Merfolk Branchwalker
Creature — Merfolk Scout
When this creature enters, it explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.)
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Ixalan
- Price
- $0.25
- EDHREC rank
- #16015
Merfolk Branchwalker enters as a 3/2 if you hit land and a 2/1 with a scry if you don't — either result is fine for two mana, which is exactly the problem. A 2/1 body with a scry is not a card advantage engine, and a 3/2 vanilla is not a threat; Merfolk Branchwalker is acceptable filler and nothing more.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Pioneer, Merfolk Branchwalker saw real play as a curve piece in Merfolk tribal, where the explore trigger smoothed draws in a deck hungry for the right land or the right threat — that context made it genuinely useful. In Modern, the bar is high enough that a two-mana 2/1 with conditional upside doesn't clear it outside dedicated tribal shells. Commander is where Merfolk Branchwalker struggles most: 100-card decks dilute the explore payoff, a 2/1 or 3/2 body is irrelevant at a four-player table, and better explore creatures like Jadelight Ranger exist for the same slot. Legacy and Vintage are non-starters for obvious reasons.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.25 bulk tier
At $0.25, Merfolk Branchwalker is pure bulk — a fine pickup if you're building Pioneer Merfolk on a shoestring and need the four-of. It won't appreciate; reprint risk is low only because demand is lower.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.