[Deck] Merfolk

Just wondering, if an equipment heavy environment suddenly makes Reality Ripple borderline playable after 15 years, which I doubt but it is certainly an interesting thought, shouldn't other, potentially better 'phase out' cards be considered?

Teferi's Realm has several applications, it is actually a kind of catch-all solution to a wide range of problematic lock type cards: Maze of Ith, Humility, Ensnaring Bridge, for example.

Vodalian Illusionist should be able to remove Batterskull before they get a chance to equip anything other than the token. If arriving too late he can always phase out whatever creature happens to be carrying dangerous equipment during combat. Can also sometimes save your own creatures, etc., and is a Merfolk.

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Originally Posted by Hof

Just wondering, if an equipment heavy environment suddenly makes Reality Ripple borderline playable after 15 years, which I doubt but it is certainly an interesting thought, shouldn't other, potentially better 'phase out' cards be considered?

Teferi's Realm has several applications, it is actually a kind of catch-all solution to a wide range of problematic lock type cards: Maze of Ith, Humility, Ensnaring Bridge, for example.

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do your coralhelms, vials, and jittes come back with their counters?

Yes comes back in just like it was

Edit

Did you guys see that massacre gives all creatures -2? Is that good in a deck full of 2/2s, even with lords?

Hello Taco. In your opinion, in a heavy aggro meta (Zoo, Affinity, WW, etc), with some Burn and almost inexistent combo decks, am I correct to say that Jitte is the best answer? If Yes, what would you replace in your last posted list? If not, what do you recommend? MD and SB. Thanks in advance.

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Originally Posted by SlopeeJ

Did you guys see that massacre gives all creatures -2? Is that good in a deck full of 2/2s, even with lords?

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To answer your rhetorical question: I'm pretty sure no, it's not gonna be. Massacre seems so wrong for this deck I actually assumed it was a mistype, but I'm not sure. Perish is, obv, a way better reason to splash black.

If you're thinking of splashing a color to have answers to Progenitus then wouldn't splashing white for Tariff be a good idea? White also of course gives you StoP, PtE, Serenity (quite nice against affinity) and many more SB options.
Though it doesn't destroy anything, wouldn't Hibernation slow your opponent down enough to be an option to Perish?

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Originally Posted by Micki

If you're thinking of splashing a color to have answers to Progenitus then wouldn't splashing white for Tariff be a good idea? White also of course gives you StoP, PtE, Serenity (quite nice against affinity) and many more SB options.
Though it doesn't destroy anything, wouldn't Hibernation slow your opponent down enough to be an option to Perish?

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What is wrong with Phyrexian Metamorph? It's fabulous as it kills the legendary monsters and Jitte and doubles as a lord or copies Batterskulls. No splash needed.

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Originally Posted by Hopo

What is wrong with Phyrexian Metamorph? It's fabulous as it kills the legendary monsters and Jitte and doubles as a lord or copies Batterskulls. No splash needed.

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Forgot that one, thanks Hopo! Metamorph might even be good enough to deserve MD slots, thoughts about that?

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Originally Posted by reale

Hello Taco. In your opinion, in a heavy aggro meta (Zoo, Affinity, WW, etc), with some Burn and almost inexistent combo decks, am I correct to say that Jitte is the best answer? If Yes, what would you replace in your last posted list? If not, what do you recommend? MD and SB. Thanks in advance.

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If those three decks are what your metagame largely consists of, go pick up another deck if you can. That's your best option. Zoo's a very hard matchup, and I've played against a few WW builds that were pretty much 90-10 in their favor.

But, yes. Umezawa's Jitte seems pretty good right there. Squeeze one main for a Daze. With the two Dismembers and the single main Jitte, and the extras in sideboard, you should have a pretty decent shot.

If your metagame's just completely sellout nonblue aggro, then ditch all your Dazes to board for more Dismembers/Jittes, and consider dropping down to 2 Aether Vials.

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Originally Posted by Hopo

What is wrong with Phyrexian Metamorph? It's fabulous as it kills the legendary monsters and Jitte and doubles as a lord or copies Batterskulls. No splash needed.

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Honestly, I have been toying around with this idea. The best part is you dont have to worry about color at all. You can get a metamorph for three colorless and two life, which can be quite relevant due to our 8 colorless producing lands. I think the utility here is pretty awesome; yet, the problem that I have encountered was what do I cut. I want to keep my other lords and my permission package. Ultimately it comes down to a lack of space in the deck. I think it is good but I am inclined to believe that we have much better options. Bounce, phasing, dismember, and pithing needle all seem like they do a better job of answering our Batterskull problem. That is my opinion, but I am open to hearing what others think.

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Originally Posted by reale

Hello Taco. In your opinion, in a heavy aggro meta (Zoo, Affinity, WW, etc), with some Burn and almost inexistent combo decks, am I correct to say that Jitte is the best answer? If Yes, what would you replace in your last posted list? If not, what do you recommend? MD and SB. Thanks in advance.

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If you just want to win, and that's your meta, I agree with Taco that you would be better off playing a different deck. Maybe it's just me, but from the description you give I think I would play some version of Storm Combo. Maybe even a fast version like Spanish Inquisition or Belcher, since it seems like there are hardly any counterspells in your meta.

Merfolk is a great deck, but from the sound of it, playing it in your meta-game is going to be an uphill climb.

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Originally Posted by Justin

Yeah. Echoing Truth is the best bounce for Merfolk (and Submerge in the sideboard). Waterfront Bouncer is really only good as a one-of in a deck that you can tutor for him. For example, some Survival builds would run him before their deck got banned. Merfolk doesn't have any good tutor effects and Bouncer is not so good in multiples because of the card disadvantage.

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I'm not saying he's good in Merfolk, back when I tried him a year or so ago, he was mostly a 2/2 or a 3/3 beater, but back then the decks I played against were not nearly as aggressive as some decks now are. My main problem with Waterfront Bouncer is not that he makes for card disadvantage (because he can gain you tempo, and it's likely that you'll have excess Vials and Islands to toss to him), it's rather that he is a tad slow. At the very fastest, you can activate him on turn three, most often on turn four, and also the single blue mana required is perhaps best spent on Mutavault or Coralhelm Commander.

However, that said, he deals with stuff like Peacekeeper, Emrakul and Batterskull, and even though I don't think he should be included in all Merfolk decks, there might be some metagames where he warrants play. He can also save your own dudes from removal, though if your meta is full of that stuff, Kira is probably better.

As a side-note: I once won a game on MWS by bouncing my own LoA and turning off my opponent's Merfolk's Islandwalk. Good times.

Why people don't play anymore Merfolks with a splash of Black? At this moment I only see Mono U Merfolk....

Alex Majlatan does any report of GP Providence???

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Originally Posted by mooN_MTG

Why people don't play anymore Merfolks with a splash of Black? At this moment I only see Mono U Merfolk....

Alex Majlatan does any report of GP Providence???

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I would guess that the massive amounts of stoneforge control decks flooding the field have something to do with it. There really aren't the amount of tarmogoyfs out there that there have been the past.

Tarmogoyf's weak in Legacy now anyway. Creatures in modern Legacy have to either be absolutely huge or do something really neat. Stoneforge is a way bigger threat, and arguably is pushing to become Legacy's signature creature, even beyond Dark Confidant and Knight of the Reliquary.

Also, Mental Misstep and Dismember got printed, which means Merfolk can do a lot more than it once could without splashing a color. Specifically in the removal department.

I played this last night, borrowing it from a friend. I hadn't really played it recently, but I played it in the past and enjoyed it. This was the list used was something like this:

Creatures
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergil Adept
3 Cursecatcher
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Merfolk Sovereign

Spells
4 Mental Misstep
3 Force of Will
3 Daze
3 Dismember

Artifacts
4 AEther Vial

Lands
13 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland
1 Mishra's Factory

Sideboard
3 Hydroblast
3 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 Energy Flux
2 Spell Pierce
2 Submerge
2 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Dismember

Round 1 vs Mirror
Dismember was a house
2-0 (1-0)

Round 2 vs Mirror
Dismember was still a house
2-0 (2-0)

Round 3 vs Show and Tell
So many lords and counterspells won it for me
2-1 (3-0)

Round 4 vs Bant
Dismember was not as good here, but I was able to slow him down a lot
2-0 (4-0)

Round 5 vs NO RUG w/ Bloodbraid Elf
I scoop him in. Im a nice guy, what can I say
0-2 (4-1)

So, Dismember was amazing. 3 Llawan helped a lot. Jitte is really good. May be better than Kira/Sovereign in the main right now. I enjoyed the deck a lot and hope to play it at an SCG 5K soon.

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Originally Posted by videogamer99

Round 1 vs Mirror
Dismember was a house
2-0 (1-0)

Round 2 vs Mirror
Dismember was still a house
2-0 (2-0)

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Take note of this, Merfolk players with an unnatural attachment to Submerge.

Went 4-0 in Locals tonight. Playing my same maindeck list as usual, with a weird SB full of a bunch of random 1-ofs to try out. I also tried 4 Spell Pierces, which is my new favorite SB card, but then got in three aggro matchups and only got to use them one time. Whatever.

Round 1 - Brian playing UGB Dredge/Madness/Weird hybrid something.

Game 1 I counter two Careful Studies. He plays Islands while I beat him to death. No idea what he's playing, so I bring in yard hate under the assumption that Careful Study means something's hitting the yard.

Game 2 I counter yet another Careful Study. He ramps up land and hardcasts Deep Analysis, while I make dudes. I still overwhelm him without seeing what he's playing. Might make it more difficult when I face him tomorrow night.

Round 2 - Jerath playing Modern D&T.

I win the die roll and lead with an Island, Cursecatcher. He plays Plains, Vial. I let it hit due to how fast my hand is, and this turns out to be a good move, as he has a second Vial a couple turns later. And lots of land. I Force the one thing he hardcasts (A Squadron Hawk), and Misstep his one STP, and my guys crash through.

Game 2 I Misstep an Aether Vial and he gets mana stuck. By the time he stabilizes, I have guys. Lots and lots of guys.

Round 3 - Larry playing Zoo

I mulligan to six and keep a two-lander with a Silvergill. Larry has two things. Lands and dudes. I have to Wasteland a Taiga to keep two Kird Apes, a Loam Lion, and a Nacatl from steamrolling me, then get stuck hunting another land and die being unable to drop my guys out fast enough to stabilize.

Game two, I mull to 6, he thinks a long time about going to 5, but stays at 6. I stick an Aether Vial, he gets stuck on one land with me having a wall of Mental Missteps and guys.

Game three we both end up mana flooded after decent starting hands. He keeps drawing land. I get a Silvergill with an active Jitte, but he topdecks a Krosan Grip like a champion and eats my four counters. Ugh. Fortunately he hits land after that, I Dismember his Tarmogoyf (So sexy) and topdeck two straight Reejereys to seize control. I manage to win with his top card being a much needed Path to Exile.

Round 4 - Chase playing UWB Doomsday Show

Game 1 I go Mutavault, Vial with an Island in hand. He Missteps. I Misstep. He Missteps. I don't get a Vial. He then Thoughtseizes me to make the situation worse. But I get beats in with my Mutavault, and a Reejerey finally joins the show, and by the time he gets Show and Tell, he's way too low on life for Emrakul to be scary.

Game 2 I try to Force a turn 3 Plague, he Forces back, and due to lack of air conditioning I somehow don't think to sacrifice my Cursecatcher. Gah. (I really don't earn my rating sometimes. Just ask Majikal.) I drop a Coralhelm and panic-level him to 2, then Chase gets to 5 lands and sticks Plague #2. Coralhelm goes big, a 1/1 Reejerey sticks, and I beat him with subpar-sized Lords and Mutavaults while he's still hunting for Show and Tell.

Thoughts for the evening:

-Going 4-0 on die rolls with Merfolk wins tournaments. I can't even think of the last time this happened. It's been at least a year.
-Dismember is amazing. It's also amazing at not appearing when I have an aggro matchup. But it's still amazing.
-Cursecatcher belongs on the top 5 creature in Legacy list. Every matchup I played, Cursecatcher influenced my opponent to ridiculous degrees.
-Bounce spells were weak. The one random Needle was weak. The one Null Rod I had, in post-match screwing around against D&T, was great at shutting off Sword of Fire and Ice, and made Batterskull just an annoying dude to deal with rather than a game-ending problem.
-Divert is earning strong sideboard consideration for me. Divert reflects STP. Divert reflects Hymn. Divert reflects Bolt. Divert makes Mental Misstep target Divert. It's seeming better the more matches I play.
-Stoneforge Mystic is a problem. The card is seriously everywhere in Legacy right now. Absolutely everywhere.

Dismember is awesome, until you play a deck with lightning bolt/zoo or can't kill the fatty beating you. Dismember awesome or can be bad. I play 3 kira so now when mirror boards in dismember I love blanking cards in their hand.

Divert is one of those cards (merfolk loves these type of cards) that really sucks or is just a total house. I'm sure everyone can decide when it sucks and when it doesn't. I don't think merfolk has the U mana open to justify using it, for me it's in the same boat as spell snare. So basically it is awesome early game, when merfolk "doesn't" really have U available and sucks late game. I had a lot of success running misdirection, hitting hymns/bolts etc Again game breaking when awesome even pitching a card or complete suckage.

Which bounce spells are you referring to as weak?

congrats taco...dismember is getting better so much so that i have been playing 3md and cutting a cursecatcher or a wasteland for the 3rd...and with more creature based and stoneforge.dec running around in legacy dismember is becoming even better

I don't play Merfolk very often, but I thought I would pass a couple of articles along.

Scott Muir took 3rd place at the SCG Indianapolis event. He recently wrote a guide to sideboarding and I know he'd appreciate any feedback or thoughts. As he doesn't use this forum, leaving thoughts in the comments section of the article would be the easiest way to let him know your thoughts:

http://www.quietspeculation.com/2011...-sideboarding/

And this is his (entertaining!) event report.

http://www.quietspeculation.com/2011...-indianapolis/

Scott's been playing and tuning Merfolk in his meta for a couple of years now. Hope you enjoy and get something out of them!