If you’re a DnD player like me, you heard the word “cantrip” and magic and got confused immediately. Are there spells that you can always cast without using spell slots? Are there spell slots??
Cantrips in Magic: The Gathering refer to spells that draw a single card, typically in addition to their primary effect. You may have heard these as cards that “replace themselves”, since the incoming card you draw replaces the one card that you spent.
Opt
{1}{U}
Instant
Scry 1.
Draw a card.
Another classic blue spell that many refer to as a cantrip is Brainstorm. Brainstorm is a classic Blue spell, arguably the runner-up to the most iconic blue spell: Counterspell.
Brainstorm
{U}
Instant
Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
Brainstorm turns one card into three while making two temporarily inaccessible to you. There are many reasons why Brainstorm is good, and there are even more articles describing these reasons to you in detail. Here is a great one I encountered while researching this topic > > >
However, that is not the purpose of this article.
Today, I want to outline some alternatives. The fact of the matter is that Brainstorm is run in too many decks, 19.61% of all decks that can run it, to be exact (thanks, EDHREC).
We know this is too much because out of those 563,222 decks that run Brainstorm:
15,468 of those decks are under the “Topdeck” theme
4,010 of those decks are under the “Cascade” theme
Admit it: y’all ain’t using Brainstorm the way it’s meant to be played. So what are the alternatives? I’ve got five alternatives to Brainstorm that you should use and some scenarios where you might play them. How’d I find these? I went to Scryfall and used the following syntax: id=u t:instant cmc:1 otag:cantrip
Why this syntax in particular? The key hallmarks of Brainstorm’s strength as a card can be defined as: card advantage at instant speed for a low cost. Our criteria fits this definition perfectly. So here: draw three alternatives to Brainstorm and put one of them in your deck (or two. Hell you could even do three if you want.)
Disclaimer: I don’t think any of these cards are necessarily BETTER than Brainstorm. But I do believe that if Brainstorm is being used in too many decks, finding alternatives means finding other opportunities for utility in the decks you have Brainstorm in currently.
Thought Scour
{U}
Instant
Target player mills two cards.
Draw a card.
Thought Scour is similar to Brainstorm, but with some obvious limitations. Although you are still touching three cards, you are trading the card selection for putting them into the graveyard, where you can likely get more utility, even if you’re not reanimating or flashback-ing (flashing back?)
Peek
{U}
Look at target player’s hand.
Draw a card.
Peek is a pet pick of mine. There are effects on this list that are stronger than looking at someone’s hand, but Peek appears on this list because you are forgoing card advantage/selection for an edge on your opponents. Brainstorm is a tough draw later in the game because it makes digging for answers harder. Yes, you are drawing three cards, but you aren’t getting any value if you don’t find your answer. Peek, however, can help you keep an eye on threats, follow up on deals, or even check on the quiet player to ensure they aren’t hiding a board wipe.
Quicken
{U}
Instant
This next sorcery spell you cast this turn can be cast as though it had flash.
Draw a card.
Quicken isn’t more powerful than Brainstorm. But I list it here as an alternative for the same reason I list Peek: it allows you to trade Card Advantage for Action Potential. By Action Potential, I refer to your potential to take actions, whether in response or to further your board state.
Honorable Mentions
I still wanted to mention these cards that didn’t fit our initial criteria.
Ponder
{U}
Sorcery
Look at the top three cards of your library, then put them back in any order. You may shuffle.
Draw a card.
Ponder is one of those cards that does everything Brainstorm does and does it better. It sucks that it’s not at Instant speed, but like Brainstorm, you have your card advantage and get to draw whichever of the three cards is most useful, but you also get the benefit of being able to shuffle in case none of them are up to snuff.
Spy Network
{U}
Instant
Look at target player’s hand, the top card of that player’s library, and any face-down creatures he or she controls. Look at the top four cards of your library, then put them back in any order.
There’s been a tradeoff between Card Advantage and some form of utility in all the cards we've mentioned. Spy Network gets us more bang for our buck than Peek, if only because we can look at the top of a player’s library, their hand, and all face-down creatures they control. Not only will this get more relevant as WOTC prints more top-deck theft and various face-down cards, but looking at an opponent’s hand will always be juicy. Plus, you get to rearrange four cards instead of three, giving Spy Network more value.
Look, I’ll be real: as I wrote this article, I began to realize why Brainstorm was such an iconic card. There are few Blue spells that are perfect replacements. But the fact remains that Brainstorm is overplayed. Try out some alternatives and save yourself a couple cents.
Bonus Card
If you’re tired of Rogue’s Passage, Maze’s End, Maze of Ith, Gaea’s Cradle, or any other annoying nonbasic land, Mana Skimmer is for you.
Mana Skimmer
{3}{B}
Creature - Leech
Flying
Whenever Mana Skimmer deals damage to a player, tap target land that player controls. That land doesn’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
While it’s not for everyone, I think it’s primarily for players in Black with a penchant for flying. I’m considering it for my next version of Mimeoplasm, so check it out and let me know if this is a huge Mana-Stake (is that anything?)