Mercurial Pretender MTG Card


Mercurial Pretender offers card advantage by duplicating creatures and their valuable enter-the-battlefield effects. Resource acceleration can be achieved by cloning mana-generating creatures, bolstering your mana pool. Replicating creatures with instant speed or flash maintains tactical unpredictability against opponents.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Shapeshifter
Power 0
Toughness 0

Text of card

You may have Mercurial Pretender enter the battlefield as a copy of a creature you control, except it has ": Return this creature to its owner's hand."

The king went off to find himself. Imagine his terror when he succeeded.


Cards like Mercurial Pretender

Mercurial Pretender stands out as a unique offering within Magic: The Gathering’s range of clone effects. This card allows players to copy any creature they control, not just any creature on the battlefield like Clone or Stunt Double. In addition, Mercurial Pretender brings the bonus of being able to return to its owner’s hand and recast it, continuously adapting to the ever-changing battlefield. This contrasts with cards like Clever Impersonator which, while versatile in copying any nonland permanent, lacks the inherent sustainability of Mercurial Pretender.

Reflecting on Vizier of Many Faces, another card with clone capabilities, we notice it can embalm itself, offering a one-time reusability from the graveyard. However, Mercurial Pretender affords multiple uses as long as you can pay for its return and recast. Body Double also enters the fray with a different cloning angle—copying creatures from the graveyard. Nonetheless, it’s the reusability and control synergy of Mercurial Pretender that sets it apart, offering players a dynamic and versatile choice for their decks.

In weighing up their traits, Mercurial Pretender’s distinctive reusability makes it a competitive option for players looking to capitalize on creature abilities and maintain board presence throughout the game.

Clone - MTG Card versions
Stunt Double - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Vizier of Many Faces - MTG Card versions
Body Double - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Stunt Double - MTG Card versions
Clever Impersonator - MTG Card versions
Vizier of Many Faces - MTG Card versions
Body Double - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Mercurial Pretender by color, type and mana cost

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Air Elemental - MTG Card versions
Pirate Ship - MTG Card versions
Sandbar Crocodile - MTG Card versions
Segovian Leviathan - MTG Card versions
Sun Ce, Young Conquerer - MTG Card versions
Wu Admiral - MTG Card versions
Mawcor - MTG Card versions
Timin, Youthful Geist - MTG Card versions
Geology Enthusiast - MTG Card versions
Coastal Hornclaw - MTG Card versions
Meloku the Clouded Mirror - MTG Card versions
Azami, Lady of Scrolls - MTG Card versions
Richard Garfield, Ph.D. - MTG Card versions
Cloudhoof Kirin - MTG Card versions
Drelnoch - MTG Card versions
Adarkar Windform - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Mercurial Pretender offers a unique way to replicate card advantage without directly drawing cards. Since it can copy any creature you own, it essentially doubles the value of your most advantageous creature on the battlefield. Furthermore, by copying creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects, you generate additional value each time.

Resource Acceleration: This shapeshifter’s potential for resource acceleration lies in its ability to clone creatures that have mana-generating abilities. Copying these creatures can exponentially increase your mana production capacity, paving the way for more powerful plays or enabling multicolored decks to function more smoothly.

Instant Speed: While Mercurial Pretender itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with creatures that do. By copying creatures with flash, you maintain the element of surprise, keeping opponents on their toes. Plus, it can be returned to your hand at any time you could cast a sorcery, presenting an opportunity to react to the ever-changing battlefield at your pace.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Mercurial Pretender asks you to exile another creature you control until it leaves the battlefield, which can be detrimental if you’re managing a limited number of creatures.

Specific Mana Cost: With a required casting cost including two blue mana symbols, it’s challenging to include in multicolored or heavy mana-demanding decks without proper lands or mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Having to invest five mana, including those two specific blue ones, makes Mercurial Pretender a substantial investment, especially considering that other creature options provide more immediate board impact or have lower summoning costs.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Mercurial Pretender offers flexibility in deck building by fitting into a variety of Blue-based decks. Its clone ability allows you to adapt your game plan by copying the most impactful creatures on the board, no matter the matchup.

Combo Potential: With its ability to copy enter-the-battlefield effects, Mercurial Pretender can be a linchpin in powerful combos. It synergizes well with creatures that have effects when they enter or leave the battlefield, allowing for repeatable interactions and potentially game-winning sequences.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Mercurial Pretender can mimic the best creatures on either side of the battlefield. This adaptability ensures that it remains a relevant card regardless of shifting trends in the competitive landscape.


How to beat

Confronting the Mercurial Pretender on the battlefield requires a strategic approach. This creature brings flexibility to the game with its clone ability, yet it is not without its weaknesses. Disrupting the Pretender’s entrance onto the field is a key tactic. Counter spells are your first line of defense, preventing the Pretender from copying a valuable creature and gaining its abilities. Should the Pretender manage to slip through your counters, removal spells are next in your arsenal. Direct removal will effectively deal with it post-casting.

Another method to weaken the Pretender’s impact is to limit your opponent’s board presence. With fewer creatures on the battlefield, the Pretender’s clone ability becomes significantly less threatening. Lastly, exploit the Pretender’s mana intensiveness. It has a high casting cost, and its ability to return to its owner’s hand to clone a new creature isn’t cheap either. Pressure your opponent and force them to commit mana elsewhere, reducing the chances of their Pretender’s effective reentry. By playing smart and maintaining control, you can mitigate the dangers of the Mercurial Pretender.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Mercurial Pretender MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic 2015 Promos, 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 Pretender and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Mercurial Pretender Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-07-17 and 2014-07-18. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 538262015NormalBlackKarla Ortiz
22014-07-17Magic 2015 PromosPM15 682015NormalBlackKarla Ortiz
32014-07-18Magic 2015M15 682015NormalBlackIzzy

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Mercurial Pretender has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2014-07-18 Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Mercurial Pretender enters the battlefield. Any “as
-his creature] enters the battlefield” or “
-his creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
2014-07-18 If Mercurial Pretender somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, Mercurial Pretender can’t become a copy of that creature. You may choose only a creature that’s already on the battlefield.
2014-07-18 If the chosen creature has in its mana cost (such as Genesis Hydra), X is 0.
2014-07-18 If the chosen creature is a token, Mercurial Pretender copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Mercurial Pretender is not a token, even when copying one.
2014-07-18 If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Mercurial Pretender), then Mercurial Pretender enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature is copying (plus any abilities it gained as part of the copying process, if applicable).
2014-07-18 Mercurial Pretender copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing more (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn’t copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, etc. For example, if Mercurial Pretender enters the battlefield as a copy of a Profane Memento with Ensoul Artifact attached to it, Mercurial Pretender will be a noncreature Profane Memento with Mercurial Pretender’s added activated ability.
2014-07-18 Mercurial Pretender’s ability doesn’t target the chosen creature.
2014-07-18 The activated ability Mercurial Pretender gives itself becomes part of its copiable values. Unless the ability is overwritten by another copy effect, a creature that’s a copy of Mercurial Pretender will have that ability.
2014-07-18 You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Mercurial Pretender enters the battlefield as a 0/0 Shapeshifter creature, and is probably put into the graveyard immediately.