Brute Strength
Instant
Target creature gets +3/+1 and gains trample until end of turn. (It can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- R
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #9205
Brute Strength gives a creature +3/+1 and trample until end of turn for a single red mana — that's a lot of punch for the price. Outside of Zada, Hedron Grinder shells where it copies across your whole board, it's a fine combat trick but rarely the best one available.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zada, Hedron Grinder
Zada, Hedron Grinder turns Brute Strength into a board-wide anthem — one red mana copies the spell onto every creature you control, and suddenly your army swings through for massive trample damage the same turn Zada hits the table.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Brute Strength is a niche include — it earns its slot almost exclusively in Zada, Hedron Grinder decks where single-target pump spells scale exponentially. In Pauper, it competes with a crowded field of one-mana red tricks, and the trample clause does meaningful work in creature-heavy aggro lists where opponents block to stall. Modern and Legacy have access to strictly stronger options at the same cost, so Brute Strength doesn't register in competitive lists there. Pioneer falls in the same boat — the card is legal but rarely chosen. Treat it as a Commander-specific roleplayer with a narrow but real home.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Brute Strength is deep bulk — you're not paying for the card, you're paying for the sleeve. Price stability is a non-issue at this tier; it will stay cheap indefinitely regardless of play patterns.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.