Mercurial Spelldancer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Rogue
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Gives substantial card advantage by allowing reuse of instants or sorceries from the graveyard.
  2. Mercurial Spelldancer’s Magecraft ability provides self-synergistic resource acceleration.
  3. Enables reactionary play and strategic flexibility with instant-speed recasting potential.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Mercurial Spelldancer. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Temur Midrange GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 14 2024
Jeskai Tempo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 06 2024
Izzet Combo GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024
Azorius Tempo GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 14 2024
Temur Tempo GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 12 2024
Azorius Control StandardAzorius ControlClassic Qualifier Prague 2024
Decklist Free formCanadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed
WU PioneerPioneer League 2024-03-06
Four-color Some Brand of Cereal GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 09 2024
Simic Tempo GladiatorGladiator Proving Grounds: Week 08 2024

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mercurial Spelldancer MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One and Phyrexia: All Will Be One, 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 Mercurial Spelldancer and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Mercurial Spelldancer can't be blocked. Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, put an oil counter on Mercurial Spelldancer. Whenever Mercurial Spelldancer deals combat damage to a player, you may remove two oil counters from it. If you do, when you cast your next instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mercurial Spelldancer allows you to cast an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard, potentially doubling the effectiveness of your spells and providing significant card advantage over your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: With its Magecraft ability, every time you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, Mercurial Spelldancer gets a +1/+1 counter, potentially reducing the need for external buffs and accelerating your board presence.

Instant Speed: The spells recast with Mercurial Spelldancer’s ability can be at instant speed if the original spell is, offering flexibility to react during your opponent’s turn and optimizing your strategy on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Mercurial Spelldancer card needs you to discard another card as part of casting, potentially depleting your hand and getting you closer to top-decking, which is not always ideal, especially in a game where resources are key.

Specific Mana Cost: Its casting cost demands both blue and red mana, which could be restrictive for decks that are not built around these specific colors, potentially making it less versatile in a multi-color deck that doesn’t heavily feature blue and red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana value, you might find that the Mercurial Spelldancer’s cost is on the higher end compared to other creatures with similar effects or power and toughness. This can slow down your tempo, especially in formats where speed and efficiency are crucial.


Reasons to Include Mercurial Spelldancer in Your Collection

Versatility: Mercurial Spelldancer offers excellent adaptability across various game plans. Its ability to copy instant or sorcery spells caters to decks that capitalize on casting numerous spells in a single turn.

Combo Potential: This card’s prowess in sequencing spells facilitates powerful combos, making it an asset for players keen on crafting high-impact play sequences that can overturn the state of the game.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame abundant with spell-based strategies, Mercurial Spelldancer has the potential to provide significant advantage, elevating it to a card worth the inclusion for its reactive capabilities and the pressure it can exert on opponents.


How to beat

The Mercurial Spelldancer brings an exciting twist to creature dynamics, especially in spell-heavy decks within Magic: The Gathering. Its prowess in growing stronger with each spell you cast can quickly turn it into a formidable opponent on the battlefield. To detract from its rapidly scaling power and mitigate its influence, the key is to employ instant removals or spells that can bypass its potential invulnerability when it becomes the target of a spell.

Considering its initial vulnerability, taking action before it gathers steam is crucial. Utilize removal spells like Path to Exile or Fatal Push early in the game to dispatch the Spelldancer before your opponent has the chance to cast multiple spells in a turn. Ensnaring it with control effects that prevent it from attacking or blocking can also cripple its effectiveness. Furthermore, since countering spells won’t trigger its ability, control players should focus on keeping counter magic in reserve to deal with the spells that would make the Spelldancer grow out of control.

To sum up, promptness and strategic spell casting are imperative when facing the Mercurial Spelldancer. By prioritizing its removal and cleverly navigating around its ability to dodge targeted spells, you can keep this magical menace from dancing away with the victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mercurial Spelldancer stands out as a particularly clever addition to any MTG player’s collection for its unique spell-copying ability and the aptitude to swiftly grow in power. Harnessing its potential can pivot the course of a game, giving spellcasters a substantial edge. To truly benefit from this dynamic card and refine your gameplay, you should delve into the strategies that best complement its strengths. Embrace the challenge, optimize your deck, and let Mercurial Spelldancer infuse your matches with strategic depth and resilience. Soak in more insights and tactics with our in-depth guides and become a formidable player in the MTG realm.


Cards like Mercurial Spelldancer

In the realm of blue prowess creatures, Mercurial Spelldancer emerges as a standout choice for players looking to amplify their spellcasting effects. Like its counterpart, Nivix Cyclops, the Spelldancer gets a power boost whenever you cast an instant or sorcery. However, what sets this dynamic entity apart is its ability to copy a spell when it attacks, giving you double the impact with no additional cast required – a feature Nivix Cyclops lacks.

Spellweaver Eternal is another relative, sharing the prowess trait, yet the Mercurial Spelldancer provides a notable upside with its copying ability. Despite Spellweaver Eternal’s afflict mechanic, it doesn’t offer the same level of strategic advantage in spell-heavy decks. Weeping Prophet, while also drawing from the prowess pool, falls short in comparison; it grants an entirely different utility by converting card drawing into a direct function of its ability rather than amplifying your spells.

Given these comparisons, the Mercurial Spelldancer proves to be a formidable figure that can provide significant leverage in a strategic spellcaster’s arsenal. The potential to cast spells twice not only escalates pressure on opponents but also enhances the overall synergy in prowess-centered decks.

Nivix Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Eternal - MTG Card versions
Nivix Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Spellweaver Eternal - MTG Card versions

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Vodalian Soldiers - MTG Card versions
Zephyr Falcon - MTG Card versions
Lord of Atlantis - MTG Card versions
Giant Albatross - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Sphere - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Sage - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Condor - MTG Card versions
School of Piranha - MTG Card versions
Coral Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Wu Light Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Sea Eagle - MTG Card versions
Overtaker - MTG Card versions
Hazy Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Darting Merfolk - MTG Card versions
Thought Eater - MTG Card versions
Spellstutter Sprite - MTG Card versions
Sneaky Homunculus - MTG Card versions
Coral Eel - MTG Card versions
Storm Crow - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions

Printings

The Mercurial Spelldancer Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by Marcela Bolívar.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 3812015NormalBlackMarcela Bolívar
22023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 612015NormalBlackMarcela Bolívar
32023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 61p2015NormalBlackMarcela Bolívar
42023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 61s2015NormalBlackMarcela Bolívar

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mercurial Spelldancer has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-02-04 A copy is created even if the spell that caused the delayed triggered ability to trigger has been countered by the time that delayed triggered ability resolves. The copy resolves before the original spell.
2023-02-04 Any choices made when the spell resolves won't have been made yet when it's copied. Any such choices will be made separately when the copy resolves.
2023-02-04 If the spell has damage divided as it was put onto the stack, the division can't be changed, although the targets receiving that damage still can. The same is true of spells that distribute counters.
2023-02-04 If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy has the same value of X.
2023-02-04 If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode or modes. You can't choose different ones.
2023-02-04 The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Creating the copy won't cause abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell to trigger.
2023-02-04 The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If the spell is a permanent spell with targets, such as an Aura, you may also choose a new target for that spell. The new targets must be legal. If, for any target, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
2023-02-04 You can't choose to pay any additional costs for a copied spell. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy too.