[Deck] Merfolk

Because many decks (especially) aggro/green decks use multiples of the same creature with specific threats such as Tarmogoyf, you might consider Echoing Truth for your SB.

Here is my SB:
2 x Tormod's Crypt
2 x Surgical Extraction
2 x Echoing Truth
1 x Gilded Drake
2 x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 x Phantasmal Image
1 x Sower of Temptation
3 x Submerge

It is pretty staked vs anything that uses the GY, and Aggro as I have found them to be my worst matches. No it is not perfect; but it might give you some ideas. PS, yes I know that many guys are running Jittes in the SB, mine are main as I don't like Dismember that much, and I have not found that I need more control as I have the spare control in the Main and run the P-Image in the SB, but the meta is always changing so this is a guide and not what everyone should use.

I hope that helps and it was nice to see Merfolk in the top 8's again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SupREME-10

Because many decks (especially) aggro/green decks use multiples of the same creature with specific threats such as Tarmogoyf, you might consider Echoing Truth for your SB.

Here is my SB:
2 x Tormod's Crypt
2 x Surgical Extraction
2 x Echoing Truth
1 x Gilded Drake
2 x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 x Phantasmal Image
1 x Sower of Temptation
3 x Submerge

It is pretty staked vs anything that uses the GY, and Aggro as I have found them to be my worst matches. No it is not perfect; but it might give you some ideas. PS, yes I know that many guys are running Jittes in the SB, mine are main as I don't like Dismember that much, and I have not found that I need more control as I have the spare control in the Main and run the P-Image in the SB, but the meta is always changing so this is a guide and not what everyone should use.

I hope that helps and it was nice to see Merfolk in the top 8's again.

---

i would not bring in truth against those decks

yeah dismember bites, you're right, but it does fill a nice niche. it fits with the aggro plan extremely well. jit doesn't. we're rarely trying to kill all their guys, or play a board position game -- half the time their board can't even block. 1 mana and 4 life is usually less than 4 mana, which is a ton (see also: coralhelm commander)

games you do want jitte i think 1 board is fine. copy their stoneforge if you must

Played at my LGS's Saturday Legacy, came away with a few things:

Waterfront Bouncer is a house, especially in matches against Junk as they tend to rely heavily on one Knight to do the heavy lifting.

I never want to see more than one Coralhelm Commander in any given match, I'm cutting it down to two.

Affinity is a bad enough matchup that I'm considering replacing Hurkyl's Recall with Energy Flux. Siding out the Aether Vials might work here. I would not consider this, except that there are three Affinity players at my LGS.

I've always wanted to play Waterfront Bouncer in 'folk but I've never found room to put him in? What did you remove (both MB and SB) for him?

I took out Dismember to make room for Mr. Bouncy. I've also cut a Coralhelm Commander and added a Spreading Seas in the mainboard.

My sideboard is currently 3x Echoing Truth, 4x Spell Pierce, 1x Spreading Seas, 3x Submerge, and 4x Surgical Extraction. We'll see how it does next weekend.

Omar Rohner had an interesting take on Merfolk in the top 8 of BoM. 4 Commanders and Images, 21 lands/13 Islands, 4 Daze 3 Force. I'm going to try it out tomorrow with an extra force in the place of an Island.

His sideboard has some interesting cards and numbers.
Congrats on his success, top8 in a 700+ tounament is no small feat.
Glad that fishiez are not fired/fried yet.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FANAttIC

His sideboard has some interesting cards and numbers.
Congrats on his success, top8 in a 700+ tounament is no small feat.
Glad that fishiez are not fired/fried yet.

---

What is the reason to choose Aquetect's will over Spreading seas?

Maybe the "extraordinary" number of creatures, could bring higher chance to ensure having a merfolk on board.

Will works with Reejerey and Adept.

I think the more interesting part about the BoM Merfolk deck isn't the list, but the fact that it placed in such a huge event.

I like the sideboard though, with its inclusion of Acquitect's Will. The benefit of Will over Spreading seas is also the fact that its 1 blue instead of costing a colorless and a blue to cast. (Not to mention the tribal interaction for reejery, and Silvergill, as mentioned above).

Though a problem I see with using acquitects will, is the liability it creates against Tarmogoyf decks. Adding another power and toughness to a dude merfolk is already having a hard time with post board, is rough.

I've been testing on MWS/Cockatrice some Standstill list, and I've got to say, that enchantment is the nuts in this deck. It works so wonderfully. People are usually really afraid to break the symmetry, as it often means GG for them.

12 Island
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Rejeerey
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 AEther Vial
3 Standstill
2 Spell Pierce
SB: 3 Submerge
SB: 2 Hydroblast
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 2 Aquitect's Will
SB: 2 Umezawa's Jitte
SB: 1 Gilded Drake
SB: 1 Flusterstorm

The list feels really good, and I've been wrecking combo. Jund is an awful matchup, but I think it's pretty much hopeless. The matchup gets better with Stifle maindeck, but I'm not willing to open 4 slots for it.

So, how are you building your sideboard? I always feel that Merfolk's sideboard is pretty much like Ichorid's, useless 70% of time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vandalize

I've been testing on MWS/Cockatrice some Standstill list, and I've got to say, that enchantment is the nuts in this deck. It works so wonderfully. People are usually really afraid to break the symmetry, as it often means GG for them.

12 Island
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Rejeerey
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 AEther Vial
3 Standstill
2 Spell Pierce
SB: 3 Submerge
SB: 2 Hydroblast
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Relic of Progenitus
SB: 2 Aquitect's Will
SB: 2 Umezawa's Jitte
SB: 1 Gilded Drake
SB: 1 Flusterstorm

The list feels really good, and I've been wrecking combo. Jund is an awful matchup, but I think it's pretty much hopeless. The matchup gets better with Stifle maindeck, but I'm not willing to open 4 slots for it.

So, how are you building your sideboard? I always feel that Merfolk's sideboard is pretty much like Ichorid's, useless 70% of time.

---

If played right, You do not need the gilded drake since you already run 3 images. That should be sufficient in dealing with sneak and show.

Probably drop the aquitect's will and up the submerge count and jitte count for a better green/black matchup

You don't want only 12 Islands with 4 Lord of Atlantis and 4 Master of the Pearl Trident. Cut a spell. The advantage of not top decking superfluous Islands is more than made up for with fewer mulligans.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by KobeBryan

If played right, You do not need the gilded drake since you already run 3 images. That should be sufficient in dealing with sneak and show.

Probably drop the aquitect's will and up the submerge count and jitte count for a better green/black matchup

---

The acquitects will is there specifically for the G/B matchup though.. considering jund has no islands, you need to give them some to make their blockers not an issue. The merfolk group is going to win that race if nobody is blocking and just attacking each turn.

I can't argue with wanting 4 submerge though, that card just makes things work better up against any kind of green deck. You're also living the dream if you can submerge in response to a fetch land. (or force the fetch with a wastland).

I've gone back and forth on the Standstill usage. On one hand if you have aether vial and standstill in your opening 8 starting 2nd turn, its pretty tough to get beat that way. But then again if you have aether vial and a merfolk lord in the slot that would have been standstill (along with other merfolk in that 8), then you're still in an awesome position, especially if said merfolk is Coralhelm.

Its almost a style of play thing. Can't you be disciplined enough to run standstill and choose the right mulligans.

Personally if i'm later in a game and looking for something, i get sad when i draw standstill, whereas if i drew a Coralhelm commander, I'd think it was fantastic.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FANAttIC

His sideboard has some interesting cards and numbers.
Congrats on his success, top8 in a 700+ tounament is no small feat.
Glad that fishiez are not fired/fried yet.

---

Yeah, I really like that sideboard. I think I would make one change, assuming Tower of the Magistrate is there just for Batterskull / Jitte - Maybe try a Manriki Gusari - we can tutor it by cloning their Stoneforge Mystics with Phantasmal Image.

I agree about Standstill, that it just may a style of play issue if you want to use it or another lord in it's place. I have been liking to "lord up" as much as possible and try to out aggro the aggro and push the tempo on them.

I have also been experimenting with Seal of Removal. It means Sneak and Show needs Sneak attack between the Seals and a couple of Phantasmal Images, with a Pithing Needle hopefully waiting for the Sneak Attack.

There are a lot of cards that are better than Seal situationally like Echoing Truth, Submerge, Phantasmal Image. But I like its versitility, if you are pushing tempo against aggro it can be a bit of a timewalk for you if you use it like, and with, Submerge. Also it works against non green creatures. It only costs one. You can lay it out when you have a mana to spare rather than when you have to and could use the mana for something else. It is out of your hand so it can't be discarded.

Just wish I could find the room for them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by beez

I have also been experimenting with Seal of Removal. It means Sneak and Show needs Sneak attack between the Seals and a couple of Phantasmal Images, with a Pithing Needle hopefully waiting for the Sneak Attack.

There are a lot of cards that are better than Seal situationally like Echoing Truth, Submerge, Phantasmal Image. But I like its versitility, if you are pushing tempo against aggro it can be a bit of a timewalk for you if you use it like, and with, Submerge. Also it works against non green creatures. It only costs one. You can lay it out when you have a mana to spare rather than when you have to and could use the mana for something else. It is out of your hand so it can't be discarded.

Just wish I could find the room for them.

---

Have you considered the old reanimator tech of Waterfront bouncer? Not diluting your deck is awesome (It is in fact a merfolk these days)

bom list: has anyone tried it? not running 3 standstill seems demented. sure it makes us "threat denser" but then we can't standstill into more threats or (critically) more counters vs. combo.

lands: 12/13 islands is debatable, as on one hand you do mull a little more with only 12 but on the other hand flooding (ha) is a major issue. i guess it's not so much flooding as missing out on a critical density of creatures and/or disruption while having the mana to cast 'em (here standstill helps tremendously). for my 60 i'd like to cut an image but then i'd add a coralhelm and having 9 UU lords at 20 lands doesn't seem right so then maybe i'd add a 13th island so i could accommodate the leveler but then there isn't anything to cut anymore so wtf to do.

board: aquitect's will is a good card (much better than seas, unless you really want yet another card that costs 2 in this 2-cmc deck) but i think mind harness has got to be the nuts against non-blue decks. i want two in the board somewhere, then we could stay with 2 submerge and not add coralhelm and still be able to beat green decks yo

Yes. I would like a singleton Waterfront Bouncer maybe two. Can get rid of useless Dazes and Vials in the midgame too.

With so much Abrupt Decay around is it worth running Kira, even just to make them waste an Abrupt Decay on it?

Ran the following list to a 1st place finish at MTG deals today:

4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Merrow Reejerey
2 Phantasmal Image
4 Force of Will
4 Standstill
3 Misdirection
2 Daze
2 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Aether Vial
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland
12 Island
Sideboard:
3 Spell Pierce
2 Flusterstorm
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Echoing Truth
2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Phantasmal Image
2 Surgical Extraction

I lost round 1 to the mirror, and then beat White Stax, Sneak and Show, Death and Taxes, Turbo-Eldrazi, U/W Miracles, Burn, and BUG Delver to take the finals. I used every sideboard card but Flusterstorm (never saw it). Misdirection was lackluster--the only times I used it were to counter a Force on my Vial, and for style points to kill the burn player with his own Rift Bolt. Standstill was crazy good--Jitte did work in the Death and Taxes matchupm but otherwise I would have preferred another merfolk.. If I were going to run this deck again, I would probably bump up the Daze numbers and trim a Misdirection, and maybe turn the Jitte into the 4th reej or Image. Then again, I never faced Stoneblade, Maverick, or Jund.