[Deck] Merfolk

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Originally Posted by CML

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

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I took one look at the BoM list and was reminded of my own list from about a year ago. There really is no reason not to run Standstill.

I agree that 12 or 13 Islands (20 or 21 lands) is mostly a personal choice. That being said, every non-creature spell can be cast with only one (or none) Island, and with Silvergill and Standstill to find the second Island if it becomes a problem I'd rather have only 12. Merfolk is an aggro deck after all. Not to mention, we do have Aether Vial to put those UU lords into play.

Aquitect's Will is a point of debate I've had with a friend of mine lately. Although it is 1 less cmc than Spreading Seas the fact that SS turns the land into an Island I feel is underrated. Combined with Wasteland, you can use SS to really prevent your opponent from playing their spells. However, the fact that AW combos with Reejerey is nice.

So, I'm building up my first Legacy Deck. Merfolk. I'm trying to keep it semi budget, but I already own the Wastelands and can borrow it. Maybe force of will.

My meta seems very varied, but the recent decks that have done well at our Monthly Legacy are Elves (GB/BUG), Twelvepost and Esper Blade. We also have a mix of things like werewolf stompy, metalworker, goblin, death and taxes and Affinity.

My list so far is:
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Coralhelm Commander
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Merrow Reejerey
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Daze
3 Spell Pierce
1 Dismember
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Aether Vial
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland
13 Island

Sidebard
1 Spell Pierce
1 Dismember
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Pithing Needle
2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Phantasmal Image
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Submerge
2 Sower of Tempation

Opinions?

Hi, I came 3rd in the most important event of legacy (100 players) in Argentina playing fishessssss!! :smile:

I won 4 FoW...!!

the list was the same i posted it few pages back in #6226

I really love this fucking deck!!, simply obliterate all combo and islands decks that I was confronted (except RUG), and Spreading Seas results an awesome card vs nonbrainstorm decks

the rounds:

U/w Delver: 2-0
Rug Tempo: 0-2 (mulligans, and mana screw... I think 21 lands is the right number, i had to many 1 land hand with 20)
Sneak Attack: 2-1
Bug Control: 2-0
Werewolf Stompy: 2-1
BG Dark Dephts: 2-1
Burn: 2-1 (Mull to 5 with 0 lands in the game lost)

Top 8
Belcher: 2-0 (mull to 5, but Fow in the first)

Top 4
Elves: 1-2

3º or 4º:
TES: 2-1

FULL REPORT (in spanish): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...1ZM/edit?pli=1


When i faced Elves, I knew I was in trouble, was the match I attempted to dodge the whole tournament... If not Glimpse, is NO, if not NO, is GSZ=X7, if not GSZ=X7, is Symbiote+Visionary (free block & cantrip), if not WS+EV, is DRS, if not DRS is Choke, and the list goes on ... they now also have abrupt decay for jitte and lords. This deck is a really pain in the ass for Merfolks...

any advice other than add black? Submerge, really served here in this match?

on the other hand need to improve the match against RUG, what hands are good? and what SB is efficient?

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Originally Posted by Anfylion

Hi, I came 3rd in the most important event of legacy (100 players) in Argentina playing fishessssss!! :smile:

I won 4 FoW...!!

the list was the same i posted it few pages back in #6226

I really love this fucking deck!!, simply obliterate all combo and islands decks that I was confronted (except RUG), and Spreading Seas results an awesome card vs nonbrainstorm decks

the rounds:

U/w Delver: 2-0
Rug Tempo: 0-2 (mulligans, and mana screw... I think 21 lands is the right number, i had to many 1 land hand with 20)
Sneak Attack: 2-1
Bug Control: 2-0
Werewolf Stompy: 2-1
BG Dark Dephts: 2-1
Burn: 2-1 (Mull to 5 with 0 lands in the game lost)

Top 8
Belcher: 2-0 (mull to 5, but Fow in the first)

Top 4
Elves: 1-2

3º or 4º:
TES: 2-1

FULL REPORT (in spanish): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...1ZM/edit?pli=1


When i faced Elves, I knew I was in trouble, was the match I attempted to dodge the whole tournament... If not Glimpse, is NO, if not NO, is GSZ=X7, if not GSZ=X7, is Symbiote+Visionary (free block & cantrip), if not WS+EV, is DRS, if not DRS is Choke, and the list goes on ... they now also have abrupt decay for jitte and lords. This deck is a really pain in the ass for Merfolks...

any advice other than add black? Submerge, really served here in this match?

on the other hand need to improve the match against RUG, what hands are good? and what SB is efficient?

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Good work on the impressive finish! I'll have to google translate the report.

As far as Elves, my sideboarding strategy currently is:
+1 Pithing Needle, +1 Umezawa's Jitte, +3 Spreading Seas, +3 Submerge
-1 Aether Vial, -3 Daze, -1 Force of Will, -2 Spell Pierce

The SS let you turn off Gaea's Cradle or anything else bothersome, and just swim past blockers, so no Symbiote+Visionary blocking shenanigans.

I personally hardly ever have trouble with RUG. Perhaps you aren't playing it with the fact that you're the beatdown in mind? Here is how I sideboard:
+1 Relic of Progenitus, +1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, +3 Submerge
-2 Daze, -2 Force of Will, -1 Spell Pierce

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Originally Posted by b07

Good work on the impressive finish! I'll have to google translate the report.

As far as Elves, my sideboarding strategy currently is:
+1 Pithing Needle, +1 Umezawa's Jitte, +3 Spreading Seas, +3 Submerge
-1 Aether Vial, -3 Daze, -1 Force of Will, -2 Spell Pierce

The SS let you turn off Gaea's Cradle or anything else bothersome, and just swim past blockers, so no Symbiote+Visionary blocking shenanigans.

I personally hardly ever have trouble with RUG. Perhaps you aren't playing it with the fact that you're the beatdown in mind? Here is how I sideboard:
+1 Relic of Progenitus, +1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, +3 Submerge
-2 Daze, -2 Force of Will, -1 Spell Pierce

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Thx! I really liked SB strategies you raised, I'll also try to make a space in the sideboard to pithing needle... i needed some resp to activated abilities the whole tournament..

How is your sideboard now?

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Originally Posted by Anfylion

Thx! I really liked SB strategies you raised, I'll also try to make a space in the sideboard to pithing needle... i needed some resp to activated abilities the whole tournament..

How is your sideboard now?

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My 75 looks like this at the moment:

4
4 Aether Vial

22
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Merrow Reejerey
2 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept

3
3 Standstill

11
3 Daze
2 Dismember
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce


20
12 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

SB
1 Pithing Needle
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
3 Spreading Seas
1 Echoing Truth
2 Spell Pierce
3 Submerge
2 Surgical Extraction

Hi, I noticed that I am too slow for control decks like miracle and I would like to try Merfolk for a tournament this weekend (burrowing most of the cards for now), is it a good deck to pick up for non-experts? How much practise does it need before I can use it at a tournament? And are there good online resources besides this thread for beginners with this deck?
Also, are there still enough interesting decisions to make or is it always just play creatures and counter stuff?

http://www.mtgpulse.com/event/13359#187278
http://www.mtgpulse.com/event/13338#187003

Cielo Francesco was so mad he didn't found the 4th Master that he decided to win the tournament :laugh:

Will the deck change with the new legend rules? Is phantasmal image then better or worse vs sneak and show? Oh and is there an up to date guide on the internet on how to play and sideboard each matchup?

Split the finals of a 40-man tournament with this list today:

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

I beat RIP-line Miracles, Sneak and Show, Omnitellx2, BUG delver and Death and Taxes, and lost to Death and Taxes and Junk. All of the sideboard cards were useful--I might cut the two Jittes for more Pithing Needles, since Jitte is oftentimes only answering Jitte (something that is useless soon) and Needle was also useful versus Sneak and Show and Miracles.

I noticed at the weekend that my local meta seems to consist mainly of Esper Stoneblade, Canadian Threshold and a few Sneak and Shows. How could I tune the deck for this particular metagame?

