[Deck] Merfolk

@stnikolauswagne: thanks for the report! keep us posted with your future results!

@Brentane: I think aether vial is quite a bit better in the standstill build. It goes very well with the man lands (free up your mana and helps to cast you double U lords), and of course leading with vial is better than tidal warrior when you follow it up by standstill on turn 2.

I think standstill is quite good right now, if you expect a lot of fair blue decks. The 2 mana CC slot can be a bit crowded if you also play Chalice though.

Don't hesitate to post a decklist!

I know this will probably sound a little absurd but have any of you guys also tested out thirst for knowledge? I've been running a single copy in my 75 (probably not the ideal number in a deck with no real cantrips) and it's been working out really good the few times that I have drawn it. Unlike standstill, it's alright when playing from behind and it's a good way to get rid of those extra vials/chalices/lands that you draw into without really fiddling with the manabase. It's definitely worse than just playing fetches and brainstorm, and it's 3 mana which is not unobtainable but still pretty high.

Split in the legacy finals today at the local tournament (5 rounds + top8, 20 something players). Only "spikes" showed up since the entry was higher than usual.

It was nice knowing that True-Name Nemesis still has some names on his list :)
There were so many mint bb islandwalking enablers (aka dual lands), I had smile on my face the whole day.
Even better was me beating 3 of my worst matchups (Elves, Nic Fit and Painter). That was satisfying.

Copied a Progenitus that my Elves opponent controlled, that was my only way to bypass his defenses; killed a man with a Gutshot; copied a Magister of Worth to clear all the trash Nic Fit player put on the table; copied a Dryad Arbor to "accelerate" my Jitte equiping a Cursecatcher against Elves... Hmm, Phantasmal Image might get a boost from three copies to four. Love to all Piranhas, keep em fed.

I'm quite amateur sideboarding and I would like to discuss some sideboard decisions of stnikolauswagne:

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Originally Posted by stnikolauswagne

Round 1 vs Sneak and Show 2-0 [1-0]
SB: -2 Jitte, -2 TNN, -1 Image, -1 Daze/Cursecatcher (not quire sure about that one) +2 Pierce, +2 Hydroblast, +2 Swan Song

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Originally Posted by stnikolauswagne

Semifinals vs Reanimator 1-2
SB: -2 Jitte, -4 TNN, -1 Reejerey, -1 Image, -1 Daze, +2 Relic+ 3 Chalice, +2 Swan Song, +2 Spell Pierce

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Is it not better to save all dazes and cursecatchers against combo? I'm not a fan of daze, I play without them, but speacially reanimator can easily comb very early.

Also:

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Originally Posted by stnikolauswagne

Round 3 vs UR Delver 2-0 [3-0]
SB: -2 Daze, -2 Image, -1 Cursecatcher, -1 Reejerey, -1 other card (either the third Daze or the third Image) +3 Chalice, +2 Spell Pierce +2 Hydroblast

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Is it not better to leave cursecathcer [and maybe daze] for an hypothetic plan of Turn 1 cursecatcher / Turn 2 chalice?

Also, is it ok to side in the spell pierce? I guess that to cut treasure cruise and anti-creatures right? It is not better to leave some creatures inside (you side out 2 image 1 cursec. 1 reejerey) instead of adding a cc1 counter -which could collide with chalice-? Or do you want it to protect the enter of the chalice? In that case wouldn't better cursecatcher and daze?

You are right about sideboarding vs Sneak and Reanimator. We need all the counterspells and Image definitely isn't going out since it copies a big monster if all counters fall flat.
I wouldn't bother bringing all three Chalices vs Reanimator since they have as many two mana enablers as one mana, and Show and Tells could be expected as a counter vs grave hate.

I'm always wondering against which decks the chalice is good or not. I always have doubts on decks that chalice can disrupt but that also can stop you cc1 counterspells.

Which is your opinion of chalice on:

Omnitell
Miracle

?

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Originally Posted by donpuzo

I'm always wondering against which decks the chalice is good or not. I always have doubts on decks that chalice can disrupt but that also can stop you cc1 counterspells.

Which is your opinion of chalice on:

Omnitell
Miracle

?

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Chalice doesn't stop omni tell. Its just an inconvenience.

Miracles probably doesn't care for chalice

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Originally Posted by KobeBryan

Chalice doesn't stop omni tell. Its just an inconvenience.

Miracles probably doesn't care for chalice

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You are right about OmniTell, but very wrong about Miracles. I've won multiple games just because I was able to play and protect CotV. It stops all cantrips, swords, blasts and makes SDT one time thing - which mean they can't play terminus or entreat on our turn. What's more, they have very few answers to it, and usually none in main.

Also, with Chalice of the Void, best counter is Flusterstorm. While it can't stop Sneak Attack or Jace, it's much better against storm. In fact, version with main deck CotV, Clique and Flusterstorms in side is one that finally has 50+% matchup against most storm variants.

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Originally Posted by marcin

You are right about OmniTell, but very wrong about Miracles. I've won multiple games just because I was able to play and protect CotV. It stops all cantrips, swords, blasts and makes SDT one time thing - which mean they can't play terminus or entreat on our turn. What's more, they have very few answers to it, and usually none in main.

Also, with Chalice of the Void, best counter is Flusterstorm. While it can't stop Sneak Attack or Jace, it's much better against storm. In fact, version with main deck CotV, Clique and Flusterstorms in side is one that finally has 50+% matchup against most storm variants.

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Then in case you side in 4 chalice, would you also side in Swan song against Miracles? and against storm?

edit: and spell pierce?

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Originally Posted by donpuzo

Then in case you side in 4 chalice, would you also side in Swan song against Miracles? and against storm?

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In general, no. I believe having good threat density and playing slowly is crucial against Miracales. Only non-creatures I'd side in are Echoing Truths - if you can bounce tokens or Jace with 11 counters, it can buy you enough time to deal final points of damage. Swan Song is often weak IMHO - bird token is very often important because it makes certain attack impossible.

I didn't test against Storm nearly as much as against Miracles, but I'd side it in probably. I believe in most situations they need to bounce it before being able to win.

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Originally Posted by FANAttIC

I wouldn't bother bringing all three Chalices vs Reanimator since they have as many two mana enablers as one mana, and Show and Tells could be expected as a counter vs grave hate.

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My reasoning is that they can not easily get a creature into a gy through a chalice on 1, firestorm aside (which not everyone is playing). I dislike the plan of relying to copy a big creature, especially vs show and tell. Its all fine and dandy if we have a vial at 2 and image in hand (and not have to use it as pitch fodder for force), but when that isnt the case its just underwhelming.

As for the other sideboarding stuff: Keep in mind that most of my game 2s where on the draw, on the play I would put dazes back in. Also vs Sneak and Show I knew that he usually boards into 7+ removal spells, which made TNN marginally less terrible.

Kinda worth noting that the Spell Pierces are my budget replacement for Flusterstorm, I only very recently started playing paper magic (and got my entire paper collection stolen over the summer) again, so I didn't quite get my hands on flusterstorms yet.

What changes are you expecting on merfolks after the changes on the B/R list?

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Originally Posted by donpuzo

What changes are you expecting on merfolks after the changes on the B/R list?

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Feel like the deck got worse, UR Delver pushed the curves of other decks a lot, which made chalice (especially when backed up by permission) very very good.

E: Just played a relatively small local tournament (21 players), with middling success (6th place with 2-2), here is a short recap of my matches:

Round 1 vs Manaless Dredge 2-1 [1-0]

Game 1 I was able to fight surprisingly long, I was able to trade 2 cursecatchers for 3 bridges (1 through the play of "play a spell, hold priority, daze that spell, sac cursecatcher targeting daze), but was beaten to death by 2 ichorids before I found enough creatures to profitably block.

Out: -4 random cards (not quite sure) +2 Relic, +2 Dismember

Game 2 and 3 were very similar, I kept decent 5 card hands with multiple adepts, which allowed me to find a relic before turn 4 in both games.

Round 2 vs Goblins 1-2 [1-1]

Now I know how our opponents feel when playing against us. In game 1 he ran me over with piledrivers, nothing I could really do.

Out: -4 Counterspells (A mixture of daze and force, depending on draw or play), +2 Hydroblast, +2 Dismember

Game 2 I got an active sygg+3 lords and got him down very low, even through his 2 piledrivers. Even then I was in danger of just getting instagibbed by a third piledriver and a warchief.

Game 3 He led on a Vial, which I forced, pitching a lord. In hindsight this wasn't that smart of an idea, should have just held the lord and hope to again run him over. I was able to get an active jitte, but it was far too late at that point, since he dropped double piledriver immediately afterwards.

