Skullport Merchant: The Dwarven Deal-Maker of the Undercity
Skullport Merchant embodies the gritty, resourceful spirit of the Underdark’s infamous trading hubs. This 1/4 Dwarf Citizen may seem unassuming at first glance, but its ability to create a Treasure token upon entering the battlefield immediately adds tangible value to your board state. In a set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms, where mana flexibility and incremental advantage are crucial, this card offers a reliable source of colored mana that can fuel your spells or enable powerful synergies. The Treasure token it creates acts as both a mana accelerator and a sacrificial resource, fitting perfectly into strategies that thrive on artifact sacrifices or creature trades.
The real utility of Skullport Merchant reveals itself through its activated ability, which costs a mere one black mana and the sacrifice of either another creature or Treasure token to draw a card. This makes the Merchant a subtle card draw engine in decks that leverage sacrifice mechanics or tokens, such as those running Cauldron Familiar or Gutterbones. Its sturdy 1/4 body also invites blocking opportunities to protect your life total while setting up future card advantage. Overall, Skullport Merchant is a deceptively simple but effective addition for players looking to stabilize early and capitalize on incremental resource gain in black-based decks.
Card Details:
- Mana Cost: {2}{B}
- Card Type: Creature
- Subtypes: Dwarf Citizen
-
Card Text / Rules Text (Printed): When Skullport Merchant enters the battlefield, create a Treasure token. (It’s an artifact with “{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”)
{1}{B}, Sacrifice another creature or a Treasure: Draw a card. - Power / Toughness: 1/4