Legacy Merfolk Primer
Written by Warden :: Revised March 27th 2011
In my opinion, Legacy is the best format for several reasons: it’s got a diverse playing field, it’s competitive, it’s fresh, and it’s fun. Merfolks is one of the most popular decks because it's affordable, consistent, and capable of cracking any event's T8. To understand how this archetype works, I will use baseball analogies to help explain this deck. I apologize in advance for those who do not like/follow baseball.
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1. Understanding the Franchise
The term “Fish” has come to mean the following: a) Fish as a tribal theme: a deck consisting of aquatic/sea-dwelling creatures. Example b) Fish as an anti-meta deck: a deck that exploits everyone else’s weaknesses.
The “perfect” Fish deck will be built around strong blue cards that create advantages in your favor while simultaneously shutting down your opponent's plans.
Merfolk Fish vs Legacy
a) Merfolk Fish, when compared to the competition in the format, parallels the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays (ironically, both of those teams are “Fish”). Both teams stay economically cheap and desire teamwork while facing off against the high-priced New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox – teams boasting great individuals. Translating into MTG, Merfolk Fish wants to use a relatively inexpensive (literal economic cost of cards and casting cost) group of cards to win it all. With the exception of one of two cards, singles in the deck are highly affordable. How well does this economic strategy work? Like the Marlins and Rays, the results are hit or miss. Sometimes Merfolk can crush the opposition --- cruising into the Top 8 --- while other times it gets outclassed by opponents packing more expensive cards.
2. Fielding the Team: Deck Building Philosophy a) Playing Small Ball (preferring to hit singles instead of home runs): Use low casting-cost creatures that capitalize on teamwork rather than individuality. The creatures used in Merfolk Fish should have a large amount of synergy. While certain decks rely on “kill cards,” Merfolk use a “strength in numbers” tactic. The card choices make this evident. b) Solid Defense: Use cards that shut down the opponent’s threats. The easiest way to do so would be in the form of counterspells. Next would be shaking up board position. An occasional card draw helps do the aforementioned. c) Work the ‘Count: In the midst of foiling the opponent’s plans, you should be playing aggressively. This does not give you the justification to carelessly attack. We do not want to “swing” at everything; have some degree of discipline. d) Scout the Opposition: Just like sports teams who watch film, the success of Fish stems from a breakdown and tweaking of the deck to matchup favorably for a specific meta. Most decks simply tweak singleton card slots and adjust the SB. Fish has tremendous customization.
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*As of 2011, the core selection of Merfolks is pretty much figured out. There are still variations, but the general consensus is listed below.
Core Creatures
1.Cursecatcher: The leadoff hitter. He’s one of the best U drops in recent memory. He is a merfolk of the pearl trident + force spike in one. Where older Fish decks relied upon spiketail hatchling, cursecatcher does the job for less mana (not to mention he’s a merfolk). Cursecatcher turn 1 also gives you a consistent opportunity to thwart enemy plans. Wheras other decks have FoW + Daze, Cursecatcher is yet another somewhat free counter. 2.Silvergill Adept: The #2 hitter. While Adept is a bit fragile with his 2/1 frame, you draw a card. 3.Lord of Atlantis: The captain of the team. A 2/2 lord for UU + grants Islandwalk to everybody. LoA has been a part of Fish decks for a while but now he’s got a solid group of buddies around him. LoA is an example of the pure synergy the deck wishes to maintain.
It should be understood that LoA + Tidal Warrior can net you an unblockable army (ending the game before the opponent can get established). LoA is also powerful because blue is the most popular color in Legacy; you can directly exploit this. 4.Merrow Reejerey: Another lord for the Merfolk. While Reejy doesn’t grant Islandwalk, his ability could be used defensively or offensively. 5.Coralhelm Commander: The rising star from ROE. Coralhelm can be a small beater, evasive brute, or a tremendous lord --> level up lets you decide. This fifth slot was once occupied by Wake Thrasher/Merfolk Sovereign, but Corral is overwhelmingly believed to be a core choice
Core Support
6.Aether Vial: Arguably the MVP, this is the card that holds the deck together. Vial allows you to skip around opposing countermagic, free up your mana for disruption, drop additional creatures, and enhance strategies by “Vial-ing In” threats. Establishing Vial turn 1 is common because it gives you a tremendous edge throughout the entire game. 7.Force of Will: Unanimous all-star. It is capable of countering spells “for free” and is mandatory for Merfolks to keep a break-neck pace. 8.Mutavault: A 2/2 colorless Merfolk when needed. Also taps to produce generic mana. Vault is capable of doing so much, especially when there are 8 lords in the deck. Because it’s a “man-land,” Vault plays nice with Standstill (should it be included in you list).
Remaining MD Slots
*The following cards commonly see play in the MD as the final slots of the deck
x.Daze: A tempo all-star. Few will argue its inclusion, but in a majority of lists because it's a second "free" counterspell. x.Stifle: More disruption. Commonly used against enemy fetchlands in addition to creatures/permanents with quality abilities. x.Spell Pierce: Pierce is sometimes run in the MD as a strong, efficient counterspell. Against an appropriate meta, this will make opponents sweat. This normally takes the slot over Daze or Stifle. x.Standstill: An original core ingredient of the deck, standstill has incredible synergy with Vial and and Mutavault. Although it isn’t perfect, Standstill can be commonly read as: “1U…if your opponent wants to do anything productive, draw 3 cards.” Standstill’s upside and synergy with other cards in the deck make it a common inclusion. Nevertheless, there's a debate over having a higher amount of threats > standstill. x.Merfolk Sovereign: Yet another lord for the deck to run. While not as efficient as LoA or abusive as Reej, Sovereign can make somebody auto-unblockable. The combination of having lords up to 12 dedicated lords AND an auto-hit creature is something to consider. Sovereign has replaced Tidal Warrior. x.Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: Originally a strong SB card, Kira's ability to downright shut off an opponent's removal has driven it to players' MD. Kira's strength is giving your team greatly enhanced defense. A spot-removal spell, one of the weakness of Merfolk to play against, will be neutered considerably. It should be noted that Kira is not an auto-win card + is not a menfolk -- making it conflict with the tribal mentality of the deck. x.Umezawa's Jitte: A home-run-in-a-box. If the opponent can’t answer/destroy Jitte, board control and momentum heavily shifts in your favor. While Jitte requires some degree of mana to come online, its effects are arguably worth it. Commonly a 2x choice SB or MD
Lands
Mono-Blue
10+ Island
3-4x Mutavault
3-4x Wasteland
Blue + Color Splash
3+ Island
3+ Blue-Splash dual
3-4x Mutavault
3-4x Wasteland
3-6x Fetchland
If you need SB cards or simply want to try something different in the MD, have a look at the following cards. R = Retired Option; you can still run a "retired" card, but they are not the most efficient options as of early 2011.
Blue/Colorless Ideas
R.Rishadan Port: Although it can still be used, Rishadan Port has seen better days. R.Wake Thrasher: This is the “Slugger” of Merfolk’s lineup. From the moment he shows up, your opponents will need to shift their focus to him. Wake Thrasher is an absolute stud when he’s capable of swinging. As stated earlier, Merfolk Fish doesn’t rely on “kill cards” to win but Wake simply makes games end THAT much earlier. R.Tidal Warrior: Tidal Warrior at worst is a cheap Merfolk. His ability to combo with LoA lets you quickly swing with everyone for the win. Tidal Warrior is considered to be retired. R.Rootwater Thief
X.Spellstutter Sprite: Sprite is probably the best blue creature who isn't a Merfolk. Sprite is essentially a daze+ with legs -- and her impact should not be taken lightly. Spellstutter can help you gain tremendous board position early, as you gain a body on the table + commonly counter opposing spells with her entry. Sprite alone subtly alters the deck's composition and can further change the deck's dynamic by adding Clique x1-2 and/or Riptide Laboratory x1-2. X.Vendilion Clique: Provides a great degree of surprise + disruption. While it doesn’t reap the benefits given from LoA or Reejy, Clique is commonly seen as a 2x choice due to its impact. It can be a lightning bolt, a counterspell, and a thoughtseize in one. It also compliments Sprite.
