[Deck] Merfolk

[Phoenix Ignition]

Volcanic Fallout cannot be countered.

Derr I'm an idoit (notice the misspelling).
Luckily I meant Firespout, not Volc Fallout, the only card that actually is still used as a board sweeper today.

[Sage]

The reason I brought up Divert was due to the interaction between wasteland, stifle, and back to basics. Without the mana denial, Divert quickly becomes a dead card in your hand. Spell Pierce has the same issue, but it isn't able to gain you card and tempo advantage, aka it's a 1 for 1. Divert will likely go 2 for 1 and save you tons of life since it will likely kill a nacatle/ape/pridemage/goyf early that would have put you into burn range (zoo). I think a deck needs to run 4 in the sb so you will see it early enough to matter if you aren't running a mana denial package.

I'm surprised to not see more people running stifle since there are so many more fetches to hit. Tempo Thresh seems to be making a comeback due to the mana denial package of wasteland AND stifle. Running a basic forest in cb/top decks also seems to be making a showing due to the presence of so much land hate.

Welcome to Legacy!

I know this wasn't likely meant as an insult, but I have been playing for quite some time. I also very much so agree with you in that the meta is so diverse right now that luck in your matchups plays a large role in your tournament success. I welcome the diversity as I feel it's good for the format, but I can't help but feel disapointed at the same time due to the loss of meta skill. I'm a fan of skill determining the outcome instead of luck. I constantly have to remind myself lately that this is a card game and that luck will always play a role.

[Finn]

Ehh, I don't even use Misdirection any more Kirby. But then my sb is different every time. I don't even want to give advice on that. I occasionally have them in the main, and have tried playing without Blue Blasts or Relics to make room.

I miss Misdirection, though.

[AcidFiend]

What % of artifact-based decks is the threshold for including Energy Flux in the sideboard?

IE last tournament I played it was ~30%; with Dragon Stompy, Affinity & Stax. Am I right to assume this would warrant Energy Flux?

[Phoenix Ignition]

What % of artifact-based decks is the threshold for including Energy Flux in the sideboard?

IE last tournament I played it was ~30%; with Dragon Stompy, Affinity & Stax. Am I right to assume this would warrant Energy Flux?

I'm not sure there's really an agreed % of decks to add it in, but for sideboarding in general, if 1/3 of the decks you play will get hurt a lot by the card then it is probably worth playing.

As for your situation, both Ravager and Stax are not ideal matchups for Merfolks, and both of them are greatly helped by Aether Flux (ravager is obviously the funniest deck to play it against). Dragon stompy isn't necessarily that effected by Flux depending on their hand, but it definitely doesn't help them. So yeah, in your meta it sounds like running 3 in the SB would be a good plan.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

What % of artifact-based decks is the threshold for including Energy Flux in the sideboard?

IE last tournament I played it was ~30%; with Dragon Stompy, Affinity & Stax. Am I right to assume this would warrant Energy Flux?

I agree you might as well run one or two E Flux from how yr meta sounds. Hurkyll's Recall could also potentially be funny, esp against Stax.

[Phoenix Ignition]

SCG 10K top 4 merfolk lost to Aggro Loam. My list and sideboard piloted by my friend. Will discuss later, but swim fishies swim!

[dyzzy]

SCG just posted t8 lists, Merfolk placed 3rd and 5th.

I really like the 3rd place list, almost exactly like mine, except with Kiras (which I've been meaning to add). Also, Divergent Growth in the side... that's got to be a joke right?

4th place list has a bunch of interesting stuff going on... Cosi's Tricksters, singleton Vendillion Clique, Riptide Lab, Annul in the board... I'll leave someone who actually knows what they're talking about to analyze that.

[luckme10]

Seriously, what's with the 3 Divergent Growth on that decklist?

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deck...p?DeckID=30540

[Benie Bederios]

Seriously, what's with the 3 Divergent Growth on that decklist?

http://sales.starcitygames.com//deck...p?DeckID=30540

Secret tech probably . I'm a Merfolk Noob, but think it should be Divert.

- Benie

[Curby]

Either an unprepared pilot (though I'd at least throw in some Merfolk of the Pearl Trident instead), a cocky pilot, or a mistake in transcription.

Some of the choices in #5/8's list are almost as unconventional. =) And 16 Loams in the top 8: yeesh.

[Carabas]

I'd bet it was Divert instead of Divergent growth. First 5 letters are the same, so it's easy to see how a finger could have slipped when typing it in.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Haha the divergent growth is awesome.

No, those are Divert.

I don't have much to add right now. Two of his matches are features, but I haven't gotten a chance to ask him what he wants to switch around. It's the list I've been testing/using for a while now so if anyone has questions I'll be happy to answer them.

EDIT: He played Reanimator, Merfolk mirror, The Rock, 43 Lands, Ichorid, and something else. T8 was just NO thresh and then loss to Aggro Loam (player also from Minnesota though )
List.


