Mercenary Informer MTG Card


Mercenary Informer - Prophecy
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Rebel Mercenary
Released2000-06-05
Set symbol
Set nameProphecy
Set codePCY
Power 2
Toughness 1
Number15
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byNelson DeCastro

Key Takeaways

  1. Mercenary Informer curtails graveyard strategies, hindering opponent’s creature reanimation and usage.
  2. Though not mana acceleration, it gives tempo advantage by controlling battlefield dynamics.
  3. Strategically timing its ability mimics the disruption potential of instant speed spells.

Text of card

Mercenary Informer can't be the target of black spells or abilities. oo W Put target Mercenary card on the bottom of its owner's library.

The problem with rebels is that they so quickly reject authority.


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.


Cards like Mercenary Informer

Mercenary Informer is a unique card among creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarities to cards like Tsabo’s Web, both offering a way to control opponents’ resources. The Informer stands out by targeting tapped nonbasic lands, making them useless for an opponent. Unlike Tsabo’s Web, which only prevents those lands from untapping and doesn’t provide a way to destroy the lands.

Looking to Defective Detective, we encounter another card with abilities influencing the board’s politics. While Defective Detective’s strength lies in its entertaining guessing element, Mercenary Informer provides a direct method to disrupt your opponent’s manabase. Additionally, there’s Aven Mindcensor impacting searches of a library – another tactical angle in the shared domain of interfering with opponents’ gameplay strategies.

Assessing Mercenary Informer’s capabilities against its counterparts, it is evident that it occupies a niche for players seeking to tactically inhibit opponents’ lands. Beyond mere comparison, its role in specific deck builds becomes apparent where the aim is control through disrupting enemy terrains.

Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Defective Detective - MTG Card versions
Aven Mindcensor - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - Invasion (INV)
Defective Detective - Unstable (UST)
Aven Mindcensor - Future Sight (FUT)

Cards similar to Mercenary Informer by color, type and mana cost

Argivian Blacksmith - MTG Card versions
Jamuraan Lion - MTG Card versions
Snow Hound - MTG Card versions
Elvish Healer - MTG Card versions
Femeref Knight - MTG Card versions
Border Guard - MTG Card versions
Stern Marshal - MTG Card versions
Benalish Knight - MTG Card versions
Regal Unicorn - MTG Card versions
Wild Griffin - MTG Card versions
Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions
Dogged Hunter - MTG Card versions
Diving Griffin - MTG Card versions
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - MTG Card versions
Kitsune Palliator - MTG Card versions
Freewind Equenaut - MTG Card versions
Sanctum Guardian - MTG Card versions
Field Marshal - MTG Card versions
Kithkin Healer - MTG Card versions
Kor Hookmaster - MTG Card versions
Argivian Blacksmith - Antiquities (ATQ)
Jamuraan Lion - Media Inserts (PMEI)
Snow Hound - Ice Age (ICE)
Elvish Healer - Ice Age (ICE)
Femeref Knight - Mirage (MIR)
Border Guard - Portal (POR)
Stern Marshal - Portal (POR)
Benalish Knight - Anthologies (ATH)
Regal Unicorn - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Wild Griffin - Starter 2000 (S00)
Pianna, Nomad Captain - Odyssey (ODY)
Dogged Hunter - Odyssey (ODY)
Diving Griffin - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Faithful Squire // Kaiso, Memory of Loyalty - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Kitsune Palliator - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Freewind Equenaut - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sanctum Guardian - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Field Marshal - Coldsnap (CSP)
Kithkin Healer - Lorwyn (LRW)
Kor Hookmaster - Zendikar (ZEN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mercenary Informer MTG card by a specific set like Prophecy, 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 Mercenary Informer and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mercenary Informer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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