Brainstorm is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
Complete guide
Brainstorm is a cornerstone of Blue magic, offering unparalleled card selection for a single mana. It allows players to dig deep into their libraries while cleverly managing the resources currently held in their hand.
What it Does
Brainstorm is a simple yet powerful instant that draws you three cards and then asks you to place two cards from your hand back onto the top of your library. This allows you to see more options and hide valuable cards from discard effects or set up your next few turns.
Resolving Brainstorm Step-by-Step
When Brainstorm resolves, you first draw three cards. Immediately after drawing, you must choose two cards from your entire hand and place them on top of your library in any order. Crucially, this all happens during the resolution of the spell; no player can cast spells or activate abilities between the drawing and the putting back.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that you must have cards in hand to put back. If Brainstorm is the only card in your hand when it resolves, you will draw three and then put two of those three back. You cannot 'fail to find' cards to put back if you have cards in your hand.
When to Play It
Brainstorm is best played when you need to find a specific answer or when you have a way to shuffle your library afterward. By putting two unwanted cards on top and then shuffling, you effectively clear the 'bad' cards away, maximizing the value of the three cards you drew.
Interaction examples
CounterspellIf an opponent attempts to make you discard a card, you can cast Brainstorm in response. You draw three cards, then place your important Counterspell and another card on top of your library. The discard effect will then resolve, but your Counterspell is safe on top of your deck.
An Offer You Can't RefuseYou cast Brainstorm to look for a land. An opponent casts An Offer You Can't Refuse to counter it. Since Brainstorm is still on the stack, it gets countered. You do not draw any cards, but you do receive two Treasure tokens from the opponent's spell.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Brainstorm
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You draw three cards and put two cards back all while Brainstorm is resolving. Nothing can happen between the two, and no player may choose to take actions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Isochron Scepter + Brainstorm + Time Warp
- 1During the end step before your turn, activate Isochron Scepter by paying
and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost. - 2Resolve Brainstorm, causing you to draw three cards and put Time Warp and another card on top of your library, ensuring Time Warp is the topmost card.
- 3Move to your turn, drawing and revealing Time Warp during your draw step.
- 4God-Eternal Kefnet's first ability triggers, causing you to pay
to cast a copy of Time Warp. - 5Resolve the copy of Time Warp, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 6Activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 7Repeat from step 2.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Isochron Scepter + Brainstorm + Temporal Manipulation
- 1During the end step before your turn, activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 2Resolve Brainstorm, causing you to draw three cards and put Temporal Manipulation and another card on top of your library, ensuring Temporal Manipulation is the topmost card.
- 3Move to your turn, drawing and revealing Temporal Manipulation during your draw step.
- 4God-Eternal Kefnet's first ability triggers, causing you to pay to cast a copy of Temporal Manipulation.
- 5Resolve the copy of Temporal Manipulation, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 6Activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 7Repeat from step 2.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Isochron Scepter + Brainstorm + Capture of Jingzhou
- 1During the end step before your turn, activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 2Resolve Brainstorm, causing you to draw three cards and put Capture of Jingzhou and another card on top of your library, ensuring Capture of Jingzhou is the topmost card.
- 3Move to your turn, drawing and revealing Capture of Jingzhou during your draw step.
- 4God-Eternal Kefnet's first ability triggers, causing you to pay to cast a copy of Capture of Jingzhou.
- 5Resolve the copy of Capture of Jingzhou, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 6Activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 7Repeat from step 2.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Isochron Scepter + Brainstorm + Walk the Aeons
- 1During the end step before your turn, activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 2Resolve Brainstorm, causing you to draw three cards and put Walk the Aeons and another card on top of your library, ensuring Walk the Aeons is the topmost card.
- 3Move to your turn, drawing and revealing Walk the Aeons during your draw step.
- 4God-Eternal Kefnet's first ability triggers, causing you to pay to cast a copy of Walk the Aeons.
- 5Resolve the copy of Walk the Aeons, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 6Activate Isochron Scepter by paying and tapping it, casting a copy of Brainstorm without paying its mana cost.
- 7Repeat from step 2.
Approach of the Second Sun + Sunbird's Invocation + God-Eternal Kefnet + Brainstorm
- 1Move to your draw step, drawing Approach of the Second Sun and revealing it due to God-Eternal Kefnet's ability.
- 2Resolve God-Eternal Kefnet's trigger, copying Approach of the Second Sun and casting the copy from your hand by paying
. - 3Sunbird's Invocation triggers.
- 4In response, cast Brainstorm by paying .
- 5Sunbird's Invocation triggers again, revealing the top card of your library and putting that card on the bottom of your library.
- 6Resolve Brainstorm, drawing three cards and putting Approach of the Second Sun plus any other card on top of your library.
- 7Resolve the remaining Sunbird's Invocation trigger, revealing the top seven cards of your library, casting Approach of the Second Sun without paying its mana cost, then putting the rest of the revealed cards on the bottom of your library.
- 8Resolve Approach of the Second Sun, putting it back into your library seventh from the top and gaining you 7 life.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Brainstorm
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