Merry, Esquire of RohanHow it works & interactions with other cards

Equipment and Combat

Merry's first ability is a static effect that checks his status continuously. As long as Merry has at least one Equipment attached to him, he gains first strike. This makes him a formidable attacker early in the game, as he can deal damage before most blockers have the chance to strike back. Note that his Haste ability allows him to attack or use tap abilities the very turn he enters the battlefield, regardless of whether he is equipped or not.

The Legend Rule of Drawing

Merry's primary value comes from his triggered ability: 'Whenever you attack with Merry and another legendary creature, draw a card.' For this to trigger, both Merry and at least one other creature with the 'Legendary' supertype must be declared as attackers at the same time during the Declare Attackers step. You do not get multiple cards if you attack with three or four legendary creatures; the trigger occurs once per combat as long as the condition 'Merry + at least one other' is met.

Targeting and Timing

A common point of confusion is where these creatures must be headed. According to official rulings, Merry and the other legendary creature do not need to be attacking the same target. One can attack a player while the other attacks a planeswalker or a battle; the draw trigger will still resolve. Furthermore, if Merry is removed from combat after the trigger has been put on the stack, you will still draw the card.

When to Field Merry

Merry is best played in 'Legendary Matters' decks or Boros equipment strategies. Because he costs only two mana and has Haste, he is an excellent follow-up to a turn-one legendary creature. To maximize his utility, ensure your deck has a high density of legendary permanents to guarantee his draw trigger every turn you are able to enter combat safely.

Interaction examples

Drawing without First Strike

Professional Face-Breaker

If you control Merry and Professional Face-Breaker (who is not legendary) and attack with both, you will not draw a card from Merry's ability because he requires a legendary partner. However, if you also control a legendary creature and attack with all three, Merry's trigger goes on the stack. Since Merry is not equipped in this scenario, he will deal damage at the same time as the other creatures rather than having first strike.

Maximizing Value with Sentinel

Esper Sentinel

While Esper Sentinel is a powerful one-drop, it is not legendary. If you attack with Merry and Esper Sentinel, Merry's draw ability will not trigger. To get the draw, you would need a third creature that is legendary to attack alongside Merry. If you happen to equip Merry with an item while Esper Sentinel is on the board, Merry will gain first strike, but the Sentinel's power-based tax remains unaffected by Merry's abilities.

Multi-Target Aggression

In a scenario where you control Merry and another legendary creature, you can declare Merry as an attacker against Player A and the other legend against Player B. Even though they are attacking different opponents, the requirement 'attack with Merry and another legendary creature' is satisfied. The draw trigger is placed on the stack immediately after attackers are declared.