X.Jace, the Mind Sculptor: He's beyond a utility player; he might be the entire infield by himself. Jace is a very powerful card to run in Merfolks and is a home-run type play. However, players should not be obsessed over squeezing him in and forcing the deck to play him. He's a nice utility as a 1-2x....and perfectly fine if he's not included. Jace's inclusion goes against small-ball synergistic tactics and shifts the deck a bit.
X.Phyrexian Dreadnought: Dreadnought’s inclusion converts the deck to a Merfolk Fish + DreadStill (“DreadFolk”) list. Dread’s inclusion requires you to take some combination of stifle/trickbind (4x or more) to do the “StifleNought” trick.
While changing the flavor and style of Merfolk Fish, an unanswered “StifleNought” pretty much wins you the game. Dread takes away from the deck’s teamwork/synergy in favor of individualism; something players may like. Dreadnought is not meant for everyone but can be done. X.Trickbind: Stifle 2.0; commonly used for additional Dreadnought support.
X.Sensei's Divining Top: Lowers Merfolk’s aggressiveness in favor of building the soft-lock with Counterbalance. SDT can also help fix upcoming draws. X.Counterbalance: For those looking to be more towards the “control” end of the spectrum, CB can establish a soft-lock with Sensei’s Divining Top.
X.Brainstorm: Despite it being the second-best sinlge U spell ever, it is skipped over in many lists because it simply isn't needed. Merfolk want to be aggressive -- Bstorm isn't required to achieve that, as crazy as that sounds. X.Spell Snare: If for any reason Daze isn’t your cup of tea, Spell Snare is chosen a common alternative. While “narrow” in playability (countering only 2cc spells), it’s a hard counter. A chunk of legacy’s spells happen to be 2cc. X.Echoing Truth: Commonly a SB choice against decks like Ichorid, E.Truth is occasionally seen as being a MD choice. Placing this in the MD is heavily dependent upon your knowledge of the meta you play in. X.Wipe Away: Bounces stuff without question
SB.Llawan, Cephalid Empress: A house against the mirror + Progenitus. It will not auto-win the match, but the effects are undoubtedly devastating. SB.Submerge: A meta-based inclusion. This bounce spell can work nicely against Terravore, Tarmogoyf, Elves, Knight of the Reliquary, etc --- best used as a surprise tactic. SB.Propaganda: Anti-aggro. Particarly useful against Ichorid (especially useful since Ichorid has about 2 mana throughout the entire game). SB.Back to Basics: Could also be used as a MD choice. Much of Legacy runs non-basics, letting you hurt the opposition with ease. This is particularly potent against decks that run many dual-lands as well as Loam/Lands decks. SB.Vedalken Shackles / Sower of Temptation: Creature-stealing. SB.Threads of Disloyalty / Mind Harness: A more limited form of creature stealing SB.Blue Elemental Blast / Hydroblast: Direct anti-red spells SB.Hurkyl's Recall: Anti-artifacts SB.Pithing Needle: Shuts down certain cards. This is dependent upon the meta and if the opponent is utilizing a specific card’s activated abilities. SB.Relic of Progenitus/Tormod’s Crypt/Nihil Spellbomb: Anti-graveyards.
Green Ideas
X.Tarmogoyf: The High-Priced Free Agent. He’s in basically every deck and for a good reason: he kicks ass. Many lists that run Goyf remove Wake Thrasher -- although it is possible to run both. Unlike Dreadnought, Goyf doesn’t hinder the synergy or build of Merfolk Fish. At worst, Goyf takes up 4x slots in the deck and gives you an attacker for G+1. SB.Naturalize / Krosan Grip: Anti-artifact or enchant. K-grip is commonly chosen because it has split-second, letting you snipe problematic cards without fear. SB.Trygon Predator: A quality choice for U/G lists. Having a flying “I-naturalize-when-I-hit-you” creature needs no further explanation.
Black Ideas
X.Sygg, River Cutthroat: Sometimes thrown into black lists as an extra "oomph". Remember he is legendary. SB.Perish: Anti-Green hoser. SB.Engineered Plague: Anti-tribal. Make sure you never bring this in against the mirror! SB.Duress/Thoughtseize: Discard pushes you into an even more aggressive role. A very good pre-emptive strike against many decks. Duress helps the combo match considerably, but is limited against other decks. 'Seize is more versatile, but eats at your life.
White Ideas
R.Galina’s Knight X.Sygg, River Guide: Sometimes thrown into White lists as another tactical option. Remember he is legendary like his dark counterpart. X.Stoneforge Mystic: A downright sexy option from Worldwake. Stoneforge can slip into a variety of archetypes and some feel she can create dynamics within menfolks. At worst, she is a 1/2 white creature who gives you tutors for Jitte or Sword. If things work out right, she can devastate under a standstill. X.Swords to Plowshares: If using white, this card is an auto-include. It removes road blocks from the game in exchange for some life. X.Path to Exile: Conflux’s STP. PTE effectively gives players another set of solo-W removal. It removes road blocks from the game in exchange for basic lands. X.Disenchant: The old school anti-artifact/enchantment spell. This is highly susceptible to countermagic. SB.Meddling Mage: Not a Merfolk but a quality U/W card choice. If utilized correctly, MM shuts down certain spells period. SB.Ethersworn Canonist: Commonly compared to Mage, Canonist is a better pure-combo stopper; however, it cannot stop decks that need a particular card to win. Against storm, she's better than Mage. Against Belcher or Lands.dec, she is weaker.
3. Weakness
Merfolk are primarily blue-based, low casting cost, weenie creatures who swarm to win. Any mass removal, anti-blue, anti-weenie spells will turn the tables against you. The best defense is a nice counter-package and the ability to move-on, should men be lost (card drawing). Cards like Choke and Boil, should they randomly be included in the opponent’s SB, will be devastating.
Decks that power out fatties are problematic, but not impossible to deal with. Splash colors are arguably better equipped to answer a hulking 6/6 or 10/10 early on, but remember mono-blue can run bounce/counters.
Another weakness of Merfolks is when spot removal en mass comes out to deal with our creature. Opposing REB's, STP's, PTE's against anything we drop can seriously lower the win %. Luckily so much removal coming against is rare + countermagic can protect the team. Just remember not to overextend if facing removal.dec
**From the original post of this thread, Merfolks has blossomed into one of the elite decks in Legacy. Although the plan is relatively straightforward, there are some niche scenarios that may initially be problematic. But like any archetype, practice makes perfect. Merfolks is one of the most synergistic archetypes out there. Special thanks to those who play Merfolks and continue to make it an elite-caliber deck. Happy swimming!
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
My current version has the black splash in it (Perish and Engineered Plague). It's for the Zoo, Elf & Goblin match ups. The deck is pretty tight, with only 4 slots to tinker with. I used to run 2 Merfolk Sovereign and 2 Umezawa's Jitte instead of 1 Jitte and 3 Spell Pierce. I'll see how I like it when it plays out.
Also........has Cold-Eye Selkie been tried? It works better than the Sovereign in the "customization" slot, mainly because I like to draw cards:)
I recently did unspectacularly at the 02-drop spring legacy open. Here's a brief tournament report:
Round 1: Junk
Played my friend Andrew first round. Awesome :-/. Anyways, game 1, I get there with my cute Jitte package. Game 2, the opposite. Game three, mull into a spell and creature light hand. He keeps one that's removal-heavy. I draw lands for five straight turns, never recovering. This seems to be the trend for how I lost game threes.
Round 2: Mirror
I open with a Vial, then turn 2 Stoneforge getting SoFaI after seeing his turn 1 island+vial into cursecatcher. I proceed to beat face. He never even sees that I'm playing Merfolk. Game 2, similar things happen, except with a lot more merfolk, and him mulling one more time than I did.
Board: -2 Spell Pierce, -2 Lord of Atlantis
+2 Sower of Temptation, +2 Llawan
1-1
Round 3: Lands
I get there. Don't ask me how. Learn to hold on to Wastelands against that deck is all I can say.
Round 4: Team America
This was horrifyingly bad, despite me having a good overall record against the deck. Game 1 I trick him into a blocker-vial trap leaving him open for a lethal attack. Game 2, I lose to Llawan slowing me down enough for a Tarmogoyf to get there. Game three, keep a 5 card hand. But stifles show that they can actually be good sometimes. I kept a two lander. One was a fetch. I never see another land or an AEther Vial.