Artifacts
4 Aether Vial

Creatures
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord Of Atlantis
3 Merfolk Sovereign
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept

Enchantments
4 Standstill

Instants
3 Daze
2 Echoing Truth
4 Force Of Will
3 Stifle

Legendary Creatures
2 Kira, Great Glass-spinner

Basic Lands
12 Island

Lands
3 Mutavault
4 Wasteland

Sideboard:
4 Relic Of Progenitus
2 Back To Basics
2 Propaganda
3 Divert
4 Spell Pierce

[dyzzy]

How do you feel about the Diverts and the lack of Blue Blasts?

[Phoenix Ignition]

How do you feel about the Diverts and the lack of Blue Blasts?

I feel like Divert is better in a Zoo infested metagame, and works in more matchups all around. Divert gives you a much needed 2 for 1 against zoo, and will almost always be a hard counter on an opponent's FoW. It does basically everything the BeB does aside from taking out creatures, but red creatures (except for goblins) aren't played that frequently right now, aside from the Grim Lavamancer. If you can keep 2 lords on the field or counter the Lavamancer then I would say overall Divert is better than BeB.

If you are able to 2 for 1 a zoo deck in this manner, you stand a very good chance of winning.

Divert also helps against black decks in general (sinkhole, thoughtseize, hymn to tourach, vindicate, etc), and any decks that run StoP with enough creatures for divert to be relevant. Bant thresh is one of those matchups because you can counter their FoW or send a sword at their guy.

The obvious problem with Divert over BeB (aside from creatures, which isn't too important at the moment) is that it doesn't stop Firespouts. That's what the full complement of Spell Pierce was for, and FoW should always be saved for these kind of game-changing spells.

[AcidFiend]

Phoenix: Can we get any info on how the Back to Basics & Propaganda played out? Lately I've been thinking that B2B doesn't do that much, with most decks able to play around/destroy it.

[Phoenix Ignition]

As for b2b most decks can play around it and destroy it,but it isn't played around until people see that you have it(most merfolk players don't play it) so it had surprise factor. As you can see aggro loam and 43 land were big there and b2b very much hurts these decks. All sb can be destroyed, so that's a non issue, this slows them down considerably or even comes down as a " surprise! You're fucked!" Card.

Propaganda was for tribal, ichorid, the mirror, and any other swarm deck that merf traditionally have a hard time dealing with.

[AcidFiend]

As for b2b most decks can play around it and destroy it,but it isn't played around until people see that you have it(most merfolk players don't play it) so it had surprise factor. As you can see aggro loam and 43 land were big there and b2b very much hurts these decks. All sb can be destroyed, so that's a non issue, this slows them down considerably or even comes down as a " surprise! You're fucked!" Card.

Propaganda was for tribal, ichorid, the mirror, and any other swarm deck that merf traditionally have a hard time dealing with.

Yeah.. I understand the theorycraft of why they were in the SB, just wanted to see any notes from the pilot from the matches themselves. Examples: 'I sided in Propaganda and he scooped.' 'I played B2B but he destroyed it next turn' etc.

Also did the pilot think the lack of Blasts were a factor in the last match vs. Loam? Its perhaps interesting a non-Blast SB was run (and obviously did very well to Top 4) but ultimately lost to a deck with Red.

[dyzzy]

I've been extremely underwhelmed by Propaganda. It may just be that I never drew them in time, but I've never had a situation where Propaganda stopped anyone from attacking. Well, actually it happened once against Ichorid but that's all...

B2B I absolutely love, though.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Also did the pilot think the lack of Blasts were a factor in the last match vs. Loam? Its perhaps interesting a non-Blast SB was run (and obviously did very well to Top 4) but ultimately lost to a deck with Red.

Hah if you watched the live feed I'm pretty sure keeping a 1 wasteland, 1 vial hand and not drawing another land in the top 6 was why he lost, not anything to do with blasts.

Do you really think it's so easy to blow up B2B? The opponent never has more than 4 cards in their deck that will succeed in blowing it up, and in general they need 3 mana or more to play those cards. Have you had traumatizing experiences with the card or something? Don't play it on an untapped opponent.

I'm not saying blasts are bad, and I'm surprised you think it's interesting that merfolk lost to aggro loam. It's not unwinnable, but without wakethrasher the list lacks punch to win through the midgame. Yes blasts are better against Loam than Divert, but loam has been under the radar and was not thought about when I created the sideboard. Regardless, he kept a risky hand and no sideboard (except some basic islands) would have pulled him out of it.

Hindsight 20-20.

EDIT:
Dyzzy: Propaganda isn't overwhelming, but it does what I expect it to. It stops tribal decks from being able to overrun you (shuts down Piledriver as a bonus), and lets you overrun them. Making sure the opponent's merfolk can't alpha strike you while you swing full islandwalk into them is pretty damn good. Extra bonus is Ichorid rarely is prepared to deal with it and auto loses if you hit it.

But the fact is no sideboard card works miracles against other tribal decks and this is as close as I could find. Jitte is just bad in every tournament I've played it and even though it does win some games it just doesn't do enough in the others.