Ponder vs brainstorm

[Grimmykinns]

Which is better, pros and cons.
{ponder}      {brainstorm}

[Mattao19]

{Brainstorm} 3 new cards and you ship 2 to the top is great. Obviously depends on the deck but Brainstorm is what makes Miracles in Legacy work! (Well that and top)

{Ponder} is good but if you have a dead card(s) in hand you can't get rid of them. Sure you get a shuffle which is great but Ponder draws you 1 not 3

[Dudecore]

{Brainstorm}. Draw new cards and ship the less useful ones. Instant speed too. Can set up Miracles with it.

[adventus]

{Brainstorm}.  Great card in most decks but especially good in a control deck.  Leave some mana open for a counter (or at least threatening a counter), {brainstorm} at the end of the opponents turn.

[cltrn81]

Brainstorm

[DrainCleaner]

This isn't even close.

[DrainCleaner]

Its like saying is which is better? {Time Walk} or {Time Warp}.

[Agrus Kos, Enforcer of Truth]

{Brainstorm} was supposed to be a fixed version of {Ancestral Recall}, and when Brainstorm was too powerful, {Ponder} was meant to be a fixed {Brainstorm}, so from WoTC's position, {Brainstorm} all the way.

[Rass]

Are there any good triggers for shuffling your deck?

[Dudecore]

Fetchlands

[ihasfrozen]

{Brainstorm} is better if you have a fetch and are a competent player, it's a skill testing card.

{Ponder} is better with no fetch.

[Grimmykinns]

Now is brainstorm better the {gitaxiab probe} ?

I'm just trying to find the best 1 drop cantrip, other then ancestral recall and that is not {treasure cruise}

[Munchlax]

Now is brainstorm better the {gitaxiab probe} ?

I'm just trying to find the best 1 drop cantrip, other then ancestral recall and that is not {treasure cruise}

Probably Brainstorm still. But conspiring those two is like comparing Thoughtseize to Surgical Extraction. They're both good for different things

[particle]

{Brainstorm} is better if you have a fetch and are a competent player, it's a skill testing card.

{Ponder} is better with no fetch.

yea in a vacuum {ponder} is better because you cant get brainstorm-locked where your drawing dead cards. but in a deck with ways to manipulate the top of your library like fetchlands, {brainstorm} is better because unnecessary cards can be filtered away.

[LinkCelestrial]

{Brainstorm}, and here's why. {Muzzio, Visionary Architect}, {Galvanoth}. It sets up cards like that which, in my comboy book, is better. And let's not forget the name. I mean,

Enemy used {Ponder}!

Eh okay...

Enemy used {Brainstorm}!

Something's going down.