[January] Mechanic Repository: Mercenary Mechanic Overview

Mechanics | Crusader Mechanic Overview | Mercenary Mechanic Overview | Savage Mechanic Overview

Table of Content
Recruit
Battle Recruit
Brother-in-Arms
Down Payment

Mercenary Mechanics

The mechanics is supposed to appear in {u} {b} {r} with a focus in black. Due to an invasion by the orcish tribes the dwarves turn towards outside help by mercenaries to defend their mountain home.

I had the possibility of returning the Mercadian Masques mechanic always considered as my fallback option. How are the alternatives?

Recruit


Ogre Mercenary C Creature – Ogre Mercenary First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.) Recruit— , : Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 4 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. 2/2	First and foremost, I propose Recruit - which is based on the mechanic Rebels and Mercenaries featured in Mercadian Masks, Nemesis and Prophecy. Since the Rebel-mechanic was way better received, the ability to recruit higher converted mana costs will be utilized.	Human Sellsword C Creature – Human Mercenary Recruit— , : Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 2 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. 1/1	Reef Pirate C Creature – Merfolk Mercenary Whenever Reef Pirate deals damage to an opponent, draw a card, then discard a card. Recruit— , : Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. 1/1

Ogre Mercenary

Creature – Ogre Mercenary

First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
Recruit— {5}

: Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 4 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

2/2

First and foremost, I propose Recruit - which is based on the mechanic Rebels and Mercenaries featured in Mercadian Masks, Nemesis and Prophecy.
Since the Rebel-mechanic was way better received, the ability to recruit higher converted mana costs will be utilized.

Human Sellsword

Creature – Human Mercenary

Recruit— {3}

: Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 2 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

1/1

Reef Pirate

Creature – Merfolk Mercenary

Whenever Reef Pirate deals damage to an opponent, draw a card, then discard a card.
Recruit— {4}

: Search your library for a Mercenary permanent card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

1/1

Battle Recruit


Ogre Mercenary C Creature – Ogre Mercenary First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.) Battle Recruit— Whenever Ogre Mercenary attacks, you may pay . If you do, search your library for a Mercenary card with converted mana cost 4 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library. 2/2	As a variant I suggest battle recruit. Battle recruit is no longer an activated ability like recruit, but instead a triggered ability - which encourages more interactive gameplay.	Necropol Sellsword C Creature – Human Mercenary Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.) Instigate— Whenever Necropol Sellsword attacks, you may pay . If you do, search your library for a Mercenary card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it onto the battlefield tapped and attacking, then shuffle your library. 1/1	Instigate is a potential variant on battle recruit that puts the creature onto the battlefield attacking.

Ogre Mercenary

Creature – Ogre Mercenary

First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
Battle Recruit— Whenever Ogre Mercenary attacks, you may pay {5}

. If you do, search your library for a Mercenary card with converted mana cost 4 or less and put it onto the battlefield. Then shuffle your library.

2/2

As a variant I suggest battle recruit.
Battle recruit is no longer an activated ability like recruit, but instead a triggered ability - which encourages more interactive gameplay.

Necropol Sellsword

Creature – Human Mercenary

Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Instigate— Whenever Necropol Sellsword attacks, you may pay {3}

. If you do, search your library for a Mercenary card with converted mana cost 3 or less and put it onto the battlefield tapped and attacking, then shuffle your library.

1/1

Instigate is a potential variant on battle recruit that puts the creature onto the battlefield attacking.

Brother-in-Arms


Ogre Mercenary C Creature – Ogre Mercenary Brother-in-Arms (When you cast this spell from your hand, you may search your library for another card that shares a subtype with it with converted mana cost 2 or less and cast it without paying its mana cost. If you do, shuffle your library.) 2/2	I also consider alternate mechanics for Mercenaries like Brother-in-arms.	Disfigured Sellsword C Creature – Human Mercenary Brother-in-Arms (When you cast this spell from your hand, you may search your library for another card that shares a subtype with it with converted mana cost 1 or less and cast it without paying its mana cost. If you do, shuffle your library.) 2/1	Reef Pirate C Creature – Merfolk Mercenary Brother-in-Arms (When you cast this spell from your hand, you may search your library for another card that shares a subtype with it with converted mana cost 1 or less and cast it without paying its mana cost. If you do, shuffle your library.) 2/1

Ogre Mercenary

Creature – Ogre Mercenary

Brother-in-Arms (When you cast this spell from your hand, you may search your library for another card that shares a subtype with it with converted mana cost 2 or less and cast it without paying its mana cost. If you do, shuffle your library.)

2/2

I also consider alternate mechanics for Mercenaries like Brother-in-arms.

Disfigured Sellsword

Creature – Human Mercenary

Brother-in-Arms (When you cast this spell from your hand, you may search your library for another card that shares a subtype with it with converted mana cost 1 or less and cast it without paying its mana cost. If you do, shuffle your library.)

2/1

Reef Pirate

Creature – Merfolk Mercenary

2/1

Down Payment

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Ogre Mercenary

Creature – Ogre Mercenary

Down payment {r}

(You may pay and discard a card rather than pay this spells mana cost.)

2/2

Or Down payment.

Down payment a. k. a. hire is the mechanic that was favored most strongly back when I proposed these mechanics. It is a mechanic I could imagine being quite playable if paired with e. g. madness.

Looting Sellsword

Creature – Human Mercenary

Down payment {1}

(You may pay and discard a card rather than pay this spells mana cost.)
When Looting Sellsword enters the battlefield, you may return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

2/2

Reef Pirate

Creature – Merfolk Mercenary

Down payment {0}

(You may pay and discard a card rather than pay this spells mana cost.)

1/1

Updated on 17 Jun 2018 by SecretInfiltrator