Brute Force
Instant
Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Modern Masters
- Price
- $0.22
- EDHREC rank
- #4496
Brute Force jams +3/+3 and trample onto any creature for a single red mana — combat math broken, blocker punished, damage pushed through. In a Zada, Hedron Grinder deck it copies to every creature you control for that same one mana, which stops being a pump spell and starts being a game-ending alpha strike.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zada, Hedron Grinder
Zada, Hedron Grinder turns Brute Force into a board-wide pump that costs one mana — target Zada, copy to the team, swing for lethal out of nowhere.
Feather, the Redeemed
Feather, the Redeemed returns Brute Force to hand at end of turn, letting you replay it every combat to protect a creature, push through blockers, or build toward a one-shot kill.
Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Xyris, the Writhing Storm runs a Zada-adjacent token-copy package, and Brute Force functions as the same one-mana all-in swing finisher it does in dedicated Zada builds.
Elsha, Threefold Master
Elsha, Threefold Master rewards cheap instants, and Brute Force slots in as free-ish interaction that either saves Elsha in combat or closes the game when the board is wide enough.
Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might
Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might cares about red sources dealing damage, and Brute Force's trample rider means excess damage bleeds over blockers directly to a player, triggering Axonil's replacement effect on every point.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Brute Force is either a strict Zada, Hedron Grinder / Feather engine piece or a fringe combat trick — it earns its slot hard in those builds and barely earns it anywhere else. Pauper is where the card has genuine standalone legs: mono-red aggressive and Kiln Fiend-style decks want the burst damage, and the one-mana ceiling means it's never dead in hand. Legacy and Vintage have access to it but never need it — formats that fast resolve threats, not pump them. Modern has outgrown pure pump spells at this rate without additional payoff. Brute Force is a Pauper role-player and a Commander engine piece; everywhere else, it's a bulk rare gathering dust.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.22 bulk tier
At $0.22, Brute Force is deep bulk — you're buying it for pennies and it will stay there. It's a common-level effect with a narrow ceiling, so there's no reason to hesitate on picking up copies if Zada or Feather is on your list.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Zada, Hedron Grinder
- Feather, the Redeemed
- Xyris, the Writhing Storm
- Elsha, Threefold Master
- Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.