[Deck] Merfolk

[Kanadell~]

Never play less than 4 Wastelands!! 21 lands should be optimal, 13 + 4 + 4.
Kira is great, you should definitely try that, I would play 2 MD and 1 in sideboard.
I also find out that Pierces MD arent great as you did, but I would play at least 3 (probably 4) in sideboard.

I would like to try Vendilion Clique in the deck, it seems pretty great, cycling useless Vials/Dazes in lategame while pressuring your opponent, or on otherside taking his Wrath of God or something like that.
What do you guys think?

The problem is that i don't have the 4th Wasteland, but I'll try to get it. And in my opinion, Vendillion Clique deserves at least to be tested since as you said can take away perilous cards on the opponent's hand, and casting vendilion in response of the activation of Stoneforge's ability is awesome.

[KobeBryan]

I decided to ditch the tutor board, because when I board, I have to board in 4 cards at a minimum to use the tutor board effectively.

This is the new board

2 spell pierces
2 relics of prog
1 tormod's crypt
1 ethersworn cannonist
1 chalice of the void
1 energy flux
3 disenchant
2 hibernation
2 path to exile
1 swords to plowshares

Any suggestions might help.

In my main, I am using 3 reejery, 3 images, 3 standstills and 3 swords to plowshares.

[Kanadell~]

And the white splash works well for you? And btw why do you play "only" 3 reejerey? Maybe you could try with -1 Phantasmal Image +1 Reejerey?

[KobeBryan]

And the white splash works well for you? And btw why do you play "only" 3 reejerey? Maybe you could try with -1 Phantasmal Image +1 Reejerey?

What has been wonderful. Of course you run into opposing wastelands. But the white board and the white removals are much stronger than what I had before (dismember).

I'm using standstills in the MD thats why i'm using more images than reejerey because I can keep the vial ticker at 2.

But i'm starting to change this perspective. Maybe move the reejerey to 4 and drop the coralhelm to 3. Replace the 3 standstills with stifles. Standstills have been pretty lackluster for me. Haven't really held the game on its own. Its usually the first cards I board out.

The stifles would actually help protect my tundras as well. So maybe I might go into that direction.

I also have 2 spell pierces in the board. i might change those up with vendilion cliques.

[trivial_matters]

Merfolk is tap-out deck. Hence for example your counterspells are all free. I don't thing leaving mana open for Stifle is in accordance with your game plan. This coming from my observations; I don't actually play the deck, so someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Phoenix Ignition]

Players certainly do play it as a decisionless tap out deck but I don't think that's the correct way. Leaving a single mana open can happen just from lack of spells to play, but even if you decide to not throw out a Cursecatcher to save mana for a Stifle it in many cases is the right play. Later on you can use unneeded Reejery triggers to untap a single island. Delaying your game for one turn to stop an opponent from cracking fetches is actually a very valid strategy, seeing as Aether Vial and just a low curve in general can let you play more threats off fewer lands than opponents do.

Also remember you don't need to Stifle the first fetchland. Stifling the 3rd fetch can be equally (or greater, if they were planning to fetch their 3rd color off of their final fetchland) devastating as hitting the 1st. But delaying the opponent's lands is just one of the things Stifle can do. If you're mid-late game you might just save yourself from Deeds ruining your day.

I've been using Stifle in merfolk for literally years and it is just as powerful now as it ever was. It wins games outright.

[cheerios]

Talking about stifle, what is the correct number of stifles to play now? I'm considering putting 3 on the sb. Or is 4 a must due to merfolk's lack of card manipulation?

[KobeBryan]

Talking about stifle, what is the correct number of stifles to play now? I'm considering putting 3 on the sb. Or is 4 a must due to merfolk's lack of card manipulation?

3 in the Main. maybe 1 in the board.

[cheerios]

3 in the Main. maybe 1 in the board.

Thanks, I will try that.

[Magic_Shortbus9]

http://www.blackborder.com/q/node/13377
Good article on legacy, has a mono blue merfolk list with so interesting card choices. Has spreading seas been tried in legacy? I know i played it in an extended folk deck and was good it turns on LoA can shut out opponent of a specific color since it turns it into an island and draws a card. Just a thought defiantly would need testing.

[KobeBryan]

http://www.blackborder.com/q/node/13377
Good article on legacy, has a mono blue merfolk list with so interesting card choices. Has spreading seas been tried in legacy? I know i played it in an extended folk deck and was good it turns on LoA can shut out opponent of a specific color since it turns it into an island and draws a card. Just a thought defiantly would need testing.

Not really. In this meta, not running 4 cursecatchers will cost you the game MANY times. I'd drop a coralhelm or a reejery before a cursecatcher.

He does have a very very good point with the clique. But I think I'll play that as a sideboard card and use stifles main.

[Kanadell~]

http://www.blackborder.com/q/node/13377
Good article on legacy, has a mono blue merfolk list with so interesting card choices. Has spreading seas been tried in legacy? I know i played it in an extended folk deck and was good it turns on LoA can shut out opponent of a specific color since it turns it into an island and draws a card. Just a thought defiantly would need testing.

In most metagames, Cursecatcher is the best way you have to delay opponent's threats or combo pieces, I won't play less than 4. And about Spreading Seas it's not the rol you want to play, because if the opponent plays blue is 2 mana for drawing a card and vs other decks, if you don't have a LoA (and it doesn't get StP'ed) is useless to. I think it doesn't fit in the deck at all.

[Magic_Shortbus9]

Not really. In this meta, not running 4 cursecatchers will cost you the game MANY times. I'd drop a coralhelm or a reejery before a cursecatcher.

He does have a very very good point with the clique. But I think I'll play that as a sideboard card and use stifles main.

In most metagames, Cursecatcher is the best way you have to delay opponent's threats or combo pieces, I won't play less than 4. And about Spreading Seas it's not the rol you want to play, because if the opponent plays blue is 2 mana for drawing a card and vs other decks, if you don't have a LoA (and it doesn't get StP'ed) is useless to. I think it doesn't fit in the deck at all.

Thanks for the constructive input it was just a thought i didn't think it was worth a slot. Just getting discussion of cards can go a long way in improving a deck or sparking conversation of other choices.

[lordofthepit]

What has been wonderful. Of course you run into opposing wastelands. But the white board and the white removals are much stronger than what I had before (dismember).

What ain't no color I ever heard of. Say "what" again!

[JJ_JKidd]

So whats the solution to (recurring) Snapcaster + removals MD?

[DrHealex]

KIRA! and umm... MORE DUDES!
The U/B snapcaster builds are FAR easier to deal with than the U/W ones, mostly due to batterskulls though.

New tech vs that deck, vial in JAILER in response, muwhahaah.

[JJ_JKidd]

KIRA! and umm... MORE DUDES!
The U/B snapcaster builds are FAR easier to deal with than the U/W ones, mostly due to batterskulls though.

New tech vs that deck, vial in JAILER in response, muwhahaah.

Jailer? I think it affects those with flashback and not those that Snapcaster can recur, correct me of im wrong?

[FANAttIC]

Few months ago I lost in the finals of 33 people tournament against maverick. Sea and Volcanic for my troubles.
Yesterday I lost in semifinals against combo elves (Volcanic, Delta, Top and t-shirt) with 37 people.
Been playing folk since Cursecatcher got printed. I have all the cards that could get md slots (all 150+ :)) but it is so hard to find the right combination.
No wonder this topic got to so many pages.

I waste so much time thinking about flex slots, even more than for sideboard.
Stifle and Standstill were not my favorites so far, instead Dismember and Spell snare got some play time (I really hate Goyf, Confidant, Snapcaster and Mystic).
3 slots were needed for Image so Kira left maindeck.

Today, my list is:

13 Island
4 Waste
4 Muta
1 Factory

19 usual guys (-1 Cursecatcher cause I think he is just necessary evil)
3 Image

4 Vial
4 FoW
3 Daze
3 Spell Snare
2 Dismember

I expected a lot of reanimator, ant, junk, uw blade, goblins and burn so for that tournament sideboard was this:

2 Spell Pierce
3 Relic of Progenitus
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Echoing Truth
2 Kira
1 Gut Shot (aka HEAD SHOT!, loved that card, killed Arbor after he spent Zenith on it and Scryb Ranger that was very annoying in maverick and few confidants, cliques and lavamancers on the way)
2 Submerge

I was thinking about splashes, mostly black, to lower the pain from dismember and for darkblast to shoot annoying dudes (perish and plague maybe), which there are a lot of in legacy. For now its just a thought.

[Kanadell~]

Few months ago I lost in the finals of 33 people tournament against maverick. Sea and Volcanic for my troubles.
Yesterday I lost in semifinals against combo elves (Volcanic, Delta, Top and t-shirt) with 37 people.
Been playing folk since Cursecatcher got printed. I have all the cards that could get md slots (all 150+ :)) but it is so hard to find the right combination.
No wonder this topic got to so many pages.

I waste so much time thinking about flex slots, even more than for sideboard.
Stifle and Standstill were not my favorites so far, instead Dismember and Spell snare got some play time (I really hate Goyf, Confidant, Snapcaster and Mystic).
3 slots were needed for Image so Kira left maindeck.

Today, my list is:

13 Island
4 Waste
4 Muta
1 Factory

19 usual guys (-1 Cursecatcher cause I think he is just necessary evil)
3 Image

4 Vial
4 FoW
3 Daze
3 Spell Snare
2 Dismember

I expected a lot of reanimator, ant, junk, uw blade, goblins and burn so for that tournament sideboard was this:

2 Spell Pierce
3 Relic of Progenitus
3 Blue Elemental Blast
2 Echoing Truth
2 Kira
1 Gut Shot (aka HEAD SHOT!, loved that card, killed Arbor after he spent Zenith on it and Scryb Ranger that was very annoying in maverick and few confidants, cliques and lavamancers on the way)
2 Submerge

I was thinking about splashes, mostly black, to lower the pain from dismember and for darkblast to shoot annoying dudes (perish and plague maybe), which there are a lot of in legacy. For now its just a thought.

And with 22 lands works well for you? Don't get flooded too often? And why 1 mishra's instead of another island? Having only 1 island in the opening 7 is annoying if there's a LoA or Coralhelm there.
More questions... It's worth cutting a cursecatcher to add 1 phantasmal image? And why only 1 Gut shot in the SB?

[KobeBryan]

And with 22 lands works well for you? Don't get flooded too often? And why 1 mishra's instead of another island? Having only 1 island in the opening 7 is annoying if there's a LoA or Coralhelm there.
More questions... It's worth cutting a cursecatcher to add 1 phantasmal image? And why only 1 Gut shot in the SB?

Gut shot is such a stupid tech. Just because one person had it in the SB in one tournament, everyone is jumping to use it.