Merfolk Branchwalker
Merfolk Branchwalker: Creature - Merfolk Scout, Foundations Jumpstart. When this creature enters, it explores. Prices and printings on Mana Grove.
- Mana cost
- {1}{G}
- Mana value
- 2
- Type
- Creature - Merfolk Scout
- Colour identity
- Green (G)
- Power / toughness
- 2/1
- Rarity
- Uncommon
- Set
- Foundations Jumpstart (J25)
- Released
- 2024-11-15
- Collector number
- 688
- Artist
- Kieran Yanner
- Commander rank
- 16,600 (by how often it appears in Commander decks)
- Keywords
- Explore
Build around this card with Grover
About Merfolk Branchwalker
Merfolk Branchwalker is a Magic: The Gathering card, an uncommon green creature from Foundations Jumpstart (J25), a draft-focused set released in November 2024. It is collector number 688 in that set, with art by Kieran Yanner. It costs {1}{G} (one generic and one green mana) to cast, for a mana value of 2. It is a 2/1 creature. Its colour identity is green. It is legal in Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Brawl, Historic, Timeless and Gladiator. It has been printed in 2 sets, from Ixalan (2017) to Foundations Jumpstart (2024). The latest aggregated market price for this printing is $0.24 (normal finish, as of 2026-11-02).
Card text
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.)
Market price
Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $0.24 (as of 2026-11-02).
The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.
Format legality
Legality of Merfolk Branchwalker by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.
| Pioneer | Legal |
|---|---|
| Modern | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Duel Commander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
Other printings of Merfolk Branchwalker
Merfolk Branchwalker has been printed in 2 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.
| Printing | Rarity | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Ixalan (XLN) #197 | Uncommon | 2017 |
Official rulings
Seven official rulings apply to Merfolk Branchwalker, newest first.
- If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature you control explores" trigger if appropriate.
- Once an ability that causes a creature to explore begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the exploring creature after you reveal a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
- In some unusual cases, noncreature permanents may explore. For example, if the creature card returned by Defossilize is somehow not a creature once it's on the battlefield, it can still explore. You'll take all the same actions, and you may end up putting a +1/+1 counter on the permanent. (Note that some effects target a creature, and those effects would still require a legal target to have it explore.)
- Some spells or abilities might cause a creature to explore multiple times in a row. If you reveal a nonland card when a creature explores and leave it on top of your library, then the creature explores again immediately afterwards, you'll reveal the same card again.
- If an ability instructs a creature to explore, its controller reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, they'll put it into their hand. Otherwise, they'll put a +1/+1 counter on that creature, then choose to either leave that card on top of their library or put it into their graveyard.
- If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.
- If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to explore but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still explores. If you reveal a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything, but you may put the revealed card into your graveyard. Effects that trigger "whenever a creature explores" trigger as appropriate.
Similar cards
Other creature cards with a green colour identity, ranked by how often they appear in Commander decks.
Mentioned in these guides
These guides mention Merfolk Branchwalker.