4 mana for two tokens is in not really great ok with other cards they can become bigger and it is reusable but I just wouldn't play 4 of them because it IS recurable
and why do you need untapped lands on turn 1 you only play 4 1cc spells and condems are things you normaly don't play on turn 1
also having 3 attacking creatures especialy when you play summon the schools isn't that special
I would still prefer to have some more counter against damnation/wrath of god
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My new houserules:
1. Every player saing exiled or battlefield will be kicked out.
2. Not using you mana deals 2 points of manaburn.
3. Combat damage goes over the Stack and you can freely assign it.
4. Lifelinks does stack and doesn't safe you from dying.
5. Tokens are owned bye the one who has made them.
Everyone thinking M10 will not affect a lot of cards or Limited a lot, either has no clue about magic or has never played limited or is getting paid by wizards to do propaganda.
I think the biggest problem for the merrow tribe is the lack of decent one-drops.
Also, adding white does not seem to be worth much. For this reason I think adding black for the neo-duress (and Deathmark in sideboard) is better. Even green splash for Tarmogoyf might be better...
The problem is fish have to overcommit to do much at all. Reejay and lord need to boost other fish, and the others tend to be expensive, and you don't get much benefit.
The proxied fish deck did the worst out of the lot. Kithkin swarm faster, elementals beat for more, and playing against BU control really sucks for the merfolk. They either get wrathed out early, or try to hold back to protect with counters up. Problem is, giving time to a real control deck always lets them win.
Is Mirror Entity perhaps a solution for the problem of underpowered creatures? Works well after playing Cryptic Command during opponent's turn to tap all his creatures, then drop this guy and attack with a swarm of 3/3's, 4/4's, etc.
He is a Merfolk, obviously, so he works fine with all Tribal-related abilities. Gives you another way, with Sygg, to protect your team, enables some interesting combat tricks, and may allow you to sponge tribal tech/lords from the opposing deck.
Seems like one of the better White cards (and Merrow...) in the set, and costed better than most of the other UW creature tech.
I really don't think that overcommiting is a <huge> sin here. The fact that you can summon the schoolx2 and recurse one of them, drop a +1/+1 effect and beat for 10+dmg is nothing to sniff at. Bear in mind that if you fear counter+wrath decks, simply side in the best efficient counterspells you have against them, and counter the wrath g2. Should you have to go to g3, the opponent has to wait for 6 mana and keep one of his counters back to defend. The long game favors us, due to the recursive ability of summon. Remember that you can tap your guys to recurse the spell on the turn they come in.
Summon+2 merfolk cards. Opponent wraths. tap your guys to bring the spell back. summon+guy next turn. beat with 3-5 points of power on table and recurse if needed.
This was why I paid attention to include riptide pilferer, looter and the 2/1 draw a card guy in the list. They're specific threats for counterspell decks which provide incremental advantage to beat the counters. If I have 3 lands and 2 creatures in hand vs a counter deck and an active looter on the table, do you think I attack? No! I looter at their end of turn to ditch a useless land to draw another creature for the next counter!
P.S. Ponder could very well be close to brainstorm in terms of power, other then not being instant. Time will tell.
Kinda funny that some people are talking about recurring summon the school as being this great card against control. It is expensive, slows your attack, and you will not be able to keep the merfolk in play against a good control deck. Snakes was decent because the summons came back for free. School won't.
Rather than hypotheticals, actually proxy up the deck and test it. You have small critters that will get trampled by aggro, and against control, you cannot keep the number of merfolk you need in play to beat control. And if you could, you would be better served by attacking with them rather than holding them back.
2. Merfolks, alas, are not. I tried to make them as competitive as possible, but they die to aggro (4 condemns+ 4 snapback main) and if hte contorl player plays well they die to that too.
I'm going to play Gx aggro or blue-based control. Bye Merfolk.
Merfolk are clearly the most difficult tribe to figure out in Lorwyn and a delicate balance between aggro, control AND combo. Very, very Johnny...
Edit:
Rather than hypotheticals, actually proxy up the deck and test it. You have small critters that will get trampled by aggro, and against control, you cannot keep the number of merfolk you need in play to beat control. And if you could, you would be better served by attacking with them rather than holding them back.
I don't come into this thinking they are great, but rather trying to figure out how they work best. On the other hand, saying it is a given that they can't be any good seems premature. There is a lot of potential tech in those cards. Expecting to play them like straight-out aggro, or evaluating them on that basis, is clearly a bad plan.
Just noticing that Tideshaper Mystic is actually a pretty cool anti-control card, and Pollen Lullabye is potentially a double fog vs. aggro...
Generally decks with nothing but creatures lose, and badly. The creatures had better have darn good utility and curve somewhat well (or just be big and fast) if you aren't going to use other spells, Merfolk (in Llorwyn) is not that deck.
I mean look at it, by turn 6 you COULD have 3 merfolk on the board and start locking down lands with the lord while countering spells (ya know like wraths and pyroclasms).
I think that a merfolk deck rounded out with a few small and large faeries (the 4/4 champ) would make a more well rounded deck. I mean IF you get these guys on the board you get card drawing, protection counterspells, a mana short, etc., you can add more creatures and less spells. Then you are getting closer to a nice utility creature deck as mentioned prior
the problem with this approach is that as I've stated before, merrows don't have a decent one-drop, and all the merfolk that you really want to play cost 3 or more save for lord of atlantis maybe. It is really bad for an aggro deck if it has to start dropping guys (and 2/1 guys at best) on turn FOUR. While in casual that is quite alright (heck, I play 1/1 4-drops on casual games, and they survive), in constructed it doesn't cut it. And it is much easier for you to do the same kind of thing with faeries, but only better. Like this:
turn 1: play a 1CC faerie (there are two that are 1CC and are 1/1 flyers)
turn 2: either counter a spell, kill a guy, bounce something or drop a faerie eot
turn 3 onwards: repeat turn 2 over and over until opponent dies.
Faeries have everything going for them in constructed (decently costed beaters, lots of evasion, a shroud-granting lord for God's sake! not to mention flash and a Mana Short effect of sorts against control). The Faeries only nemesis is Desert, but even that can be solved (both Pithing needle and Rain of Tears will deal with it)
Merrow on the other hand have everthing going against them (overcosted creatures, not much to do with all the tap/untap, and no merfolk save Riptide pilferer that's much of a threat, almost no evasion built in, meaning that either you have one of those that grant islandwalk or you'll have a ton of 1/1 guys staring at a couple of 3/3's and cry in despair). Even though I believe that it is possible to make a good merfolk deck, I don't think that such a deck will use lorwyn's way, and rather just be a u/w aggro deck, with no shenanigans about tapping/untapping stuff. For example:
the idea here is that since we don't have any 1-drops, the spells will have to fill in, either the counter to gain back some tempo, or the card selection. Snapback and rune snag round up, and rune snag could easily have been any other counterspell (even Familiar's Ruse) it just happens to be my personal preference. ah, and no tap/untap shenanigans, just your average aggro deck. You may also take out mana tithe and add summon the school, but the deck would slow down a little, with only 4 cards to show for in the first turn. But that's how I see it anyway, lets keep discussing cause I may have overlooked something
It doesn't act like any regular aggro decks, but usually as time goes, you warm things up. A great drop is Springleaf, followed by a some 2nd drop.
Example
1st) mana, Springleaf Drum
2nd) mana, Silvergill Adept, draw a card, go. Foe turn: tap to springleaf, then mana tithe. You can also tap in your turn for Ponder, Aquitect's Will (almost a need in a LoA deck), Tideshaper Mystic (same as the preview one) or even Sunlance some Goyf / Elemental accelerator.
Another great thing is a sort of vigilance given by Merrow Commerce, great in a tap deck, and smooths down Summon the Schools drawback.
I'm testing a tap/untap version against some t2 decks, and it seems doing ok. Here is the list:
It doesn't act like any regular aggro decks, but usually as time goes, you warm things up. A great drop is Springleaf, followed by a some 2nd drop.
[...]
It's not tier 1, but runs pretty smooth.
This is along similar lines to what I was thinking, although I haven't put together a list yet. I agree that Springleaf Drum is a great 1-drop.
Have you thought about running Mirror Entity? It seems like arguably one of the best "Merrow" in the set. One of the Blue shifters (Shapesharer) may be worth a look too. Powerful ability for a 2-drop, especially in a deck with so many Lords and tech-y creatures.
I'm thinking, as you say, that the normal aggro game plan goes out the window. This is more like a combo deck that stalls while playing for One Big Turn (tm), either attacking with a swarm pumped by Mirror Entity and Lords across a board tapped with Cryptic Command a Fogged alpha strike, or maybe locking the opponent out with Wanderwine Prophets.
Another nice thing about Mirror Entity is that it may allow the use of non-Merfolk with little drawback. I'm thinking, for instance, maybe some Slivers, or Dream Stalker as an early blocker who can re-use Silvergill Adept's ability (Blink is also good with Adept, and in general for dodging removal). Goldmeadow Harrier is another possible 1-drop - more tapping, and for 1 he can become an X/X Merfolk. Cephalid Constable, ... there are a lot of possibilities (even Ornithopter?)
If that's the way to go, then cards like Fortify, Glorious Anthem and of course Coat of Arms that pump your whole team may be worth considering.
Anyway, I think your build is the best I've seen so far, although I might try something like:
Have you thought about running Mirror Entity? It seems like arguably one of the best "Merrow" in the set. One of the Blue shifters (Shapesharer) may be worth a look too. Powerful ability for a 2-drop, especially in a deck with so many Lords and tech-y creatures.
I'm thinking, as you say, that the normal aggro game plan goes out the window. This is more like a combo deck that stalls while playing for One Big Turn (tm), either attacking with a swarm pumped by Mirror Entity and Lords across a board tapped with Cryptic Command a Fogged alpha strike, or maybe locking the opponent out with Wanderwine Prophets.
Another nice thing about Mirror Entity is that it may allow the use of non-Merfolk with little drawback. I'm thinking, for instance, maybe some Slivers, or Dream Stalker as an early blocker who can re-use Silvergill Adept's ability (Blink is also good with Adept, and in general for dodging removal). Goldmeadow Harrier is another possible 1-drop - more tapping, and for 1 he can become an X/X Merfolk. Cephalid Constable, ... there are a lot of possibilities (even Ornithopter?)
If that's the way to go, then cards like Fortify, Glorious Anthem and of course Coat of Arms that pump your whole team may be worth considering.
Anyway, I think your build is the best I've seen so far, although I might try something like:
This ain't quite the tap abilities this thread is made about. I don't think those tap abilities are going to work. It's very slow. The Merfolk are a little bit expensive in that case and you can't really kill them by attacking. Though with all untap abilities, it could be nice, we only need a big tap abilitie for them.
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hey i have managed to evolve my axolotls by feeding them thyroid glands the thyroxine contained in these gland is enough to change these water dwelling creatures into land based creatures
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
This ain't quite the tap abilities this thread is made about. I don't think those tap abilities are going to work. It's very slow. The Merfolk are a little bit expensive in that case and you can't really kill them by attacking. Though with all untap abilities, it could be nice, we only need a big tap abilitie for them.
I'm not sure I understand your comment.
Cryptic Command counters a spell, bounces something, or draws a card in addition to tapping their whole team.
If they attack with everything and you Fog, they are also tapped (and with Pollen Lullaby, possibly for two turns).
Are those not "big tap abilities"?
Either way, you untap and attack for lethal with a swarm of X/X (plus additional +1/+1 from any lords, etc) guys.
If you have 4 guys, one of which is a Lord and another which is Mirror Entity, you need 4 mana to attack for lethal damage with 4 5/5's.
With a good draw, you could do that Turn 5, or maybe even Turn 4 if you're clever and/or run the Merrow 1-drop.
I looked at all of the merfolk cards and looked at what you all said.
I also found a good 1 drop that could be good against a deck that has Tarmogoyf. I think people forgot about Pithing Needle. I put together two deck lists, one agro and one control.
Edit:
Sorry i should of looked at Pithing Needle a little more to see Pithing does not effect Tarmogoyf, but there is Condemn and Oblivion Ring in the same deck. Even if Pithing Needle does not effect Tarmogoyf, the card is good gainst faeries, burn spells, and other activated abilities ( Sygg, the River Guide is not going to protect you or your nonmerfolk cards). If you think Pithing Needle is not a good card for the deck you can replace it for counter spell that you pefer, Ponder, Sulance, or Snapeback.
I am using Merfolk in a UW mill deck that uses Rule of Law and Forced Fruition. And I am not sure if Ambassador Laquatus should be in it. He can used with the other Merfolk and he can help get cards into my opponent's graveyard, but I worry he might be a bit...inefficient. After all I don't think I saw him in any other decklist.
I looked at all of the merfolk cards and looked at what you all said.
I also found a good 1 drop that could be good against a deck that has Tarmogof. I think people forgot about Pithing Needle.
Here's one I threw together without too much thought. I only tested against a Kithkin deck I made, with me playing both decks lol, but it looks like it has potential. This is a block deck though, I know you are all going for standard, but it's a solid base so far. Once you get drowner and judge out, most aggro decks probably can't keep up too well. Might be vulnerable to burn. I have to go to bed, so I can't test anymore tonight, but let me know what you think.
BTW: Sower of temptation is amazing against aggro, and fathom trawl is surprisingly good too, although for 2 five mana slots, there might be better choices.
weeeee! uber fisht ftw!
I like miling strategeys, with ambasador laquatus and scalilexis in t2 the merrow engine looks prety solid, i would have fresh prince in, too.
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4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 SurgeSpanner
4 Merfolk Reejerey
3 Merfolk Harbinger
3 Drowner of Secrets
2 Fallowsage
2 Skygg River Guide
2 Merfolk Commerce
3 Ponder
2 Mana Tithe
2 Summon the School
2 Cryptic Command
16 Island
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Plains
How about something like this. I'm also thinking about Crib Swap instead of oblivion ring because it triggers reejery and it can be searched for with the harbinger.
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 SurgeSpanner
4 Merfolk Reejerey
3 Merfolk Harbinger
3 Drowner of Secrets
2 Fallowsage
2 Skygg River Guide
2 Merfolk Commerce
3 Ponder
2 Mana Tithe
2 Summon the School
2 Cryptic Command
16 Island
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Plains
How about something like this. I'm also thinking about Crib Swap instead of oblivion ring because it triggers reejery and it can be searched for with the harbinger.
Hi Omen,
I guess you'll face some troubles with this deck, specially the pre-lorwyn aggro problem, Wrath effects.
4 Mana slots like used for Fallowsage and Surgespanner let you open to Wrath of God / Damnation, since your mana will be tapped.
Drowner of Secrets has no real purpose here, you're not pretending on milling, since you'll need support cards here to do a good job on that effect like Embassador Laquatus and Traumatize.
Merrow Harbinger is too costy for its effect since there is no BOMB to search for, and it has low aggro power.
For counter, again i think you should avoid 4 slot like Cryptic Command, go with counters on cheaper cost like Rune Snag / Familiar's Ruse.
And if you think to use properly LoA, you need some islandwalk enabler like Tideshaper Mystic.
If you want to use 4 cmc slot cards, you'll need to have into play Springleaf Drum and Merrow Reejerey while having 2cmc counters.
3H
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"Now i lay you, down to rest, you'll never be more than second best" (Megadeth)
I think It's preety solid, but I need more testing. Hoofprints of the stag is amazing, and works great with looters-Reejerey, plus ponder or Silvergill
Cheers
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and why do you need untapped lands on turn 1 you only play 4 1cc spells and condems are things you normaly don't play on turn 1
also having 3 attacking creatures especialy when you play summon the schools isn't that special
I would still prefer to have some more counter against damnation/wrath of god
1. Every player saing exiled or battlefield will be kicked out.
2. Not using you mana deals 2 points of manaburn.
3. Combat damage goes over the Stack and you can freely assign it.
4. Lifelinks does stack and doesn't safe you from dying.
5. Tokens are owned bye the one who has made them.
Everyone thinking M10 will not affect a lot of cards or Limited a lot, either has no clue about magic or has never played limited or is getting paid by wizards to do propaganda.
Also, adding white does not seem to be worth much. For this reason I think adding black for the neo-duress (and Deathmark in sideboard) is better. Even green splash for Tarmogoyf might be better...
The proxied fish deck did the worst out of the lot. Kithkin swarm faster, elementals beat for more, and playing against BU control really sucks for the merfolk. They either get wrathed out early, or try to hold back to protect with counters up. Problem is, giving time to a real control deck always lets them win.
He is a Merfolk, obviously, so he works fine with all Tribal-related abilities. Gives you another way, with Sygg, to protect your team, enables some interesting combat tricks, and may allow you to sponge tribal tech/lords from the opposing deck.
Seems like one of the better White cards (and Merrow...) in the set, and costed better than most of the other UW creature tech.
Summon+2 merfolk cards. Opponent wraths. tap your guys to bring the spell back. summon+guy next turn. beat with 3-5 points of power on table and recurse if needed.
This was why I paid attention to include riptide pilferer, looter and the 2/1 draw a card guy in the list. They're specific threats for counterspell decks which provide incremental advantage to beat the counters. If I have 3 lands and 2 creatures in hand vs a counter deck and an active looter on the table, do you think I attack? No! I looter at their end of turn to ditch a useless land to draw another creature for the next counter!
P.S. Ponder could very well be close to brainstorm in terms of power, other then not being instant. Time will tell.
Rather than hypotheticals, actually proxy up the deck and test it. You have small critters that will get trampled by aggro, and against control, you cannot keep the number of merfolk you need in play to beat control. And if you could, you would be better served by attacking with them rather than holding them back.
Merfolk are clearly the most difficult tribe to figure out in Lorwyn and a delicate balance between aggro, control AND combo. Very, very Johnny...
Edit:
I don't come into this thinking they are great, but rather trying to figure out how they work best. On the other hand, saying it is a given that they can't be any good seems premature. There is a lot of potential tech in those cards. Expecting to play them like straight-out aggro, or evaluating them on that basis, is clearly a bad plan.
Just noticing that Tideshaper Mystic is actually a pretty cool anti-control card, and Pollen Lullabye is potentially a double fog vs. aggro...
the problem with this approach is that as I've stated before, merrows don't have a decent one-drop, and all the merfolk that you really want to play cost 3 or more save for lord of atlantis maybe. It is really bad for an aggro deck if it has to start dropping guys (and 2/1 guys at best) on turn FOUR. While in casual that is quite alright (heck, I play 1/1 4-drops on casual games, and they survive), in constructed it doesn't cut it. And it is much easier for you to do the same kind of thing with faeries, but only better. Like this:
turn 1: play a 1CC faerie (there are two that are 1CC and are 1/1 flyers)
turn 2: either counter a spell, kill a guy, bounce something or drop a faerie eot
turn 3 onwards: repeat turn 2 over and over until opponent dies.
Faeries have everything going for them in constructed (decently costed beaters, lots of evasion, a shroud-granting lord for God's sake! not to mention flash and a Mana Short effect of sorts against control). The Faeries only nemesis is Desert, but even that can be solved (both Pithing needle and Rain of Tears will deal with it)
Merrow on the other hand have everthing going against them (overcosted creatures, not much to do with all the tap/untap, and no merfolk save Riptide pilferer that's much of a threat, almost no evasion built in, meaning that either you have one of those that grant islandwalk or you'll have a ton of 1/1 guys staring at a couple of 3/3's and cry in despair). Even though I believe that it is possible to make a good merfolk deck, I don't think that such a deck will use lorwyn's way, and rather just be a u/w aggro deck, with no shenanigans about tapping/untapping stuff. For example:
4 Wanderwine hub
2 Nimbus maze
4 adarkar wastes
7 Island
4 Plains
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 Sygg, River guide
4 Riptide pilferer
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Streambed Aquitects
4 Mana tithe
4 Ponder
4 Rune snag
4 snapback
the idea here is that since we don't have any 1-drops, the spells will have to fill in, either the counter to gain back some tempo, or the card selection. Snapback and rune snag round up, and rune snag could easily have been any other counterspell (even Familiar's Ruse) it just happens to be my personal preference. ah, and no tap/untap shenanigans, just your average aggro deck. You may also take out mana tithe and add summon the school, but the deck would slow down a little, with only 4 cards to show for in the first turn. But that's how I see it anyway, lets keep discussing cause I may have overlooked something
Don't you love when people make such claims and are wrong?
Better than GoblinOpposition (Telekinitic + token goblins + hivestone).
Presumably there'd be 1 or 2 playable slivers too... like the white one?
04 Wanderwine Hub
09 Island
07 Plains
CREATURES
04 Tideshaper Mystic
04 Judge of Currents
04 Silvergill Adept
03 Sygg, River Guide
04 Merrow Reejerey
04 Lord of Atlantis
03 Summon the School
03 Merrow Commerce
04 Mana Tithe
03 Springleaf Drum
04 Rune Snag
It doesn't act like any regular aggro decks, but usually as time goes, you warm things up. A great drop is Springleaf, followed by a some 2nd drop.
Example
1st) mana, Springleaf Drum
2nd) mana, Silvergill Adept, draw a card, go. Foe turn: tap to springleaf, then mana tithe. You can also tap in your turn for Ponder, Aquitect's Will (almost a need in a LoA deck), Tideshaper Mystic (same as the preview one) or even Sunlance some Goyf / Elemental accelerator.
Another great thing is a sort of vigilance given by Merrow Commerce, great in a tap deck, and smooths down Summon the Schools drawback.
Options are on Mana Tithe / Rune Snag slots. Cryptic Command / Sunlance / Snapback, or anything you choose.
It's not tier 1, but runs pretty smooth.
This is along similar lines to what I was thinking, although I haven't put together a list yet. I agree that Springleaf Drum is a great 1-drop.
Ponder is good too. Or Mana Tithe, Piracy Charm, Unsummon, etc...
Have you thought about running Mirror Entity? It seems like arguably one of the best "Merrow" in the set. One of the Blue shifters (Shapesharer) may be worth a look too. Powerful ability for a 2-drop, especially in a deck with so many Lords and tech-y creatures.
I'm thinking, as you say, that the normal aggro game plan goes out the window. This is more like a combo deck that stalls while playing for One Big Turn (tm), either attacking with a swarm pumped by Mirror Entity and Lords across a board tapped with Cryptic Command a Fogged alpha strike, or maybe locking the opponent out with Wanderwine Prophets.
Another nice thing about Mirror Entity is that it may allow the use of non-Merfolk with little drawback. I'm thinking, for instance, maybe some Slivers, or Dream Stalker as an early blocker who can re-use Silvergill Adept's ability (Blink is also good with Adept, and in general for dodging removal). Goldmeadow Harrier is another possible 1-drop - more tapping, and for 1 he can become an X/X Merfolk. Cephalid Constable, ... there are a lot of possibilities (even Ornithopter?)
If that's the way to go, then cards like Fortify, Glorious Anthem and of course Coat of Arms that pump your whole team may be worth considering.
Anyway, I think your build is the best I've seen so far, although I might try something like:
-3 Lord of Atlantis
+3 Mirror Entity
-4 Rune Snag
-4 Mana Tithe
+2-3 Cryptic Command
+3-4 Pollen Lullaby or Dawn Charm
+2 Wanderwine Prophets or Fortify or Coat of Arms
This ain't quite the tap abilities this thread is made about. I don't think those tap abilities are going to work. It's very slow. The Merfolk are a little bit expensive in that case and you can't really kill them by attacking. Though with all untap abilities, it could be nice, we only need a big tap abilitie for them.
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
I'm not sure I understand your comment.
Cryptic Command counters a spell, bounces something, or draws a card in addition to tapping their whole team.
If they attack with everything and you Fog, they are also tapped (and with Pollen Lullaby, possibly for two turns).
Are those not "big tap abilities"?
Either way, you untap and attack for lethal with a swarm of X/X (plus additional +1/+1 from any lords, etc) guys.
If you have 4 guys, one of which is a Lord and another which is Mirror Entity, you need 4 mana to attack for lethal damage with 4 5/5's.
With a good draw, you could do that Turn 5, or maybe even Turn 4 if you're clever and/or run the Merrow 1-drop.
I also found a good 1 drop that could be good against a deck that has Tarmogoyf. I think people forgot about Pithing Needle. I put together two deck lists, one agro and one control.
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Sygg, River Guide
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Tidewater Mystic
4 Merrow Reejery
2 Veteran of the Depths
1 Harpoon Sniper
4 Condemn
3 Pithing Needle
4 Runesnag
4 Oblivion Ring
Lands:22
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Adarkar Wastes
9 Island
5 Plains
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Sygg, River Guide
4 Merfolk Reejery
3 Merfolk Looter
3 Lord of Atantis
1 Veteran of the Depths
2 Tidewater Mysic
3 Merrow Commerce
3 Summon the School
4 Mana Tithe
4 Delay
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Wanderwine Hub
13 Island
5 Plains
Edit:
Sorry i should of looked at Pithing Needle a little more to see Pithing does not effect Tarmogoyf, but there is Condemn and Oblivion Ring in the same deck. Even if Pithing Needle does not effect Tarmogoyf, the card is good gainst faeries, burn spells, and other activated abilities ( Sygg, the River Guide is not going to protect you or your nonmerfolk cards). If you think Pithing Needle is not a good card for the deck you can replace it for counter spell that you pefer, Ponder, Sulance, or Snapeback.
Control is the ultimate expression of power.
Pithing Needle is a great card, but relevance does it have against Tarmogoyf?
4 Drowner of Secrets
3 Judge of Currents
3 Stonybrook Anglers
3 Silvergill Adept
3 Silvergill Dousers
3 Sower of Temptation
3 Fallowsage
4 Ponder
3 Whirlpool Whelm
3 Cryptic Command
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Fathom Trawl
13 Island
6 Plains
4 Wanderwine Hub
BTW: Sower of temptation is amazing against aggro, and fathom trawl is surprisingly good too, although for 2 five mana slots, there might be better choices.
cough- voidmage prodigy- cough
However Merfolk have the advantage of having 2 lords in standard. Maybe it will be enough to make a decent Fish variant.
I like miling strategeys, with ambasador laquatus and scalilexis in t2 the merrow engine looks prety solid, i would have fresh prince in, too.
Tribute to Dr. Jeebus
Not a little Sheeple.
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 SurgeSpanner
4 Merfolk Reejerey
3 Merfolk Harbinger
3 Drowner of Secrets
2 Fallowsage
2 Skygg River Guide
2 Merfolk Commerce
3 Ponder
2 Mana Tithe
2 Summon the School
2 Cryptic Command
16 Island
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Plains
How about something like this. I'm also thinking about Crib Swap instead of oblivion ring because it triggers reejery and it can be searched for with the harbinger.
Hi Omen,
I guess you'll face some troubles with this deck, specially the pre-lorwyn aggro problem, Wrath effects.
4 Mana slots like used for Fallowsage and Surgespanner let you open to Wrath of God / Damnation, since your mana will be tapped.
Drowner of Secrets has no real purpose here, you're not pretending on milling, since you'll need support cards here to do a good job on that effect like Embassador Laquatus and Traumatize.
Merrow Harbinger is too costy for its effect since there is no BOMB to search for, and it has low aggro power.
For counter, again i think you should avoid 4 slot like Cryptic Command, go with counters on cheaper cost like Rune Snag / Familiar's Ruse.
And if you think to use properly LoA, you need some islandwalk enabler like Tideshaper Mystic.
If you want to use 4 cmc slot cards, you'll need to have into play Springleaf Drum and Merrow Reejerey while having 2cmc counters.
3H
6 Plains
2 Adarkar Wastes
10 Island
4 Sygg, River Guide
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merfork Looter
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Hoofprints of the Stag
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Psionic Blast
3 Condemn
I think It's preety solid, but I need more testing. Hoofprints of the stag is amazing, and works great with looters-Reejerey, plus ponder or Silvergill
Cheers