Final Fantasy MTG is chock full of powerful Saga creatures. Right out of the gates, some players have had success brewing around some of the heavy hitters like Summon: Bahamut and Summon: Knights of Round both in Constructed and Commander.
On the other end of the spectrum, one of the most underrated Summons is definitely Summon: Brynhildr. This potent two-drop is capable of generating some value while also applying a lot of pressure if you’re able to curve out. Today, we’re going to focus on what this Saga has to offer, and the decks that best make use of it.
Summon: Brynhildr in Gruul Delirium
Summon: Brynhildr is reminiscent of Abbot of Keral Keep. Both cards are two-mana 2/1s that are capable of generating card advantage but require you to play the top card of your library in a specific window. Abbot of Keral Keep obviously has Prowess stapled on, making it an individually stronger body. However, Summon: Brynhildr offers a lot of upside.
First of all, unlike Abbot of Keral Keep, if your opponent doesn’t remove this Saga creature right away, you have the luxury of playing the card you exile on the following turn. This makes Summon: Brynhildr a decent turn two play.
From there, the first creature you play on your next two turns gains Haste. For any aggressive deck with a low curve, this is a very threatening ability.
The archetype that features the lowest curve of creatures in Standard that benefit from the Haste ability is without a doubt Gruul Delirium. Against decks like Azorius Omniscience combo where racing is a priority, getting to follow up with Keen-Eyed Curator or Patchwork Beastie and push damage quickly is very strong. Giving haste to your threats with attack triggers like Fear of Missing Out can make a huge difference.
The fact that Summon: Brynhildr doubles as an enchantment and a creature means that it helps fuel Delirium nicely, too. In this way, you aren’t too upset if it gets hit with a removal spell immediately or dies naturally when it hits chapter III.
Of course, against midrange decks with lots of removal, sometimes you’ll want to play Summon: Brynhildr on a later turn so you can play the card you exile on the same turn before your opponent can kill the Saga. This level of flexibility is what allows it to pull its weight.
Other Archetypes
Outside of Gruul Delirium, Summon: Brynhildr has popped up in other archetypes here and there. For example, a sweet Rakdos midrange deck just had a solid showing in a small tournament making good use of the Saga. Curving the Saga into Unstoppable Slasher can put the opponent on the backfoot immediately if they don’t have a blocker at the ready.
Summon: Brynhildr occasionally makes an appearance in red aggro in Standard as well. Given the fact that many of the follow-up creatures in the red decks already have Haste, though, the Saga isn’t at its best there.
Outside of Constructed, you’ll also find Summon: Brynhildr in plenty of Saga-themed Commander decks. Decks with Sigurd, Jarl of Ravensthorpe at the helm can keep removing lore counters from the two-drop and continue to generate value.
All in all, Summon: Brynhildr has a lot going for it. Perhaps following rotation or any potential Standard bans that could open up the metagame a bit more, this efficient engine will have more of an opportunity to shine.
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