Round 3 vs Sneak and Show 2-1 [2-1]

Game 1 was interesting, I lead on a vial, he cantripped for a turn and I played a silvergill adept. Turn 2 he drops a show and tell which I cannot answer, but I was able to drop another silvergill adept, while he dropped griselbrand. The adept drew me a phantasmal image, which traded for his griselbrand, but not before drawing me 14 cards (god that feels good). He played a second Show and Tell after combat, I put in a reejery and went off next turn, putting out probably 60 power worth of fish the next turn.

Out: -1 Image, -3 TNN, -1 Jitte, -1 ? + 6 1 cmc counters

I left in a jitte since I knew my opponent had a transformational sideboard into a pyromancer deck, in hindsight I should have just ignored that fact.
Game 2 he found a Boseju, which left me with a board of 6 permanents and 4 counters stranded in hand. He show and told Sneak attack into play and emrakuled me. No comming back.
Game 3 I again kept a hand of 4 counters, with relatively little pressure. Over the course of 4 turns I put out 1 TNN, 1 Image copying TNN and 1 Cursecatcher, when he found boseju. I hit him down to 6 and passed the turn. I was dead to show and tell into sneak attack into emrakul, but thankfully he only had a najed emrakul, which was not enough.

Round 3 vs 4 Color Blue Aggro Loam 1-2 [2-2] His deck was very weird, it was a loam+ punishing fire deck, with blue cantrips, dack fayden and drs+young pyromancer.

Game 1 I did my usual stuff vs blue stuff and ran him over with creatures. Punishing Fire is good against us, but its too slow if you have to cantrip 3 times to find it.

No clue about sideboarding here, I switched between spell pierces, hydroblasts and relics between all 3 games.

Game 2 I misplayed pretty badly. I had him pretty low, but he resolved a deed, which he needed to crack next turn. I forgot that deed also killed mutavault (curse you foil japanese deed), so I activated it and attacked with everything, he blew up the deed and was able to stabilize at a life total that I could have comfortably reduced to 0 with a mutavault.

Game 3 I mulliganed to 4 on the play (no land in 18 cards). Even got out a TNN on turn 3 but he had deed with pyroblast backup. Meh, probably would not have won that game anyway. Punishing Fire, Engineered Plague and Abrupt Decays ended the game.

Overall a bit bummed about the result, even though I got a bit unlucky by dodging delver and miracles and hitting goblins I still feel like I should have done better.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stnikolauswagne

Feel like the deck got worse, UR Delver pushed the curves of other decks a lot, which made chalice (especially when backed up by permission) very very good.

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I don't think so, I imagine that people are going back to the BUG strategies that were popular before khans was released. The bug matchups can sometimes be miserable but they are pretty favorable. Miracles will also probably be on the upswing, another deck that we have a decent matchup against. We're still pretty poor against d&t and uwr delver and meh against elves.

I think it might be time to revisit standstill.

TC is a straightly 3-for-1, so pepole did't play "situational" 3-for-1 like AV or standstill when TC flooded the format.

Now TC is gone. IMO standstill is a playable card again.

I also think that standstill can be playable again but I think it will depend and how the delver decks evolve. I think that as long as a turn 1 delver is a common play, I consider complicate playing landstills.

I think we have to first make sure that UR Delver is dead. They "only" lost the late game, they were competitive before and DTT can be a replacement for them, while Swiftspear is still annoying.
If everyone loses focus on that deck we could be in for a surprise beating.

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Originally Posted by FANAttIC

I think we have to first make sure that UR Delver is dead. They "only" lost the late game, they were competitive before and DTT can be a replacement for them, while Swiftspear is still annoying.
If everyone loses focus on that deck we could be in for a surprise beating.

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The deck is not going to die; no one claimed it is going to die. It was playable even before cruise was a card, and i'm sure that it can still be played without cruise in the right configuration. It is definitely not going to have the same success as before without having 4 ancestrals. The matchup certainly got a whole lot better for us, and i'm sure it will be rough if they choose to turn into the old UR aggro delver deck. They're going to have to play fairly like the rest of us. :tongue:

Also when did cruise become a late game card? My UR delver opponents were casting it as early as turn 3 or 4 and constantly chaining it into more cruises. They lost their ability to constantly chain spells together and just win the game. If you think that you can just replace cruise with DTT and have the same success, I think you might be living in a different reality than me.

My reality rulez!

Am I being way to greedy if I want to play some quadlazer merfolk like this?

4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis

10 Island
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Mishra's Factory
4 Mutavault

3 Standstill
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Aether Vial