[Deck] Merfolk

[Mr. Safety]

Just asking a question: Why Powder Keg instead of Ratchet Bomb or Engineered Explosives? I know some Merfolk decks utilze a 2nd color (either white for Swords or black for Perish in the sideboard) so that makes EE available.

[Sims]

Just asking a question: Why Powder Keg instead of Ratchet Bomb or Engineered Explosives? I know some Merfolk decks utilze a 2nd color (either white for Swords or black for Perish in the sideboard) so that makes EE available.

If you're running it against Affinity, the non-land clause on Ratchet Bomb sucks. Keg for 0 blows up any tokens they may have, thopters, mox opals, and their lands. Keeping them off their lands so they can't land tezzeret is pretty strong. There are much stronger cards but not without delving into bad splash colors.

Ratchet bomb and EE would be better against a wider field, but if you're running it specifically for affinity, running keg makesmore sense as it hits their lands.

[Malakai]

I don't really see how anything is better than Energy Flux against affinity.

[Mr. Safety]

If you're running it against Affinity, the non-land clause on Ratchet Bomb sucks. Keg for 0 blows up any tokens they may have, thopters, mox opals, and their lands. Keeping them off their lands so they can't land tezzeret is pretty strong. There are much stronger cards but not without delving into bad splash colors.

Ratchet bomb and EE would be better against a wider field, but if you're running it specifically for affinity, running keg makesmore sense as it hits their lands.

Thanks for that, I totally missed that detail about lands. I would say Powder Keg and Ratchet Bomb are of equal value vs. the field, but Keg is obviously superior in the Affinity matchup, so if you expect to see Affinity, run Powder Keg.

@Malakai: Energy Flux is indeed great against affinity...but is it good enough vs. the rest of the field to warrent inclusion? I think Powder Keg has value against more than just affinity, so it would be a better option. *shrug* my opinion, take it or leave it.

[Sims]

Thanks for that, I totally missed that detail about lands. I would say Powder Keg and Ratchet Bomb are of equal value vs. the field, but Keg is obviously superior in the Affinity matchup, so if you expect to see Affinity, run Powder Keg.

@Malakai: Energy Flux is indeed great against affinity...but is it good enough vs. the rest of the field to warrent inclusion? I think Powder Keg has value against more than just affinity, so it would be a better option. *shrug* my opinion, take it or leave it.

Ultimately, I feel if you're really losing to Affinity to the point of boarding cards specifically for it, then I'd be boarding either Flux or Null Rod. Flux is kinda dead against the field, but null rod will have value in multiple matches (turning off equips and vial against DnT variants, turning off all the artifact mana in storm, destroying Meandeck MUD)... Flux has the "i destroy affinity" aspect going for it while also being blue to pitch to force.

As far as Keg and Bomb (and to a lesser extent EE).. I don't think they are warranted because I can't think of a matchup outside of Affinity where I'd really want them, outside of very corner case scenarios.. The catchall slot in my main or side when I was running Merfolk was typically Echoing Truth because it was just better than the artifact removal.

So, anecdotal opinion as it is.... I'd say if Affinity is really kicking your ass then you should probably be running Null Rod or Flux if it's prominent enough that you need to board specific slots for it... Otherwise a combination of Countermagic (Tezz, Plating, Champion) and Echoing Truth (thopter tokens, etc..) should be enough. I'd never had the issue when I was running merfolk, but as with anything, that could simply be due to playskill of the people involved.. so YMMV.

[Star|Scream]

Dear Merfolks, would like to crush ubg landstill and countertop using the same 75. Pls advise

k thx

[Tammit67]

Dear Merfolks, would like to crush ubg landstill and countertop using the same 75. Pls advise

k thx

Dear poster,

Run any list from here. Don't run into sweepers.

np.

On a serious note, don't over extend into deed or firespout, back to basics/vial are your friends, hold those force of wills for when things actually matter. You are favored for CB, and the landstill matchup (if only slightly for landstill)

[Star|Scream]

Dear poster,

Run any list from here. Don't run into sweepers.

np.

On a serious note, don't over extend into deed or firespout, back to basics/vial are your friends, hold those force of wills for when things actually matter. You are favored for CB, and the landstill matchup (if only slightly for landstill)

Thank you for the analysis. Is there anything that can make the matches not even close?

Would 3x revoker in the sb be wise to shut off deed, top, and jace?

what about relic for the loams?

sorry, i'm a noob to the deck so just trying to prepare against some friends

[Malakai]

Try different approaches to using your counters. Sometimes it's correct to counter Tops and Brainstorms, sometimes it's not so much. Jace isn't really a threat unless you have no board and are in topdeck mode.

As for specific sideboard cards against control, the following are probably the only realistic options:
Spell Pierce
Vendillion Clique
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

Generally you take out some number of Dazes and Standstills, or whatever you've got in your flex slots. I don't think I'd put much more than four cards in the board, however. That all said, you should already be wildly favored in these matchups. Consider altering your play style, just to test it out. For example, I started beating Tendrils a lot more once I started attacking their cantrips.

[Tammit67]

Thank you for the analysis. Is there anything that can make the matches not even close?

Would 3x revoker in the sb be wise to shut off deed, top, and jace?

what about relic for the loams?

sorry, i'm a noob to the deck so just trying to prepare against some friends

Revoker is nice, but occasionally they will just stall out the ground with Factory, which revoker doesnt solve. It also gets hit by removal, which is a problem. Shutting off deed is amazing, top is pretty good, but Jace is usually ignored unless you have all but formally lost. Spell pierce is great when you have the mana for it.

As Malakai said, clique is amazing, but won't help you as much in other weaker matchups, hence my nod to Back to Basics. If you have a meta of control and tempo, Clique is superior, but if you also have to worry about junk, B2B can be considered.

I'm not a huge fan of taking out dazes on the play, but be sure to leave in Standstill against non deedstill (UBG) lists, since you are better than they are under it if you have vial or just a lord on field. I could see cutting a few for regular landstill matchups, but certainly not against CB. Pitch it to force if you are falling behind.

[Malakai]

Back to Basics seems pretty terrible when people are already fetching basic lands against you. It also seems painfully slow, since it generally has no immediate impact on the board. I had three in my sideboard for a long time, and they were basically never any good.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

I think Pithing Needle > Phyrexian Revoker in this deck, because it can hit some problematic lands (Maze of Ith, Mishra's Factory, and occasionally fetchlands to go for the extra mana screw line of play). Also, it's unaffected by stuff like Firespout and other creature-only board sweepers. I don't think Needle is like a required card for our sideboard, but I'm a little mystified that it doesn't get more love these days, because the list of shit it hits is constantly growing.

Against Landstill and Counterbalance, I think Spell Pierce and Kira, Great Glass-Spinner are probably your two best lines of defense. Use them in the side, and if you really expect to see these decks in significant numbers, just maindeck that shit. You should have pretty positive matchups against these decks though, if you don't I would definitely reevaluate whether you're overextending into sweepers, countering the wrong spells, keeping shitty hands, playing bad cards in your flex slots, or what exactly... Because you really should beat these guys.

[Shough]

Hmmm… While on the topic of Pithing Needle, would that be a better card against Affinity without sacrificing sideboard cards slots (Energy Flux, Null Rod, Powder Keg) and still be good in other matchups?

If you can counter the first Cranial Plaiting or tezzeret it could answer those nicely and would not shut off your vials/jitte’s like other anti-affinity options.

[affinitypimp]

IMO powder keg sounds more deadly VS affinity... cause powder kegs card advantage is just insane if you want to wipe out all of their 0 CC stuff lands (except for darkstell citidel of course). also you can keep the counters on 2 and just leave it on the board for their 2 CC threats like plating and such. affinity w/o cranial plating is subpar compared to Fish with Lords onboard.

[Tammit67]

Back to Basics seems pretty terrible when people are already fetching basic lands against you. It also seems painfully slow, since it generally has no immediate impact on the board. I had three in my sideboard for a long time, and they were basically never any good.

That's a fair assessment, I pretty much refuse to drop it unless they have tapped out for something, but even then upon reflection perhaps it is a bit win more. (My meta has lands/affinity right now, and they don't have 3+ basics to get them out of that hole)

[Mr. Safety]

Ultimately, I feel if you're really losing to Affinity to the point of boarding cards specifically for it, then I'd be boarding either Flux or Null Rod. Flux is kinda dead against the field, but null rod will have value in multiple matches (turning off equips and vial against DnT variants, turning off all the artifact mana in storm, destroying Meandeck MUD)... Flux has the "i destroy affinity" aspect going for it while also being blue to pitch to force.

As far as Keg and Bomb (and to a lesser extent EE).. I don't think they are warranted because I can't think of a matchup outside of Affinity where I'd really want them, outside of very corner case scenarios.. The catchall slot in my main or side when I was running Merfolk was typically Echoing Truth because it was just better than the artifact removal.

So, anecdotal opinion as it is.... I'd say if Affinity is really kicking your ass then you should probably be running Null Rod or Flux if it's prominent enough that you need to board specific slots for it... Otherwise a combination of Countermagic (Tezz, Plating, Champion) and Echoing Truth (thopter tokens, etc..) should be enough. I'd never had the issue when I was running merfolk, but as with anything, that could simply be due to playskill of the people involved.. so YMMV.

Do you play Echoing Truth in the maindeck? I've played against it both ways, main and sb'ed ET's.

[Julian23]

Just throwing it out there because it just appeared in the leaked spoiler:

[SPOILER]
Mental Misstep {pu} (pay 2 life or U)
Instant (U)
Counter target spell with converted mana cost 1.
[/SPOILER]

I have to find a way to work this card into Merfolk. I can see this hitting opposing Vials, Hierarch, Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, all of Zoo's 1 drops, Lackey, Dark Ritual/Cantrips, Bolt..you name it!

However, right now I just can't decide in which slots to try it. People might argue "try it instead of Spell Pierce" but Spell Pierce actually fulfills a completly other task (delaying big plays). One might think of Daze, but i think Daze is way better. Maybe someone can come up with sth.

[shteev]

Funnily enough, I was thinking that Merfolk might be one of the few decks that wouldn't benefit from running Mental Misstep. Merfolk runs a lower than average number of 1cc spells, and adding MMs just increases the number of possible targets for an opponent's MMs. Daze ought to do a good enough job of protecting a turn 1 Aether Vial from a Misstep.

[chags]

I don't think this is necessary in fish, daze, spell pierce, cursecatcher, and FOW seem to be enough to stop most problem cards...if anything it goes in the spell pierce slot as they are both conditional counters. Could be a great call for a zoo/goblins heavy meta but beyond that it seems unnecessary.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

In a Zoo/ Goblins heavy meta, not playing Merfolk to begin with might be the best call.

Honestly, Mental Misstep is good, but I think everyone's raging hard-on over it might be a little premature.