has anyone tested psionic blast in the flex spots? i have had a few games where being able to point 4 damage at either a creature or someones face would have won me the game.
Arcane Laboratory is probably not worth taking up sideboard slots. You would want it against combo decks, but the most common combo deck (Show and Tell) doesn't even need to cast more than one spell. Against other combo decks you're likely to encounter, such as various kinds of Storm (ANT/TES/etc.) and Elves, it is a combination of too slow and insignificant. Both of these decks can win on turn 2 or 3, which would be before the laboratory hits play, assuming you even had 3 lands on time, and both storm and elves also have ways of removing it (Chain of Vapor/Abrupt Decay respectively) when they do want to "go off".
That said, it does have some nice synergy with Æther Vial, but I think it just doesn't do enough to disrupt the game-plan of those opponents that we would consider bringing it in against.
I don't particularly like flusterstorm in the SB. It's a good card for the matchups we're already favored in. I'd rather use the SB slots on matchups I'm worried about. 3-4 swan song SB is fine, but any more than that is just overkill. Swan song is much better as it can counter sneak attack *and* it's a hard counter, not a taxer.
Is Flusterstorm a good card to put in the SB? I have 2 and was wondering if I would ever need them in Legacy or not.
Flusterstorm is arguably the best sideboard card for Merfolk, and is the only card in my board that has more than 2 copies. Great against most combo decks, many control decks, and all delver decks means it should be an auto-include in the board at this point.
I would play Swan Song before Flusterstorm personally. It has a better range against combo decks with the ability to counter enchantments like Sneak Attack and Dream Halls, and being a hard counter is a big improvement when you have combo decks packing Sol lands and other fast mana. Flusterstorm is a little better against Storm, sure, but Swan Song still shines in that matchup just fine.
The 2/2 really doesn't matter too much because the combo decks are blue.
Yeah, but flusterstorm is harder to be countered since it is at least 2 spells to be countered in case the opponent has no spare mana. That being said, I think flusterstorm has more success rate on countering than swansong (and has no drawback)
Yeah, but flusterstorm is harder to be countered since it is at least 2 spells to be countered in case the opponent has no spare mana. That being said, I think flusterstorm has more success rate on countering than swansong (and has no drawback)
Combo decks have been built to have spare mana around since Spell Pierce came out. You see things like Reanimator siding in City of Traitors, both because it helps cast Show and Tell and because it helps them fight through soft countermagic not to mention Reanimator often playing Lotus Petal these days for similar reasons. Sneak and Show/OmniShow both play a slew of Sol Lands and Petal as well. And for Storm, I have seen them go off through Flusterstorm before because they were able to ritual in response to pay for it. That might be uncommon for Storm, but certainly not unheard of.
Don't get me wrong, I really really like Flusterstorm but if a deck can ignore Swan Song's drawback I think it's better on the virtue of being a hard counter and being able to hit relevant enchantments. Merfolk can largely ignore the 2/2 against decks its bringing in Swan Song against as aside from like Belcher the decks are blue (and in the case of Belcher the 2/2 doesn't matter because they don't really have the ability to rebuild).
Went into a small tourney with some great player with merfolk.
Went 3-2 with win against Patriot aggro, Belcher and Shardless bug And had loss against Miracle and Patriot Aggro,
I have to say that with the prevalence of deathrite shaman, wasteland seem less effective than cavern of souls. I mean it look like this deck is now aggroing with lord until the opponenent stabilize and finish thing off with a True-Name-Nemesis.
The Reejerey went on the side a lots of times but in the main deck they seem to fill a great role.
Against the miracle player he just had nuts draw without a top so can't really beat that.
Made a few mistake that cost me a game but it was mana mistake(being greddy and pley mutavault when i needed double blue ) and i'm considering misdirection for the sideboard to help me protect my board while disrupting the opponement. It's better than force of will on removal and abrupt decay but less good against combo.
When I was new to the deck and to Legacy in general, git probe was an all-star crutch for the fact that I lacked the experience necessary to read my opponents. Eventually though, I outgrew those training wheels, and I just wanted to draw a lord, not draw something that could be a lord.
I've been playing me some fish and i got 2 issues with it.
1. It's kinda got a weak sideboard. I liked the suggestions I've read over. I made some edits to it
2. I also was wanting to try out Triton Shorestalkerin here as well, however i can't decide what to cut.
Brainstorm really isn't doing you much with no shuffle effects. Aside from the lack of shuffle effects, and even if you changed your build to include them cantrips are notoriously weak in Merfolk. Your cards all sort of do the same thing, either it's a body, disruption, or mana (Vial counting as mana) so you don't have the same need to filter through your deck that other blue decks have.
I'm not the biggest fan of Reejerey anymore, mostly because it crowds up your hands with too many three drops at times. The additional lord effect is nice, but three seems like an awful lot.
I can't see ever cutting a Silvergil, and would like to know your reasoning behind only having three.
Personally I'm a bigger fan of Dakra Mystic than Shorestalker. I think Mystic actually helps solve a problem for the deck (running out of gas), whereas Shorestalker is just doing more of what you already do.
Although Brainstorm likely isn't the best cantrip for Merfolk (hands out two dead turns too often), cantrips have gotten stronger in Merfolk, IMO, because not every Merfolk is a True-Name Nemesis. (You've got jillions of lords and some evasion, but not everything is a supreme, quasi-Hexproof unblockable that Fogs a guy when Vialed in.)
The first card I'd cut from that list is Thassa, as I've tended to find her win-more because she needs devotion to become a creature (at least in Modern).
I cut the 1 silvergill for the brainstorms (I Originally had 3 Fetches). The reason for the Storms is if i get Thoghtseized or Inquistioned I can react and save what cloud be a vile, a true-name, or something of the sort.
I am curious as to why you say dakra though. would that be a 1 of or 2 of?
I like Dakra as a small roleplayer. You're right, probably 2.
I think what makes Dakra strong is that it just gives you insurance against flooding, and a way to find gas.
Because you have control of whether or not to Howling Mine it will only draw you cards when it benefits you more than your opponent.
If the card your opponent reveals is better then you just deny them access to that card. If your opponent reveals something dead/bad (like countermagic when you have Vial, or removal to your TNN) then you draw. If you reveal a land and your opponent reveals action, you mill both which lets you dig past a land you would have otherwise drawn.
It's not the most impactful card by any means, but then again neither is Cursecatcher. But the fact that Dakra does so with a low opportunity cost is what sells me on the card. You're playing it because it's a one drop with potential upside; worst case scenario with Dakra is that you never activate it but even then you still get a body to benefit from lords and/or equipment.
I like Ponder over Brainstorm in my experience, but that may be because I don't run any fetches. Also, I've found myself cutting down to 0 Reejerey in to accommodate the Ponders and Dakra Mystics. I find too often that I'd rather have a cheaper body whenever Reejerey is in my hand
How do you guys distribute your mana? I am not running Mutavault at the moment (mainly because I don't want to fork out for them when they are rotating soon) and I am running a 3/3 slipt of Wasteland and Cavern of Souls with 14 Islands. I haven't had any issues with mana so far, so it seems to be working. Wasteland has been really important, too, and with a high creature count and the amount of Wastelands in my meta (Brisbane, Australia - there is a lot of midrange and D&T bouncing around at the moment) I am a bit hesitant to make the change. This is my list:
Sideboard is still in the works. The Brisbane meta changes a lot from week to week as a lot of the regulars have multiple decks and we have a rotating list of semi-regular players (we get between 20 and 35 players every week). I am probably going to keep it as simple as possible, and go for a broad-reaching solution:
Any thoughts? I don't know how I feel about Chill, but we have had a fair bit of RDW lately, as well as the normal amount of Jund and RUG delver, so it seems solid right now. Definitely could become something else, like Kira, though.
Put one drop then drop chalice
Cast your one drop trough the chalice.
30 creature and 2 Sygg.... 4 cosi tricster.. 0 daze... 0 vial..
He also play 2 Mishra Factory...
So basically it's an aggro deck with Force of will?
Anyone tried Triton Shorestalker? I play a against a fair number of non-blue decks, and tossing in a few of those has been pretty good after dropping a lord or two. Gives a slightly higher chance of a more aggressive start, and after a lord or three, serves as a mini-TNN.
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Modern: WUBValue Titan UMerfolk WGDeath and Taxes
I generally agree, but Cosi's Trickster is meh against DnT, while Shorestalker is halfway useful. Against the rest of the field loaded with fetches, yes probably go Trickster.
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Arcane Laboratory is probably not worth taking up sideboard slots. You would want it against combo decks, but the most common combo deck (Show and Tell) doesn't even need to cast more than one spell. Against other combo decks you're likely to encounter, such as various kinds of Storm (ANT/TES/etc.) and Elves, it is a combination of too slow and insignificant. Both of these decks can win on turn 2 or 3, which would be before the laboratory hits play, assuming you even had 3 lands on time, and both storm and elves also have ways of removing it (Chain of Vapor/Abrupt Decay respectively) when they do want to "go off".
That said, it does have some nice synergy with Æther Vial, but I think it just doesn't do enough to disrupt the game-plan of those opponents that we would consider bringing it in against.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=392928
Modern - Mardu Death's Shadow(needs work)
DnT(mono white cause I had the cards)
Legacy - RUG Delver(almost foiled out)
RG Lands
Twitch channel
Flusterstorm is arguably the best sideboard card for Merfolk, and is the only card in my board that has more than 2 copies. Great against most combo decks, many control decks, and all delver decks means it should be an auto-include in the board at this point.
The 2/2 really doesn't matter too much because the combo decks are blue.
Combo decks have been built to have spare mana around since Spell Pierce came out. You see things like Reanimator siding in City of Traitors, both because it helps cast Show and Tell and because it helps them fight through soft countermagic not to mention Reanimator often playing Lotus Petal these days for similar reasons. Sneak and Show/OmniShow both play a slew of Sol Lands and Petal as well. And for Storm, I have seen them go off through Flusterstorm before because they were able to ritual in response to pay for it. That might be uncommon for Storm, but certainly not unheard of.
Don't get me wrong, I really really like Flusterstorm but if a deck can ignore Swan Song's drawback I think it's better on the virtue of being a hard counter and being able to hit relevant enchantments. Merfolk can largely ignore the 2/2 against decks its bringing in Swan Song against as aside from like Belcher the decks are blue (and in the case of Belcher the 2/2 doesn't matter because they don't really have the ability to rebuild).
Went 3-2 with win against Patriot aggro, Belcher and Shardless bug And had loss against Miracle and Patriot Aggro,
I have to say that with the prevalence of deathrite shaman, wasteland seem less effective than cavern of souls. I mean it look like this deck is now aggroing with lord until the opponenent stabilize and finish thing off with a True-Name-Nemesis.
Here was my list
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergil Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Meerow Reejerey
4 Aether Vial
1 Spell Pierce
4 Daze
3 Force of Will
Land-
4 Mutavault
2 Wasteland
2 Cavern of souls
12 Island
The Reejerey went on the side a lots of times but in the main deck they seem to fill a great role.
Against the miracle player he just had nuts draw without a top so can't really beat that.
Made a few mistake that cost me a game but it was mana mistake(being greddy and pley mutavault when i needed double blue ) and i'm considering misdirection for the sideboard to help me protect my board while disrupting the opponement. It's better than force of will on removal and abrupt decay but less good against combo.
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1. It's kinda got a weak sideboard. I liked the suggestions I've read over. I made some edits to it
2. I also was wanting to try out Triton Shorestalkerin here as well, however i can't decide what to cut.
none the less this is how the "school" is looking
12 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Cavern of Souls
:Creatures - 25:
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
2 Phantasmal Image
3 Merrow Reejerey
3 Silvergill Adept
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
:Artifacts - 4:
4 AEther Vial
3 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 Submerge
2 Back to Basics
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Spell Pierce
2 Umezawa's Jitte
I'm not the biggest fan of Reejerey anymore, mostly because it crowds up your hands with too many three drops at times. The additional lord effect is nice, but three seems like an awful lot.
I can't see ever cutting a Silvergil, and would like to know your reasoning behind only having three.
Personally I'm a bigger fan of Dakra Mystic than Shorestalker. I think Mystic actually helps solve a problem for the deck (running out of gas), whereas Shorestalker is just doing more of what you already do.
The first card I'd cut from that list is Thassa, as I've tended to find her win-more because she needs devotion to become a creature (at least in Modern).
I am curious as to why you say dakra though. would that be a 1 of or 2 of?
I think what makes Dakra strong is that it just gives you insurance against flooding, and a way to find gas.
Because you have control of whether or not to Howling Mine it will only draw you cards when it benefits you more than your opponent.
If the card your opponent reveals is better then you just deny them access to that card. If your opponent reveals something dead/bad (like countermagic when you have Vial, or removal to your TNN) then you draw. If you reveal a land and your opponent reveals action, you mill both which lets you dig past a land you would have otherwise drawn.
It's not the most impactful card by any means, but then again neither is Cursecatcher. But the fact that Dakra does so with a low opportunity cost is what sells me on the card. You're playing it because it's a one drop with potential upside; worst case scenario with Dakra is that you never activate it but even then you still get a body to benefit from lords and/or equipment.
3 Cavern of Souls
3 Flooded Strand
4 Mutavault
10 Island
:Creatures - 25:
2 Dakra Mystic
3 Silvergill Adept
2 Phantasmal Image
2 Merrow Reejerey
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
:Artifacts - 4:
4 AEther Vial
3 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 Submerge
2 Back to Basics
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1 Spell Pierce
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Wasteland
14 Island
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 True-Name Nemesis
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Cursecatcher
3 Phantasmal Image
3 Merrow Reejerey
4 Daze
3 Aether Vial
3 Spell Pierce
Sideboard is still in the works. The Brisbane meta changes a lot from week to week as a lot of the regulars have multiple decks and we have a rotating list of semi-regular players (we get between 20 and 35 players every week). I am probably going to keep it as simple as possible, and go for a broad-reaching solution:
3 Swan Song
2 Dismember
2 Submerge
2 Chill
2 Pithing Needle
1 Umezawa's Jitte
Any thoughts? I don't know how I feel about Chill, but we have had a fair bit of RDW lately, as well as the normal amount of Jund and RUG delver, so it seems solid right now. Definitely could become something else, like Kira, though.
http://www.starcitygames.com/events/coverage/deck_tech_merfolk_with_jonatha.html
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis
2 Sygg, River Cutthroat
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Mishra's Factory
4 Mutavault
3 Chalice of the Void
4 Force of Will
1 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Pithing Needle
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Back to Basics
2 Dismember
1 Echoing Truth
1 Hurkyl's Recall
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Negate
2 Swan Song
Very agressive.
Put one drop then drop chalice
Cast your one drop trough the chalice.
30 creature and 2 Sygg.... 4 cosi tricster.. 0 daze... 0 vial..
He also play 2 Mishra Factory...
So basically it's an aggro deck with Force of will?
Modern: WUBValue Titan UMerfolk WGDeath and Taxes
Modern: WUBValue Titan UMerfolk WGDeath and Taxes