Rare and Mythic Rare cards can impact a Magic: The Gathering Limited format, with The Brothers’ War containing multiple monocolor Draft bombs in each color.
There 63 Rare and 23 Mythic Rare MTG cards in The Brothers’ War (BRO) set. Some are bombs within the Commander format, while others are expected to impact other Magic formats like Standard, Pioneer, and Modern.
Within the BRO Limited format, especially Draft, it’s important to know which Rare and Mythic Rare cards are worth trying to build around in those specific colors and archetypes.
When crafting a Limited deck, whether playing Draft or Sealed, players will want to identify the strongest multicolor, colorless, and monocolored Rares and Mythic Rares. Each MTG color in the BRO set has at least two monocolored Rare/Mythic Rares that should pull a player into that color when showing up as a pack one pick one Draft option.
Here are the best MTG monocolored Rare and Mythic Rare cards for The Brothers’ War Limited Draft and Sealed formats. All cards listed are not in any tier-specific order.
Myrel, Shield of Argive
The Blue and White archetype in BRO Draft contains a soldier tribal theme that Myrel, Shield of Argive slots right into as a Mythic Rare. The human soldier pumps out soldier tokens upon attacking with her 3/4 stats, based on the number of soldiers you control. Myrel can create a wide board state quickly, especially when paired with other soldiers in the WU archetype.
Myrel, Shield of Argive isn’t just about pumping out soldier tokens, though. She wants to protect your board state as well by preventing opponents from casting spells and activating abilities on your turn.
This is a huge disadvantage to your opponent no matter what BRO Limited archetype you are playing, and makes Myrel, Shield of Argive a bomb in White.
In the Trenches
The color White in BRO focuses heavily on creatures, making In the Trenches an Enchantment worth pulling you into the color. The Mythic Rare serves as an anthem, giving all creatures +1/+1, which is great with soldiers and low-stated creatures.
In the Trenches also has a mana sink of 5W that can exile a nonland permanent you don’t control. It’s a steep mana sink cost that isn’t too hard to cast with the addition of Powerstones. Exiling permanents is important in the BRO Limited format due to plenty of graveyard shenanigans in Black, along with the return of the Unearth mechanic.
Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim will have an impact in Standard and is a bomb in the BRO Limited format. The Mono-Blue planeswalker synergizes with card draw themes in the Blue and Black Limited archetype. He also protects himself through the creation of spirit tokens that scale in power with card draw. And there isn’t a limit of once per turn placed on the ability.
Players will likely never use Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim’s ultimate. Drawing an extra card each turn is enough to place the planeswalker in bomb status, and it’s enough to have Teferi overperform in any archetype splashing the color Blue.
Surge Engine
Surge Engine is a unique Artifact colorless Construct in BRO that has Blue activation abilities. The Artifact creature can slot into any archetype using the color Blue and even be used to splash Blue as a third color. Surge Engine has Defender, to start.
There are three activated ability costs that must get used in order. One Blue mana removes Defender while giving the 3/2 “This creature can’t be blocked.” The next activated ability increases the two-drops stats to 5/4 at the cost of becoming a Mono-Blue creature. And the final one draws three cards, which is great during the late-game stages when players tend to run out of gas or have stalled board states.
Phyrexian Fleshgorger
Black doesn’t have an abundance of big finishers, but Phyrexian Fleshgorger makes up for that. The Prototype Wurm is a top pick due to having flexibility and value for each version, along with Lifelink and Ward. Lifelink is a big deal in Limited formats while Ward protects cards without players having to add protection spells into their main deck.
Casting Phyrexian Fleshgorger for its full value is easier in BRO thanks to Powerstones. Having Menace makes the Wurm a serious threat in either version. And the Ward cost is that an opponent must pay life, instead of paying with mana. Players can put the Phyrexian Wurm into any BRO Limited archetype, even if they choose not to play Black.
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor is a card draw engine in Black. The legendary creature allows players to draw a card each time creature combat damage is dealt to an opponent at the cost of one life point. Splash in some Lifegain and Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor will never let your build run out of gas.
The Phyrexian also has a mana sink ability. It’s costly but can get cheaper with the use of Powerstones. Players aren’t likely to use it often, though, since a three-drop 3/3 that keeps drawing cards is good enough to be a bomb in the color Black.
Mishra’s Command
Of all the BRO Command cycle cards, Mishra’s Command is the best for Limited. It’s a Sorcery spell that offers players two of four options. Red is an aggressive color and Mishra’s Command taps right into the color’s overall themes at each modal option.
Mishra’s Command can act as removal, deal damage to face, create card advantage, and pump a creature’s power while also giving it Haste. The last option will likely get used the least. The Command is essentially premium removal/burn damage with upside, making it a top pick in Draft.
Visions of Phyrexia
Since the MTG color Red is an aggressive color, it’s common to have builds run out of gas when games run long. Visions of Phyrexia keeps the cards coming at the start of each upkeep. And if that card isn’t something you want to play or don’t have mana to cast, the Enchantment creates a Powerstone token for you.
Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
The color Green in BRO is packed with powerful creatures and Artifacts. Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea helps players ramp into those creatures quicker as a mana dork. The Rare elf druid scout adds two mana in any combination of colors to cast creature spells or use toward activated abilities.
Mana dorks can turn into dead cards during the later stages of a match. But Gwena, Eyes of Gaea holds its value by scaling in power each time you cast a creature spell with a power of five or greater and will untap if tapped.
Steel Seraph
Steel Seraph is not only a 3/3 Artifact angel with Flying at the cost of 1WW but it can also change the direction of a game based on its ability. At the beginning of combat the angel, best played at its Prototype cost, gives another creature for that turn either Flying, Vigilance, or Lifelink. Both Lifelink and Flying are the strongest keywords of the three, but Vigilance can play a major role during locked board states.
Gixian Puppeteer
The Blue and Black BRO Draft archetype is strong and Gixian Puppeteer is a bomb within the build. It synergizes with bringing back a low-cost mana creature from the graveyard to the battlefield upon dying and is a “drain and gain” engine at a cost of 3B with a 4/3 body.
Tyrant of Kher Ridges
Dragons are typically a powerful creature type in Limited formats, and Tyrant of Kher Ridges is not an exception. The dragon has a steep casting cost of 4RR but is worth it. Upon ETB, Tyrant of Kher Ridges deals four damage to any target—and that includes an opponent’s life total. And as a bonus, the 4/5 Flying dragon gets +1/+0 until the end of the turn at the cost of one Red mana that can get paid multiple times on the stack while attacking.
Skitterbeam Battalion
Players are unlikely to cast Skitterbeam Battalion at its full potential, but to those who do, congrats on winning the BRO Draft match. The Prototype Mono-Red Artifact costs 3RR to cast, producing a 2/2 with Haste and Trample. Skitterbeam Battalion also produces two tokens that are copies of itself, making it three 2/2 creatures with Haste and Trample upon ETB.
