Just one person I know has been having some success with it. He top 8'd a SCG Open and some other top 32 results and stuff. If you google Jonathan Aiken and Merfolk you'll find some articles he's written and some matches he's done.
It definitely seems to be a viable strategy. I won my small 8 man tournament with it. Whether it's better or worse than aether vial version I'm not sure
I'm not sure I can cut another Coralhelm as they are one of my main manasinks.
Cryptic I thought might have a bit more chance with the devotion and it's something to pitch with my FoW (over say a 4th chalice) if I don't have the mana but I think you may be right. Do you think a Daze might be better? Perhaps a regular Counterspell?
Sideboard i've barely put thought into... I know a fair bit about the meta in this tourney so that has shaped some of my decisions.
Here's the things that have I have to be the most concerned about in the meta and have a good chance of facing
Turn 1 Reanimate
12 Post eldrazi
Elf combo
Affinity
A variant of control (snapcasters and all that)
Goblins
I don't think a devotion strategy is the way to go in Legacy. Even if you're dead-set on trying it, I think 4 of your one-drops should be Cursecatcher. I'd also find a way to fit the fourth Lord of Atlantis in there.
I'm dead set on trying it!
I'm looking for comments that are trying to tweak this build to be as good as possible minus aether vials and using devotion
I'm trying something a little different for a tournament tomorrow night... going without the aether vials (but still using Chalice of the Void). I don't have aether vials I'm trying to play with devotion a bit. The mana from nykthos is used a variety of different ways... pumping coralhelms, thassa's ability, sometimes hard casting force of will (and cryptic command) and also converting mutavault, mutavault, nykthos into 3 blue mana at times etc.
Creatures 31
4x Reef Shaman (why is this guy not used more? He seems pretty fantastic at the 1 drop spot. Use on their upkeep to take away what they are short on.. can use for islandwalk and also the added benefit of helping convert those nykthos or mutavaults or wasteland to an island in a pinch.
2x Cursecatcher (still a good card, but probably less so in this deck when I want my permanents to stay on the board for devotion)
Looking at this list, do any of you have any suggestions that don't radically change the deck? (i.e. adding 4x aether vials or removing nykthos would be a radical change).
Just curious if anyone thinks I should perhaps be adding Daze into the mix or more counterspells... 22 land feels about right so far with this deck. Should Master of Waves be moved to sideboard? Should I have a 4th Coralhelm? Remove cursecatcher entirely? I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts.. there is a similar deck posted a few pages back that did well without aether vials and this one is similar but trying to use devotion a bit.
EDIT: Also, I have one Wasteland and I"m trying to decide if I should maindeck it or not
Merfolk and devoted elementals.. (Including mutavaults). Indestructible 5/5 and returning all opponents permanents with cyclonic rift seems like it could be good
"We Messed Up on Born of the Gods"
"Dragon's Maze failed in its execution goal. Can Dewey fare better?"
It definitely seems to be a viable strategy. I won my small 8 man tournament with it. Whether it's better or worse than aether vial version I'm not sure
Beat BUG Control, blue/red Delver, Thopter Sword and Storm.
I went with the list I had but I picked up a 4th TNN and replaced the MoW with it.
Still need to get a 4th FoW
I'm not sure I can cut another Coralhelm as they are one of my main manasinks.
Cryptic I thought might have a bit more chance with the devotion and it's something to pitch with my FoW (over say a 4th chalice) if I don't have the mana but I think you may be right. Do you think a Daze might be better? Perhaps a regular Counterspell?
Sideboard i've barely put thought into... I know a fair bit about the meta in this tourney so that has shaped some of my decisions.
Here's the things that have I have to be the most concerned about in the meta and have a good chance of facing
Turn 1 Reanimate
12 Post eldrazi
Elf combo
Affinity
A variant of control (snapcasters and all that)
Goblins
Knowing that meta would you have any suggestions?
Right now I have:
2x Tormod's Crypt (snapcasters, reanimator stuff)
1x Wasteland
2x Pithing needle
1x Carry Away (for Stoneforge Mystic type decks, hexproof equipment decks.. and I have a guy who is big on the Lashwraithe in his monoblack). This increases devotion as well
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift (pretty great to overload with devotion but perhaps should not make the cut)
2x Hurkyls Recall
1x Null Rod
1x Tidebinder Mage
3x Leyline of the Void (paranoid against the turn 1 kill)
I'm dead set on trying it!
I'm looking for comments that are trying to tweak this build to be as good as possible minus aether vials and using devotion
Creatures 31
Spells 7
Lands 22
Looking at this list, do any of you have any suggestions that don't radically change the deck? (i.e. adding 4x aether vials or removing nykthos would be a radical change).
Just curious if anyone thinks I should perhaps be adding Daze into the mix or more counterspells... 22 land feels about right so far with this deck. Should Master of Waves be moved to sideboard? Should I have a 4th Coralhelm? Remove cursecatcher entirely? I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts.. there is a similar deck posted a few pages back that did well without aether vials and this one is similar but trying to use devotion a bit.
EDIT: Also, I have one Wasteland and I"m trying to decide if I should maindeck it or not
Lets say you are going to a tournament and you know round 1 is vs UWR Control and Round 2 is vs RG UrzaTron
What deck do you play??? thx
Merfolk and devoted elementals.. (Including mutavaults). Indestructible 5/5 and returning all opponents permanents with cyclonic rift seems like it could be good
Extra mana to lvl coral helm as well
And nykthos
I mean overloaded cyclonic rift is pretty good as a start..
Could the standard pro tour winning deck be adapted to anything that might work in modern?
Probably merfolk but using Nykthos, Master of Waves and Thassa?
I'm thinking the mana from Nykthos might allow cutting of the aether vials?
Anyone want to give a try at how this deck would look?