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Brinelin, the Moon Kraken

Legendary Creature — Kraken

When Brinelin enters and whenever you cast a spell with mana value 6 or greater, you may return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)

CMC
8
Mana cost
{6}{U}{U}
Color identity
U
Rarity
uncommon
Set
Commander Masters
Price
$0.29
EDHREC rank
#5166
Buy on TCGplayer
Brinelin, the Moon Kraken card art
Brinelin, the Moon Kraken bounces a nonland permanent whenever you cast a spell with mana value 6 or greater — free, repeatable tempo that scales with every expensive spell you'd already want to cast. The cost is a 9-mana body that requires you to build around big spells to get full value; in the right shell, like Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea or Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep, that requirement is no cost at all.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep

Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep

72.2% of decks · synergy 0.68

Kiora, Sovereign of the Deep casts Krakens, Leviathans, Octopuses, and Serpents for free off the top of your library, which means Brinelin, the Moon Kraken's trigger fires every time Kiora cheats something into play — turning a creature-cheat engine into a permanent bounce engine with no extra mana invested.

02
Marvo, Deep Operative

Marvo, Deep Operative

61.6% of decks · synergy 0.59

Marvo, Deep Operative impulse-draws and then casts spells from exile, and its ability scales up with each spell cast — Brinelin, the Moon Kraken slots in as a payoff that bounces a threat every time Marvo's chain hits a 6-mana-value card, which in a high-curve deck happens constantly.

03

Runo Stromkirk

47.4% of decks · synergy 0.45

Runo Stromkirk rewards you for stacking the deck with massive sea creatures, so Brinelin, the Moon Kraken fits naturally as both a Kraken tribal member and a bounce engine that fires off the same expensive spells Runo wants you casting anyway.

04
Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty

Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty

46.2% of decks · synergy 0.42

Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty gives cascade to every spell with mana value 6 or greater, and Brinelin, the Moon Kraken turns each of those cascade triggers into a bonus bounce — every big spell you cast cleans up a blocker or nuisance permanent for free.

05
Kenessos, Priest of Thassa

Kenessos, Priest of Thassa

43.1% of decks · synergy 0.39

Kenessos, Priest of Thassa cheats sea creatures directly onto the battlefield, and since those creatures still count as cast for triggered abilities in some builds, Brinelin, the Moon Kraken pairs as a redundant threat that rewards the same high-mana-value creature density Kenessos demands.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern not legal
pioneer not legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Commander is where Brinelin, the Moon Kraken actually lives — the format's slower pace and 40-life totals give a 9-mana 8/8 the time it needs to matter, and the bounce trigger is genuinely powerful when you're regularly casting 6-plus mana spells. Outside Commander, it's legal in Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but Legacy and Vintage move too fast for a nine-drop with no immediate board protection, and you'd never choose it over more efficient threats in those formats. Oathbreaker shares Commander's multiplayer structure, so the same high-curve decks that want it in Commander will want it there too. Anywhere it's not legal is no loss — this card was designed for the big-spell multiplayer experience.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

$0.29 bulk tier

At $0.29, Brinelin, the Moon Kraken is firmly bulk, and that price reflects its narrow playability rather than any hidden ceiling. It holds its value as long as Kraken tribal and big-spell Commander strategies stay popular, but don't expect upward movement — it's a role-player, not a staple.

Explore

Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.