[Deck] Merfolk Fish

[Barsoom]

With this thread i want to make back a favourite deck by many players, yea the Merfolk Deck.

First the Decklist:

//Creatures
4 Tidal Warrior
4 Manta Rider
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 Merfolk Trader
2 Sandbar Merfolk

//Spells
4 Stifle
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
4 Curiosity
3 Winter Orb
3 Wash Out

//Land
17 Island

//Sideboard
2 Misdirection
2 Rootwater Thief

Cards Choices:

Lord of Atlantis: Obvious choice. Even better after the new errata.

Tidal Warrior & Manta Raiders: This deck needs some 1cc creatures and these are the best in my opinion.
Manta has evasion and Warrior can bother the opponent at start make one of his land an island and better make all Merfolks unblocable, together with Lord.

Merfolk Trader: For the 2cc creatures slot i'm disputed by this and Merfolk Looter. For now i like better this cause is a 1/2 and we don't need so much draw with also Brainstoms and Visions. Maybe disputed slot anyhow.

Sandbar Merfolk: another 1cc merfolk that cycles... i take this to make 18 creatures cause 16 seems to few, but with drawers maybe not.

Force of Will: Duh. With 42 blue spells we can really support this.. :)

Daze: Another free counterspell that feel very good in a deck like this, that want to play creatures and counter at the same time, then right inclusion for me.

Stifle: Too powerful in this meta not to use. Very helpful mostly vs Goblins, worst matchup of the deck.

Brainstorm: Best cantrip in the format, nothing more to say.

Curiosity: I test both Serum Visions and Curiosity and i found the last be better; we need a constant drawers more than another cantrip with Brainstorm, then this is the right choice for me.

Winter Orb: We have only 1cc and 2cc cards, and Daze to help with Orb in play, then seem the right lock piece.

Wash Out: I include this by small time and it isn't still tested perfectly; i go for it cause we need something against resolved permanents and this (or maybe another bounce creatures like Withdraw) is good expecially with Winter Orb. EDIT: An absolute bomb vs Mono-Colored decks, very good card.

17 Island: Counter Sliver run 17 Lands, and with the Cantrips we have probably is the right choice; Run 17 and you won't be disappointed.

Cards previously take:

Propaganda: Most disputed slot in the deck for sure. Obviously we need someting to do for opponent creatures, cause we can't counter everything.
Propaganda can slow opponent, make us to attack for final damage with Islandwalk Merfolks. Maybe we can go Propaganda in Side and go for Umezawa's Jitte MD, very good in almost all aggro deck and then also here.
As Serum Visons only testing will say who is the best choice.

Disrupting Shoal: Another free counterspell that we can support with 39 blue cards. Only 1 cause we have also FoW.

Serum Visions: I have to admit that i take some ideas for this deck at Counter Sliver thread, cause i think that the philosophy behind the decks is the same.
Anyhow this deck needs another cantrip/drawer; for cantrips Visions is the best, for drawer we maybe go for Curiosity (or Mask of Memory, like in the Blue Skies deck). For now i go with Serum Visions, but after testing maybe we'll need to change this.

Sideboard:

The 2 Rootwater Thief & Misdirection are here when Stifles are useless.

Matches:

vs Reanimator (http://samsunait.netsons.org/Magic/Reanimator.html): 50/50
4 Games and we go 2:2. He is very weak vs counterspell and expecially vs Daze. Here stifle can also counter Animate Dead. With Wash Out can be a better matchup.

vs Vial Stompy (http://samsunait.netsons.org/Magic/Stompy.html): 50/50
I make only 3 games and won 2:1. Anyhow if he drop Vial and you don't have Daze/Will is lose. Stifle is very useful vs Scrolls, Regenerate creatures and to gain time vs Vial. Can grow to a 60:40 matchup.

I feel that it can't never be a Tier1 deck, but with some help and tuning Tier2-3 for sure.
What i can say again is that it is funny to play, and away from perfect decklist. Anyhow this is a good basic start in my opinion.

All Suggestions, Tips and and so on will be obviously very very appreciated, cause there are quite many Disputed slot in the Deck.
Thx for reading and Bye.

[Eldariel]

I don't see a reason not to play Disrupting Shoal. You can honestly counter just about anything with it, and as you said, you have friggin' 42 blue cards. If you want Propaganda to work though, you need additional land denial. Opposition, Winter Orb, Wasteland, something. Else it just doesn't do enough.

[The Lotus Eater]

Perhaps some Mishra's Factories instead of some Islands and Standstill in place of Serum Visions. With all of your early threats, you should easily be able to go first turn: Island, Manta Riders. Second Turn: Mishra's Factory, Standstill.

With all of your free counterspells, you shouldn't have a problem countering anything they try to cast with your standstill down on their next turn.

Also, Chrome Mox might need to be considered as it can give your deck a great burst of energy in those early turns.

[Cavius The Great]

Last time I checked Merfolk decks had Curiosity as there draw engine. It's probably alot better choice than Serum Visions.

[smeagol]

Out of the 48 available Merfolk, the only worthwile are:
- Lord of Atlantis
- Manta Riders
- Merfolk Looter
- River Merfolk (!)
- Rootwater Thief
- Sandbar Merfolk
- Tidal Warrior

maybe even Mistform Ultimus if you need a bigger dude

In additon you have the choice for a splash thanks to the two-colored Invasion Merfolk:
- Galina's Knight
- Vodalian Zombie
- Gaea's Skyfolk
- Razorfin Hunter

And Eldariel is absolutely right, without Land Disruption your deck won't do anything.

I'd go for a splash (most propably White obviously), then add in some Removal, some Winter Orbs, some Aether Vials and one or two Oppositions.

Suggested Decklist for Neo Frozen Fish:

5 Island
4 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand
2 Polluted Delta
3 Wasteland

3 Winter Orb

4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Galina's Knight
2 River Merfolk
3 Tidal Warrior
3 Sandbar Merfolk
2 Manta Riders

4 Force of Will
3 Daze
1 Disrupting Shoal (adding a possible out to Fits Turn Lackey on the Draw)
4 Brainstorm
3 Swords to Plowshares

2 Opposition
4 Aether Vial

Just an idea, but might be worth taking a deeper look. I think the deck can't be mono blue, as it will almost always just loose to most decks.

[Barsoom]

Ok i'll try to reply to all.
@Eldariel: about Disrupting Shoal simply i never think about it; it seems like a good slot, but not more than 1-2 cause we have also FoW. About Propaganda you right alone can't do so much then i'll cut it.
@The Lotus Eater: good tips Factories and Standstill, that we see works good also in Blue Skies; they need testing anyhow. about Chrome Mox for me don't fit very good with FoW and 2 Shoals.
@Cavius The Great: Curiosity vs Serum Visions is one of the disputed slot of the deck.
@smeagol: I prefer to keep the deck Mono-Blue, mainly for budget reasons, and with white you add only 3 cards (StP) and with duals you are vulnerably to Wastelands and Back to Basics, and the deck run so few lands. Instead of StP go for Stifle main. Anyhow i think that: Opposition is simply too expensive for this deck, and with also Winter Orbs even worst. Orbs are a probably slot to the Side and about Aether Vial the reasons he can't work in a deck like this is the same he can't in Counter Sliver; read in the CS thread if you want to know why.
Thx to all for help. I change the 1° post to take the adjustments.

[Geeba]

Is Winter Orb really maindeck material? With Gro and decks that abuse vials around it seems rather narrow. Maybe you can try Umezawa's Jitte in these slots. Also, to get full potential of Brainstorm, you should play at least some shuffle effects. I'd insert 6 Flooded Strands/Polluted delta's instead of 6 islands.

[Bovinious]

I really think that you should play 4 Rootwater Thief, Its IMO the best 2cc available so it solves that gap, and is also just a great card overrall, with the evasion and removing.

[xsockmonkeyx]

CounterFolk


Counter
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
2 Counterspell

Folk
4 LoA - A great lord for a mediocre race.
4 Vodalian Zombie - Blocks goose, bear all day long
4 Galina's Knight - bolt proof and blocks red men
3 Manta Riders/Tidal Warrior - 1cc drop possible evasion

Draw
4 Dark Confidant - wins the game, err, draws cards
4 Brainstorm
4 Serum Visions

Remove
4 Swords to Plow
2 Engineered Explosives

Land
1 Plains
2 Island
1 Swamp
4 Tundra
3 Underground Sea
1 Scrubland
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand


Board
4 Meddling Mage
2 Pithing Needle
2 Jotun Grunt
2 Tormod's Crypt
4 Hydroblast
1 Engineered Explosives


Insipred by the Sliver deck and the Merfolk idea I pounded this thing out in about 15 Min. I think it looks pretty good on paper.:wink:

[Bovinious]

I was thinking that maybe there could a be a Merfolk deck that ran 4 AEther Vial and 4 Tidal Courier (Goblin Ringleader but for Merfolk). I realize there no warcheif for merfolk (unless you wanna use Mistform Warchief...), but I think that the deck could still be explosive like Vial Goblins but still have some counters and draw, what do you guys think?

[xsockmonkeyx]

I was thinking that maybe there could a be a Merfolk deck that ran 4 AEther Vial and 4 Tidal Courier (Goblin Ringleader but for Merfolk). I realize there no warcheif for merfolk (unless you wanna use Mistform Warchief...), but I think that the deck could still be explosive like Vial Goblins but still have some counters and draw, what do you guys think?


Vial is not what gives goblins its explosiveness as much as Lackey, Warchief, Matron, Piledriver, etc. There are no blue equivilents, not even close.

As such you must play a slower fishier game with merfolk, and Aether Vial loses a lot of its value.

THe problem with merfolk is that it gets all the downsides of being a single race, like enginerred plague, and none of the benefits. This is because merfolk suck ass overall, which is also a problem.

[The Rack]

Basing the deck around a blue Vial Goblins would be very cool. The Mistform Warchief could work very well in here. If only there was a lackey...

[Bovinious]

Well my reasoning is that Merfolk has a Ringleader, and could possibly have a Warchief in Mistform, and of course could also have vial. Also, blue has option red doesnt in counter and draw, Im not saying that this deck can in any way compete with Vial Goblins, but Im just saying maybe trying to simulate it's strategy could be profitable here.

[edgewalker]

Just look in the TMD archievs. The deck you're trying to make is the original fish decks. (why do you think they called it fish?) TMD should have alot of the early lists with the red splash for fire/ice and razorfin hunter.

[Benie Bederios]

Just look in the TMD archievs. The deck you're trying to make is the original fish decks. (why do you think they called it fish?) TMD should have alot of the early lists with the red splash for fire/ice and razorfin hunter.

QFT. I think the base for the deck is better with Standstill and Manlands as drawengine. Only play the good merfolks. I've tried alot of different version, but why does everybody think that the gro manabase( fewlands and cantrips) is the optimal. Everybody tries to run it. I have to go to work, otherwise I would post my optimal list, but I think you get the point.

[Barsoom]

Hello
I make some games with the deck and tuning the Main.
I modified the 1° post to register the changes.
This is only the start of testing... :wink: