Merfolk Spy
Creature — Merfolk Rogue
Islandwalk (This creature can't be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.)
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player reveals a card at random from their hand.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Magic 2014
- Price
- $0.24
- EDHREC rank
- #18164
Merfolk Spy is a one-mana 1/1 that makes one opponent reveal each card they draw — useful intelligence, but no board presence and no way to act on what you see. The effect is narrow enough that only dedicated Merfolk tribal or mill-adjacent builds have any reason to run it.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Merfolk Spy occupies the bottom tier of Merfolk tribal staples — it counts toward lord buffs and Merfolk synergies, but the forced-reveal effect targets only one opponent and does nothing to stop threats from landing. Competitive Merfolk builds in Legacy and Modern have no interest in it; those formats run Merfolk Spy's slot harder with Cursecatcher or Harbinger of the Tides. Pauper is the one format where budget Merfolk tribal might slot it as a filler one-drop, though even there it's the last card making the cut.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.24 bulk tier
At $0.24, Merfolk Spy is deep bulk — you're paying for cardboard, not power. That price is stable simply because demand is low and supply is plentiful, so don't expect movement in either direction.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.