn't in hand doesn't compete. Brain Pry is legal in Oathbreaker, but the format's faster pace makes the inefficiency hurt even more.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.18 bulk tier
At $0.18, Brain Pry is deep bulk — the price reflects demand, which is close to zero across competitive formats. Don't expect that to change; cheaper and more efficient discard options keep a ceiling on this card permanently.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.