[Deck] Merfolk

[Mr. Crane]

Hello folks, yes, sorry ...
years later, I returned to the merfolks, tnx Nemesis.


Great old times, folks play with 22 - 23 lands, im read about 18-19-20, why? 20-21 is fine for me... My main doubt is about the sideboard...

3 submerge
2 tidebinder( I like this agains elves/goblins, x rug/jund or G with a lot of removals, his not amazing, because this just 2)
2 flutterstorm
2 relic of progenitus
1 spell pierce(swan song?)
1 jitte
1 kira
1 sower

i´m have a big tournament next saturday, my current list :

20 lands
24 creatures(Nemesis and normal)
4 vial
4 fow
4 daze
2 pierce
1 dismember
1 flex slot

My plan:

Stoneblade

+ 1 pierce
+ 1 jitte
+ 1 kira

-

TES

+ 2 tidebinder
+ 2 flutterstorm
+ 2 relic
+ 1 pierce

- 3 true
- 2 reejerey
- 1 snag
- 1 dismember

Goblins

Play

+ 2 tidebinder
+ 1 jitte
+ 1 kira

- 2 pierce
- 2 cursecatcher( important x lackey t1 )

Draw

+ 2 tidebinder
+ 1 jitte
+ 1 kira

- 1 daze
- 2 pierce
- 1 cursecatcher

Elves

+ 3 submerge
+ 2 tidebinder
+ 2 flutterstorm
+ 1 jitte

- 3 cursecatcher
- 2 pierce
- 1 image
- 1 nemesis
- 1 reejerey

DnT

+ 1 jitte
+ 1 kira
+ 1 sower

- 3 cursecatcher

Shardless

draw

+ 3 submerge
+ 2 tidebinder
+ 1 sower
+ 1 pierce

- 3 fow
- 4 daze

Play

+ 3 submerge
+ 1 tidebinder
+ 1 sower

- 4 fow
- 1 pierce

Reanimator

+ 2 flutterstorm
+ 2 relic
+ 1 spell pierce
+ 1 sower

- 3 nemesis
- 1 reejerey
- 1 dismember
- 1 vial

SnT

+ 2 flutterstorm
+ 1 spell pierce
+ 1 sower

- 3 nemesis
- 1 dismember

RUG

+ 3 submerge
+ 2 tidebinder
+ 2 relic
+ 1 kira

- 4 cursecatcher
- 4 fow

Im expect a lot of Maveriks, Rugs, DnT and Snt.

Help-me, TNN drastic changes my plan =/

[Tokugawa]

It was printed a very good card for the deck, but I don't see any good discussion about. I'm talking about Mizzium Skin. Counters decay, bolt, swords, all for one blue mana.

Too "passive", and narrow. Hexproof cannot stop boardswipe and sacrifice.

Against usual remove spells ,just to side in more counters would be better. And we all used to have Kira in sideboard.

Maybe mizzium skin works better against decay, but personally I would try...Divert.

[Jankwolf]

Just my input from some of my card choices in Merfolk...

Divert: MVP in a lot of MUs.
I've used it to turn around several Hymns, Bolts, Swords and Decays. Fun as hell to use against Dread return as well. It's an automatic 3 of if not being pushed to 4 total slots for me.

Now on to some other less tested choices:
Thassa has the potential to be game breaking against BUG type builds or anything that uses Decay. The main problem that I see with her is a lot of decks will start blowing up your creatures as soon as she hits the field. My recommendation with her is to use her in conjunction with Kirra (spelling?) A lot of decks with loads of targeted removal cause her problems for turning her into a creature.

Wave Master: Not much testing with this one. He does wreck Jund.

I do have a few questions to pose to this thread concerning some MUs.
How the hell do you beat elves? Every time I've played against elves I've been rofl stomped.
What's the correct line of play in the mirror?

Just some simple things I wanted to address. I'm very new to this archetype and Side boarding as been a major issue with me.

[Dice_Box]

Elves is not ever going to be an easy match. Since the cards an elf deck can draw to win can sometimes be like 11 or more with a strong board state. I would suggest not letting Symbiote remove or Natural Order. Jitte is an MVP and so is Dismember. Since all the damage from am elf deck is likely to be in one overwhelming attack, the difference between 12 and 20 life is often minimal.

Also, if running Standstill, be very careful about when you drop it. As an elf player, if you tell me your not going to play something till I do and I am under no pressure, I am going to draw till I have a Cradle and something to go nuts off it with.

Sent from my mobile, forgive spelling and grammatical errors.

[BVB09]

Hi guys,
Does antbody know if we can access the day-2 Merfolk lists? Thanks

I'm going to start playing with Coralhelm again. I dont know if it's the wrong decission, I've not started testing yet; but I miss him.
It's true that he dies to Abrupt Decay, but how many decks apart from BUG are running them? Jund it's losing popularity and I can't think of anymore...
It can kill a Batterskull on his own. It's another lord to fight Punishing Fire. It blocks Delver and many D&T creatures.
I think it deserves another look. Thoughts? :)

[SupREME-10]

Hey guys, here is what I am testing/working with.

Ideas welcome

Deck List
4 x AEther Vial
2 x Umezawa's Jitte -- Yes Maindeck as I am unimpressed with Dismember.

3 x Daze
2 x Echoing Truth
4 x Force of Will -- might go down to 3x with 4th in the board.
2 x Spell Pierce

4 x Master of the Pearl Trident
2 x Phantasmal Image
4 x Silvergill Adept
3 x True-Name Nemesis
3 x Merrow Reejerey -- really like this guy and TNN; but I can't see the deck running 8x a CMC-3 creature as yet, ideas welcome.
4 x Cursecatcher
4 x Lord of Atlantis

2 x Cavern of Souls
10 x Island
4 x Mutavault
4 x Wasteland
Have not had U issues yet; but I am open to discussion.

Sideboard
2 x Tormod's Crypt
2 x Surgical Extraction
1 x Divert
2 x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 x Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 x Spell Snare -- thinking that there may turn into 2 more Divert as I do find it very good as well.
2 x Submerge
2 x Tidebinder Mage

As I mentioned, I am open to discussion and honestly Coralhelm was great; but he ate too many resorces just to die most games that I wasn't winning already.

[JPoJohnson]

Elves is not ever going to be an easy match. Since the cards an elf deck can draw to win can sometimes be like 11 or more with a strong board state. I would suggest not letting Symbiote remove or Natural Order. Jitte is an MVP and so is Dismember. Since all the damage from am elf deck is likely to be in one overwhelming attack, the difference between 12 and 20 life is often minimal.

Also, if running Standstill, be very careful about when you drop it. As an elf player, if you tell me your not going to play something till I do and I am under no pressure, I am going to draw till I have a Cradle and something to go nuts off it with.

Sent from my mobile, forgive spelling and grammatical errors.

1. I'm thinking that with TNN running amok that Elves will get hurt from the splash-hate (Golgari Charm, Toxic Deluge, etc etc).

2. If you drop Standstill and have no threat and no Aether Vial, you deserve the loss.

[Dice_Box]

On 1, I agree. But if you have not overextend as an elf player a sweeper is naught but a speed bump. It's why the deck is doing so well right now.

Honestly, if I was going to a turny and expecting to see elves, I would take Chalice and put it on one. The deck runs upwards of 30 one drops. It does next to nothing for us too as a bonus.

Sent from my mobile, forgive spelling and grammatical errors.

[JJ-JKidd]

In a meta full of Elves and BGW variants, is it possible to run Black for Perish which was popularized by Saito (before he got banned)? If yes, what other notable Black spells can probably be included?

[JPoJohnson]

On 1, I agree. But if you have not overextend as an elf player a sweeper is naught but a speed bump. It's why the deck is doing so well right now.

Honestly, if I was going to a turny and expecting to see elves, I would take Chalice and put it on one. The deck runs upwards of 30 one drops. It does next to nothing for us too as a bonus.

Sent from my mobile, forgive spelling and grammatical errors.

Speed bumps are all it takes to clinch the win when playing a tempo deck (;

[landwalker000]

In a meta full of Elves and BGW variants, is it possible to run Black for Perish which was popularized by Saito (before he got banned)? If yes, what other notable Black spells can probably be included?

Dread of night and engineered plague are good black spells as well.

[Dice_Box]

Speed bumps are all it takes to clinch the win when playing a tempo deck (;

True, but a speed bump with elves may only be a one turn thing. Not to say don't run board wipes, it hurts. Just don't expect them to be the be all. Chalice I think is a good option too.

[JJ-JKidd]

True, but a speed bump with elves may only be a one turn thing. Not to say don't run board wipes, it hurts. Just don't expect them to be the be all. Chalice I think is a good option too.

Really curious on the list Saito ran. I think I saw a Master of the Waves in one of his games.

Edited: here is his list https://twitter.com/TomoharuSaito/st...81435842785280

[FANAttIC]

Nevermind the Masters, he run 4 Cavern and no Wastes, and 7 anti combo cards in side. I wish to read his report.

[BVB09]

That list seems interesting, I agree with choosing 4 TNN, they seem mandatory to me.
However what is his plan against Punishing Fire? I don't know how he could win...
I would run 4 Wastelands and change the Masters of Waves for Phantasmal Images.

[DukeDemonKn1ght]

What up fellas, I've been away for a while.

So, first of all, I was wondering can someone post the sideboard that Saito ran, or a link? I'm having a hard time making some of the stuff out in that twitter picture, which is the only place I've been able to find it so far (probably a little lazy, I know).

Also, I've seen some naysaying on using equipment with TNN, and I haven't tested it but seems like Basilisk Collar is perhaps the best equipment to use on that little bugger. It helps you in the damage race, essentially making him give a 6 life point swing, and defensively it lets you kill that Goyf or whoever instead of just infini-chumping it.

And as someone who's been away from the meta, Master of Waves seems powerful against some problematic matchups, but seeing him in some folks' main decks is a little surprising. I can see how he's an awkward way to use sideboard slots, but isn't he just really bad in the matchups where your opponent has removal for him?

Also, as far as TNN, does anyone foresee a price drop, or is it just bite the bullet time if I want to get back into playing Legacy Fishez?

[kingtk3]

Hi duke, nice to see you again here :-)
As far I can see saito's side is
3 submerge
3 umezawa's jitte
3 spell pierce
4 swan song
2 back to basic

I haven't tested master but it seems an improvement against s&t (you take an attack, sacrifice since stuff and then alpha strike him) and non white decks: the strength of master is that the only removal against him is stp since he's out of decay range and pro red is relevant. He pumps mutavault too.

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[JPoJohnson]

What up fellas, I've been away for a while.

So, first of all, I was wondering can someone post the sideboard that Saito ran, or a link? I'm having a hard time making some of the stuff out in that twitter picture, which is the only place I've been able to find it so far (probably a little lazy, I know).

Also, I've seen some naysaying on using equipment with TNN, and I haven't tested it but seems like Basilisk Collar is perhaps the best equipment to use on that little bugger. It helps you in the damage race, essentially making him give a 6 life point swing, and defensively it lets you kill that Goyf or whoever instead of just infini-chumping it.

And as someone who's been away from the meta, Master of Waves seems powerful against some problematic matchups, but seeing him in some folks' main decks is a little surprising. I can see how he's an awkward way to use sideboard slots, but isn't he just really bad in the matchups where your opponent has removal for him?

Also, as far as TNN, does anyone foresee a price drop, or is it just bite the bullet time if I want to get back into playing Legacy Fishez?

TNN is not essential to seeing success with Fish although he obviously is quite powerful when used appropriately/against many bad match ups.

As far as cost, I guess we'll have to see how he ends up playing out in the meta. I personally think that he won't be banned, although there are a lot of people crying for it (it doesn't warrant it). I personally got one and wish I could get another 1-2 right now because I really like him. Time will tell. I think once the EDH sets discontinue it'll start to climb again so... sooner the better I suppose (and make sure no big events are going to occur anytime in the near future driving the price up).

[thecrav]

Hi duke, nice to see you again here :-)


I haven't tested master but it seems an improvement against s&t (you take an attack, sacrifice since stuff and then alpha strike him) and non white decks: the strength of master is that the only removal against him is stp since he's out of decay range and pro red is relevant. He pumps mutavault too.

I was all opposed to Master until reading this - I hadn't considered any of those. Thanks!

[kirdie]

I don't understand why Saito doesnt use any wastelands, isnt that the a core card of a tempo deck?