Master of the Pearl Trident
Creature — Merfolk
Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1 and have islandwalk. (They can't be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Jumpstart: Historic Horizons
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #3510
Master of the Pearl Trident gives every Merfolk you control islandwalk and a +1/+1 boost for two mana — that's a lord that closes games, not just pads stats. In Merfolk builds, especially under Hakbal of the Surging Soul, it's a near-mandatory inclusion.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Hakbal of the Surging Soul wants to crash in with as many Merfolk as possible each combat, and Master of the Pearl Trident making the whole board unblockable against blue-heavy Commander tables turns that into a one-sided massacre.
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca's activated abilities scale with tapping Merfolk, and Master of the Pearl Trident pushing the board through blockers means those Merfolk connect before they tap — keeping the engine flowing without trading creatures.
Omo, Queen of Vesuva
Omo, Queen of Vesuva can stamp the Merfolk type onto creatures across the board, and Master of the Pearl Trident rewards that by extending islandwalk and the power boost to everything Omo converts.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Master of the Pearl Trident is a staple in any Merfolk tribal build — 94% inclusion in Hakbal decks alone makes the case. Legacy Merfolk has run it as a full playset alongside Lord of Atlantis for years, and the redundancy at the same mana cost is the point: eight copies of the same effect make the deck consistent. In Modern, Merfolk remains a real if fringe strategy, and Master of the Pearl Trident earns its slot there too, though the format's speed means the islandwalk clause matters less than in slower games. Vintage sees it only in dedicated tribal lists, which are rare but functional. Outside dedicated Merfolk shells in any format, Master of the Pearl Trident does nothing — it's a tribal piece, not a generalist.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available at the moment, so check Scryfall or your preferred retailer for the current market rate. Given that Master of the Pearl Trident sees consistent Commander and occasional Legacy demand, it's rarely a bulk rare — but printings in multiple sets have kept the ceiling modest.
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Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.