Mercenary Informer MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mercenary Informer provides a unique form of card advantage in a subtler way. Instead of drawing cards, it actively restricts opponents from leveraging their graveyard resources. By removing key creatures from the game, it denies opponents the chance to reanimate or utilize them, thus swinging the incremental advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: While Mercenary Informer doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it facilitates a different kind of acceleration. By controlling the battlefield and disrupting the enemy’s strategies, you can maintain a lead in tempo, effectively putting you ahead in the resource race.

Instant Speed: Mercenary Informer’s ability to tap and exile creatures from graveyards isn’t at instant speed, but the strategic advantage it offers can be as impactful as any instant play. Timing the activation of its ability can catch an opponent off-guard and disrupt their planned plays, similar to the tactical advantage of casting spells at instant speed.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mercenary Informer makes you reveal a Mercenary card from your hand to tap a creature, which can give away your strategy and diminish your hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mix of one white and two other mana to play, which can be restrictive for multi-colored or fast-paced decks that require more flexibility in their mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana and an activation cost that requires an additional two mana and revealing a card, Mercenary Informer can be costly for its abilities compared to other utility creatures in the game.

Reasons to Include Mercenary Informer in Your Collection

Versatility: Mercenary Informer isn’t just another creature in your deck; it’s a utility player capable of disrupting opponent strategies. It fits well in decks that aim to control the battlefield, as it can turn off the abilities of opposing creatures with the Mercenary subtype, which can be crucial in certain matchups.

Combo Potential: With its ability to reveal cards and put them on the bottom of an opponent’s library, the Informer works well with other cards that manipulate or benefit from opponents losing key pieces. It functions in a deck designed around denial and hand disruption, making it a unique piece in combos that focus on controlling opponents’ options.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where Mercenaries or similar creature types are prevalent, the Mercenary Informer shows its true power. Its specific targeting can make it a sideboard staple in formats where these creature types are a part of key strategies, allowing for a tactical advantage during pivotal moments in the game.

How to Beat

Mercenary Informer presents a unique challenge in MTG due to its ability to make Mercenaries un-targetable and reveal hidden cards. Handling this card effectively requires a strategic approach tailored to its characteristics. Artifact removal spells, such as Disenchant or Naturalize, are effective tools, as they can directly remove the Informer from play. Sweepers like Wrath of God provide an indirect yet effective method, clearing the board regardless of targeting restrictions. Additionally, countering the Informer when it’s played is a sound strategy, using spells like Counterspell or Mana Leak. Employing graveyard shuffling mechanics like those found in Elixir of Immortality can also diminish the impact of the Informer’s second ability.

Tackling Mercenary Informer requires a balance between preemptive action and reactive solutions. Ideally, holding up instant speed removal or counters when the opponent is likely to cast the Informer will prevent its effects from taking hold. If the card does resolve, focusing on non-targeted removal or transforming the battlefield with cards like Terminus can swiftly address the issue while minimizing disruption to your own game plan.