Brineborn Cutthroat
Creature — Merfolk Pirate
Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)
Whenever you cast a spell during an opponent's turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Game Night: Free-for-All
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #10446
Brineborn Cutthroat enters small and grows every time you cast a spell on an opponent's turn — in a flash-heavy shell, it routinely becomes a 4/4 or larger before anyone can profitably answer it. Rashmi, Eternities Crafter decks that already live on the opponent's turn make this a two-mana threat that scales for free.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
Rashmi, Eternities Crafter rewards casting spells on every turn, and every one of those instant-speed triggers off Rashmi's cascade effect feeds a +1/+1 counter onto Brineborn Cutthroat — the two cards are running the exact same game plan.
Katara, Waterbending Master
Katara, Waterbending Master leans into a flash-and-instant-heavy gameplan where holding up mana on opponents' turns is the default, and Brineborn Cutthroat punishes that posture by growing every time Katara's controller acts in response to anything.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Brineborn Cutthroat earns its slot specifically in flash-tribal or instant-heavy blue-green builds — three opponents' turns means three opportunities per round to stack counters before it ever attacks. In competitive constructed, it sees fringe play in Modern and Pioneer tempo shells that already want a two-mana threat that rewards interacting on the opponent's end step. Legacy has more efficient options at the same slot, so Brineborn Cutthroat rarely shows up there outside of dedicated flash builds. Standard legality means it's available for newer players building toward flash-based strategies, though dedicated flash payoffs are context-dependent on the current card pool.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Brineborn Cutthroat is firmly bulk — you can pick up a playset for under a dollar. Bulk rares with narrow archetype demand rarely climb unless a new commander or set mechanic turns flash-tribal into a tier strategy, so treat it as a cheap role-player rather than a sleeper.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Rashmi, Eternities Crafter
- Katara, Waterbending Master
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.