Magic: The Gathering's 10 Most Valuable Mercenary Cards

Form a Posse | Illustrated by J.Lonnee

While the Mercadian Masques block was known for the competitive power of the Rebel creature type, thanks in no small part to the utility of Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero, the block also pitted Rebels against their natural enemies: Mercenaries.

In fact, so tied together were these two creature types that many Rebels and Mercenaries shared tutoring activated abilities that could snowball quickly. However, Mercenaries never quite took off like Rebels did. Why? Perhaps because Mercenaries, which were mostly housed in the color black, were slightly overcosted and lacked a powerhouse tutor on the level of Lin Sivvi. Whatever the reason, the most valuable Mercenary cards won’t break the bank as much as the most valuable zero-cost artifacts, but they’re still worth exploring, Outlaw-style.

Note: A quick glance at this list might suggest it should be titled “The Most Valuable Cloud Cards in Magic,” but I assure you, these really are the most valuable Mercenaries; I’ve just opted to allow repeats. If I ranked every printing individually, Cloud variants would account for over half of a potential top 20. People just love FF7!

10. Kellogg, Dangerous Mind (Extended Art Surge Foil) – Fallout

Market Price: $13.23

An attack-first Rakdos () commander option with a nifty creature-stealing activated ability? Sure sounds like a Mercenary card to me.

Conrad Kellogg acts as a monstrous villain in Fallout 4, and his card art even showcases one of his most heinous in-game acts. While just over $13 isn’t a skyscraping price point for a Surge Foil, it still sees “Connie” kick off our list.

9. Moggcatcher – Nemesis

Market Price: $14.09

While Mercenaries might be better known for searching up other Mercenaries and putting them directly into play, 2000’s Nemesis introduced this Goblin-tutoring Mercenary, which has retained a relatively lofty price point.

That’s likely due to this card only being reprinted via The List and the Goblin Storm Secret Lair Commander Deck, which sold out almost instantly earlier in 2026.

8. Cloud, Planet's Champion (Extended Art) – Final Fantasy

Market Price: $18.66

The first of four Cloud cards on this list – three of which boast distinct names and abilities – is this mythic rare Boros () Human Soldier Mercenary that desperately wants to be equipped with something.

Perhaps no Equipment is better to pair with this Cloud variant than his trusty Buster Sword, though Sword of Fire and Ice and The Reaver Cleaver can also lead to some truly ridiculous double-strike shenanigans. Twice the combat-damage triggers? Yes, please.

7. Howlsquad Heavy (Borderless Rude Riders First-Place Foil) – Aetherdrift

Market Price: $38.16

While the heavy yellow border on Aetherdrift’s First-Place Foils might not be for everyone, they certainly do catch the eye. For Pokémon TCG players of a certain age, that border is deeply reminiscent of the early years of the game, adding another layer of appeal.

This 2/3 Goblin Mercenary is a token engine, a haste-enabling Goblin lord, and a massive mana dork that scales with the number of Gobbos in play – so long as you reach max speed, of course.

6. Squall, SeeD Mercenary (Surge Foil Borderless Character Card) – Final Fantasy

Market Price: $89.41

One of the most valuable Knight cards of all time comes clad in one of the most desirable Final Fantasy card treatments: the Surge Foil Borderless Character Card.

So collectible are these cards, in fact, that this particular Squall has nearly doubled in price since I wrote about it in June. If you’re lucky enough to have a Final Fantasy master set, definitely hold onto it and let it accrue more value.

5. Deadpool, Trading Card (Dazzle Foil Bonus Card) – Marvel’s Deadpool: I Fixed It (You’re Welcome) Pool Party Edition Secret Lair Drop

Market Price: $175.76

The merc with a mouth was always going to be present on a list of most valuable Mercenaries, and despite this Secret Lair Drop’s indelible mouthful of a title (a phrase that’s ripe for Deadpool ribbing), this card represents a new value tier herein.

While the regular I Fixed It drop features plenty of value, the special (and originally pricier) Pool Party Edition was the only place to find this Dazzle Foil Bonus Card, which features “spectacular” additional art courtesy of Wade Wilson himself.

4. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary (Chocobo Track Foil Card) – Final Fantasy Chocobo Bundle

Market Price: $185.40

Who would’ve thought that cards that look as if a beloved fictional flightless bird species stomped all over them would be worth such a premium?

With the Final Fantasy Chocobo Bundle being the only place to find this singular foil treatment on a number of exclusive alternate-art cards, it’s no surprise that this variant of Cloud fetches almost $200 on the secondary market.

3. Gev, Scaled Scorch (Japanese Raised Foil Anime Card) – Bloomburrow

Market Price: $208.35

After the release of Reality Fracture, Lizard typal decks are having something of a comeback, thanks in no small part to this Lizard lord (and, perhaps more notably, Master of Barbs).

If you’re looking to kit out your Lizard deck fully, there’s no better way than this over-$200 Japanese Raised Foil Anime rendition of this 3/2 Lizard Mercenary.

2. Cloud, Midgar Mercenary (Surge Foil Borderless Character Card) – Final Fantasy

Market Price: $366.65

1. Cloud, Ex-SOLDIER (Surge Foil Borderless Character Card) – Final Fantasy Commander

Market Price: $479.20

Our list ends with two back-to-back banger variants of Cloud, the protagonist of Final Fantasy VII. As we’ve seen with Clerics, Angels, and Soldiers (and even elsewhere on this list), the Surge Foil Borderless Character Cards remain among the most desirable treatments across the entire Final Fantasy release, as their flat backgrounds allow the character art to truly shine.

Beyond that, these cards – especially in Surge Foil – were incredibly hard to pull from Collector Boosters. Combining arguably the most notable FF character in history with a premier treatment means that Cloud was always going to top this list of most valuable Mercenary cards.

Magic Mercs = Mega Bucks?

While Mercenaries might not be the most well-represented creature type in Magic history, they've certainly come a long way since Mercadian Masques. These days, it's crossover characters and premium treatments doing most of the heavy lifting, with Cloud leading the charge. Either way, thanks for reading, and happy collecting! Until next time.