[Deck] Countersliver (MeatHooks)

[Volt]

I'd like to examine the mana question more closely. (Volt: is 15 as a bare minimum because of Wasteland, or even in a vacuum?)

Slivers has three colors, Merfolk has one or two. Their mana curves are broadly similar, though Merfolk has several 3 mana spells whereas Slivers does not. Merfolk has one, possibly two cards which require more than a single colored mana: LoA and Sovereign. Slivers has only one: Crystalline Sliver. There is not a card in the deck you can't cast with any two out of Tundra, Tropical Island, and Savannah.

Your proposed manabase will lead to a lot of dangerous or unkeepable opening hands. Two colorless lands is an auto-mulligan. Savannah + colorless land is terrible. Tropical Island + colorless land is slightly less terrible, but still terrible. You'll end up keeping a lot of hands with Tundra + colorless land, and praying that your opponent doesn't rout you with a single Wasteland. It is absolutely vital to our strategy to play Crystalline Sliver on turn 2 as often as possible. Merfolk can generally afford to be a little more patient with getting Lord of Atlantis into play, as it is often played as an enabler for a finishing strike (similar to Winged Sliver in Meathooks).

EDIT: Also, no Brainstorm? That's just crazy talk.