Round 5: Storm
Game 1 he barely gets me with an army of goblins followed by a grapeshot after I had stabilized on board at 2 life. Game 2, I race him before he has a chance to do anything. Game 3, I rip Ethersworn Canonist the turn before he goes off. He dumps his artifacts, then on the end of my next turn Ad Nauseams himself, finding zero outs and putting him in lethal range.
Round 6: NO-Bant
Game 1 is a Progenitus against my Jitte. I lose. Game 2, he boards out that package to bring in three more swords effects via Path to Exile, Pithing Needles, Sowers, and Llawans. I had actually zero chance there.
3-3
So that was pretty bad. I feel like there were just two matches that I could have won, but karma got me with bad mulligans and land pockets. Happens sometimes.
A few notes:
Kira, but also equipment? They don't play nice together!
Right, but a miser's Kira has an extremely low chance of being around if you're getting Jittes with Stoneforge, the threefold more likely scenario.
You didn't board out the last swords in the storm matchup!
Yes. It's worth having an out, even if it's just one, to Xantid Swarm. Turns out he wasn't, but it can also be a last-ditch effort to kill your own fish to save you from lethal damage.
Also........has Cold-Eye Selkie been tried? It works better than the Sovereign in the "customization" slot, mainly because I like to draw cards:)
Yes, and the consensus was that it was occasionally strong, but only against the decks Merfolk is already favored against while doing little to nothing against Zoo, Goblins, etc.
It's a fairly rough list. I threw it together and took it to a 55 or so person tournament a couple weeks ago without any testing and managed to top 8 (my prize was a Taiga and a Plateau). It obviously has the problems a 2+ color manabase has in Legacy, but I think such a vulnerability is worth it. The Mystic was incredibly strong every time I cast it. I like it more than the black splashes, and it feels much stronger than the mono-U versions.
I've had trouble against Spiral Tide lately. It seems to be almost unwinnable. I'm thinking about adding Chalice of the Void in the sideboard for the Spiral Matchup and the storm matchup. Setting a chalice at x=1 wrecks them. The problem is this hurts me a bit as well, but Chalice will be a turn 2 drop in this deck. So game two I would side out 2 cursecatchers for Chalices. Thoughts?
Splashing is a bad idea in this meta. Tempo decks are doing well, which means more Stifle+Waste. And, to be honest, why are you changing the deck after a slew of Top 8's? It's performing well right now, so unless some new deck comes up to smash face, Mono-Blue is probably the way to go.
I've had trouble against Spiral Tide lately. It seems to be almost unwinnable. I'm thinking about adding Chalice of the Void in the sideboard for the Spiral Matchup and the storm matchup. Setting a chalice at x=1 wrecks them. The problem is this hurts me a bit as well, but Chalice will be a turn 2 drop in this deck. So game two I would side out 2 cursecatchers for Chalices. Thoughts?
How are you having a tough time with this deck? It is a turn 3/4 combo with no distruption and we have 4 cursecatcher, 4 daze, 4 force, 3 spell pierce. That a lot of counterspells with a fast clock. This matchup is almost unwinnable for them. Chalice at 1 doesn't wreck them, they run wipe away and tutors.
Siding out cursecatchers vs combo decks is wrong. If you are facing a lot of combo in your meta run standstills and then if you still think you need more cards run mindbreak traps.
I agree that mono blue is probably the best right now, but the problem is if all these artifact decks are around then maybe it just won't cut it anymore. We will need something to destroy artifacts. We pretty much can't beat goblin welder or metalworker, affinity/artifact decks
How are you having a tough time with this deck? It is a turn 3/4 combo with no distruption and we have 4 cursecatcher, 4 daze, 4 force, 3 spell pierce. That a lot of counterspells with a fast clock. This matchup is almost unwinnable for them. Chalice at 1 doesn't wreck them, they run wipe away and tutors.
Siding out cursecatchers vs combo decks is wrong. If you are facing a lot of combo in your meta run standstills and then if you still think you need more cards run mindbreak traps.
I agree that mono blue is probably the best right now, but the problem is if all these artifact decks are around then maybe it just won't cut it anymore. We will need something to destroy artifacts. We pretty much can't beat goblin welder or metalworker, affinity/artifact decks
Nul Rod says hello- it's pretty raw against metalworker.deck (as it can stop mana abilities) and affinity (as it shuts down virtually ALL of their lands, not to mention Cranial Plating, Ravager, etc). It also stops Thopter Foundry decks. In fact, I don't think I've ever lost a game to any of these decks where I successfully dropped a Rod turn two or three, though the trick is often landing it soon enough so you may have to mull for it from time to time.
And actually, I've also had a good deal of trouble with the newest versions of High Tide simply because they typically run so much redundancy and so many tutoring effects- 4 Merchant Scrolls to search for Force back-up to protect their combo and 3-4 Cunning Wish to tutor-up Pact of Negation in addition to all of the hand-sculpting that goes on simply from their can-trips seems pretty good IMO, not to mention that either of those can search for pretty much any of their kill-spells or actual Tides.
I'm currently piloting a pretty solid mono-blue build with the typical Force/ daze load-out, plus 3x Spell Pierce main AND 4x Standstill in addition to that... and I still got rolled 0-2 a couple weeks back by High Tide (granted, turns out it was piloted by Hatfield himself, but both he and I agreed afterward that I really hadn't made any big play mistakes... though he did point out one potentially very valuable bit of information in that it's important to remember that if he does manage to resolve a High Tide it also doubles YOUR blue mana as well, something that could end up netting you some potentially vital card advantage if it actually allows you to hard-cast that Force :D).
Really, I actually think that Tide is a hard match-up for us to win if the other player is on top of their game unless we're able to get lucky enough to draw enough gas to aggro them to death in about 4 turns. That said, I've only played a few games against the newest versions of this so perhaps there's something I'm missing here; any feedback on how to improve this match-up would be helpful.
I'm aware that null rod is good vs those decks esp affinity, but it doesn't say win the game. If you resolve it turn 2 then okay you should probably win, but to do that consistently you have to run more then the 2 of that everyone suggests here on these boards. Can Merfolk really afford to run 3-4 null rods in the sb for a matchup they might face? Not to mention it is pretty bad on the draw when they go turn 1 metalworker, 10 mana turn 2. They also can cast stuff with there lands. (forgemaster deck) Same for affinity, they can have 4 mana on turn 2. Also turning off vial really sucks when merfolk gets mana screwed/flooded 1-3 games
I didn't say you would never lose to combo it is combo, but Spiral tide is very slow when it comes to combo and they only have 4 force and maybe some pacts when they are comboing off. Our clock is more then fast enough, they literally ponder/brainstorm for 4 turns
I'm aware that null rod is good vs those decks esp affinity, but it doesn't say win the game. If you resolve it turn 2 then okay you should probably win, but to do that consistently you have to run more then the 2 of that everyone suggests here on these boards. Can Merfolk really afford to run 3-4 null rods in the sb for a matchup they might face? Not to mention it is pretty bad on the draw when they go turn 1 metalworker, 10 mana turn 2. They also can cast stuff with there lands. (forgemaster deck) Same for affinity, they can have 4 mana on turn 2. Also turning off vial really sucks when merfolk gets mana screwed/flooded 1-3 games
I didn't say you would never lose to combo it is combo, but Spiral tide is very slow when it comes to combo and they only have 4 force and maybe some pacts when they are comboing off. Our clock is more then fast enough, they literally ponder/brainstorm for 4 turns
I can see your point about Nul Rod, especially on the draw against Metalworker. I currently run a 2/2 split between Rod and Pithing Needle (used to run 3-4x Needle) in the side, and through aggressive mull's I've not had any serious problems yet only running two copies, though perhaps I've just gotten lucky.
Another option is always the White-splash, something that I think is too-often overlooked as a legitimate option for a lot of metas/ match-ups; access to StP main or side helps a lot of previously problematic MU's (it can offer a hand dealing with those Metalworkers, for one), and this also gives us access to Meddling Mage/ Ethersworn Canonist for combo, Jotun Grunt as GY hate with legs that also happens to shine against just about any aggro deck out there (vialing him in to block a resolved Llwan is also hilarious, though she also dies to StP), and we can still also run things like Jitte, Nul Rod, or Pithing Needle.
