Mercenary 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

: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.

Complete guide

Mercenary tokens are versatile red creature tokens that serve as the backbone for outlaw-themed decks. While small on their own, they provide a repeatable way to pump up your board to ensure your biggest threats can swing for lethal damage.

What It Does

A Mercenary token is a 1/1 red creature with a specific activated ability: '{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.' As creatures, they can block or attack, but their primary utility comes from tapping to grant a temporary power boost to another creature you control.

How It Resolves Step by Step

To use a Mercenary's ability, you must wait until your own main phase when the stack is empty. You declare the activation, tap the Mercenary, and choose a target creature you control. Once the ability resolves, the target gains +1/+0. If you have multiple Mercenaries, you can tap them all to stack multiple bonuses on the same creature.

Common Mistakes

The most frequent error is attempting to use the Mercenary's ability during the combat phase or on an opponent's turn. Because the ability explicitly states 'Activate only as a sorcery,' you cannot use it to surprise an opponent during blockers or in response to a spell. Additionally, remember that Mercenaries are 'outlaws,' which interacts with specific cards that care about that creature classification.

When to Play It

Mercenary tokens are most effective when you have high-impact creatures that benefit from power increases, such as those with flying or lifelink. They are also excellent fuel for sacrifice outlets or as a way to trigger 'enters the battlefield' effects across multiple turns.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Contract

Ertha Jo, Frontier Mentor

When you control Ertha Jo, Frontier Mentor and activate a Mercenary's ability, Ertha Jo's triggered ability fires because you activated an ability that targets a creature. This creates a copy of the +1/+0 boost. You can let both targets be the same creature for a total of +2/+0 or choose a new target for the copy.

Hasty Reinforcements

Hellspur Posse Boss

Normally, a Mercenary token cannot tap for its ability the turn it enters due to summoning sickness. However, Hellspur Posse Boss gives other outlaws you control haste. Since Mercenaries are outlaws, the two tokens created by the Boss can immediately tap to give another creature +2/+0 the same turn they arrive.

Outlaw Synergy

At Knifepoint

While At Knifepoint is on the battlefield, all outlaws you control have first strike during your turn. This means your 1/1 Mercenary tokens become much more effective in combat, and every time you commit a crime, you generate another Mercenary to grow your army and your potential power buffs.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Mercenary

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

No additional ruling has been published for this card.

Interactions with other cards

These cards' text mentions Mercenary.

Black Market Connections

At the beginning of your first main phase, choose one or more — • Sell Contraband — Create a Treasure token. You lose 1 life. • Buy Information — Draw a card. You lose 2 life. • Hire a Mercenary — Create a 3/2 colorless Shapeshifter creature token with changeling. You lose 3 life. (It is every creature type.)

At Knifepoint

During your turn, outlaws you control have first strike. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws.) Whenever you commit a crime, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." This ability triggers only once each turn.

Hellspur Posse Boss

Other outlaws you control have haste. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws.) When this creature enters, create two 1/1 red Mercenary creature tokens with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery."

Taskmaster, Mercenary Mimic

Photographic Reflexes — At the beginning of your first main phase, until your next turn, Taskmaster becomes a copy of up to one target creature on the battlefield or creature card in a graveyard, except his name is Taskmaster, Mercenary Mimic and he's a legendary Human Mercenary Villain creature.

Ertha Jo, Frontier Mentor

When Ertha Jo enters, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." Whenever you activate an ability that targets a creature or player, copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.

Angelic Sell-Sword

Flying, vigilance Whenever this creature or another nontoken creature you control enters, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." Whenever this creature attacks, if its power is 6 or greater, draw a card.

Nezumi Linkbreaker

When this creature dies, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery."

We Ride at Dawn

Legendary creature spells you cast have convoke. (Your creatures can help cast those spells. Each creature you tap while casting a legendary creature spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Whenever your commander attacks, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery."

Selvala, Eager Trailblazer

Vigilance Whenever you cast a creature spell, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." {T}: Choose a color. Add one mana of that color for each different power among creatures you control.

Brimstone Roundup

Whenever you cast your second spell each turn, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." Plot {2}{R} (You may pay {2}{R} and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery.)

Rakish Crew

When this enchantment enters, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with "{T}: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery." Whenever an outlaw you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws.)