Which ones do you have in mind? The only one I can see furthering our gameplan is Jace Beleren, and even that's slow grindy card advantage that requires protection.
Merfolk is 9-0 and 8-1 at Scg Syracuse: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/164626950
Starts at 1:20:24 and 8:40:50. In second, he did several huge mistakes and lost that one, but at least we are trucking with fish.
In both we had a "pleasure" listening Cedric make uninformed statements regarding our deck and matchups.
One of the things I noticed on Randall Barber's deck list is now more interactive it is with other merfolk builds, with three Dismember and two Vendilion Clique. Also a full playset of gut shot in the side. Has anyone experimented with Clique and/or copter? Maybe the way forward is a deck that interacts more with our opponent, as opposed to filling the board with creatures and getting there on the aggro play.
clique and copter have both been experimented with extensively. The list Nikachu took to GP Vancouver finals in february ran 2 maindeck clique. he also won a PPTQ with 4 copters. both have a place in our toolbox but i'm not convinced clique is good in the current meta. i have tried copters several times and have yet to be impressed by them (except against decks full of sweepers). others like them though.
I haven't been having much success with Copters either (this is after playing with them a LOT) and I've been left very unimpressed so far. It somewhat puzzles me how there are so many successful copter lists.
Most lists have 2 Copters, which means some percentage of games you are not even drawing them.
Whether they are good or bad almost has no relevance for successful Copter lists.
Those lists are winning because or despite of them, because we play Merfolk
Just like I would never play or consider Gemstone Caverns or Jace TMS good for Merfolk deck (like some lists do), does not mean the rest of 60/75 isn't ready to win or that those cards are actively bad.
What's the argument of Vendilion Clique vs Kira, Great Glass-Spinner (pros and cons of each)? In what sort of meta would they be favored over the other? I've been thinking of playing a list similar to Randall Barber's list, yet many have praised Kira so I'm doubting my decision. The meta at my LGS is rather broad by the way.
Daniel Duffee's list looks solid. He was first in swiss (more than 900 people), even when he conceded to a friend (to have them both in).
Then he lost in SF because of mull to 3. If ain't broken...
Clique is going to be good against sweepers and combo and Kira is going to be good against spot removal.
Pretty much this. You can and should be evaluating your meta, and switching between them as context dictates. I've had a lot of success with Kira in the recent past, but metagame trends may be pointing toward Clique at the moment (it makes Titanshift much more tractable, for instance).
As for the Copter discussion... I was previously thinking that it was competing for the Kira/Clique spots, but more recent evidence suggests it may be worthy of a spot over the 4th copies of our curve-toppers if you're expecting a faster metagame (especially if you're bracing for Affinity). I think that it's a fine choice in metagames light on Kolaghan's Command and other artifact blowouts.
I notice most recent lists do not run Tectonic Edge in the sideboard. How do we play without having Tectonic Edge in the sideboard to bring in when we cut out vials post board? Is 20 lands really enough to keep us going against grindy decks?
Decks like Jund and Abzan seem to be at an all time low so Tec Edge isn't as powerful as it used to be. The decks that have filled that void tend to be softer to Relic of Progenitus, so in my experience, most of the time when I'm pulling Vials, relics are coming in and their ability to cantrip helps us draw in to the mana we may need.
When Vials come out, Relics come in. The grindy decks where Vial is bad invariably mine the graveyard for value, and Relic keeps us on schedule while disrupting the opponent.
Guy I know went 8-1 the first day...and then the wheels fell off...I have to get his play list, because he played some CRAZY choices...as in skywatcher adept, coralhelm commander and Psionic Blast...crazy build...but it did great day one.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I hope to have such a death—lying in triumph upon the broken bodies of those who slew me."
—Radha, Keldon warlord
Be a lemming hunter. Don't be a lemming. Really, all you had to do was explain to him the popularity metric, not give him the lemming hunter manifesto...
Curious about what people think about maybe considering phantasmal image again mainboard...considering it can copy copter, mutavault, any of our lords AND Vendilion Clique...it could be pretty strong in the format.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"I hope to have such a death—lying in triumph upon the broken bodies of those who slew me."
—Radha, Keldon warlord
I guess it just depends on if you feel like you need a wild card. Keep in mind it can only copy an activated copter or mutavault so you need to expose your more durable threats to copy them. Vendilion Clique is legendary so that doesn't excite me too much, and Image is pretty bad when following up a board wipe. You can also be blown out if you're trying to copy the only creature on the field. Image can lead to some explosiveness when copying your lords, but I'm not sure we need lords 13/14.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
Starts at 1:20:24 and 8:40:50. In second, he did several huge mistakes and lost that one, but at least we are trucking with fish.
In both we had a "pleasure" listening Cedric make uninformed statements regarding our deck and matchups.
finished first in the swiss (917 players), which is accomplishment by itself, defeated Storm in QF and playing SF against ETron (which defeated Affinity).
Main looks polished. GL Daniel!
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
I haven't been having much success with Copters either (this is after playing with them a LOT) and I've been left very unimpressed so far. It somewhat puzzles me how there are so many successful copter lists.
Modern UMerfolkU
Legacy UMerfolkU
Standard XWhatever's GoodX
Whether they are good or bad almost has no relevance for successful Copter lists.
Those lists are winning because or despite of them, because we play Merfolk
Just like I would never play or consider Gemstone Caverns or Jace TMS good for Merfolk deck (like some lists do), does not mean the rest of 60/75 isn't ready to win or that those cards are actively bad.
Then he lost in SF because of mull to 3. If ain't broken...
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG
Pretty much this. You can and should be evaluating your meta, and switching between them as context dictates. I've had a lot of success with Kira in the recent past, but metagame trends may be pointing toward Clique at the moment (it makes Titanshift much more tractable, for instance).
As for the Copter discussion... I was previously thinking that it was competing for the Kira/Clique spots, but more recent evidence suggests it may be worthy of a spot over the 4th copies of our curve-toppers if you're expecting a faster metagame (especially if you're bracing for Affinity). I think that it's a fine choice in metagames light on Kolaghan's Command and other artifact blowouts.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
—Radha, Keldon warlord
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=115329
Be a lemming hunter. Don't be a lemming.
Really, all you had to do was explain to him the popularity metric, not give him the lemming hunter manifesto...
Originally posted by MemoryLapse and DotMatrix
—Radha, Keldon warlord
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG