Merieke will likely spend a lot of time tapped, due to her very nature. You might want to consider Throne of the God-Pharaoh in that case, especially if you swing with what you steal.
Darksteel Plate can enable you to keep creatures when you untap Merieke naturally(say, Conjurer's Closet is too slow). You can also use Nephalia Smuggler to bounce them as well.
Thanks for the reply! I like a couple of those suggestions a lot. Trying to figure what to pull out though. Tamiyo and War Tax seem like the first to go.
Thanks for the reply! I like a couple of those suggestions a lot. Trying to figure what to pull out though. Tamiyo and War Tax seem like the first to go.
Given that you have effects like Propaganda and Norn's Annex in plentiful supply, and that they are passively ongoing(as opposed to War Tax, which requires activation), yeah; Tax should go. As for Tamiyo, I tried running her in my own Merieke deck(before posting it here), and she too didn't make the cut for long. So yeah, those would be reasonable cuts. Depending on what else caught your eye, I could probably make other suggestions.
Glad you liked what I posted, though; if you want, feel free to go over my own Merieke deck for ideas(though it's more bent towards competitive than casual).
I feel like I could cut a couple lands. Also I have been advised to maybe run a couple board wipes. What I'm trying to go after now is the time tune process. There's lots of cards I could add. I'm not sure if I'm over redundant on some things and I think my utility pieces are either lacking or inefficient or both. Honestly I thought about dropping the Kismet effects. While effective and good I think they may not be needed and take up slots I could use for something else.
Interesting note is this deck isn't designed to win, but in the first 9 games I have played with this I have won 6 of them.
I feel like I could cut a couple lands. Also I have been advised to maybe run a couple board wipes. What I'm trying to go after now is the time tune process. There's lots of cards I could add. I'm not sure if I'm over redundant on some things and I think my utility pieces are either lacking or inefficient or both. Honestly I thought about dropping the Kismet effects. While effective and good I think they may not be needed and take up slots I could use for something else.
Interesting note is this deck isn't designed to win, but in the first 9 games I have played with this I have won 6 of them.
I wouldn't cut more than 2 lands, 3 maximum. Some board wipes also couldn't hurt; try to focus on the OG wipe and Supreme Verdict for their guarantees. If you can't get the OG or Damnation, then go ahead for others like Day.
You COULD be right about the Kismet effects, but it can also help to keep your opponents stalled if you stall as well. Plus, the removal they use on that stuff is less removal going towards your wincon pieces. Still, if you feel like you have too many, go ahead and drop a few.
Some decks can just flat out surprise you...I've had it happen from time to time myself. Incomparable feeling of satisfaction, right?
Gave the deck a couple wipe options for those times when where there is a huge creature presence and I don't have really protection out. Collective Restraint is vastly superior to War Tax and should always be at 3, unless I steal a land lol. Tamiyo, the Moon Sage really didn't do what I needed, and The Scarab God allows me to get creatures from the grave yard which gives me another angle to steal things from.
I will find out this weekend how the changes help. Thinking about adding the new card Thaumatic Compass. It would give me some mana ramp, but also a 2nd Maze of Ith. I think that's pretty good.
Got some games in this weekend. The board wipes were a great idea. Specially now that the hate is on my tax pieces and my oh my people hate Forcefield. Collective Restraint did just what it was brought in to do. And to my pleasure, The Scarab God was phenomenal. Need to find a spot for the compass, I think it would work well. Also need to see about finding a spot for Minamo, School at Water's Edge.
Glad to hear things worked out well for you. I forgot about Minamo for another untap combo for Merieke, so I need to redouble my efforts at getting a few of those for myself as well.
For Minamo, I'd drop a basic(so, Island) before one so versatile as Arcane Sanctum. The compass, I would lean towards replacing the witch with it, as she can get expensive if you get lucky and steal a lot of creatures all at once. Additionally, you already have a lot of blink effects to perma-steal creatures anyway.
You might also want to consider your next drop to be Blatant Thievery. While that can be quite nice when it resolves, by that point, you're usually well on your way to ending the game, even with a pillow deck. If you had Fork effects, I'd lean towards maybe keeping it a bit longer, but the CMC and minimal effect lead me to say no. Now, if you want some hilarity(as well as constant, "Let me read that card" statements), try Vesuvan Doppelganger in that slot. Just remember its upkeep trigger(I STILL struggle with that, so don't feel bad if you miss it).
I daresay your Merieke deck is built to keep what you steal one at a time by keeping Merieke tapped on whatever you steal.
Even with all the untap effects Jund and I have been tossing back and forth, I feel your suggestion adds on too much burden to the deck's owner for not as much benefit against the opponent(s).
However, you have given me a card to keep a watchful eye out for...Arena of the Ancients can indeed be great protection against commander damage.
Well got some more games in this weekend. It was pretty rough game play. The one guy that has this raging nerd boner for me was in the group. So no matter what deck I played he came straight for me. Minamo, School at Water's Edge worked pretty well. Didn't get to use Thaumatic Compass or Vesuvan Doppelganger so I will have to wait till next time to pass judgment on them.
Now Dream Tides has me interested for sure. I will get that to the maybe board for testing.
Updated my maybe/test board. Still have more cards I am looking at to add to that list. Then gotta try and weed through it all to see what will work and won't.
Finally got to see Thaumatic Compass and Vesuvan Doppelganger this weekend in my games. Both performed very well. Ice Floe has become a liability. Considering replacing it with a basic Island or Mystifying Maze. Kind of leaning more towards the clone effects over steal ones. This call is totally based on my meta. Also considering some kind of graveyard recursion. Sun Titan only gets a select few things and is often killed on sight.
1 Merieke Ri Berit
Creature
1 Ixidron
1 Vesuvan Doppelganger
1 Dimir Doppelganger
1 Clever Impersonator
1 Coffin Queen
1 Windborn Muse
1 Gilded Drake
1 Sakashima the Impostor
1 The Scarab God
1 Sun Titan
Enchantment
1 Kismet
1 Mystic Remora
1 Necropotence
1 Dream Tides
1 Humility
1 Propaganda
1 Arcane Laboratory
1 No Mercy
1 Rhystic Study
1 Collective Restraint
1 Frozen Aether
1 Rule of Law
1 Phyrexian Arena
1 Leyline of Anticipation
1 Sphere of Safety
1 Blind Obedience
1 Ghostly Prison
1 Authority of the Consuls
1 Scrubland
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Maze of Ith
1 Strip Mine
1 Kor Haven
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Reflecting Pool
9 Island
1 Marsh Flats
4 Plains
4 Swamp
1 Isolated Chapel
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Glacial Fortress
1 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
1 Watery Grave
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Flooded Strand
1 Polluted Delta
1 Arcane Lighthouse
1 Arcane Sanctum
1 Command Tower
Artifact
1 Forcefield
1 Vedalken Orrery
1 Mimic Vat
1 Norn's Annex
1 Chromatic Lantern
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Thaumatic Compass
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Swiftfoot Boots
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Darksteel Ingot
1 Sol Ring
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
1 Duplicant
1 Counterspell
1 Path to Exile
1 Unmake
1 Swords to Plowshares
1 Arcane Denial
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Utter End
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Anguished Unmaking
1 Disallow
1 Mana Drain
1 Return to Dust
Sorcery
1 Bribery
1 Vindicate
1 Damnation
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Rite of Replication
1 Wrath of God
Planeswalker
1 Dovin Baan
1 Rings of Brighthearth
1 Thousand-Year Elixir
1 Vizier of Tumbling Sands
1 Time Sieve
1 Sword of the Meek
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
Darksteel Plate can enable you to keep creatures when you untap Merieke naturally(say, Conjurer's Closet is too slow). You can also use Nephalia Smuggler to bounce them as well.
On the subject of untapping Merieke, consider Crab Umbra, Puppet Strings, Captain of the Mists, or even Unbender Tine. The Do-Anything Aura is also great fun.
If someone tries to sac creatures to deny you them, Adarkar Valkyrie is a great counter-NOPE.
Gift of Immortality can help keep Merieke alive longer.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
Given that you have effects like Propaganda and Norn's Annex in plentiful supply, and that they are passively ongoing(as opposed to War Tax, which requires activation), yeah; Tax should go. As for Tamiyo, I tried running her in my own Merieke deck(before posting it here), and she too didn't make the cut for long. So yeah, those would be reasonable cuts. Depending on what else caught your eye, I could probably make other suggestions.
Glad you liked what I posted, though; if you want, feel free to go over my own Merieke deck for ideas(though it's more bent towards competitive than casual).
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
Interesting note is this deck isn't designed to win, but in the first 9 games I have played with this I have won 6 of them.
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
I wouldn't cut more than 2 lands, 3 maximum. Some board wipes also couldn't hurt; try to focus on the OG wipe and Supreme Verdict for their guarantees. If you can't get the OG or Damnation, then go ahead for others like Day.
You COULD be right about the Kismet effects, but it can also help to keep your opponents stalled if you stall as well. Plus, the removal they use on that stuff is less removal going towards your wincon pieces. Still, if you feel like you have too many, go ahead and drop a few.
Some decks can just flat out surprise you...I've had it happen from time to time myself. Incomparable feeling of satisfaction, right?
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
Swamp----->Supreme Verdict
Swamp----->Day of Judgment (Until I can find where my Wrath of God went)
War Tax----->Collective Restraint
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage----->The Scarab God
Gave the deck a couple wipe options for those times when where there is a huge creature presence and I don't have really protection out. Collective Restraint is vastly superior to War Tax and should always be at 3, unless I steal a land lol. Tamiyo, the Moon Sage really didn't do what I needed, and The Scarab God allows me to get creatures from the grave yard which gives me another angle to steal things from.
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
For Minamo, I'd drop a basic(so, Island) before one so versatile as Arcane Sanctum. The compass, I would lean towards replacing the witch with it, as she can get expensive if you get lucky and steal a lot of creatures all at once. Additionally, you already have a lot of blink effects to perma-steal creatures anyway.
You might also want to consider your next drop to be Blatant Thievery. While that can be quite nice when it resolves, by that point, you're usually well on your way to ending the game, even with a pillow deck. If you had Fork effects, I'd lean towards maybe keeping it a bit longer, but the CMC and minimal effect lead me to say no. Now, if you want some hilarity(as well as constant, "Let me read that card" statements), try Vesuvan Doppelganger in that slot. Just remember its upkeep trigger(I STILL struggle with that, so don't feel bad if you miss it).
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
I remember more Arena of the Ancients, Pemmin's Aura untap and protection.
I daresay your Merieke deck is built to keep what you steal one at a time by keeping Merieke tapped on whatever you steal.
Even with all the untap effects Jund and I have been tossing back and forth, I feel your suggestion adds on too much burden to the deck's owner for not as much benefit against the opponent(s).
However, you have given me a card to keep a watchful eye out for...Arena of the Ancients can indeed be great protection against commander damage.
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
Now Dream Tides has me interested for sure. I will get that to the maybe board for testing.
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
1x Adarkar Wastes
1x Ancient Den
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Caves of Koilos
1x Celestial Colonnade
1x Command Tower
1x Creeping Tar Pit
1x Darkwater Catacombs
1x Drowned Catacomb
1x Exotic Orchard
1x Glacial Fortress
1x Hallowed Fountain
7x Island
1x Miren, the Moaning Well
1x Mistveil Plains
1x Plains
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Skycloud Expanse
1x Strip Mine
6x Swamp
1x Tainted Field
1x Tainted Isle
1x Tolaria West
1x Underground River
1x Vault of Whispers
1x Watery Grave
1x Aura of Silence
1x Dream Tides
1x Freed from the Real
1x Grave Pact
1x Mind Over Matter
1x Pemmin's Aura
1x Phyrexian Arena
1x Rest in Peace
Artifact (19)
1x Arena of the Ancients
1x Azorius Signet
1x Champion's Helm
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Dimir Signet
1x Expedition Map
1x Helm of Obedience
1x Magewright's Stone
1x Meekstone
1x Orzhov Signet
1x Proteus Staff
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Sol Ring
1x Staff of Nin
1x Swiftfoot Boots
1x Temple Bell
1x Thornbite Staff
1x Thousand-Year Elixir
1x Tormod's Crypt
1x Counterspell
1x Dismiss
1x Dispel
1x Dissipate
1x Hinder
1x Mana Leak
1x Mindbreak Trap
1x Mortify
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Negate
1x Path to Exile
1x Return to Dust
1x Rewind
1x Shadow of Doubt
1x Snuff Out
1x Spell Crumple
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Time Stop
Creature (7)
1x Adarkar Valkyrie
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Guile
1x Merieke Ri Berit
1x Rune-Scarred Demon
1x Trinket Mage
1x Weathered Wayfarer
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB
GVorinclex, Voice of HungerG
WUBMerieke Ri BeritWUB
UBRNekusar, the MindrazerUBR
GWUBAtraxa, Praetors' VoiceGWUB