About Spiral Tide though, Idk; maybe I'm just trying to counter the wrong things, but it's hard to stop everything you need to like Tide and still stop their massive draw spells, etc. Maybe If I pitch less dudes to Force early on I can out-aggro more effectively. I was honestly surprised to do so badly against the deck, as at first glace it does seem that we would have a pretty good MU, maybe I just need to work on it more. I also like the white splash for MM/ Canonist here, though I haven't gotten to test them out against it yet (yeah, they have bounce, but a couple more road-blocks never hurts, especially when they have legs to help win the race).
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Death and Taxes Legacy
And, to be honest, why are you changing the deck after a slew of Top 8's? It's performing well right now, so unless some new deck comes up to smash face, Mono-Blue is probably the way to go.
Frankly, it's because the meta I play in is incredibly unpredictable. I found the splash to be stronger against a wider field than against the meta one might expect at an SCG open. Keep in mind the list I posted was in no way refined or tested before the tournament I played it in, and one tournament is hardly that great of a sample size. It is undoubtedly less powerful against decks like storm and Team America, but I feel its strengths against other decks merit consideration in an unknown meta.
Going to the Open this weekend in Atlanta. I've been thinking of running a trinket mage maindeck so I don't have to dedicate so many slots to the sideboard. I was thinking you could maindeck engineered explosives, and have 2-4 slots in the board for relic/crypt, pithing needle, and maybe another ee.
About Spiral Tide though, Idk; maybe I'm just trying to counter the wrong things, but it's hard to stop everything you need to like Tide and still stop their massive draw spells, etc. Maybe If I pitch less dudes to Force early on I can out-aggro more effectively. I was honestly surprised to do so badly against the deck, as at first glace it does seem that we would have a pretty good MU, maybe I just need to work on it more. I also like the white splash for MM/ Canonist here, though I haven't gotten to test them out against it yet (yeah, they have bounce, but a couple more road-blocks never hurts, especially when they have legs to help win the race).
I'm curious as to why you would counter anything but the threat you need to counter? Is high tide the threat, or time spiral, or what? I remember back in the day where there was a tournament in a upheaval/tog based meta (looooong time ago). The guy that won it playing tog had a game plan going in that he would only counter upheaval. If you stockpile your counters, possibly you could win that war? I'd say don't counter the card draw, just counter the kill spell (I'm not sure if that's brain freeze or blue sun's zenith). Surely you have more, don't you?
I'm curious as to why you would counter anything but the threat you need to counter? Is high tide the threat, or time spiral, or what? I remember back in the day where there was a tournament in a upheaval/tog based meta (looooong time ago). The guy that won it playing tog had a game plan going in that he would only counter upheaval. If you stockpile your counters, possibly you could win that war? I'd say don't counter the card draw, just counter the kill spell (I'm not sure if that's brain freeze or blue sun's zenith). Surely you have more, don't you?
Well, countering Brain Freeze is pretty impossible unless you have Stifle, so there's that. The other problem is that allowing them to draw a ton of cards allows them to stock their hand with more counters than you, as Merfolk, can possibly hope to have. So planning to counter the kill spell is a no-go. You can counter High Tide, but if they have another one they might still be able to go off. I'd say the best bet is to keep pressure high and counter High Tides though.
On another note, I play the general Standstill version of the deck, and was wondering (now, don't laugh, I know this is probably bad but suggesting bad things is how decks ultimately get better), would Psionic Blast be playable in the Stifle/Spell Snare spot as a form of maindeck removal? I'm thinking 3-of here. Probably doesn't pass the laugh test but I might try it out anyways.
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Legacy Decks I'm Currently Running:
U Merfolk U UGW NO Bant UGW UGWRB Dredge! UGWRB
Other Legacy Decks I Own:
RGW Zoo! RGW BGW Junk BGW RGWB Aggro Loam RGWB BW Deadguy BW W Death & Taxes (almost!) W GW Green & Taxes GW BGW Junk & Taxes BGW
I feel like I have too much to bring in and can't cut anything? Advice?
You have plenty to take out, first if you have standstills.. . Those are the first to go. Then it is daze, probably even on the play (at least 2) and then I would cut a force/2 or cursecatchers. I also don't feel spell pierce is all that great vs zoo if you have those main.
I bring in 10 cards vs zoo, usually cutting daze, 1 force, 1-2 cursecatcher and 1-2 spell pierce.
About Spiral Tide though, Idk; maybe I'm just trying to counter the wrong things, but it's hard to stop everything you need to like Tide and still stop their massive draw spells, etc
Like I said it is a combo deck and it is still tough, but you def probably shouldn't be countering anything until turn 3/4 unless it is to daze a merchant scroll which usually gets high tide or a force/pact of negation. But the daze shouldn't be setting you back to much
Hide tide wins by playing hightides, getting mana and drawing cards then blue suns zenith you or brainfreeze. So things to force are high tide, time spiral, and stuff like meditate if there hand is getting low. What are you countering in the first turns, there cantrips? You counter there business spells, not the accel/cantrip.
From my playing they go island cantrip for 3/4 turns. Then on turn 4 they will go high tide and you should go force. Even if you spell pierce that only leaves them with 1 island for 2 mana. (not including cursecatcher, daze, force) They have force of will and pact of negation along with cunning wish for what ever instant (pact, meditate)
If you are referring to spiral tide with Candelabra of Tawnos and mind over matter then those decks can combo off turn 3. Who has the candle anyways? So after my long rant, you still force the hightide, cursecatcher is good vs them. I played against this deck tonight and lost 0/2, the candle and mind of matter are pretty broken. Even getting 2 force and spell pierce of time spiral I still lost game 1.
If you want MD removal, I'd instead advocate Jitte, Sower, or Echoing Truth. You'll get a lot more bang for your buck.
This is probably correct. Still, the Blast does have some advantages over each of these option. It doesn't get killed off like Sower, or cost 4, doesn't require a creature like Jitte, and permanently deals with something, unlike Truth. Really I just wish we had better removal than Truth. Jitte is probably the closest we get. 2-3x Blast, 2x Jitte maybe?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Legacy Decks I'm Currently Running:
U Merfolk U UGW NO Bant UGW UGWRB Dredge! UGWRB
Other Legacy Decks I Own:
RGW Zoo! RGW BGW Junk BGW RGWB Aggro Loam RGWB BW Deadguy BW W Death & Taxes (almost!) W GW Green & Taxes GW BGW Junk & Taxes BGW
Foil is terrible. It's very conditional and it's terrible card disadvantage.
Why isn't stifle played more in merfolk? I feel we can take real advantage of the tempo gained, plus it doesn't hurt to have it against combo.
From my experiences so far, I don't think stifle is affective enough. I really don't find myself with mana open during the first few turns when it would really shine. I'd probably end up pitching it FoW more than not.
A couple quick questions though. What do people think about spell pierce mainboard as opposed to sideboard? I've seen that a lot of people have been doing this lately and I'm wondering how they've like the results.
Also also, does anyone advocate running mindbreak trap in the sideboard? Seems like it would just be another good card against TES and would wreck springtide. At the same time though I don't really like putting cards in the board for combo because we have an awesome matchup against it already.
From my experiences so far, I don't think stifle is affective enough. I really don't find myself with mana open during the first few turns when it would really shine. I'd probably end up pitching it FoW more than not.
A couple quick questions though. What do people think about spell pierce mainboard as opposed to sideboard? I've seen that a lot of people have been doing this lately and I'm wondering how they've like the results.
Also also, does anyone advocate running mindbreak trap in the sideboard? Seems like it would just be another good card against TES and would wreck springtide. At the same time though I don't really like putting cards in the board for combo because we have an awesome matchup against it already.
1. My friend tweaked my Fish deck to have 3 Pierces instead of Sovereigns. He tends to like it more due to more counter elements. I feel it's not 100% necessary, but it's a good option. The Fish list is REALLY tight (at least 20 creatures, 8 free counters, 4 Vial, 4 Standstill, plus the lands). We have about 4 slots to work with. Some like the more aggro approach of filling it with more dudes. I'll try it with the Spell Pierces. It could be more of a meta call, though.
2. Mindbreak Trap DOESN'T work against competent TES players. They will generally Duress you to get rid your counterspell, plus they can Orim's Chant or Silence. It is a nice card in theory, but the TES player will be expecting it so they're going to either play around you, or just make you discard it.
Can someone explain the idea behind the merfolk mana base having no fetches? I understood it years ago, when stifle was much more prevalent. Now, wouldn't we benefit by adding one more total land but getting the thinning effect? My biggest problem w/ this deck is that it's manabase is really undependable on draw-7.
Can someone explain the idea behind the merfolk mana base having no fetches? I understood it years ago, when stifle was much more prevalent. Now, wouldn't we benefit by adding one more total land but getting the thinning effect? My biggest problem w/ this deck is that it's manabase is really undependable on draw-7.
How many lands do you run? I run 20 (12 Island, 4 Mutavault, 4 Wasteland) and I have no problems with the mana base.
That whole "deck thinning" has no noticeable effect unless you spend a LOT of time fetching, so it's not that useful. I run fetches if I want to use a splash, but if it's mono blue, no fetches is ok.
Written by Warden :: Revised March 27th 2011
In my opinion, Legacy is the best format for several reasons: it’s got a diverse playing field, it’s competitive, it’s fresh, and it’s fun. Merfolks is one of the most popular decks because it's affordable, consistent, and capable of cracking any event's T8. To understand how this archetype works, I will use baseball analogies to help explain this deck. I apologize in advance for those who do not like/follow baseball.
------
1. Understanding the Franchise
The term “Fish” has come to mean the following:
a) Fish as a tribal theme: a deck consisting of aquatic/sea-dwelling creatures. Example
b) Fish as an anti-meta deck: a deck that exploits everyone else’s weaknesses.
The “perfect” Fish deck will be built around strong blue cards that create advantages in your favor while simultaneously shutting down your opponent's plans.
a) Merfolk Fish, when compared to the competition in the format, parallels the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays (ironically, both of those teams are “Fish”). Both teams stay economically cheap and desire teamwork while facing off against the high-priced New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox – teams boasting great individuals. Translating into MTG, Merfolk Fish wants to use a relatively inexpensive (literal economic cost of cards and casting cost) group of cards to win it all. With the exception of one of two cards, singles in the deck are highly affordable. How well does this economic strategy work? Like the Marlins and Rays, the results are hit or miss. Sometimes Merfolk can crush the opposition --- cruising into the Top 8 --- while other times it gets outclassed by opponents packing more expensive cards.
2. Fielding the Team: Deck Building Philosophy
a) Playing Small Ball (preferring to hit singles instead of home runs): Use low casting-cost creatures that capitalize on teamwork rather than individuality. The creatures used in Merfolk Fish should have a large amount of synergy. While certain decks rely on “kill cards,” Merfolk use a “strength in numbers” tactic. The card choices make this evident.
b) Solid Defense: Use cards that shut down the opponent’s threats. The easiest way to do so would be in the form of counterspells. Next would be shaking up board position. An occasional card draw helps do the aforementioned.
c) Work the ‘Count: In the midst of foiling the opponent’s plans, you should be playing aggressively. This does not give you the justification to carelessly attack. We do not want to “swing” at everything; have some degree of discipline.
d) Scout the Opposition: Just like sports teams who watch film, the success of Fish stems from a breakdown and tweaking of the deck to matchup favorably for a specific meta. Most decks simply tweak singleton card slots and adjust the SB. Fish has tremendous customization.
------
*As of 2011, the core selection of Merfolks is pretty much figured out. There are still variations, but the general consensus is listed below.
1. Cursecatcher: The leadoff hitter. He’s one of the best U drops in recent memory. He is a merfolk of the pearl trident + force spike in one. Where older Fish decks relied upon spiketail hatchling, cursecatcher does the job for less mana (not to mention he’s a merfolk). Cursecatcher turn 1 also gives you a consistent opportunity to thwart enemy plans. Wheras other decks have FoW + Daze, Cursecatcher is yet another somewhat free counter.
2. Silvergill Adept: The #2 hitter. While Adept is a bit fragile with his 2/1 frame, you draw a card.
3. Lord of Atlantis: The captain of the team. A 2/2 lord for UU + grants Islandwalk to everybody. LoA has been a part of Fish decks for a while but now he’s got a solid group of buddies around him. LoA is an example of the pure synergy the deck wishes to maintain.
It should be understood that LoA + Tidal Warrior can net you an unblockable army (ending the game before the opponent can get established). LoA is also powerful because blue is the most popular color in Legacy; you can directly exploit this.
4. Merrow Reejerey: Another lord for the Merfolk. While Reejy doesn’t grant Islandwalk, his ability could be used defensively or offensively.
5. Coralhelm Commander: The rising star from ROE. Coralhelm can be a small beater, evasive brute, or a tremendous lord --> level up lets you decide. This fifth slot was once occupied by Wake Thrasher/Merfolk Sovereign, but Corral is overwhelmingly believed to be a core choice
6. Aether Vial: Arguably the MVP, this is the card that holds the deck together. Vial allows you to skip around opposing countermagic, free up your mana for disruption, drop additional creatures, and enhance strategies by “Vial-ing In” threats. Establishing Vial turn 1 is common because it gives you a tremendous edge throughout the entire game.
7. Force of Will: Unanimous all-star. It is capable of countering spells “for free” and is mandatory for Merfolks to keep a break-neck pace.
8. Mutavault: A 2/2 colorless Merfolk when needed. Also taps to produce generic mana. Vault is capable of doing so much, especially when there are 8 lords in the deck. Because it’s a “man-land,” Vault plays nice with Standstill (should it be included in you list).
x. Daze: A tempo all-star. Few will argue its inclusion, but in a majority of lists because it's a second "free" counterspell.
x. Stifle: More disruption. Commonly used against enemy fetchlands in addition to creatures/permanents with quality abilities.
x. Spell Pierce: Pierce is sometimes run in the MD as a strong, efficient counterspell. Against an appropriate meta, this will make opponents sweat. This normally takes the slot over Daze or Stifle.
x. Standstill: An original core ingredient of the deck, standstill has incredible synergy with Vial and and Mutavault. Although it isn’t perfect, Standstill can be commonly read as: “1U…if your opponent wants to do anything productive, draw 3 cards.” Standstill’s upside and synergy with other cards in the deck make it a common inclusion. Nevertheless, there's a debate over having a higher amount of threats > standstill.
x. Merfolk Sovereign: Yet another lord for the deck to run. While not as efficient as LoA or abusive as Reej, Sovereign can make somebody auto-unblockable. The combination of having lords up to 12 dedicated lords AND an auto-hit creature is something to consider. Sovereign has replaced Tidal Warrior.
x. Kira, Great Glass-Spinner: Originally a strong SB card, Kira's ability to downright shut off an opponent's removal has driven it to players' MD. Kira's strength is giving your team greatly enhanced defense. A spot-removal spell, one of the weakness of Merfolk to play against, will be neutered considerably. It should be noted that Kira is not an auto-win card + is not a menfolk -- making it conflict with the tribal mentality of the deck.
x. Umezawa's Jitte: A home-run-in-a-box. If the opponent can’t answer/destroy Jitte, board control and momentum heavily shifts in your favor. While Jitte requires some degree of mana to come online, its effects are arguably worth it. Commonly a 2x choice SB or MD
10+ Island
3-4x Mutavault
3-4x Wasteland
Blue + Color Splash
3+ Island
3+ Blue-Splash dual
3-4x Mutavault
3-4x Wasteland
3-6x Fetchland
If you need SB cards or simply want to try something different in the MD, have a look at the following cards. R = Retired Option; you can still run a "retired" card, but they are not the most efficient options as of early 2011.
R. Rishadan Port: Although it can still be used, Rishadan Port has seen better days.
R. Wake Thrasher: This is the “Slugger” of Merfolk’s lineup. From the moment he shows up, your opponents will need to shift their focus to him. Wake Thrasher is an absolute stud when he’s capable of swinging. As stated earlier, Merfolk Fish doesn’t rely on “kill cards” to win but Wake simply makes games end THAT much earlier.
R. Tidal Warrior: Tidal Warrior at worst is a cheap Merfolk. His ability to combo with LoA lets you quickly swing with everyone for the win. Tidal Warrior is considered to be retired.
R. Rootwater Thief
X. Spellstutter Sprite: Sprite is probably the best blue creature who isn't a Merfolk. Sprite is essentially a daze+ with legs -- and her impact should not be taken lightly. Spellstutter can help you gain tremendous board position early, as you gain a body on the table + commonly counter opposing spells with her entry. Sprite alone subtly alters the deck's composition and can further change the deck's dynamic by adding Clique x1-2 and/or Riptide Laboratory x1-2.
X. Vendilion Clique: Provides a great degree of surprise + disruption. While it doesn’t reap the benefits given from LoA or Reejy, Clique is commonly seen as a 2x choice due to its impact. It can be a lightning bolt, a counterspell, and a thoughtseize in one. It also compliments Sprite.
X. Jace, the Mind Sculptor: He's beyond a utility player; he might be the entire infield by himself. Jace is a very powerful card to run in Merfolks and is a home-run type play. However, players should not be obsessed over squeezing him in and forcing the deck to play him. He's a nice utility as a 1-2x....and perfectly fine if he's not included. Jace's inclusion goes against small-ball synergistic tactics and shifts the deck a bit.
X. Phyrexian Dreadnought: Dreadnought’s inclusion converts the deck to a Merfolk Fish + DreadStill (“DreadFolk”) list. Dread’s inclusion requires you to take some combination of stifle/trickbind (4x or more) to do the “StifleNought” trick.
While changing the flavor and style of Merfolk Fish, an unanswered “StifleNought” pretty much wins you the game. Dread takes away from the deck’s teamwork/synergy in favor of individualism; something players may like. Dreadnought is not meant for everyone but can be done.
X. Trickbind: Stifle 2.0; commonly used for additional Dreadnought support.
X. Sensei's Divining Top: Lowers Merfolk’s aggressiveness in favor of building the soft-lock with Counterbalance. SDT can also help fix upcoming draws.
X. Counterbalance: For those looking to be more towards the “control” end of the spectrum, CB can establish a soft-lock with Sensei’s Divining Top.
X. Brainstorm: Despite it being the second-best sinlge U spell ever, it is skipped over in many lists because it simply isn't needed. Merfolk want to be aggressive -- Bstorm isn't required to achieve that, as crazy as that sounds.
X. Spell Snare: If for any reason Daze isn’t your cup of tea, Spell Snare is chosen a common alternative. While “narrow” in playability (countering only 2cc spells), it’s a hard counter. A chunk of legacy’s spells happen to be 2cc.
X. Echoing Truth: Commonly a SB choice against decks like Ichorid, E.Truth is occasionally seen as being a MD choice. Placing this in the MD is heavily dependent upon your knowledge of the meta you play in.
X. Wipe Away: Bounces stuff without question
SB. Llawan, Cephalid Empress: A house against the mirror + Progenitus. It will not auto-win the match, but the effects are undoubtedly devastating.
SB. Submerge: A meta-based inclusion. This bounce spell can work nicely against Terravore, Tarmogoyf, Elves, Knight of the Reliquary, etc --- best used as a surprise tactic.
SB. Propaganda: Anti-aggro. Particarly useful against Ichorid (especially useful since Ichorid has about 2 mana throughout the entire game).
SB. Back to Basics: Could also be used as a MD choice. Much of Legacy runs non-basics, letting you hurt the opposition with ease. This is particularly potent against decks that run many dual-lands as well as Loam/Lands decks.
SB. Vedalken Shackles / Sower of Temptation: Creature-stealing.
SB. Threads of Disloyalty / Mind Harness: A more limited form of creature stealing
SB. Blue Elemental Blast / Hydroblast: Direct anti-red spells
SB. Hurkyl's Recall: Anti-artifacts
SB. Pithing Needle: Shuts down certain cards. This is dependent upon the meta and if the opponent is utilizing a specific card’s activated abilities.
SB. Relic of Progenitus/Tormod’s Crypt/Nihil Spellbomb: Anti-graveyards.
X. Tarmogoyf: The High-Priced Free Agent. He’s in basically every deck and for a good reason: he kicks ass. Many lists that run Goyf remove Wake Thrasher -- although it is possible to run both. Unlike Dreadnought, Goyf doesn’t hinder the synergy or build of Merfolk Fish. At worst, Goyf takes up 4x slots in the deck and gives you an attacker for G+1.
SB. Naturalize / Krosan Grip: Anti-artifact or enchant. K-grip is commonly chosen because it has split-second, letting you snipe problematic cards without fear.
SB. Trygon Predator: A quality choice for U/G lists. Having a flying “I-naturalize-when-I-hit-you” creature needs no further explanation.
X. Sygg, River Cutthroat: Sometimes thrown into black lists as an extra "oomph". Remember he is legendary.
SB. Perish: Anti-Green hoser.
SB. Engineered Plague: Anti-tribal. Make sure you never bring this in against the mirror!
SB. Duress/Thoughtseize: Discard pushes you into an even more aggressive role. A very good pre-emptive strike against many decks. Duress helps the combo match considerably, but is limited against other decks. 'Seize is more versatile, but eats at your life.
R. Galina’s Knight
X. Sygg, River Guide: Sometimes thrown into White lists as another tactical option. Remember he is legendary like his dark counterpart.
X. Stoneforge Mystic: A downright sexy option from Worldwake. Stoneforge can slip into a variety of archetypes and some feel she can create dynamics within menfolks. At worst, she is a 1/2 white creature who gives you tutors for Jitte or Sword. If things work out right, she can devastate under a standstill.
X. Swords to Plowshares: If using white, this card is an auto-include. It removes road blocks from the game in exchange for some life.
X. Path to Exile: Conflux’s STP. PTE effectively gives players another set of solo-W removal. It removes road blocks from the game in exchange for basic lands.
X. Disenchant: The old school anti-artifact/enchantment spell. This is highly susceptible to countermagic.
SB. Meddling Mage: Not a Merfolk but a quality U/W card choice. If utilized correctly, MM shuts down certain spells period.
SB. Ethersworn Canonist: Commonly compared to Mage, Canonist is a better pure-combo stopper; however, it cannot stop decks that need a particular card to win. Against storm, she's better than Mage. Against Belcher or Lands.dec, she is weaker.
3. Weakness
Merfolk are primarily blue-based, low casting cost, weenie creatures who swarm to win. Any mass removal, anti-blue, anti-weenie spells will turn the tables against you. The best defense is a nice counter-package and the ability to move-on, should men be lost (card drawing). Cards like Choke and Boil, should they randomly be included in the opponent’s SB, will be devastating.
Decks that power out fatties are problematic, but not impossible to deal with. Splash colors are arguably better equipped to answer a hulking 6/6 or 10/10 early on, but remember mono-blue can run bounce/counters.
Another weakness of Merfolks is when spot removal en mass comes out to deal with our creature. Opposing REB's, STP's, PTE's against anything we drop can seriously lower the win %. Luckily so much removal coming against is rare + countermagic can protect the team. Just remember not to overextend if facing removal.dec
**From the original post of this thread, Merfolks has blossomed into one of the elite decks in Legacy. Although the plan is relatively straightforward, there are some niche scenarios that may initially be problematic. But like any archetype, practice makes perfect. Merfolks is one of the most synergistic archetypes out there. Special thanks to those who play Merfolks and continue to make it an elite-caliber deck. Happy swimming!
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
March 13th 2011 :: SCG 5k - Memphis, Tennessee (Winner)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Merrow Reejery
2 Merfolk Soverign
4 Cursecatcher
4 Silvergail Adept
2 Kira Great Glass Spinner
1 Sower of Temptation
4 Daze
1 Spell Pierce
13 Island
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
1 Mishra’s Factory
1 Sower of Temptation
2 Back to Basics
3 Hydroblast
2 Spell Pierce
3 Submerge
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
March 13th 2011 :: SCG 5k - Memphis, Tennessee (6th place)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Standstill
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
2 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Mutavault
3 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
4 Wasteland
3 Tormod's Crypt
4 Engineered Plague
1 Hydroblast
2 Submerge
2 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Perish
January 16th 2011 :: SCG 5k - San Jose, California (5th place)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merfolk Sovereign
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Spell Pierce
12 Island
4 Wasteland
3 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
3 Chill
2 Mindbreak Trap
2 Submerge
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
January 2011 :: SCG Legacy Open - KC (2nd)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
4 Standstill
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Mutavault
1 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea
4 Wasteland
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Engineered Plague
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Submerge
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
1 Nature's Ruin
2 Perish
Summer 2010 :: Grand Prix Columbus 2010 (Winner)Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
3 Spell Pierce
4 Standstill
2 Flooded Strand
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Mutavault
1 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
4 Underground Sea
4 Wasteland
4 Engineered Plague
2 Nature's Ruin
1 Perish
3 Submerge
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Umezawa's Jitte
WotC Coverage of Saito + Match Features here
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
*Matchups to be added
10th at SCG: Syracuse (2014), GP:NJ Last-Chance Grinder Winner (2014):: Former Legacy Mod
1 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord Of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejery
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Daze
4 Force Of Will
4 Standstill
3 Spell Pierce
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
2 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
3 Underground Sea
3 Engineered Plague
2 Echoing Truth
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Pithing Needle
1 Umezawa's Jitte
My current version has the black splash in it (Perish and Engineered Plague). It's for the Zoo, Elf & Goblin match ups. The deck is pretty tight, with only 4 slots to tinker with. I used to run 2 Merfolk Sovereign and 2 Umezawa's Jitte instead of 1 Jitte and 3 Spell Pierce. I'll see how I like it when it plays out.
Also........has Cold-Eye Selkie been tried? It works better than the Sovereign in the "customization" slot, mainly because I like to draw cards:)
4 Cursecatcher
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 AEther Vial
4 Force of Will
2 Spell Pierce
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
4 Swords to Plowshares
1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Island
1 Misty Rainforest
4 Mutavault
2 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Tundra
4 Wasteland
2 Ethersword Canonist
1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
2 Llawan, Cephalid Empress
2 Sower of Temptation
3 Absolute Law
2 Spell Pierce
3 Submerge
Round 1: Junk
Played my friend Andrew first round. Awesome :-/. Anyways, game 1, I get there with my cute Jitte package. Game 2, the opposite. Game three, mull into a spell and creature light hand. He keeps one that's removal-heavy. I draw lands for five straight turns, never recovering. This seems to be the trend for how I lost game threes.
Boarding was -Reejerey, -AEther Vial, -Jitte, -SoFaI, -2 Stoneforge
+Kira, +2 Sower, +3 Submerge
0-1
Round 2: Mirror
I open with a Vial, then turn 2 Stoneforge getting SoFaI after seeing his turn 1 island+vial into cursecatcher. I proceed to beat face. He never even sees that I'm playing Merfolk. Game 2, similar things happen, except with a lot more merfolk, and him mulling one more time than I did.
Board: -2 Spell Pierce, -2 Lord of Atlantis
+2 Sower of Temptation, +2 Llawan
1-1
Round 3: Lands
I get there. Don't ask me how. Learn to hold on to Wastelands against that deck is all I can say.
Board: +Kira, +2 Spell Pierce
-2 Stoneforge, -Jitte
2-1
Round 4: Team America
This was horrifyingly bad, despite me having a good overall record against the deck. Game 1 I trick him into a blocker-vial trap leaving him open for a lethal attack. Game 2, I lose to Llawan slowing me down enough for a Tarmogoyf to get there. Game three, keep a 5 card hand. But stifles show that they can actually be good sometimes. I kept a two lander. One was a fetch. I never see another land or an AEther Vial.
Board: +2 Spell Pierce, + 3 Submerge, +Kira
- AEther Vial, -Jitte, -SoFaI, -2 Stoneforge, -Reejerey
2-2
Round 5: Storm
Game 1 he barely gets me with an army of goblins followed by a grapeshot after I had stabilized on board at 2 life. Game 2, I race him before he has a chance to do anything. Game 3, I rip Ethersworn Canonist the turn before he goes off. He dumps his artifacts, then on the end of my next turn Ad Nauseams himself, finding zero outs and putting him in lethal range.
Board: -Kira, -3 Swords to Plowshares
+2 Spell Pierce, +2 Ethersworn Canonist
3-2
Round 6: NO-Bant
Game 1 is a Progenitus against my Jitte. I lose. Game 2, he boards out that package to bring in three more swords effects via Path to Exile, Pithing Needles, Sowers, and Llawans. I had actually zero chance there.
3-3
So that was pretty bad. I feel like there were just two matches that I could have won, but karma got me with bad mulligans and land pockets. Happens sometimes.
A few notes:
Kira, but also equipment? They don't play nice together!
Right, but a miser's Kira has an extremely low chance of being around if you're getting Jittes with Stoneforge, the threefold more likely scenario.
You didn't board out the last swords in the storm matchup!
Yes. It's worth having an out, even if it's just one, to Xantid Swarm. Turns out he wasn't, but it can also be a last-ditch effort to kill your own fish to save you from lethal damage.
Yes, and the consensus was that it was occasionally strong, but only against the decks Merfolk is already favored against while doing little to nothing against Zoo, Goblins, etc.
Here is what I've been running in terms of Uw Merfolk:
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Coralhelm Commander
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Merrow Reejerey
4 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword if Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Body and Mind
4 Æther Vial
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
3 Scalding Tarn
3 Tundra
3 Island
4 Wasteland
4 Mutavault
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Path to Exile
4 Spell Pierce
3 Null Rod
2 Tormod's Crypt
It's a fairly rough list. I threw it together and took it to a 55 or so person tournament a couple weeks ago without any testing and managed to top 8 (my prize was a Taiga and a Plateau). It obviously has the problems a 2+ color manabase has in Legacy, but I think such a vulnerability is worth it. The Mystic was incredibly strong every time I cast it. I like it more than the black splashes, and it feels much stronger than the mono-U versions.
How are you having a tough time with this deck? It is a turn 3/4 combo with no distruption and we have 4 cursecatcher, 4 daze, 4 force, 3 spell pierce. That a lot of counterspells with a fast clock. This matchup is almost unwinnable for them. Chalice at 1 doesn't wreck them, they run wipe away and tutors.
Siding out cursecatchers vs combo decks is wrong. If you are facing a lot of combo in your meta run standstills and then if you still think you need more cards run mindbreak traps.
I agree that mono blue is probably the best right now, but the problem is if all these artifact decks are around then maybe it just won't cut it anymore. We will need something to destroy artifacts. We pretty much can't beat goblin welder or metalworker, affinity/artifact decks
Nul Rod says hello- it's pretty raw against metalworker.deck (as it can stop mana abilities) and affinity (as it shuts down virtually ALL of their lands, not to mention Cranial Plating, Ravager, etc). It also stops Thopter Foundry decks. In fact, I don't think I've ever lost a game to any of these decks where I successfully dropped a Rod turn two or three, though the trick is often landing it soon enough so you may have to mull for it from time to time.
And actually, I've also had a good deal of trouble with the newest versions of High Tide simply because they typically run so much redundancy and so many tutoring effects- 4 Merchant Scrolls to search for Force back-up to protect their combo and 3-4 Cunning Wish to tutor-up Pact of Negation in addition to all of the hand-sculpting that goes on simply from their can-trips seems pretty good IMO, not to mention that either of those can search for pretty much any of their kill-spells or actual Tides.
I'm currently piloting a pretty solid mono-blue build with the typical Force/ daze load-out, plus 3x Spell Pierce main AND 4x Standstill in addition to that... and I still got rolled 0-2 a couple weeks back by High Tide (granted, turns out it was piloted by Hatfield himself, but both he and I agreed afterward that I really hadn't made any big play mistakes... though he did point out one potentially very valuable bit of information in that it's important to remember that if he does manage to resolve a High Tide it also doubles YOUR blue mana as well, something that could end up netting you some potentially vital card advantage if it actually allows you to hard-cast that Force :D).
Really, I actually think that Tide is a hard match-up for us to win if the other player is on top of their game unless we're able to get lucky enough to draw enough gas to aggro them to death in about 4 turns. That said, I've only played a few games against the newest versions of this so perhaps there's something I'm missing here; any feedback on how to improve this match-up would be helpful.
Sig by me!
Currently Playing:
:symr::symg::symb: Living End Modern
:symu:, :symu::symw: Merfolk Fish ("Marine Freaks") Legacy, Modern
Death and Taxes Legacy
RDW/ Burn ("Peking Duck w/ 8 Pancakes") Legacy, Modern
:symu::symb::symr: Worldgorger Dragon Vintage
:symu::symr::symw: Narset EDH
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Cube
I didn't say you would never lose to combo it is combo, but Spiral tide is very slow when it comes to combo and they only have 4 force and maybe some pacts when they are comboing off. Our clock is more then fast enough, they literally ponder/brainstorm for 4 turns
I can see your point about Nul Rod, especially on the draw against Metalworker. I currently run a 2/2 split between Rod and Pithing Needle (used to run 3-4x Needle) in the side, and through aggressive mull's I've not had any serious problems yet only running two copies, though perhaps I've just gotten lucky.
Another option is always the White-splash, something that I think is too-often overlooked as a legitimate option for a lot of metas/ match-ups; access to StP main or side helps a lot of previously problematic MU's (it can offer a hand dealing with those Metalworkers, for one), and this also gives us access to Meddling Mage/ Ethersworn Canonist for combo, Jotun Grunt as GY hate with legs that also happens to shine against just about any aggro deck out there (vialing him in to block a resolved Llwan is also hilarious, though she also dies to StP), and we can still also run things like Jitte, Nul Rod, or Pithing Needle.
About Spiral Tide though, Idk; maybe I'm just trying to counter the wrong things, but it's hard to stop everything you need to like Tide and still stop their massive draw spells, etc. Maybe If I pitch less dudes to Force early on I can out-aggro more effectively. I was honestly surprised to do so badly against the deck, as at first glace it does seem that we would have a pretty good MU, maybe I just need to work on it more. I also like the white splash for MM/ Canonist here, though I haven't gotten to test them out against it yet (yeah, they have bounce, but a couple more road-blocks never hurts, especially when they have legs to help win the race).
Sig by me!
Currently Playing:
:symr::symg::symb: Living End Modern
:symu:, :symu::symw: Merfolk Fish ("Marine Freaks") Legacy, Modern
Death and Taxes Legacy
RDW/ Burn ("Peking Duck w/ 8 Pancakes") Legacy, Modern
:symu::symb::symr: Worldgorger Dragon Vintage
:symu::symr::symw: Narset EDH
:symw::symu::symb::symr::symg: Cube
Frankly, it's because the meta I play in is incredibly unpredictable. I found the splash to be stronger against a wider field than against the meta one might expect at an SCG open. Keep in mind the list I posted was in no way refined or tested before the tournament I played it in, and one tournament is hardly that great of a sample size. It is undoubtedly less powerful against decks like storm and Team America, but I feel its strengths against other decks merit consideration in an unknown meta.
I'm curious as to why you would counter anything but the threat you need to counter? Is high tide the threat, or time spiral, or what? I remember back in the day where there was a tournament in a upheaval/tog based meta (looooong time ago). The guy that won it playing tog had a game plan going in that he would only counter upheaval. If you stockpile your counters, possibly you could win that war? I'd say don't counter the card draw, just counter the kill spell (I'm not sure if that's brain freeze or blue sun's zenith). Surely you have more, don't you?
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I feel like I have too much to bring in and can't cut anything? Advice?
Well, countering Brain Freeze is pretty impossible unless you have Stifle, so there's that. The other problem is that allowing them to draw a ton of cards allows them to stock their hand with more counters than you, as Merfolk, can possibly hope to have. So planning to counter the kill spell is a no-go. You can counter High Tide, but if they have another one they might still be able to go off. I'd say the best bet is to keep pressure high and counter High Tides though.
On another note, I play the general Standstill version of the deck, and was wondering (now, don't laugh, I know this is probably bad but suggesting bad things is how decks ultimately get better), would Psionic Blast be playable in the Stifle/Spell Snare spot as a form of maindeck removal? I'm thinking 3-of here. Probably doesn't pass the laugh test but I might try it out anyways.
U G W NO Bant U G W
U G W R B Dredge! U G W R B
B G W Junk B G W
R G W B Aggro Loam R G W B
B W Deadguy B W
W Death & Taxes (almost!) W
G W Green & Taxes G W
B G W Junk & Taxes B G W
Momir Vig
Brion Stoutarm
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Arcum Daggson
You have plenty to take out, first if you have standstills.. . Those are the first to go. Then it is daze, probably even on the play (at least 2) and then I would cut a force/2 or cursecatchers. I also don't feel spell pierce is all that great vs zoo if you have those main.
I bring in 10 cards vs zoo, usually cutting daze, 1 force, 1-2 cursecatcher and 1-2 spell pierce.
Like I said it is a combo deck and it is still tough, but you def probably shouldn't be countering anything until turn 3/4 unless it is to daze a merchant scroll which usually gets high tide or a force/pact of negation. But the daze shouldn't be setting you back to much
Hide tide wins by playing hightides, getting mana and drawing cards then blue suns zenith you or brainfreeze. So things to force are high tide, time spiral, and stuff like meditate if there hand is getting low. What are you countering in the first turns, there cantrips? You counter there business spells, not the accel/cantrip.
From my playing they go island cantrip for 3/4 turns. Then on turn 4 they will go high tide and you should go force. Even if you spell pierce that only leaves them with 1 island for 2 mana. (not including cursecatcher, daze, force) They have force of will and pact of negation along with cunning wish for what ever instant (pact, meditate)
If you are referring to spiral tide with Candelabra of Tawnos and mind over matter then those decks can combo off turn 3. Who has the candle anyways? So after my long rant, you still force the hightide, cursecatcher is good vs them. I played against this deck tonight and lost 0/2, the candle and mind of matter are pretty broken. Even getting 2 force and spell pierce of time spiral I still lost game 1.
This is probably correct. Still, the Blast does have some advantages over each of these option. It doesn't get killed off like Sower, or cost 4, doesn't require a creature like Jitte, and permanently deals with something, unlike Truth. Really I just wish we had better removal than Truth. Jitte is probably the closest we get. 2-3x Blast, 2x Jitte maybe?
U G W NO Bant U G W
U G W R B Dredge! U G W R B
B G W Junk B G W
R G W B Aggro Loam R G W B
B W Deadguy B W
W Death & Taxes (almost!) W
G W Green & Taxes G W
B G W Junk & Taxes B G W
Momir Vig
Brion Stoutarm
Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief
Arcum Daggson
Why isn't stifle played more in merfolk? I feel we can take real advantage of the tempo gained, plus it doesn't hurt to have it against combo.
From my experiences so far, I don't think stifle is affective enough. I really don't find myself with mana open during the first few turns when it would really shine. I'd probably end up pitching it FoW more than not.
A couple quick questions though. What do people think about spell pierce mainboard as opposed to sideboard? I've seen that a lot of people have been doing this lately and I'm wondering how they've like the results.
Also also, does anyone advocate running mindbreak trap in the sideboard? Seems like it would just be another good card against TES and would wreck springtide. At the same time though I don't really like putting cards in the board for combo because we have an awesome matchup against it already.
Retired
Legacy:
GRUB Lands
Modern:
U Tron
RG Tron
RG Ponza
1. My friend tweaked my Fish deck to have 3 Pierces instead of Sovereigns. He tends to like it more due to more counter elements. I feel it's not 100% necessary, but it's a good option. The Fish list is REALLY tight (at least 20 creatures, 8 free counters, 4 Vial, 4 Standstill, plus the lands). We have about 4 slots to work with. Some like the more aggro approach of filling it with more dudes. I'll try it with the Spell Pierces. It could be more of a meta call, though.
2. Mindbreak Trap DOESN'T work against competent TES players. They will generally Duress you to get rid your counterspell, plus they can Orim's Chant or Silence. It is a nice card in theory, but the TES player will be expecting it so they're going to either play around you, or just make you discard it.
How many lands do you run? I run 20 (12 Island, 4 Mutavault, 4 Wasteland) and I have no problems with the mana base.
That whole "deck thinning" has no noticeable effect unless you spend a LOT of time fetching, so it's not that useful. I run fetches if I want to use a splash, but if it's mono blue, no fetches is ok.