Braingeyser
Sorcery
Target player draws X cards.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Foreign Black Border
- Price
- $58.21
- EDHREC rank
- #11705
Braingeyser puts X cards directly into your hand at instant speed for XUU — scalable draw that can refill your hand for two mana or empty your opponent's library as a win condition with enough mana. The catch is price: the effect itself is powerful, but Spellweaver Helix aside, there are cheaper cards that do most of the work for a fraction of the cost.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Braingeyser is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker — and that's the right company for a card with this pedigree. In Vintage it's a restricted piece for good reason: one copy that can close games with enough mana. In Legacy it's legal but rarely played, crowded out by Stroke of Genius and Blue Sun's Zenith which offer more utility at similar mana investment. Commander is where Braingeyser finds the most consistent home, slotting into any blue deck that can generate large amounts of mana and wants a scalable draw spell that doubles as a mill-out finisher.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Spellweaver HelixDirgur Focusmage // BraingeyserBraingeyserPetals of Insight
Infinite turns; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Stroke of Genius and Blue Sun's Zenith both replicate what Braingeyser does — scalable blue X-draw — at a fraction of the price, with Stroke adding instant speed and Blue Sun's Zenith shuffling back into your library as a bonus. If you want the closest functional replacement to Braingeyser without the $58 price tag, either of those two cards covers the role for under $2.
Price Context
Current price
$58.21 premium tier
At $58.21, Braingeyser sits firmly in the premium tier driven almost entirely by age and collectibility rather than raw power — the effect has been reprinted in cheaper forms many times over. It holds value as an original Alpha/Beta/Unlimited card with collector demand, but if your goal is gameplay, the price is hard to justify.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.