Edited Jan.5/2017 to improve the elves match up. I think cursecatcher is worthless and we should play greedy.
Please keep in mind that I usually break away from my own sideboard guide about 20% of the time because my opponents surprise me with cards that are unconventional or underplayed. This is truer in Legacy than in any other format. Be mindful what your opponent has played and sideboard accordingly. By default, this guide will be very good anyway.
Legacy Merfolk Sideboard Guide 2017
Main
12 Island
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Mutavault
4 Cursecatcher
2 Harbinger of the Tides
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Force of Will
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Aether Vial
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Jund
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Karakas
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-1 Phantasmal Image
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 Force of Will
-4 Chalice of the Void
Merfolk
+1 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+4 Tidebinder Mage
-4 Chalice of the Void
-4 Force of Will
Maverick
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+1 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Cursecatcher
-4 Chalice of the Void
Miracles
+2 Karakas
+2 Negate
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Cursecatcher
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Phantasmal Image
Shardless
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+1 Karakas
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Stoneblade
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Mutavault
Loam
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Cursecatcher
Lands
+2 Karakas
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-1 Mutavault
-4 Chalice of the Void
Your SB is very intriguing tbh. But I do think you are boarding out force way too much especially since you have 0 dismembers. Without force you just lose to Young Pyro. Opposing TNN's, Lilli.
Do you really find Tidebinder to be that good though? Negate seems, terrible to me, I think flusterstorm is miles better.
I think you are misboarding VS Miracles. I think you should be keeping in P images, copying Mutavaults vs them is very good. I don't see jitte being very good vs them.
Just my views please keep that in mind. The SB guide is appreciated. But man your SB perplexes me, but, I kind of like it, minus negates and relics.
Your SB is very intriguing tbh. But I do think you are boarding out force way too much especially since you have 0 dismembers. Without force you just lose to Young Pyro. Opposing TNN's, Lilli.
Do you really find Tidebinder to be that good though? Negate seems, terrible to me, I think flusterstorm is miles better.
I think you are misboarding VS Miracles. I think you should be keeping in P images, copying Mutavaults vs them is very good. I don't see jitte being very good vs them.
Just my views please keep that in mind. The SB guide is appreciated. But man your SB perplexes me, but, I kind of like it, minus negates and relics.
I board out force probably 3 times? Grixis Delver, Merfolk, and Jund so not that often. Negate hits everything relevant in Legacy, Flusterstorm now hits nothing. I bring Tidebinder in petty often, so I think he's relevant. I'll explain the rest of what you're wondering in my video.
I guess, in a list with no dismembers Force becomes very needed. I could be wrong though. I don't hate tidebinder at all I'm really into the idea of him but I can't pull the trigger. And I'm torn in general whether to play this, Eldrazi (yuck) or just say YOLO and break out oops again this weekend.
Watched your video last night was fantastic. You sold me on Negate and the whole venser package.
I do find it refreshing that are MB lists are only a few cards different -1 Jitte +1 PI, -3 Island +3 Blue Fetches. Reasoning behind the fetches are that it helps shuffle creatures back in from Terminus I'm still not sure how great it is, maybe 2 is fine. Do you find yourself ever missing the 4th PI in place of a jitte? What are your thoughts of -1 harbing or -1 Clique for the 4th PI?
Your SB in General I think is great I still disagree with some of the choice as far as how to SB.
I don't think taking any numbers of Chalice out vs Delver is a good idea because of how much they cantrip. I don't usually worry to much about delver YP is the bigger threat, and playing chalice into bouncing back their delver is always great. I agree that it is tough to figure which cards to cut and I don't quite know yet, But I don't know if force or chalice are the ones to cut.
I'm loving the Tidebinder mage btw. Just love it!
Agasint Jund I think we need to keep force not just because of lilli but Toxic Deluge. I think cutting some numbers of Vial is right to make their kolghans command much weaker as well.
The only thing I 100% disagree with is some of the miracle SB. I think taking out some number of vials is fine, we need threats and vials late are just god awful. And PI's can become mutavaults which are fantastic vs them.
Is Relic > Crypt right now?
Great Video and seeing how my MB lined up closely to yours already makes me feel like Fish should be a fine call for the GP. I just dunno if I want Jitte Main tbh, over a 4th PI or a 3rd Harbinger.
I just like Harbinngers, but they are replaceable. The 4th Phantasmal Image is playable but I'm constructing my build to be as little clunky as possible and The 4th Image gets in that territory.
I think the fetches are insane. What you want them to do is not worth it at all.
Relic was always better than Tormod's Crypt, But getting Crypt early vs reanimator was very good. And Crypt is just convenient vs dredge where Merfolk wants to tap out to race it.
Maybe FoW is needed vs Jund, I actually never played vs it. But it just does not feel like something I would want. But maybe the match up plays out similarly as Shardless.
I haven't quite figured out the Grixis Delver match up, however, I do know that the baleful strix version can play around Chalice quite well by removing most of their 1 drops except maybe 16. It's still playable but I don't like to bring Chalice in just for cantrips.
Got 2 byes for tomorrow winning a Vintage Challenge.
I'm gonna roll with your SB Nikachu, I'm going to play Crypts tho instead of relics, Saw a looooooot of storm, reanimator today in the room. I think there was a decent amount of eldrazi which makes me a bit nervous but maybe I don't need to be.
That's really the deck i'm worried about. Because I haven't played vs it much. What do you look for?
And what do you think about shaving some numbers of Vial vs Miracles? They side out their CB's and some of their forces and Counterspells at least I know Anaug Das has when I've played him. I get a lot of good experience vs Miracles since he plays at my LGS.
So the top 32 of the GP is incredibly interesting. Only 1 D & T list, 0 chalice of the void decks and a bunch of midrangey sultai delver decks. Sneak and show seems to be the combo deck to beat, so what I'm getting is.......is it time to move away from chalice? Or at least move it to the board?
It's not effective at all VS show and tell. It's mediocre at best against the sultai lists and it seems that miracles has really adapted to the card. It still does work against reanimator and grixis delver...... but even against either deck it can be a turn slow.
Anyone thinking about this issue that nikachu has been alluding to?
With abrupt decay running around more, chalice does seem a lot worse, but I'm still pretty pleased by them. They still hit 35% of the nonlands in most decks. I'd rather start jamming misdirection more than cut chalice, at least for now. Sneak and Show is much more of a reason to not run chalice as having proper access to Swan Song is huge there. Chalice also still isn't entirely irrelevant against S&S, though, as I've had several games where they've managed to resolve a sneak attack but had a lot of trouble finding a fatty thanks to the chalice, and they just died before they could find one.
Reid took 4 Nemesis deck and won a legacy GP: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/winning-with-sultai-in-louisville/
He claims: "I’ll gladly report that Leovold was quite good for me, but the fact is that True-Name Nemesis was even better. Yes, the answers for it are out there, but when your opponents aren’t well-prepared to beat it, True-Name Nemesis is an incredibly unfair card. In my book, it’s the best creature ever printed."
We all know that Silvergill Adept is the best creature of all time, but he is Reid and we can must indulge him.
My point is that he was riding TNN all the way through, with a relatively slow deck that crushes Miracles. That sounds really familiar and is a good sign for Merfolk players.
Even better if more people play his deck (this is close to a bye as it has horrible mana, slow, plays Islands and have no combo finish or mass removal).
My point is that he was riding TNN all the way through, with a relatively slow deck that crushes Miracles. That sounds really familiar and is a good sign for Merfolk players.
Even better if more people play his deck (this is close to a bye as it has horrible mana, slow, plays Islands and have no combo finish or mass removal).
Got another 5-0! https://www.twitch.tv/videos/117741927
Decklist in sig is up-to-date. I'm definitely pleased with this 10 1-drop style and 3 vial/chalice in the current online meta.
Got another 5-0! https://www.twitch.tv/videos/117741927
Decklist in sig is up-to-date. I'm definitely pleased with this 10 1-drop style and 3 vial/chalice in the current online meta.