@Ozymandias: How did the Misdirections fare for you, would you recommend them? Did you board them out sometimes?

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Originally Posted by kirdie

I noticed at the weekend that my local meta seems to consist mainly of Esper Stoneblade, Canadian Threshold and a few Sneak and Shows. How could I tune the deck for this particular metagame?

@Ozymandias: How did the Misdirections fare for you, would you recommend them? Did you board them out sometimes?

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All three matchups are slightly favorable to favorable for Merfolk, so I'd recommend just putting in some Kiras to help your Esper and Tempo matchups.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kirdie

@Ozymandias: How did the Misdirections fare for you, would you recommend them? Did you board them out sometimes?

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Misdirection was useful for two things: First, it helped me gain a ton of tempo versus BUG's targeted removal, and they also helped me win the counter wars I really needed to win versus the Show and Tell decks. I boarded it out only versus Miracles, and I possibly have taken them out versus D&T, though after siding out Standstills and Dazes, and bringing in Needle, Kira, Jitte, Truth, and Image, there's not much more to bring in. I really want to squeeze in two more Pithing needles into the side, though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kirdie

I noticed at the weekend that my local meta seems to consist mainly of Esper Stoneblade, Canadian Threshold and a few Sneak and Shows. How could I tune the deck for this particular metagame?

@Ozymandias: How did the Misdirections fare for you, would you recommend them? Did you board them out sometimes?

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I would say your only bad matchup here is Canadian Threshold. Sneak attack is highly in your favor.

A way to beat esper stoneblade would be to either play that land, that gives protection from artifacts or sideboard that equipment that breaks other equipments. Search it with phantasmal image.

Sorry cant remember the names. Too much shit to remember.

in what universe does merfolk not rape RUG delver? don't waste us, but we'll waste the fuck out of you. sneak and show is very good. esper is also good. deathblade is close to even

kira is awful, managing to be pricey and awkward and not do a thing against abrupt decay. mind harness and submerge are surely better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CML

in what universe does merfolk not rape RUG delver? don't waste us, but we'll waste the fuck out of you. sneak and show is very good. esper is also good. deathblade is close to even

kira is awful, managing to be pricey and awkward and not do a thing against abrupt decay. mind harness and submerge are surely better.

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RUG bolts the shit outta your lords and runs you down with their goyfs and mongeese.

Then game 2, they bring in REBs...thats like 16 removal cards against merfolk.

The RUG matchup is fairly build-dependent. You don't especially care about stifle, spell pierce, or thought scour, but chain lightning and spell snare are super annoying to play against.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ozymandias

Misdirection was useful for two things: First, it helped me gain a ton of tempo versus BUG's targeted removal, and they also helped me win the counter wars I really needed to win versus the Show and Tell decks. I boarded it out only versus Miracles, and I possibly have taken them out versus D&T, though after siding out Standstills and Dazes, and bringing in Needle, Kira, Jitte, Truth, and Image, there's not much more to bring in. I really want to squeeze in two more Pithing needles into the side, though.

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saw your list..why do you run so many graveyard hate?

eh, RUG doesn't side in that many red blasts, they're not much better against you than your relics are against them.

i do agree it's build- and die-roll-dependent. spell snare would be very strong. most of them don't have it, though, what with the rise of combo decks that have no 2's.

a friend of mine who is a far stronger player piloted Ub Merfolk at the december invitational and said it was 50/50 -- with that build's fetches and duals, surely eliminating vulnerability to wasteland and stifle makes us pretty big favorites. sure, their cards are individually more powerful, but WHO CARES, THE SAME IS TRUE FOR EVERY OTHER DECK IN THE FORMAT. ffs we're playing bears and gray ogres, but the bottom line is that we'll get a ton of free wins against RUG and RUG will get hardly any against us, and that ladies n gents is THE WHOLE POINT OF FISH.

Actually the matchup often comes down to whether or not the RUG player resolves a turn 1 Delver which flips on turn 2. Add some control elements to the mix and Merfolk is in trouble, as it doesn't run any outs except for Coralhelm and maybe Dismember.