Winter Folk

[Jak]

So I have really liked Winter Orb and I really like the deck from Worlds a few years back. So I am trying to update it. I really love the plan of the deck of mana denial, counters, and tribal. Oh it is orgasmic!!! :smile: Anyways, here is the list I have thrown together.

Lands
3 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
8 Island
4 Wasteland

Creatures
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Manta Riders
4 Tidal Warrior
4 Merfolk Looter

Artifacts
4 Aether Vial
4 Winter Orb

Counters
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Stifle

Draw
4 Brainstorm
4 Standstill

Okay so this is untested. I don't have the cards and finding the time to use MWS is hard and I hate using it. I will have to proxy this baby up laterz. But anyway the card choices.

The Folks- I wanted a good aggro part of blue with cheap creatures. I really like merfolks too and though they would just be best. Plus island walk is great. Unblockable guys against thresh and all kinds of fish is great.

The Artifacts- Vial is just great. Uncounterable threats and allows me to keep playing them through WOrb. Orb is a card I love. I love trying to use it in a ton of decks and it is great with the mana denial. Love the card.

Counters- Pretty obvious. Daze is great for bouncing lands when Orb is out and FoW is FoW and stifle is great in this deck. LD is a great strategy and the card is the nuts against everything.

Draw- Brainstorm is obvious. Draw 3 is good. Stndstill is always my love when playing vial. Draw 3 is good.

Cards that may go in or have a chance- I have been wanting to add more Merfolks, but I have been liking the look of the deck.

I do need to test, but I thought posting the deck now wouldn't hurt. Plus I know some people have played Merfolks and can help me out here.

[kicks_422]

Well, it looks pretty solid... Though it's another deck which Goblins would manhandle, at least by what I see on paper. Maybe Jittes in the SB to swap with Orbs in Game 2?

I'm crazy for a deck full of 4-ofs, so seeing your list made me smile... LOL... :tongue:

[Jak]

Yeah, gobs would be bad. I am trying both chill and propaganda in the boards. I think I might try something like this.

4 Prop
3 Chill
2 Seasinger :laugh: / Control Magic
3 CB
3 Top

I don't know if it will be that great without any accel to get them out faster. Anythoughs on a good board?

[TheInfamousBearAssassin]

Wouldn't this just be better with Slivers, though? At least until Lorwyn comes out.

[Jak]

Prolly, but Merfolk are just cool. And I want to keep it mono blue, so if I did ever buy it, it would be cheap.

[Benie Bederios]

Wouldn't it be better to play the Jitte's MD and move Winter Orb to the SB. I mean Winter Orb doesn't do much against Goblins(Vial and Lackey) Thresh( only need 2 mana) TES/SI( need only to tap once). Jitte would be good against aggro( if you can keep there Jitte's of the table) and will speed up your deck.

[Raider Bob]

The problem with Winter orb decks in the current meta game is the Mana Curve. Icorid has 1 land it needs or at least wants in play, Cephalid Breakfast has 2, Thresh needs 2 to start rolling, Goblins is the most mana intensive of these decks and even tho Goblins is on the decline you still need to prepair for it. With the way Legacy is you really can't disrupt the games tempo, I like the deck and think in 2005 it would have been decent but I think you would need to be in a time warp to make it viable.

[burkey_boy]

i dont see why some drednought or mistras factories would go to waste...

[edgewalker]

This is fish... you time traveled back back a few years to the original fish builds. You're really only missing curiosity. If anything, I would splash red and play Razorfin Hunter and Fire/Ice. I remember that worked out pretty well for awhile in vinatage.

Oh I forgot, Rootwater Thief would be good to use instead of Tidal warrior. Evasion is cool and his ability can be nice.

[Nihil Credo]

Fetchlands are unnecessary (http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/print.asp?ID=3096) for a mono-color deck. Edit: thanks to Bederios for reminding me of Brainstorm.

Undiscovered Paradise seems strong in this deck. Probably a 3- or 2-of, because it sucks to get it as your opening land.

Also, a single blocker slows you down considerably, as long as they keep Lord of Atlantis off the table (Manta Riders isn't much of a clock). If you don't want to play Slivers, at least run evasive creatures with equipment. Something like Cloud of Faeries, Looter il-Kor, maybe Thought Eater, and maindeck Jittes to make them actually pose a threat.

[Benie Bederios]

Fetchlands are unnecessary (http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/print.asp?ID=3096) for a mono-color deck.

Fetchlands with Brainstorm is one of the best combinations in Magic

[TheCramp]

What about snow islands and winter's chill (in the board). I made a deck like this once, and no one but no one ever imagined that happening. Helps in the goblin match up, as much as anything helps that matchup. Plus, a blue way to kill a goyf. I used Spiketail Hatchling to great effect. Countering off a vial = sweet. http://sales.starcitygames.com/carddisplay.php?product=13565.

Chrome mox is also something to think about.

@ Control Magic: Threads of Disloyalty is cheaper for you, and that matters.

I got to put that deck back together. I'm getting sentimental. (I have all these Germen ice age snow islands, and they're just sitting there...)

[Jak]

Yes, I know cards like flying men, cloud of faeries plus equipment would be good, but who here gets beat by Merfolks? I know, bad reason to play them, but what I wanted was a deck that can go aggro like this and Lord of Atlantis has been an old favorite of mine. I am also trying to go for budget here. Splashing would be very beneficial, but I doubt I could get Volcs for a while.

What I did want to do with the deck, is have an amazing thresh MU and beat control and combo. Winter Orb is great against L.still and Gobs if you caqn keep Vial and Lackey off. That is what you counter. Game 2, hoefully you can get down a prop and a chill and attack with islandwalkers while keep giving them islands with Tidal. So that is atleast what I plan to do with MUs. Hopefull it works when I test.

[Tacosnape]

Where in the holy hell is Umezawa's Jitte?

[Jak]

In my stompy deck... :cry:

But seriously, I just couldn't find room. I am already 2 cards over MD, so they would be put in the SB. Any help with finding room in main or side?

[AngryTroll]

I would run Merfolk Traders or Vodalian Merchant over Merfolk Looter.

Merfolk Traders / Vodalian Merchant
1U
When <this> comes into play, draw a card, then discard a card.
1/2

Merfolk Looter has to live to lose summoning sickness before you get to draw a card, and it doesn't do much else besides draw and discard.

The Merfolk Traders draw a card every time, and then they can attack and even block some smaller creatures.

Also, Arctic Merfolk is a neat combat trick with Aether Vial.

Arctic Merfolk
1U
Kicker: return a creature you control to its owner's hand. If you do, Arctic Merfolk comes into play with a +1/+1 counter.
1/1

With a Vial it saves Lord of Atlantis from removal, and it lets you reuse Merfolk Traders.

Seasinger is probably mainboard material. It steals Goyfs and Enforcers all day long.

Back to Basics will steal you games all day long.

I actually had Merfolk put together this week, after seeing some new merfolk in Llorowin. I was splashing black for the 2/2 for UB with Pro Green, and for Smothers. I had Stifles, Wastelands, a Dust Bowl, Propaganda, and Back to Basics all mainboarded. It was pretty savage.

[Jak]

That seems pretty sick. I do like Traders and Artic. So is WOrb just bad and SB material?