At 1:32:35, why not Tidal his red source, then attack with Mutavault while Vialing in a Lord? He could have another Dismember, but that is irrelevant at his life total.
Didn't think of that line at all. When Tidal is on board I should think through similar lines I would if I had a Wasteland, but I'm not in the habit of doing that yet.
I think about Tidal most of the times because D&T is always on my way. At the last GP I had to fight 3 D&T in a row, not 5 blue decks like some of us
That awful experience is probably the last time I had zero Tidals in the maindeck.
Interesting to see 4 Echoing Truth in the main. It basically signals that they're gearing up to battle against fair decks (where tempoing them out matters) as opposed to unfair ones (where you're just trying to stop degenerate combos).
Please keep in mind that I usually break away from my own sideboard guide about 20% of the time because my opponents surprise me with cards that are unconventional or underplayed. This is truer in Legacy than in any other format. Be mindful what your opponent has played and sideboard accordingly. By default, this guide will be very good anyway.
Legacy Merfolk Sideboard Guide 2017
Main
12 Island
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Mutavault
4 Cursecatcher
2 Harbinger of the Tides
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Phantasmal Image
4 Silvergill Adept
4 True-Name Nemesis
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Force of Will
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Aether Vial
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Sideboard
2 Karakas
2 Grafdigger’s Cage
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Negate
4 Tidebinder Mage
1 Umezawa’s Jitte
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
Eldrazi
+1 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Chalice of the Void
Grixis Delver with Young Pyromancer
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Tidebinder Mage
-4 Force of Will
Grixis Delver with Baleful Strix
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Chalice of the Void
UR Delver
Play
+4 Tidebinder Mage
-4 Aether Vial
Draw
+4 Tidebinder Mage
-4 Cursecatcher
Temur Delver
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Tidebinder Mage
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-2 Vendilion Clique
-1 Phantasmal Image
Death and Taxes
+2 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Chalice of the Void
-1 Cursecatcher
Infect
+2 Negate
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 True-Name Nemesis
-3 Phantasmal Image
Burn
+2 Negate
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+1 Venser, Shaper Savant
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Vendilion Clique
-3 Phantasmal Image
Jund
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Karakas
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-1 Phantasmal Image
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 Force of Will
-4 Chalice of the Void
Merfolk
+1 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+4 Tidebinder Mage
-4 Chalice of the Void
-4 Force of Will
Maverick
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+1 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Cursecatcher
-4 Chalice of the Void
Miracles
+2 Karakas
+2 Negate
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Cursecatcher
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Phantasmal Image
Shardless
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+1 Karakas
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Stoneblade
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Karakas
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Mutavault
Loam
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Cursecatcher
Lands
+2 Karakas
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-1 Mutavault
-4 Chalice of the Void
Reanimator
+2 Karakas
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+2 Negate
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-4 True Name Nemesis
-2 Vendilion Clique
-1 Mutavault
Elves
Play
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Phantasmal Image
-4 Cursecatcher
Draw
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+1 Umezawa's Jitte
-4 Chalice of the Void
-3 Cursecatcher
Storm
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+2 Negate
-4 True-Name Nemesis
-1 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Show and Tell
+2 Karakas
+2 Venser, Shaper Savant
+2 Negate
-4 Chalice of the Void
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-1 True-Name Nemesis
Aluren
+4 Tidebinder Mage
+2 Negate
+1 Venser, Shaper Savant
-4 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
Dredge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+2 Negate
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-1 Chalice of the Void
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Vendilion Clique
Manaless Dredge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Grafdigger’s Cage
+2 Negate
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Vendilion Clique
-1 Umezawa’s Jitte
-1 Phantasmal Image
Do you really find Tidebinder to be that good though? Negate seems, terrible to me, I think flusterstorm is miles better.
I think you are misboarding VS Miracles. I think you should be keeping in P images, copying Mutavaults vs them is very good. I don't see jitte being very good vs them.
Just my views please keep that in mind. The SB guide is appreciated. But man your SB perplexes me, but, I kind of like it, minus negates and relics.
https://youtu.be/mr0mWCwMwlE
Watched your video last night was fantastic. You sold me on Negate and the whole venser package.
I do find it refreshing that are MB lists are only a few cards different -1 Jitte +1 PI, -3 Island +3 Blue Fetches. Reasoning behind the fetches are that it helps shuffle creatures back in from Terminus I'm still not sure how great it is, maybe 2 is fine. Do you find yourself ever missing the 4th PI in place of a jitte? What are your thoughts of -1 harbing or -1 Clique for the 4th PI?
Your SB in General I think is great I still disagree with some of the choice as far as how to SB.
I don't think taking any numbers of Chalice out vs Delver is a good idea because of how much they cantrip. I don't usually worry to much about delver YP is the bigger threat, and playing chalice into bouncing back their delver is always great. I agree that it is tough to figure which cards to cut and I don't quite know yet, But I don't know if force or chalice are the ones to cut.
I'm loving the Tidebinder mage btw. Just love it!
Agasint Jund I think we need to keep force not just because of lilli but Toxic Deluge. I think cutting some numbers of Vial is right to make their kolghans command much weaker as well.
The only thing I 100% disagree with is some of the miracle SB. I think taking out some number of vials is fine, we need threats and vials late are just god awful. And PI's can become mutavaults which are fantastic vs them.
Is Relic > Crypt right now?
Great Video and seeing how my MB lined up closely to yours already makes me feel like Fish should be a fine call for the GP. I just dunno if I want Jitte Main tbh, over a 4th PI or a 3rd Harbinger.
I think the fetches are insane. What you want them to do is not worth it at all.
Relic was always better than Tormod's Crypt, But getting Crypt early vs reanimator was very good. And Crypt is just convenient vs dredge where Merfolk wants to tap out to race it.
Maybe FoW is needed vs Jund, I actually never played vs it. But it just does not feel like something I would want. But maybe the match up plays out similarly as Shardless.
I haven't quite figured out the Grixis Delver match up, however, I do know that the baleful strix version can play around Chalice quite well by removing most of their 1 drops except maybe 16. It's still playable but I don't like to bring Chalice in just for cantrips.
I'm gonna roll with your SB Nikachu, I'm going to play Crypts tho instead of relics, Saw a looooooot of storm, reanimator today in the room. I think there was a decent amount of eldrazi which makes me a bit nervous but maybe I don't need to be.
Goal for tomorrow is 21 Match Points.
And what do you think about shaving some numbers of Vial vs Miracles? They side out their CB's and some of their forces and Counterspells at least I know Anaug Das has when I've played him. I get a lot of good experience vs Miracles since he plays at my LGS.
Modern UMerfolkU
Legacy UMerfolkU
Standard XWhatever's GoodX
It's not effective at all VS show and tell. It's mediocre at best against the sultai lists and it seems that miracles has really adapted to the card. It still does work against reanimator and grixis delver...... but even against either deck it can be a turn slow.
Anyone thinking about this issue that nikachu has been alluding to?
Twitch channel
He claims: "I’ll gladly report that Leovold was quite good for me, but the fact is that True-Name Nemesis was even better. Yes, the answers for it are out there, but when your opponents aren’t well-prepared to beat it, True-Name Nemesis is an incredibly unfair card. In my book, it’s the best creature ever printed."
We all know that Silvergill Adept is the best creature of all time, but he is Reid and we
canmust indulge him.My point is that he was riding TNN all the way through, with a relatively slow deck that crushes Miracles. That sounds really familiar and is a good sign for Merfolk players.
Even better if more people play his deck (this is close to a bye as it has horrible mana, slow, plays Islands and have no combo finish or mass removal).
Also, Chalice of The Void isn't too shabby on the play with 16 one drops.
Yeah I wouldn't mind playing that deck at all, the more the merrier!
Decklist in sig is up-to-date. I'm definitely pleased with this 10 1-drop style and 3 vial/chalice in the current online meta.
Twitch channel
Twitch channel
That awful experience is probably the last time I had zero Tidals in the maindeck.
Probably just trying to test certain cards out, not sure there is much to glean here.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers: