Merchant's Dockhand MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Construct
Power 1
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Merchant’s Dockhand excels in converting spare artifacts into a flow of new cards for tactical edge.
  2. Its instant-speed activation makes it a flexible tool for adeptly responding to the game’s dynamics.
  3. Despite specifics in mana and discard requirements, its benefits can significantly boost artifact-heavy decks.

Text of card

, , Tap X untapped artifacts you control: Look at the top X cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

"If you can build it, we can move it." —Bes Tavani, Bomat merchant


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Merchant’s Dockhand provides a steady mechanism to utilize excess mana and artifacts for drawing cards, streamlining your deck and giving you additional options every turn.

Resource Acceleration: By tapping unused artifacts including itself, Merchant’s Dockhand essentially turns them into resources to delve deeper into your library, potentially accelerating your access to crucial spells and plays.

Instant Speed: This card’s ability can be activated at the end of your opponent’s turn, optimizing your mana usage and giving you the flexibility to respond to the evolving board state with the most appropriate cards from your deck.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Merchant’s Dockhand mandates that you forfeit other valuable cards from your hand to fuel its ability. This prerequisite may not always be easy to meet, especially if your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The Dockhand’s activation cost requires a blue mana. This specificity can potentially hinder deck flexibility, as you must have a source of blue mana to utilize its ability fully.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To draw out its maximum potential, Merchant’s Dockhand relies on a mana-intensive activated ability. Considering the mana investment needed to activate and the types of artifacts you need on the board, its cost can be quite steep when compared to other cards that provide utility or card advantage with less resource expenditure.


Reasons to Include Merchant’s Dockhand in Your Collection

Versatility: Merchant’s Dockhand provides valuable flexibility to your deck. This utility creature can serve as an early blocker while setting you up for more substantial plays in the later stages of the game, fitting seamlessly into artifact-centric decks.

Combo Potential: As an artifact itself, Merchant’s Dockhand synergizes with cards that capitalize on having artifacts on the battlefield. Its tap ability can be integrated into combos, helping you dig through your deck for the pieces you need to pull off your game-winning strategy.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that appreciates efficient resource management, Merchant’s Dockhand is an underrated gem. It can be particularly effective in the current game landscape, where having multiple uses for each card in your deck can be the difference between victory and defeat.


How to beat

Merchant’s Dockhand may seem like a rather inconspicuous creature in MTG, with its modest 1/2 body and affiliation to the finite Resourceful mechanic, but it can quickly become a thorn in any opponent’s side if left unchecked. With the ability to filter through the deck and enhance card quality over quantity, the Dockhand can set up potentially overwhelming scenarios for its controller. Overcoming this subtle but potentially pivotal threat requires strategies that can disrupt or halt its utility.

An effective tactic is to remove the Dockhand before it can activate its ability, swift removal spells are often the answer. Cards such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile can unconditionally interrupt the Dockhand’s card advantage engine. Alternatively, players might rely on counterplay with artifact hate, utilizing cards such as Abrade or Reclamation Sage to foil not only the Dockhand but other potential artifact synergies on the table. Denying resources or leveraging graveyard disruption are also paths worth considering, with Strategy Disrupting and Tormod’s Crypt standing out as notable mentions. It’s important to remember that, while Merchant’s Dockhand looks like a low-impact card, timely actions against it hold the key to claiming victory over a player who would otherwise sift their way to the perfect hand.


Cards like Merchant's Dockhand

Merchant’s Dockhand presents a unique twist in the lineup of creatures within Magic: The Gathering. This artifact creature, hailing from the Aether Revolt set, bears similarity to other mana taps for card advantage creatures such as the storied Vedalken Archmage. Both cards thrive in decks that capitalize on playing a high volume of artifacts to churn through your library and gain that extra edge.

Another familiar face in this category is Glint-Nest Crane, a fellow inhabitant of the Inventor’s Fair who also digs through the deck for specific types of cards upon entering the battlefield. While Merchant’s Dockhand requires an additional mana investment to activate its ability, Glint-Nest brings immediate value upon casting. Yet, it’s the repeatability of Dockhand’s ability that gives it an enduring presence on the battlefield.

Then there’s the renowned Trinket Mage, a card that doesn’t just peek into the library but fetches a desirable artifact directly to your hand. It differs from Merchant’s Dockhand in that it’s a one-time effect, but it provides a more targeted approach to obtaining key artifacts. When evaluating these cards against one another, Merchant’s Dockhand stands out for its potential for continuous card selection advantage in artifact-heavy MTG strategies.

Vedalken Archmage - MTG Card versions
Glint-Nest Crane - MTG Card versions
Trinket Mage - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Archmage - Mirrodin (MRD)
Glint-Nest Crane - Kaladesh (KLD)
Trinket Mage - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

Cards similar to Merchant's Dockhand by color, type and mana cost

The Blackstaff of Waterdeep - MTG Card versions
Aether Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Sphinx's Herald - MTG Card versions
Flight Spellbomb - MTG Card versions
Blurry Beeble - MTG Card versions
Socketed Sprocketer - MTG Card versions
Mantle of Tides - MTG Card versions
Witching Well - MTG Card versions
Giant's Amulet - MTG Card versions
Trickster's Talisman - MTG Card versions
Silver Raven - MTG Card versions
Secret Door - MTG Card versions
Network Disruptor - MTG Card versions
Moonsnare Prototype - MTG Card versions
Combat Courier - MTG Card versions
Font of Progress - MTG Card versions
Surgical Skullbomb - MTG Card versions
Tome of Gadwick - MTG Card versions
K-9, Mark I - MTG Card versions
The Enigma Jewel // Locus of Enlightenment - MTG Card versions
The Blackstaff of Waterdeep - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Aether Spellbomb - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Sphinx's Herald - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Flight Spellbomb - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Blurry Beeble - Unstable (UST)
Socketed Sprocketer - Unstable (UST)
Mantle of Tides - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Witching Well - Commander Masters (CMM)
Giant's Amulet - Kaldheim (KHM)
Trickster's Talisman - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Silver Raven - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Secret Door - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)
Network Disruptor - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Moonsnare Prototype - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Combat Courier - The Brothers' War (BRO)
Font of Progress - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Surgical Skullbomb - Phyrexia: All Will Be One (ONE)
Tome of Gadwick - Alchemy: Wilds of Eldraine (YWOE)
K-9, Mark I - Doctor Who (WHO)
The Enigma Jewel // Locus of Enlightenment - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Merchant's Dockhand MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Aether Revolt Promos, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Merchant's Dockhand and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Merchant's Dockhand Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Christine Choi.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-01-20Aether RevoltAER 1632015normalblackChristine Choi
22017-01-20Aether Revolt PromosPAER 163s2015normalblackChristine Choi
32020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 2502015normalblackChristine Choi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Merchant's Dockhand has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Merchant's Dockhand card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2017-02-09 If the value of X is 0, you don’t look at or move any cards.
2017-02-09 If the value of X is greater than or equal to the number of cards in your library, you can order your library as you wish.
2017-02-09 Merchant’s Dockhand is tapped to pay the cost. It can’t also be one of the X untapped artifacts you tap.

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