Yea, it's pretty rough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bahamut056
I'm trying Uw 'folk out with P2E main and Absolute Law SB to attempt to make the matchup a little better.
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Yea, it's pretty rough.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bahamut056
I'm trying Uw 'folk out with P2E main and Absolute Law SB to attempt to make the matchup a little better.
You can't run path to exile when your main strategy is wasteland, daze, cursecatcher etc. If you want to make the red matchups better run 3 kira and blue blasts in the sb. How does absolute law improve the matchups? which?
Guys, I have a question regarding cursecatcher. Can I sac him to counter nothing? The judges here in my country said he can't. But I always get the impression he can be sacked to himself to response bridge from below trigger. I need explanation from the pros here.
You cannot do this. Its ability must have a target.Quote:
Originally Posted by sadakiyo
@Bahamut: From what I can tell, Commander is the single cards that puts Merfolk on a whole new level. I strongly advise never to cut or side him out. Besides that, I only run 12 lords and get to use Reejery quite often.
well i haven't cut him, but i did take out my recent addition of spell pierces and 1 of a few of the others to fill it out with a more versatile deck. i still haven't found something solid yet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Julian23
Coralhelm Commander isn't as great as he's given credit for. He suffers from Nantuko Shade syndrome - You have the potential to spend six mana or so only to have your guy disappear for between 1 and 2 mana. As many games as Coralhelm wins by sailing over the enemy, he'll also lose you some for mana investments. Lord of Atlantis, Silvergill Adept, and Merrow Reejerey are all stronger, and should usually stay in longer than Coralhelm.
Also, if you're running into worlds of Tarmogoyfs and Knights of the Reliquary, Mirror Matches, and/or lots of Emrakul-packing decks, Waterfront Bouncer has been ungodly good for me. He clears the path, He turns Silvergill into Blinking Spirit with digging abilities, is ridiculous with Merrow Reejerey, and he makes the mirror ridiculous by being a huge weapon for Standstill superiority, screwing with combat math and Islandwalk, making opposing Jittes ridiculously difficult to connect, and if you can stick a Vial, he's at least some kind of an answer to Llawan. Also, you know those lategame Vials and Dazes and excess Islands that cost you games that you're ever so close to winning? He turns quite a few of them into wins.
I run two Waterfront Bouncers in the board and I love the synergy and the utility he brings to the table. Such a good answer to fatties.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tacosnape
who likeys that cryptoplasm...ME!!!
I find that if you need to get rid of Bridges, counter your own spells. Something like Adept, LoA (Since they don't run islands) or even another Cursecatcher. Also these three are the easiest for you to pay the one colorless, as they cost 1-2. I have even sacced one when casting FoW.Quote:
Originally Posted by sadakiyo
You can't use Cursecatcher to counter creatures. Preboard, most Fish decks only have FoW & Daze to use Cursecatcher on unless they're running Echoing Truth or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Parax
My friends and I are fairly new to competitive Merfolk and are having trouble with early hand disruption. Here's a situation I run into a lot:
Turn 1 Game 1 on the draw Thoughtseize against you with this opening hand, knowing your opponent could hold a T2 Hymn to Tourach:
Daze, Force of Will, Aether Vial, Coralhelm Commander, Island, Island, Wasteland
Should I have mulled before getting to T1, or should I force the Thoughtseize?
What about on the play with Island and Aether Vial as my first turn and my opponent casts Thoughtseize:
Daze, Force of Will, Coralhelm Commander, Island, Wasteland
Should I daze and count myself lucky that I can stop the hymn with Force if it comes?
A/-77
Situation 1: Let them take a card. Its not worth giving up 2 with FoW when they will more than likely take your vial. You should never mull that hand.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy_V
Situation 2: Same thing, let them take you FoW. Cardwise, using FoW takes 2 cards (itself plus one) but the thoughtseize just takes one.
That seems pretty wrong, you always force that because any player will take the vial and if they don't I would say they are bad. Merfolk lives and dies by vial. I would pitch the commander to have daze on their turn 2 and then wasteland. Then you should draw fish or standstill to replenish your hand. You want vial to resolve every game
I agree with the second, you don't really care once you resolve vial with daze backup. They should take force and then you can still daze there next play. No reason to lose daze and a land or force +blue card when they are just going to take 1 card
Since Coralhelm is your only creature, might it be better to Daze the Thoughtseize in Scenario 2 because they could just take that? Not that I necessarily mind them taking 1 of 24 creatures, but it might slow me down considerably.
Or is the assumption that 1 for 1 is ok, as long as it isn't a Vial?
This is a matter of opinion of course, but if you daze you're losing a land drop which is pretty big esp if you plan on wastelanding them. I don't find the thoughtseize to be that scary there, but if you daze you are losing a card and a land drop. Then you have nothing for there turn 2 play which could be something a lot stronger like hymn or bob. And as you stated if they take your creature you still have daze/waste and force to slow them down which will give you a chance to draw something.
Getting hymn on turn 2 would be pretty bad after you dazed there. I think they would probably take your force, then you daze their turn 2 play leaving you with coralhelm. Lots of different scenarios could happen, that is what makes magic fun
Scenario 1 - You let Thoughtseize resolve. Two Islands and a Wasteland mean losing your Vial here isn't that huge of a deal. Depending on what they're playing, you may lose the Coralhelm and/or the Force here, also. Early hand disruption is a nightmare for Merfolk, and if you see a ton of it, you should seriously consider Brainstorm.
Scenario 2 - I'd Daze the Thoughtseize. You have no draw in this hand, and any resolved Thoughtseize is likely to rip your Coralhelm Commander away. Missing the land drop isn't that big of a deal given that you've already stuck the Vial.
Has anyone considered running something like Spectral Shift in the SB?
In addition to allowing LoA to affect anyone, it does the same with Llawan, while turning off your opponent's Llawan. Turns Choke against your opponent too. Allows you to block Piledriver, as well as turns Perish on Red in the Black run versions. Lets Mind Harness grab anything. Can turn off MoM, or Perish to White. Stops Boil, and effectively counters Pyroblast too.
Eh...?Quote:
Originally Posted by QQQ
Choke is static, so it won't really work there...
Piledriver can be blocked with Mutavault, so there is no issue there. And anyway you should NOT be letting piledriver resolve.
Why would ANYONE in their right might board in perish against you?
No one runs boil.
Spell Pierce counters pyroblast as well...and more.
I think that takes care of just about everything. :)
He's talking about altering your Perish.
However, applications are too little to be a viable sb card. You mention a lot of "cute" interractions but this is not the kind of card want to commit sb space on. But props for thinking outside the box.
Can someone remind me why Cold-Eyed Selkie was dropped, and Rootwater Theif and Sygg (both) haven't been considered in a while?
Those cards are not good? Selkie is good/okay, but it is only good in the matchups we are already good against. Rootwater thief/sygg or commander?
Please explain why Spectral Shift wouldn't work on Choke?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru3z3rox
And no, that doesn't. The reason I came up with the idea was Llawan. it stops your mirror's Llawan, while actually hosing other Blue decks without Blue creatures that play her against you.
Nor does Landwalk seem irrelevant against other decks with multiple and/or larger blockers........
I can not see any reason it would not work on Choke. The idea of having Lord of Atlantis giving Forestwalk or Swampwalk is appealing for breaking through a creature stalemate.Quote:
Originally Posted by QQQ
Spectral Shift actually sounds good
Oh I just looked it up. I thought it was only until end of turn. I apologize. Then it will work in all of those scenarios. But still is it worth it to board in? What are the best/most common scenarios to use it in?
Most often I'd see myself probably changing Islandwalk to <insert walk here> so that I can rush by blockers for the alpha/win. But is that worth the slot?
I do have to admit I'd laugh a lot if I saw someone use it to turn "Mountain" on blood moon to "Island" and screw a dragon stompy player... but alas, I don't see this card as really being good enough to take up board slots.
While not the most amazing card, I'm a little surprised no one's even discussing Cryptoplasm
Rarity : Rare
Casting Cost : 1UU
Card Type : Creature
Creature Types : Shapeshifter
Card Text : At the beginning of your upkeep, you may have Cryptoplasm become a copy of another target creature. If you do, Cryptoplasm gains this ability.
While not good enough to make it in the main deck, I was trying to come up with some matchups where cloning an opponents creature would be fun. At worst, it's a 2/2 merfolk for 3 mana, but more often than not you can atleast copy one of your own lords. The thought of copying your own 4/4 flying Coralhelm, let alone a Goyf, Knight of the Reliquary, Tombstalker, etc. While not quite Lord of Atlanits 5+, copying him would mean one removal spell during your attack phase doesn't ruin your day. Unlike other clones that were too expensive or too risky because they were 0/0's, this one's fairly versatile. We haven't had to worry about many legendary creatures recently, but at 3 mana, he's easy enough to vial in at opponent's EOT to copy on our upkeep as removal.
The only two matchups I came up with were Reanimator and Emrakul-based decks though, neither one of them bad matchups, anyone one else have any thoughts?
It takes a turn to become what we want it to be, which is not fast enough for this tempo deck. Flex slots are better served as other cards
Well, I was actually considering switching up a few of the adepts for Sygg...I like silvergill, but sometimes it doesn't fell like it's enough. I like to save my card draw spells for when I need to refill my hand and with her you have to cast her earlier (or vial in). Hence, another reason why I brought up the selkie.Quote:
Originally Posted by SlopeeJ
The thief could potentially be a flyer (against moat) and stop certain combos
The tech with thief is interesting, but it is a bit too slow. You want them to have a clock (eg playing down more lords). Also the ability comes about turn 3 at the soonest, which gives them a lot of time to try and go off.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bahamut056
It's not a changelingQuote:
Originally Posted by Madpeep
That doesn't work either, the counters aren't copied.Quote:
The thought of copying your own 4/4 flying Coralhelm
He's a bit slow. But has interesting interactions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nessaja
it's a copy of the creature, so if you copy a merflok, it will be a merfolk...
Just thought I would throw a decklist I have been tinkering around with...
4 Aether Vial
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Cursecatcher
4 Standstill
4 Daze
4 FOW
3 STP
2 Spell Pierce
2 Island
2 Underground Sea
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
3 Tundra
3 Mutavault
4 Wasteland
Sideboard:
3 Extirpate
3 Absolute Law
2 Echoing Truth
2 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 Pithing Needle
1 Spell Pierce
Thoughts?
Vedalken Shackles
I've been extremely pleased with this card in my side for Mono U Merfolk. I've always been a huge fan of MUC, particularly because of this card, but thought this card was too mana intensive to be worth a try in a mana-shallow and tempo-oriented deck like Merfolk. I didn't think I would like it, but I tried it out anyways. My experience: the card is slow, but well worth it in some of the matchups I'm most worried about. It is a bomb control and win con rolled into one card. Try it out.
peace,
4eak
Which match-ups and doesn't Coralhelm Commander eat up any excess mana?Quote:
Originally Posted by 4eak
Goblins.Quote:
Originally Posted by arebennian
Seriously, steal their Piledrivers or their Haste enablers.
I played 2 of them to test them. vs bant the card was hilarious at taking rhox war monks, and the opponent is really suprised
What your side does look like with the shackles? What's do you side out for bringing in the shackles?Quote:
Originally Posted by 4eak
Thanks!!
Shackles does seem interesting... I have been playing with Sower of Temptation as a 2 of in my sb with some success. (I have 3 kira main) Shackles is a little slower costing 5 mana, but is harder to get rid of. It is colorless to caste but needs islands, so U/waste/muta doesn't seem to great. One thing I don't like about Shackles is that is it doesn't really help if your getting beat down by a 5/6 goyf or fat Knight. Merfolk has enough trouble casting UU creatures let alone trying to steal fatties. I run 14 islands/21 lands and still get mana screwed, most lists run 12 islands.....
Can you explain this a little? I would assume you are referring to the zoo/goblins matchups and it does seem really slow vs goblins, esp on the draw. I can see taking pile driver, but they can have 1-2 swings in before its active. and zoo as pridemages...Quote:
well worth it in some of the matchups I'm most worried about.