Merfolk Cave-Diver

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) #65 · Uncommon · Creature — Merfolk Scout

Mana cost: {2}{U}

Whenever a creature you control explores, this creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn and can't be blocked this turn.

"Learn all you can of this underground sea. I suspect more secrets of our ancestors lie waiting in its depths."
—Tishana

Power/toughness 2/4 · Illustrated by Fesbra · Released November 17, 2023

Prices

Nonfoil price over the last 90 days: up $0.07 USD (58.3%) to $0.19 USD; low $0.12 USD, high $0.19 USD.

Printings

  1. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan #65 (this printing) · Uncommon · 2023 · $0.19 USD

Legality

Rulings

  1. 2023-11-10 · wotc — 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.
  2. 2023-11-10 · wotc — 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.
  3. 2023-11-10 · wotc — 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.)
  4. 2023-11-10 · wotc — If a creature leaves the battlefield before an effect instructs it to explore, it still explores. Abilities like Merfolk Cave-Diver's that trigger whenever a creature you control explores will still trigger.
  5. 2023-11-10 · wotc — 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.
  6. 2023-11-10 · wotc — 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.
  7. 2023-11-10 · wotc — If no card is revealed, most likely because that player's library is empty, the exploring creature receives a +1/+1 counter.

Played in these commander decks

  1. Hakbal of the Surging Soul · in 49% of 49 decks

All cards in The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI)