Merfolk Pupil MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Merfolk Wizard
Released	2022-12-02
Set symbol
Set name	Jumpstart 2022
Set code	J22
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	15
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Caroline Gariba

Key Takeaways

Merfolk Pupil enhances your card advantage, ensuring a well-stocked hand for strategic gameplay.
Its instant speed maneuvers keep opponents guessing and enhance your reactive capabilities.
The card synergizes well with blue mana strategies, augmenting both resources and Merfolk tribal decks.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Merfolk Pupil MTG card by a specific set like Jumpstart 2022, 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 Merfolk Pupil and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

When Merfolk Pupil enters the battlefield, draw a card, then discard a card. , Exile Merfolk Pupil from your graveyard: Draw a card, then discard a card.

Maintaining a personal bubble is even more important when you have gills.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Merfolk Pupil shines in enabling players to gain superior card advantage during gameplay. The card is designed to sift through the deck, providing opportunities to draw into more potent threats or answers, keeping your hand replenished and ready to challenge opponents effectively.

Resource Acceleration: In addition to offering valuable insight into your upcoming draws, Merfolk Pupil can contribute to resource acceleration. Its synergistic abilities can amplify your mana resources or streamline your game plan, ensuring you are steps ahead of the competition and capitalizing on your resource pool efficiently.

Instant Speed: The ability of Merfolk Pupil to operate at instant speed is a strategic advantage. This grants you flexibility in responding to the dynamic state of the board. You can optimize your plays by reacting decisively to opponents’ actions and maintaining the element of surprise, a crucial factor in outmaneuvering them during critical phases of the match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: For deck archetypes that prioritize card retention, the necessity to discard may detract from their strategic depth and resource management. Players often evaluate the discard cost against the potential benefits that Merfolk Pupil may contribute to the board state, and at times, the price may seem steep depending on the hand quality.

Specific Mana Cost: This card calls for a precise mana arrangement to cast, which typically includes blue mana. This requirement dictates the deck’s construction around this color, potentially excluding Merfolk Pupil from more diverse or color-flexible strategies. It can prove restrictive for players exploring multicolor options or those not committed to a blue-dominant base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the current metagame, mana-efficiency is key, meaning that even a small difference in cost can impact the playability of a card. Merfolk Pupil’s mana investment, in relation to its impact on the game, may fall short when compared to other creatures in the same slot. Savvy players must weigh its abilities against other potential cards that could provide a quicker or more potent influence on the match at the same, or a lesser, mana cost.

Reasons to Include Merfolk Pupil in Your Collection

Versatility: Merfolk Pupil provides a flexible role in deck-building. As a creature card, it can be a good fit in Merfolk tribal decks or any blue-based strategy that values early board presence.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with other Merfolk or spells that benefit from having a high volume of creatures, enabling various combo plays that can overwhelm your opponent.

Meta-Relevance: Given the ever-evolving MTG landscape, Merfolk Pupil can be very relevant in matches where the synergistic nature of Merfolk tribes or creature-based strategies can thrive against the current competitive decks.

How to beat

Merfolk Pupil incarnates the strategic intricacies of Magic: The Gathering, presenting a creature card that can be concerning if left unchecked. Its key ability allows it to empower other Merfolk you control, progressively making your opponent’s forces stronger. Overcoming this steady growth necessitates a mix of removal spells and strategic creature blocking. Cards such as Shock or Lightning Bolt are effective against Merfolk Pupil, cutting short its potential before it poses a significant threat. On the battlefield, it’s essential to prioritize Merfolk Pupil to prevent it from boosting others in its tribe.

Additionally, instant speed spells can disrupt combos during your opponent’s turn, ensuring they don’t capitalize on the card’s benefits. For those with the capacity to control the game tempo, a well-timed Counterspell can neutralize the threat before it lands on the board. In essence, dealing with Merfolk Pupil requires foresight and a proactive approach. Maintain pressure with removals or counters, and the undersea menace becomes nothing more than a ripple in your gameplan.

Cards like Merfolk Pupil

Merfolk Pupil marks its territory in the realm of creature spells in MTG with unique qualities. It sits alongside other merfolk creatures such as Merfolk Looter, which also facilitates card advantage but through a tap ability that requires the player to draw a card, then discard a card. Merfolk Pupil, interestingly enough, provides opportunity through its +1/+1 counter distribution upon casting a noncreature spell, presenting a different angle of deck synergy.

When considering cards like Merrow Reejerey, a comparison is drawn in the merfolk synergy department. Merrow Reejerey allows for the tapping or untapping of permanents whenever another merfolk enters the battlefield – a different kind of utility that influences board state over time. Though not identical in effect, Merfolk Pupil can prove to be a valuable component in a deck that leverages spells to strengthen creatures incrementally.

In essence, Merfolk Pupil offers an avenue for growth and enhancement within a spell-heavy merfolk deck. While it may not provide immediate card draw or tap effects, its ability to scale and become a more formidable threat with spellcasting sets it apart in merfolk deck construction strategies.