Merchant of Secrets MTG Card
2003-02-03 - Number 44
2003-07-28 - Number 90
2003-07-28 - Number 90★
2017-08-25 - Number 87
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
When Merchant of Secrets comes into play, draw a card.
To scrape out a living in Aphetto, wizards are reduced to selling rumors, lies, forgeries, or—if they get desperate enough—the truth.
Cards like Merchant of Secrets
Merchant of Secrets steps into the realm of creature-based card draw in Magic: The Gathering. Its straightforward approach mirrors that of cards like Elvish Visionary, with both creatures allowing you to draw a card upon entering the battlefield. However, Merchant of Secrets is slightly more costly, with an additional generic mana in its casting cost compared to the elf’s singular forest requirement.
Another related card is Sea Gate Oracle. While still in the same vein of card draw creatures, Sea Gate Oracle offers a selection by letting you look at the top two cards of your library and put one into your hand. This selectivity makes it a more strategic choice, despite sharing a similar mana cost with Merchant of Secrets. Additionally, Jeskai Sage also presents an intriguing comparison, as it grants card draw albeit through a different trigger—dying. While not as immediate as Merchant of Secrets, the sage’s prowess ability provides potential for a larger impact in the right deck.
All things considered, Merchant of Secrets maintains its place as a simple, no-frills option for card draw in a deck, standing alongside its kin in the Magic: The Gathering universe with its own role to fulfill in a strategist’s lineup.
Cards similar to Merchant of Secrets by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Merchant of Secrets steps onto the battlefield and immediately lets you draw a card, increasing your hand size and giving you an edge over the opponent by providing additional options for your strategy.
Resource Acceleration: Although this creature doesn’t directly increase your mana pool, the additional card drawn could potentially be a land or mana-producing spell, subtly enhancing your resource acceleration and paving the way for more powerful plays in subsequent turns.
Instant Speed: While Merchant of Secrets doesn’t operate at instant speed, being able to draw a card as part of a creature’s enter-the-battlefield effect adds a layer of utility, allowing you to potentially uncover instant-speed responses or set up for future interactions during your opponent’s turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Merchant of Secrets allows for card draw, it does not offer this without a cost. Players must weigh the advantage of drawing a card against the disadvantage of potentially losing a valuable card in their hand, especially when their hand size is dwindling.
Specific Mana Cost: Merchant of Secrets requires a blend of colorless and one blue mana, which dictates its place in decks to those compatible with blue mana resources. This can limit deck diversity and force the card into a narrow spectrum of blue-centric strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Merchant of Secrets comes with a relatively high investment for the action of just drawing one card. Given this cost, players may find themselves behind in tempo, particularly when other cards in the game might provide a more efficient card draw mechanism or additional benefits beyond the singular card drawn.
Reasons to Include Merchant of Secrets in Your Collection
Versatility: Merchant of Secrets offers a straightforward card draw upon entry, a basic effect that is welcomed in a variety of blue-based decks. Its flexibility comes from being a low-cost creature with an immediate impact, allowing for more significant plays in subsequent turns.
Combo Potential: This creature plays well in strategies that synergize with entering the battlefield effects or depend on card quantity for a win-condition. In combination with flicker or bounce mechanics, Merchant of Secrets can become a valuable engine for drawing multiple cards.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where games are drawn out and hand size is critical, Merchant of Secrets can provide the incremental advantage needed. Its ability to refresh your hand keeps resources flowing, which is pivotal against decks aiming to deplete your options.
How to beat
Merchant of Secrets is a familiar face in the arena of card draw creatures in Magic: The Gathering, serving as a simple yet effective way to refresh your hand. With its entrance to the battlefield, this card allows you to draw a card, providing a boost in card advantage. While it does offer this immediate benefit, it’s essential to understand the card’s limitations if you’re aiming to overcome it.
Its strength lies in card advantage but it poses little threat otherwise with its modest stat line. Countering Merchant of Secrets relies on preventing your opponent from capitalizing on their improved hand. Applying pressure with aggressive creatures can divert their resources away from utilizing the cards they’ve drawn. Control decks can also leverage board wipes and spot removal to minimize the impact of newly drawn cards. Additionally, incorporating hand disruption strategies in your game can erode the advantage Merchant of Secrets provides, leaving your opponent with fewer options and negating the card’s primary utility.
In essence, while Merchant of Secrets can be a useful tool for pulling ahead in terms of card count, a strategic approach that targets the aftereffects of card draw can effectively neutralize its impact on the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Merchant of Secrets MTG card by a specific set like Legions and Eighth Edition, 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 of Secrets and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Merchant of Secrets Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2003-02-03 and 2017-08-25. Illustrated by Greg Hildebrandt.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-02-03 | Legions | LGN | 44 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt | |
| 2 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 90 | 2003 | Normal | White | Greg Hildebrandt | |
| 3 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 90★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt | |
| 4 | 2017-08-25 | Commander 2017 | C17 | 87 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Merchant of Secrets has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |