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Really happy to bring it in against Cloudpost, not bad against Mud and Delver. Maybe this would be bad but I wouldn't mind it for D&T as a Karakas & Rishadan Port shutdown.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinosaurus
In general I think it's worth fitting it in for a big tournament.
Good luck in GP Lille everyone!
I just saw this post right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinosaurus
Anyway, I played and won a Trials. Now in day 2!
If anybody wants to know, look at the standings and Trial winners decklists (if it's posted, didn't checked the coverage yet) for Goran Elez.
congrats! sorry I have no internet on the site! that's great ! I'll be cheering for you today!Quote:
Originally Posted by FANAttIC
I went 6-3 in the end, losing to elves, mud and omnitell (beat it twice otherwise), beating six other blue decks (jeskai stoneblade, 4c delver, esper mentor, TES, omnitel x2). Felt a bit disappointed to loose to omnitel since I felt very prepared but my draw just didn't come together these games.
I'll post a more detailed report next week when I get home.
Was awesome to see so many of you here! I got to see a number of merfolk mirrors (heartbreaking!)
Congrats on the 12-3 finish! I'm sure it sucks to be a win short of a Pro Tour invite... but a very good performance as well!Quote:
Originally Posted by FANAttIC
That is heartbreaking the Merfolk on Merfolk slaughter.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinosaurus
6-3 is not bad! Really interesting set of opponents.
Love that you ran the Arcane Laboratory!
That was sort of what I would see happen against Omnitell, it's a fine match-up but sometimes you just don't draw your sideboard cards or enough countermagic.
I had one of those sad merfolk mirror brotherkilling matches :(
Kubalonek was my victim but at least I wasn't his remove-from-day2 loss. He had that in the last round unfortunately.
Yeah. I had 5-0 start without byes ending at disappointing 6-3 (losing win and in round against miracles ... game 2 and 3 Moat). Report will be written soon :) congrats Goran! :)
Oh and all my 3 opponents that defeated me made D2.
Short report:
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/t...k?comment=3746
Congrats to fanattic for this wonderful performance! I’m so sad you didn’t get to squeeze one more win, but there is always a next time! I really hope you get the finish your deserve soon
Not nearly as exciting, but here is a brief report from GP Lille:
I played the following 75:
4 Cursecather
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Lord of Altlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Phantasmal Image
4 True-Name Nemesis
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Aether Vial
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Force of Will
2 Daze
1 Dismember
4 Mutavault
1 Mishra’s Factory
3 Cavern of Souls
13 Islands
Sideboard
2 Dismember
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
1 Pithing Needle
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
1 Echoing Truth
2 Flusterstorm
1 Swan Song
1 Arcane Laboratory
1 Vendilion Clique
Overall, I felt comfortable with the list (I have a few comments below), and it was a good weekend to play merfolk, with a large portion of the field playing delver, miracles or omnitell.
Here is a brief round by round description of my day:
Round 1 (Jeskai Stoneblade)
I had no byes, so it’s always hard to know what to expect in round 1. I was pleased to play a slow blue deck with no surprises in the list. I lost game 1 due to the lack of pressure to race a batterskull before his TNN could finish the job. I’m confident I have all the tools to beat him, so I try to stay upbeat during sideboarding. Game 2 I play a turn 2 chalice protected by daze, and he is stuck on two lands playing a jitte on turn two. On my third turn he decides to play a snapcaster post-combat (with no target) instead of blocking my lord. I wait for him to equip before dismembering it, and he doesn’t play a spell for the rest of the game. Game 3 he pyroblasts a clique at his end step but I follow up with a second one at his next draw step. I see double stoneforge, taking one, in what is an otherwise anemic hand. The second SFM lands and grabs a sword but I have a image to copy my clique and steal it, leaving him with FOW and wear/tear and winning is academic from there.
1-0
Round 2 (4C delver)
I draw 3 TNN this game after wining the die roll and he is never in the game. I didn’t see any red cards, so I put him on BUG delver and misboard completely by removing all chalices. It doesn’t end up mattering as I again land triple TNN (with the help of image) in spite of a turn one thoughtseize. I’m glad to have earned my byes the hard way and I have plenty of time to relax before the next round.
2-0
Round 3 (Elves)
I keep a hand with threats but no distruption so I’m happy to draw a turn two chalice after he resolves a turn one deathrite. He gets to 3 creatures after morphing a birchlore ranger and fetching a dryad arbor, so that turn 4 he is able to GSZ for reclamation sage to destroy chalice and win on the next turn by using double cradle to hard cast behemoth, sitting at 2 life. I was wondering if anyone was playing sage maindeck beforehand, well at least one of them did! Game 2 I mulligan to find hate but have to settle for a decent six that doesn’t have FOW. I believe I die on his third turn when he NO for behemoth.
2-1
Round 4 (MUD)
At this point, I’m praying for a good matchup so I don’t use my second loss that early in the day, but I see him start things off with ancient tomb. He falls below 10 very quickly after beats and a couple of monolith cast of tomb. I dismember a forgemaster and clique to reveal double wurmcoil engine. I steal one but have no answer to the second one. Game 2 I keep a hand with FOW but cast only two spells for the entire game as he resolves triple Lodestone Golem with a cavern. Good beats!
2-2
Round 5 (Esper mentor)
At this point I have to run the tables to make day 2, but I’m confident I can chain a string of wins if I starting facing blue decks again. I run over his mediocre draw game 1 where I only see a baleful strix, a therapy, a snapcaster and some cantrips. I somehow forgot that esper mentor is a deck and puts him on some sort of variant of stoneblade. I again misboard by removing all chalices and that almost costs me game 2. We are both flooding quite a bit when I start to beat with triple mutavault (one of them an image). His pithing needle stops the bleeding at 5 life, but I topdeck a factory to try to keep the pressure up. Next turn he double cantrips into mentor but I immediately topdeck a dismember to leave him with an empty board. He dies two turns later to assembly worker beats with supreme verdict and zealous persecution in hand.
3-2
Round 6 (TES)
Wow! So this round I make myself a promise to keep chalices in no matter what I see… :smile: He opens with probe into therapy taking a chalice, but I have the natural turn 4 kill and he can only try to save a turn by wishing for a grapeshot for three that ends up only killing a cursecatcher. Game 2 is more interesting: on his third turn he plays a dark ritual with only a single other land in play, while I’m tapped out after playing an adept. I have flusterstorm, FOW and chalice in hand (from the adept). I’m pretty sure his only out is a large empty the warrens this turn so I remove a master to force his ritual and he passes. I play chalice next turn leaving flusterstorm up. He plays LED, chrome mox and infernal tutor, grabbing a wish for empty the warrens. I flusterstorm through chalice, leaving him with only a pair of goblins but no hand and I win a few turns later.
4-2
Round 7 (Omnitell)
I keep a hand that is a little bit too fair in game 1 and he lands an early omniscience. Game 2 I resolve a turn 2 chalice and he doesn’t play another spell for the rest of the game. Game 3 he aggressively pyroblasts my adept to gain time. He manages to resolve a DTT and S&T but can’t find anything to finish me off with omniscience in play and I kill him on the next turn. I was lucky he whiffed, as he was able to power through my less than stellar draw.
5-2
Round 8 (Omintell)
I want to keep seeing island and at least I’m not disappointed this game. I keep an average hand of TNN, double image and vial and he is able to resolve three DTT this game, quickly crushing me with a pair of emrakul. Game 2 he forces turn 1 vial, and I have little pressure to follow up. We pass turns for a while and he accumulates a number of lands to play around my cursecatcher. I try to force his DTT end of turn but he has a counter of his own. He then goes for S&T at 8 life and I land a arcane lab, preventing him from wining on the spot. He passes, I attack him down to 3 but he has the emrakul in hand to kill me that turn, while cunning whish would have been too slow. I never saw chalice or clique this match and it felt like an easy win for him.
5-3
Round 9 (Omnitell)
At this point we are both out of day 2, so we play a more relaxed game. I draw a good combination of chalice, clique and pressure and he is never really in the match. Game 2 I have double clique with a cavern on wizard. The first one sees a double omniscience, double spell pierce hand and takes nothing. The second takes his only action in response to a last ditch effort show and tell.
6-3
Overall, it was a fine day: getting two early losses to two bad matchups put a lot of pressure on the deck to perform, but I felt very prepared against everything else I faced. I had my share of luck and there must have a been a couple of misplays that might have cost me a win here or there, but nothing major that I can clearly identify.
Some card by card comments:
4 Cursecather
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Lord of Altlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Force of Will
4 Mutavault
13 Islands
Were all good all day of course ☺
4 Phantasmal Image
Given the matchups I played image never did anything stellar, although I wished I saw it versus MUD. Ex-post given the meta I saw, I would consider going down to three.
1 Vendilion Clique
Overperformed for me that weekend. It perfectly gave a new angle to the deck, and I boarded the second copy many times. The cavern on wizard play is actually much better than what I anticipated and left my opponent with no outs a couple of time.
4 Aether Vial
Did their job. I’m still set on playing four.
3 Chalice of the Void
The upside is through the roof and the card gave me many free wins that weekend. I’m not going below 3 MD for the foreseeable future.
2 Daze
Were fine. They were the last cards I added to the list, nothing amazing but they played their role. They are the perfect complement to a turn one vial or turn 2 chalice, so I’ll keep them in for now.
1 Dismember
Was good every time I drew it. It’s MD value increased as more and more lists are playing snapcaster, which can be quite annoying to deal with. It could be something else but I personally want at least 3 in the 75.
1 Mishra’s Factory
Always had some value when I drew it, I was often looking for pressure, especially post-board where sometimes TNN or images come out. I was always better than island, but wasteland would have been better at least a couple of times.
3 Cavern of Souls
I played few wasteland decks so the card was amazing all day. Uncounterable cliques felt very strong a number of times, and I ended up naming wizards way more than I anticipated.
Sideboard
It’s hard to evaluate the SB given that I only played a small number of archetypes, but the most important cards were flusterstorm, clique and dismember. I encourage others to try them. Nevertheless, I was left dissatisfied with some card choices and I’m going to test some changes, I’ll write another post later.
Conclusion:
Let me know what you liked and didn’t like! It was fun to meet some fellow merfolk players there, many did well and had good lists. I tried to share my views on where the deck stands but I encourage everyone to read fanattic’s post as well as brice’s list that went 9-0 day 1.
A Merfolk player punted his semifinal match in a GP against Birthing Pod so Pod gets the win and gets banned for too many wins.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinosaurus
If he didn’t, he would probably won that tournament and Pod would still be alive.
If I had won another match I would win this GP (if I managed to avoid Aggro Loam and Infect, but there are tools in my 75 even for those) and there wouldn’t be a Miracles mirror in the finals.
That means Top or Dig are getting banned and that is my contribution to magic. Pure logic :tongue::laugh:
@everyone
Tnx for GGs
a post regarding sideboard:
the card I missed the most at the GP was Venser. Many of you have mentionned/played him, and I really agree, I think he's super good. Echoing truth is a card I'd love to board in more often, but the opportunity cost of removing a threat is often too high. The same goes for Pithing needle and arcane lab. So I'll test one or two venser, as a body with distruption (that is also a wizard: uncounterable venser is very powerful).
I also want to try spreading seas again, to have more angles of attack against non-blue decks. Has anyone experience with it? I would love it vs D&T/maverick, but how good is it against lands? The alternative is wasteland. Comparing the two on the top of my head, I feel that seas is (i) better against D&T, Maverick, Elves, (ii) worse against lands, omnitell. Is that reasonable? I'm not sold on Back to basics in this slot though.
Lastly, I keep losing to elves, so I'm ready to devote a slot that is really impactful there, even if it's almost useless in any other matchup. I'm thinking to try engineered explosives. Any other ideas?
Thanks again!
nakanishi going 4-0 again on MTGO with the following 75:
Creature (27)
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis
2 Vendilion Clique
1 Waterfront Bouncer
Instant (5)
1 Echoing Truth
4 Force of Will
Artifact (4)
3 Chalice of the Void
1 Umezawa's Jitte
Land (20)
4 Cavern of Souls
12 Island
4 Mutavault
Other (4)
4 Aether Vial
60 Cards
Sideboard (15)
1 Vendilion Clique 1 Echoing Truth 1 Umezawa's Jitte 1 Arcane Laboratory 2 Back to Basics 2 Flusterstorm 2 Grafdigger's Cage 1 Manriki-Gusari 2 Spreading Seas 1 Submerge 1 Venser, Shaper Savant
There's nothing that's impactful enough that is just a single-card trump. Hibernation is too expensive for example. EE isn't bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinosaurus
I'd just say extra Submerges, as well as having 2+ Cages.
Edit: forgot Ratchet Bomb costs 2 so isn't better than EE.
Cursed Totem. But if you really want to beat a deck, you will need more than a single card with this deck, given the lack of cantrips. 3-4 seems to be the sweet spot.Quote:
Originally Posted by TrevaBlues
I feel that I must ask this though: when I suggested a red splash for Electrickery, specifically to combat Elves, I was mocked for it. Now it seems that you'd all rather just write off Elves as a loss rather than actually take steps to shore up the matchup. I also found it interesting that you're losing to a flipped Delver of Secrets and to Omni-show fairly reliably, yet my suggestion of Red Elemental Blast was similarly laughed at. I guess I'm just not seeing why you'd rather just take those losses rather than do what it takes to salvage the matchups. The only time Merfolk ever won a GP it had a splash specifically to combat the bad matchups of the day (Goblins and Survival decks). Why won't you consider a splash?
thanks! that's a good idea, I remembered it only yesterday and I will try it.Quote:
Originally Posted by benthetenor
I think the red splash is potentially very good. The red SB cards I want the most are Sudden Demise (I think it's better than electrickery) and magus of the moon. MD cards are bolts and pyroblast. I've been thinking about it for a little while now, and in the end I think a lot hinges on whether you want to use Chalice of the Void. For instance, i would build UR merfolk like this:Quote:
Originally Posted by benthetenor
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 True Name Nemesis
3 Phantasmal Image
1 Vendilion Clique
4 Aether Vial
4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Pyroblast
4 Mutavault
3 Cavern of Souls
7 Blue fetches
4 Island
2 Volcanic Island
Sideboard
1 magus of the moon
3 sudden demise
1 pyroblast
1 Venser
1 clique
3 Flusterstorm
2 Relic
2 Cage
1 Jitte
Here is my train of thoughts: basically, if want to splash red for SB cards you need to play fetches. From then, it's hard not to play brainstorm. If you don't want to play chalice, then there is about 8 flex slots in the deck and I fill them with brainstorm and bolts.
I'm very tempted to try this build in testing: I think the non-blue matchups (elves, D&T variants) will be much improved. The benefits are bolts and great SB options. The cost is losing Chalice, life losses to fetches and not being able to play Wasteland. I can totally see a meta where this is better overall. Nevertheless, I think this build losses quite a few points against Storm and Omnitell.
My view is still that I'm fine sticking to mono-blue right now (I feel that Chalice is too good), but I'll give the UR build a shot and report later :)
The other possibility is to splash red only for the board and play just a few fetches and a volcanic, keeping Chalice. Maybe that's the right middle ground. But then it's much harder to play blasts or bolts.
I can imagine that many are not considering the red splash because of the price of volcanic. That's a legitimate issue but it doesn't prevent testing it first to get a feel.
Let me know what you think!
The list I had posted before does not give up anything to Storm and Omnitell (maindeck Spell Pierce and Daze, sideboard graveyard hate and Red Blasts) and still has Wasteland. I've even managed to fit in Standstill. As you yourself have mentioned that Chalice of the Void is fairly unreliable against Elves, it seems like giving it up isn't much of a sacrifice if you genuinely need to. Also, the instant-speed nature of Electrickery is much better than Sudden Demise. Even a simple two-for-one is often game-breaking against Elves, and most often it's a four-or-five-for-one. As an instant, it lets you keep up Spell Pierce through their turn and end their turn with a sweeper so your mana isn't tied up and you're not exposed.
Hi there,
A little bit late sum up from GP LILLE:
ROUND 1 - Elves (2-1) 1-0
ROUND 2 - UW Mirackes (2-0) 2-0
ROUND 3 - Omnishow (2-0) 3-0
ROUND 4 - Infect (2-1) 4-0
ROUND 5 - Omnishow (2-1) 5-0
ROUND 6 - BRUG Delver (1-2) 5-1
ROUND 7 - Merfolks (0-2) 5-2
ROUND 8 - Belcher (2-0) 6-2
ROUND 9 - UWr Miracles (1-2) 6-3
I'm definitely disappointed that starting 5-0 I didn't make day 2 (all my opponents that won against me made d2)Quote:
The Deck:
10 Island
3 Wasteland
3 Cavern of Souls
4 Mutavault
4 Aether Vial
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 True-Name Nemesis
4 Phantasmal Image
2 Vendillion Clique
4 Force of Will
3 Daze
SB: 2 Submerge
SB: 2 Dismember
SB: 2 Echoing Truth
SB: 3 Flusterstorm
SB: 2 Cursed Toten
SB: 2 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 2 Tormod's Crypt
too bad :(Quote:
Originally Posted by kubalonek
if you feel like it, some more details/impressions/changes going forward would be appreciated! thanks!
Well, that was a nice list of decks for 4 Chalice in the main. They were only dead against me and Belcher?Quote:
Originally Posted by kubalonek
Just checked the 3 opponents who beat me, they all finished 10-5, losers :)
I guess your Cliques were great against most of those (at least better than my Reejereys)? I will probably return them to starting lineup.
Deck felt great (crushing Death&Taxes in 8 minutes will do that), I need MOAR...
Hopefully there is a legacy GP in Europe in 2016, so I can finally meet anyone (other than Kubalonek) from Merfolk forums.
Wish someone reinvigorates legacy scene in EU, MKM is still searching for right payout structure, not there yet.
Hello Fannatic!Quote:
Originally Posted by FANAttIC
I'm new at this forum and I really appreciate your knowlegment about mefolks deck (it helps me a lot to improving as a player).
I started to play with 4 dazes in the maindeck but I changed quickly to 4 Chalices.
I have tested them with LANDS matchup and are incredibles too. Chalices are really a lot of versatile.
I don't run any watesland to answer Glacial Chasm but the opponent can dead paying the cumulative upkeep when you get control the situation.
I supposed that you run 2 wastelands as well for others matchups.
I only wanted to give us only a suggestion to fight LANDS deck without wastelands (they are very expensives:wink:)
Sorry about english mistakes (I`m from Spain).
Best Regards.
I recently played this deck for the first time ever in a local event (I've been playing Legacy since 2010 and had never played it for some reason). My list was pretty stock I think:
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 True-Name Nemesis
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Aether Vial
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Mutavault
13 Island
Sideboard
2 Submerge
2 Envelop
1 Vendilion Clique
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Grafdigger's Cage
3 Back to Basics
2 Echoing Truth
1 Umezawa's Jitte
Round 1: Elves
My opponent usually plays Miracles and I keep a hand that is solid against said deck on the draw (Vial + a bunch of dudes). My opponent vomits out about 5 guys by turn 2 and I lose very rapidly. Game two I have a Chalice but not FOW and get Hoof'd. This matchup seems atrocious.
Round 2: Shardless BUG
I believe I lose game one by keeping a bad hand and getting run over with card advantage. Games 2 and 3 my opponent blows me out with his 1-of Toxic Deluge but doesn't have follow-up pressure, whereas I have one or more True-Name Nemesii post sweeper. They get there.
Round 3: Miracles
Game one I have a strong hand with Chalice and just run him over. Game two the game goes incredibly long, with my opponent Meddling Maging Chalice (I proceed to draw 2 of them immediately afterward) and then struggling to find business while I land flood like a boss. My single Lord gets in there for turns on end while my opponent is unable to attack with his Mage for fear of active Vial on 3 (I did have the TNN). Eventually he finds some other dudes and a Mentor (with double Top) to my TNN and some other guy (accompanying said Lord). He has to pop EE at 2 to kill the Lord (and his Mage) and block my non-TNN dudes to avoid dying. Second main I cast Chalice at 1 (FOW) and then a second Chalice which resolves. Unable to chain Tops to alpha-strike me with Mentor, he dies to the TNN.
Round 4: MUD
I was scared going into this matchup. Game one I Force some big threat and then eventually get there as my opponent has an absurd manaflood (even while drawing extra from Staff of Nin). Game two I obviously board out the Chalices. I eventually get TNN with a Jitte on it and Force an Ugin (I think). Said TNN kills a Golem or two and eventually gets there as my opponent fails to draw additional pressure (I think my opponent attacked with Golem into Vial at 3 and got wrecked by instant-speed TNN at one point).
Overall the deck seemed strong. The combination of light countermagic + tons of pressure still works in Legacy and this deck does it well. I didn't play against Omni so I can't comment on that matchup. The Envelops in the board were supposed to shore up that matchup as well as counter Terminus. They're also good against Elves, but that matchup seems absolutely atrocious no matter how you slice it. If Elves become common again it might be time to revisit the old-school Saito build with a black splash for Plague and/or Perish. Kira didn't do anything but I also didn't face any decks with lots of spot removal. She might be better off as Vendilion Clique as I seem to see in a lot of the lists in this thread. I would also like another Jitte either main or board, that card is just too good. I found myself boarding in the 4th Chalice quite often, it was super good also.
EDIT: I only drew Back to Basics vs. Shardless, but it was straight-up insane. I boarded it vs. MUD as well but didn't draw into it.