Coercive Recruiter is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Whenever this creature or another Pirate you control enters, gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. Until end of turn, it gains haste and becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types.
Complete guide
Coercive Recruiter is a powerful Orc Pirate that excels at conscripting enemies into your crew. Every time it or another Pirate arrives on your battlefield, you can temporarily take command of any creature to turn the tides of combat.
A Pirate's Welcome
Coercive Recruiter has a triggered ability that activates whenever it enters the battlefield or another Pirate enters under your control. When this happens, you choose a target creature to steal. You gain control of it until the end of the turn, untap it, and grant it haste so it can attack or use abilities immediately. Crucially, the stolen creature also becomes a Pirate in addition to its other types for the duration of the effect.
Resolving the Trigger
When the ability triggers, you must select a legal target creature. It does not matter if the creature is already untapped or if you already own it. Once the ability resolves, you gain control of the creature. Note that you do not gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to that creature; they remain controlled by their respective owners even though they stay attached to the creature while it is on your side.
Pirate Synergy and Timing
Because the stolen creature becomes a Pirate, it can potentially trigger other 'whenever a Pirate enters' abilities if you have ways to flicker it. However, the 'becomes a Pirate' part only happens after the ability resolves, so the stolen creature entering the battlefield does not trigger Coercive Recruiter's own ability retroactively. For maximum impact, play your Pirates during your first main phase to ensure your new 'recruits' are ready for the combat phase.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumWhen Coercive Recruiter enters the battlefield, its ability triggers. You target your opponent's Solemn Simulacrum. Upon resolution, the Golem untaps and you gain control of it. It is now a Pirate Golem with haste. You can attack with it, and if it dies while under your control, you are the one who gets to draw a card from its death trigger.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Pirate' chosen as the creature type, Coercive Recruiter's ability will trigger twice whenever a Pirate enters. For example, when you play another Pirate, you can target two different creatures owned by your opponent. You will gain control of both, untap both, and both will become Pirates with haste until the end of the turn.
If your opponent has no creatures, you can target Coercive Recruiter with its own ability when it enters. While you don't 'gain' control in a way that changes anything, the ability will still untap it and give it haste. This is useful if a spell or effect forced the Recruiter to enter the battlefield tapped or if you want it to gain the Pirate type (though it is already one).
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Coercive Recruiter
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Coercive Recruiter's ability can target any creature, even one that's untapped or one you already control. It can even target itself or the creature that caused the ability to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Coercive Recruiter
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste.
- 2When the Coercive Recruiter token enters, it triggers, untapping Kiki-Jiki
- 3Repeat.
The Jolly Balloon Man + Coercive Recruiter
- 1Activate a creature by tapping it, adding
. - 2Activate The Jolly Balloon Man by paying and tapping it, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste that is a 1/1 Balloon in addition to its other types.
- 3When the Coercive Recruiter token enters the battlefield, each Coercive Recruiter you control triggers.
- 4Resolve the first two triggers, untapping the mana-producing creature and The Jolly Balloon Man.
- 5Resolve all other Coercive Recruiter triggers, if applicable.
- 6Repeat.
Splinter Twin + Coercive Recruiter
- 1Activate Coercive Recruiter by tapping it, creating a token copy of itself with haste.
- 2When the token Coercive Recruiter enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping the nontoken Coercive Recruiter.
- 3Repeat.
Feldon of the Third Path + Illusionist's Bracers + Coercive Recruiter + Priest of Urabrask
- 1Activate Feldon by paying
and tapping it, targeting Coercive Recruiter. - 2Illusionist's Bracers triggers, copying Feldon's ability, targeting Priest of Urabrask.
- 3Resolve the copy of Feldon's ability, creating a token copy of Priest of Urabrask with haste.
- 4The token Priest of Urabrask enters the battlefield, adding .
- 5Resolve the Feldon ability from step 1, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste.
- 6The token Coercive Recruiter enters the battlefield, untapping Feldon.
- 7Repeat.
Ghired, Mirror of the Wilds + Coercive Recruiter
- 1Create a Pirate creature token and/or a creature token with changeling.
- 2Activate Ghired by tapping it, creating a copy of the creature token.
- 3When the creature token enters the battlefield, Coercive Recruiter triggers, untapping Ghired.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
- 5Create a token copy of Coercive Recruiter.
- 6Activate Ghired by tapping it, creating a token copy of the Coercive Recruiter copy.
- 7When the Coercive Recruiter token enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping Ghired.
- 8Repeat from step 2.
Jaxis, the Troublemaker + Coercive Recruiter + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Jaxis by paying , tapping it and discarding a card, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste.
- 2When the Coercive Recruiter token enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping Jaxis.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Coercive Recruiter token, adding .
- 4When the Coercive Recruiter token dies, it triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 5Repeat.
Jaxis, the Troublemaker + Coercive Recruiter + Thermopod
- 1Activate Jaxis by paying , tapping it and discarding a card, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste.
- 2When the Coercive Recruiter token enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping Jaxis.
- 3Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing the Coercive Recruiter token, adding .
- 4When the Coercive Recruiter token dies, it triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 5Repeat.
Krenko, Mob Boss + Coercive Recruiter + Maskwood Nexus
- 1Activate Krenko by tapping it, creating X 1/1 Goblin creature tokens, where X is the number of creatures you control.
- 2When each creature token enters the battlefield, it triggers Coercive Recruiter.
- 3Resolve one Coercive Recruiter trigger, untapping Krenko.
- 4Repeat any number of times.
- 5Resolve all remaining Coercive Recruiter triggers, targeting any creatures on the battlefield.
Legal formats
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