Fain, the Broker 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
, Sacrifice a creature: Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.
: Untap Fain.
Complete guide
Fain, the Broker is a versatile legendary Warlock that functions as a one-man engine for your board state. By cycling through sacrifices and counters, he can generate mana, build up threats, or create flying blockers on demand.
A Circular Economy of Value
Fain features three distinct activated abilities that require him to tap, plus a fourth ability to untap him. The first ability sacrifices a creature to place two +1/+1 counters on a target. The second removes any counter from a creature you control to produce a Treasure token. The third sacrifices an artifact to create a 2/1 flying Inkling creature token. These abilities are designed to feed into one another, allowing you to convert one resource into the next.
Step-by-Step Resolution
To use Fain, you must first pay the costs: tapping him and providing the specific sacrifice or counter removal required. Because these are activated abilities, your opponents can respond once the ability is on the stack. If you use the first ability, the +1/+1 counters are only placed upon resolution. If the target creature is no longer on the battlefield when the ability tries to resolve, the ability is removed from the stack and you do not get the counters, though your sacrificed creature remains in the graveyard.
Strategic Timing and Costs
Fain's untap ability costs four mana, which is exactly the amount needed to reset his utility. Since his abilities do not have timing restrictions like 'only as a sorcery,' you can activate him during an opponent's end step or in response to removal. Remember that 'Remove a counter' in the second ability applies to any counter, including +1/+1, keyword, or even ability-reset counters, as long as they are on a creature you control.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that Fain cannot sacrifice himself to his own first ability if he is already tapped, as tapping is part of the cost. Additionally, while Roaming Throne is a powerful ally, its ability only doubles triggered abilities; since Fain's abilities are all activated (indicated by the 'Cost : Effect' format), the Throne will not cause Fain to create extra tokens or counters.
Interaction examples
Solemn Simulacrum
Treasure
InklingYou sacrifice Solemn Simulacrum to Fain's first ability to put two +1/+1 counters on Fain. You draw a card from the Golem's death trigger. Next, you pay four mana to untap Fain. You then tap Fain to remove one +1/+1 counter and create a Treasure token. You tap Fain again (after another untap) to sacrifice that Treasure token to create a 2/1 Inkling. Fain has successfully converted a dead robot into a flyer and a mana source.
Roaming ThroneIf an opponent targets your Roaming Throne with a destruction spell, you can respond by tapping Fain to sacrifice the Throne (since it is an artifact creature) to create an Inkling. While you lose the Throne, you ensure you receive a 2/1 flyer instead of getting nothing, effectively 'fizzling' the opponent's targeted value.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Fain, the Broker
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Fain, the Broker + Puppeteer Clique + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Puppeteer Clique, adding
. - 2Puppeteer Clique dies, triggering its persist ability, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it.
- 3Puppeteer Clique enters the battlefield, putting any creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control.
- 4Activate Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing the -1/-1 counter from Puppeteer Clique, creating a Treasure token.
- 5Activate the Treasure token by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 6Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the creature your opponent owns, adding .
- 7Activate Fain's fourth ability by paying
, untapping it. - 8Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Necrotic Ooze + Devoted Druid
- 1Activate Necrotic Ooze using Devoted Druid's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Activate Necrotic Ooze using Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing a -1/-1 counter from it, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Repeat.
- 4Once you have infinite Treasure tokens, you may instead use Fain's third ability to create infinite Inklings, then use Fain's fourth ability to untap Necrotic Ooze.
- 5You then can also use Fain's first ability to get infinite +1/+1 counters.
Fain, the Broker + Necrotic Ooze + Cinderhaze Wretch
- 1Activate Necrotic Ooze using Cinderhaze Wretch's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Activate Necrotic Ooze using Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing a -1/-1 counter from it, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Repeat.
- 4Once you have infinite Treasure tokens, you may instead use Fain's third ability to create infinite Inklings, then use Fain's fourth ability to untap Necrotic Ooze.
- 5You then can also use Fain's first ability to get infinite +1/+1 counters.
Fain, the Broker + Ashnod's Altar + Haunted One + Relic of Legends
- 1Activate Relic of Legends by tapping your commander, adding .
- 2Your commander triggers, giving it +2/+0 and undying until end of turn.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing your commander, adding .
- 4When your commander dies, its undying ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 5Activate Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing the +1/+1 counter from your commander, creating a Treasure artifact token.
- 6Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding
. - 7Activate Fain's fourth ability by paying , untapping it.
- 8Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Thornbite Staff + Pitiless Plunderer + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Fain's third ability by tapping it and sacrificing another artifact, creating a 2/1 Inkling creature token.
- 2Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the Inkling, adding .
- 3When the Inkling dies, Fain and Pitiless Plunderer trigger.
- 4Resolve the Fain trigger, untapping it.
- 5Resolve the Pitiless Plunderer trigger, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Marvin, Murderous Mimic + Devoted Druid
- 1Activate Marvin using Devoted Druid's second ability by putting a -1/-1 counter on it, untapping it.
- 2Activate Marvin using Fain's second ability by tapping it and removing a -1/-1 counter from it, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Thornbite Staff + Biotransference
- 1Activate Fain's third ability by tapping it and sacrificing an creature, which is an artifact due to Biotransference.
- 2When the creature dies, Fain triggers, untapping itself.
- 3Resolve the Fain ability from step 1, creating a 2/1 Inkling creature token that is an artifact due to Biotransference.
- 4Repeat.
Fain, the Broker + Thornbite Staff + Pitiless Plunderer + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Fain's third ability by tapping it and sacrificing another artifact, creating a 2/1 Inkling creature token.
- 2Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Inkling, adding one mana of any color.
- 3When the Inkling dies, Fain and Pitiless Plunderer trigger.
- 4Resolve the Fain trigger, untapping it.
- 5Resolve the Pitiless Plunderer trigger, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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