Merrow Wavebreakers MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Merfolk Soldier |
| Released | 2008-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadowmoor |
| Set code | SHM |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 44 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Alex Horley-Orlandelli |
Text of card
, {Q}: Merrow Wavebreakers gains flying until end of turn. ({Q} is the untap symbol.)
The merrows' prey have retreated from the shore, so they have learned to follow.
Cards like Merrow Wavebreakers
Merrow Wavebreakers join the cadre of aquatic creatures in Magic: The Gathering that shine in decks geared towards sea faring themes. With its ability to grant unblockable status to one of your creatures until end of turn, the Merrow Wavebreakers draw parallels to Tidal Warrior, another creature that can temporarily influence the battlefield by turning any land into an Island. While Tidal Warrior offers a more strategic land manipulation ability, the Wavebreakers have a distinct advantage in promoting direct combat superiority.
Scroll Thief is another comparable card, sharing the Merfolk creature type and the theme of combat advantage. It awards card draw upon dealing combat damage to a player, supporting a consistent advantage in card resources. Though lacking the combat evasion enhancement provided by the Wavebreakers, it compensates with its inherent card advantage mechanic.
Altogether, in a versatile Merfolk deck or those capitalizing on evasive maneuvers, Merrow Wavebreakers have a valuable role. They may not always turn the tide of the game with card draw or land alteration, but they excel at clearing the way for decisive attacks, securing their place among the myriad of options players have for reinforcing their aquatic strategies.
Cards similar to Merrow Wavebreakers by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Merrow Wavebreakers provides players with the ability to draw cards upon connecting with an opponent, offering a continuous potential to generate card advantage over the course of a game.
Resource Acceleration: This card has the potential to untap all lands you control when it attacks, significantly speeding up your mana availability and paving the way for casting higher-cost spells much earlier than usual.
Instant Speed: Merrow Wavebreakers can be turned into an unblockable creature at instant speed, giving players the strategic edge to make surprise maneuvers and optimize their attacks without being hindered by enemy creatures.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the case of Merrow Wavebreakers, players often find the discard requirement to be a stumbling block. This forces you to weigh the potential of the deployed creature against the immediate loss of another card from your hand, which may not always be beneficial, especially in longer or more strategic games where hand management is crucial.
Specific Mana Cost: The Merrow Wavebreakers come with a mana cost that requires not just generic mana but also a specific blue commitment. This tailored cost means that in decks that don’t heavily favor blue mana or that are multi-colored and mana-stretched, these creatures may strain your mana resources or delay their play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a card that essentially offers a creature with a conditional ability to become unblockable, its mana cost is seen by some players as high. There are a variety of other creatures or spells in the MTG universe that might provide either a solid creature body or evasion abilities for a lower investment, potentially giving those cards an edge in deck construction efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Merrow Wavebreakers bring flexibility to blue-based decks as they can be a threat in themselves while also enabling other sea creatures. Their ability to become unblockable provides consistent pressure on your opponent.
Combo Potential: With the capability to make themselves and other Merfolk unblockable for a turn, Merrow Wavebreakers synergize well with Merfolk strategies that benefit from safe combat or direct damage to opponents.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature combat is prevalent, Merrow Wavebreakers offer an edge by bypassing blockers, making them relevant in various match-ups and metagames.
How to beat
Merrow Wavebreakers can be a tricky card to navigate in Magic: The Gathering due to its Islandwalk ability, essentially making it unblockable as long as the opponent controls an Island. This aquatic-oriented creature from the Blue faction brings a unique challenge to the table, highlighting the need for strategic countermeasures.
Tackling Merrow Wavebreakers requires a bit of insight into managing enchanted creatures. Cards like Unsummon present an efficient solution, bouncing the Wavebreakers back to the opponent’s hand and disrupting their momentum. Spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization offer removal options, extracting the threat from the field or replacing it with a less problematic creature. You could also alter the battlefield itself: cards like Blood Moon can transform nonbasic lands into basic Mountains, negating the Wavebreaker’s unblockability if Islands are the source. While land removal is generally frowned upon, strategic land alteration can be highly effective.
Ultimately, understanding the synergies that make Merrow Wavebreakers powerful and disrupting those links can effectively diminish its impact on the game, maintaining control of the match and paving the way towards victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Merrow Wavebreakers MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Merrow Wavebreakers and other MTG cards:
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- 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Merrow Wavebreakers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Merrow Wavebreakers card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-05-01 | If a creature with an {Q} ability hasn’t been under your control since your most recent turn began, you can’t activate that ability, unless the creature has haste. |
| 2008-05-01 | If the permanent is already untapped, you can’t activate its {Q} ability. That’s because you can’t pay the “Untap this permanent” cost. |
| 2008-05-01 | When you activate an {Q} ability, you untap the creature with that ability as a cost. The untap can’t be responded to. (The actual ability can be responded to, of course.) |