River Herald Scout
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
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #15895
River Herald Scout puts a land into play tapped when it enters — a 1/1 body stapled to a conditional Rampant Growth effect, assuming you control another Merfolk. The rate is mediocre for anything outside a dedicated Merfolk shell, but in one it earns its slot as a curve-filler that doesn't cost you tempo on mana.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, River Herald Scout is a role-player in Merfolk tribal builds only — Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca and Sygg, River Guide lists are the natural homes, where the Merfolk clause is trivially online and the land-fetch smooths your early curve. In Pauper, it's fringe-playable in Merfolk aggro as a tapland-fetcher that also attacks, though most builds prefer cheaper lords over utility bodies. In Modern and Pioneer, Merfolk has better options at every slot and River Herald Scout doesn't crack competitive lists. Legacy Merfolk runs Aether Vial and fast lords — a three-mana 1/1 is simply too slow. Treat it as a Commander-only card for Merfolk tribal specifically.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, River Herald Scout is deep bulk — a card you pick up as an afterthought or pull from a common box, not one you track down. Bulk tribal commons like this don't appreciate; buy it for a quarter if you need it and don't think twice about the price.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.