Optimal Curve Placement for Briarberry Cohort Aggro

In TCG ·

Briarberry Cohort card art from Shadowmoor

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Curve Crafting for Briarberry Cohort: Aggro with a Wing

Blue didn’t get famous for being a blunt, smashy color in the way red does, but when the air is full of tinkling fae wings and flying threats, tempo becomes art. Briarberry Cohort, a humble common from Shadowmoor, embodies that delicate dance. For a deck built around aggressive pressure, this {1}{U} flyer is a tiny but potent tempo boost—provided you place its curve just right. With a 1/1 body and flying, Briarberry begs for company: it only grows bold if you already command another blue creature on the battlefield. The payoff is a crisp, elastic tempo that can sail past blockers and push through for incremental damage in the late game, especially when you’re weaving blue’s evasive toolkit with aggressive aims. 🧙‍♂️🔥💎⚔️

Let’s talk practical curve placement. Briarberry Cohort clocks in at two mana, so your early turns should set up a blue-laden board that can welcome a second blue creature by turn 2 or 3. If you can drop Briarberry after you’ve already established another blue creature, it immediately telegraphs its punch: flying, plus a +1/+1 boost for as long as you keep the second blue critter on board. If you don’t have that second blue on the battlefield yet, Briarberry sits as a promising follow-up, waiting for the coast to clear and for your tempo to tilt in your favor. In numbers: aim for two blue bodies by the time Briarberry lands, so the pump is live the moment it’s on the table. 🧙‍♂️

Turn-by-turn, a clean 3-turn plan might look like this: on Turn 1, drop a blue creature that starts pressuring the opponent—something evasive if possible, so you begin stacking early threats. Turn 2, deploy Briarberry Cohort if you’ve got two blue creatures on board (or hold to play Briarberry on Turn 3 with the necessary pairing). By Turn 3 or 4, your board should include at least two blue creatures plus Briarberry. That’s when the Cohort’s true strength shines: every future moment you keep a blue friend on the battlefield, Briarberry gains +1/+1, turning into a more menacing tempo engine. And yes, that elegant, nimbly flying body can skip past ground blockers with surgical precision. 🧙‍♂️🎨

A clique can cause far more mischief than one faerie on its own.

Beyond raw stats, the design of Briarberry Cohort invites thoughtful deck-building. Shadowmoor’s atmospheric frame and Carl Critchlow’s art give this faerie soldier a sense of mischief and purpose that translates cleanly to gameplay. The card’s flavor text hints at the power of synergy—the idea that a little group can outpace a solo sprint—and the mechanical reality mirrors that in combat: with multiple blue creatures, your little cohort becomes a flying, bore-through threat. It’s a tiny creature with a big attitude, a symbol of how tempo and synergy can co-create a winning curve. 🧙‍♂️💎

From a strategy perspective, your best results come from keeping pressure while protecting your plan. Opponents who can answer Briarberry on tempo often rely on single-block trades; your goal is to maintain a board presence that makes even a modest 1/1 flyer feel dangerous. You’ll also want to weave in cards that help you preserve card advantage and preserve your blue density. That way, Briarberry isn’t just a one-off; it becomes a recurring threat that scales as you keep landing blue creatures and maintaining the pressure. If you can maintain two blue creatures on the battlefield, the Cohort’s pump is continuous, and the tempo you generate becomes a slide rule for victory. 🧙‍♂️🔥

On the design side, Briarberry Cohort is a reminder of the elegance of simple mechanics: a common with elevated value when paired with a narrowly defined condition. The “requires another blue creature” clause isn’t a drawback; it’s a push toward a deliberate, cohesive deck-building approach. The result is a miniature puzzle you can solve on a game-by-game basis, turning a modest two-mana creature into a dynamic tempo driver. If you enjoy the interplay of evasion, tempo, and incremental growth, Briarberry is a sweet spot that rewards thoughtful attacks and patient planning. ⚔️🎲

For players who love keeping a narrative thread through their games, this card also serves as a fun anchor in a broader blue-leaning archetype. The set’s aura of twilight and trickery—Shadowmoor’s signature mood—sits well with the idea that a few cooperative fliers can redefine a board state. It’s not about overwhelming your opponent with brute force; it’s about weaving a path where each blue creature you play makes Briarberry a little stronger, and each aggressor you choose to protect ensures the board stays in your control. In short: optimize the curve, protect the tempo, and embrace the charm of a well-timed blue surge. 🧙‍♂️💎🎨

And if you’re exploring more about the broader MTG ecosystem—be it card stats, strategy discussions, or vibrant community takes—our network has you covered. The five articles linked below provide a snapshot of how players across formats discuss value, power curves, and deckbuilding creativity in different corners of the hobby. Enjoy the reads, and may your curve stay perfectly tuned. 🧙‍♂️🎲

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Briarberry Cohort

Briarberry Cohort

{1}{U}
Creature — Faerie Soldier

Flying

This creature gets +1/+1 as long as you control another blue creature.

A clique can cause far more mischief than one faerie on its own.

ID: caf9d87a-533c-4641-9738-e7b98d92b015

Oracle ID: 598283f3-ae29-43b9-8743-6c065136dcad

Multiverse IDs: 146043

TCGPlayer ID: 18584

Cardmarket ID: 19044

Colors: U

Color Identity: U

Keywords: Flying

Rarity: Common

Released: 2008-05-02

Artist: Carl Critchlow

Frame: 2003

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 24250

Penny Rank: 8894

Set: Shadowmoor (shm)

Collector #: 30

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — not_legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.18
  • USD_FOIL: 2.08
  • EUR: 0.10
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.41
  • TIX: 0.03
Last updated: 2025-11-14