I also think a card not discussed enough as a sideboard option is heroic intervention...does a lot against control, and if we are going to a way faster UG lord build, getting wrathed is still a problem.
Private Mod Note
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"I hope to have such a death—lying in triumph upon the broken bodies of those who slew me."
—Radha, Keldon warlord
I also think a card not discussed enough as a sideboard option is heroic intervention...does a lot against control, and if we are going to a way faster UG lord build, getting wrathed is still a problem.
I think I've caught the Merfolk bug (especially since my dream of a Korean-language version is closer), and will prbably go UG since it's my favorite color combination, and I love the idea of having Heroic Intervention as an option makes me happy.
I can't see Heroic Intervention being all that good - it's worse than a counterspell against everything but Supreme Verdict and Abrupt Decay, and those aren't common enough to merit its inclusion.
So, "if you attacked with a creature this turn" is good as soon as the Declare attackers step or is it only valid post combat resolution?
That new strict counterspell for U during our turn could be interesting if it is online as soon as we declare attackers to protect the team.
And at worst it is a 1UU counterspell we can keep up if we expect a non verdict sweeper or have the kill on the board and want to play it safe.
Combat doesn't have to end, but it won't be turned on at the beginning of the combat step either. Raid will trigger once you've declared an attacker. I don't think this is any better than Dispel or Negate since it's only a 1 mana counter spell on your turn which means it'll be a situational Dispel most of the time. And cards worth Dispelling, like Cryptic Command, are usually cast before you declare attackers anyway. It can counter anything on your opponent's turn, but Cancel really isn't good enough.
Thoughts on Jadelight Ranger? A 4-3 for 3, or 2-1 draw 2 lands, or 3-2 half scry draw a land. I don't know for modern, as we're not getting the disruption we needed. Fish in standard are getting legit though.
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Mostly Modern Player RBridgevineB RGR/G EldraziX UBlue MoonR UU/W TronW
An extra explore trigger is definitely not worth an extra G, especially in a deck that's still primarily U. Hard pass, in all non-draft formats.
I agree it's not for Modern, since GG is simply not realist for Merfolk. Though "all non-draft formats" is harsh: it should see significant Standard/EDH play.
Jadelight in Standard has to fight with Kopala, Kumena, Vineshaper, Shapers, Nissa and Weaver.
Her future is not so beautiful as her art.
At least not in Merfolk deck, as I can see fun times with Winding Constrictor into 6/5 Ranger.
So I just looked through the utter pile of garbage Wizards handed us. Basically, you get some marginal improvements in Tropical, and junk in Basic. I'm officially disappointed and annoyed, and I'm not actually holding out hope that they'll do anything decent for Basic. The green cards are solid, if over-committed to the color. Aquatic Incursion and Seafloor Oracle show that they are still petrified that if they give mono-blue anything at a reasonable cost, the world will end.
Also, I still despise that they're screwing up Vampires and Merfolk by throwing them into colors where they clearly don't belong for historical and thematic reasons. But they stopped caring about that a long time ago.
I totally agree with you, I'm greatly disappointed and this forcing us to go UG with printing the only decent Merfolk in green colours is really annoying. The Swift Warden is a great example of this, 1UG or 1UU were a totally reasonable mana cost for it but for some unknown reason they need to be green.
edit: this was meant to be a reply to lord_darkview, I'm new with mtgsalvation so I messed up
Why 4 Botanical Sanctum over 4 Breeding pool? With Kumena's Speaker, would it be better to just run 4 Breeding Pools to get a higher chance for the bonus?
Hitting your land drops early is important. Sanctum lets you do this while preserving your life total. Don’t forget that Speaker is also turned on by simply having another merfolk.
Kumena's Speaker is almost always going to get the +1/+1, as the odds of not having an Island out OR another Merfolk are really low. With such a low mana curve, Botanical Sanctum is great for the deck, and it's nice to avoid taking an extra 2 damage if possible, especially since a painless manabase was one of the perks of mono-blue.
Nothing to see here really (with maybe the exception of the UG lord but i'm highly doubtful of that as the deck needs more solidly disruptive creatures not more beat sticks). What really needs to happen is another solid 1-drop that is mono-blue.
As I said when the Ixalan Merfolk came out - ppl will be hyped up by the new cards and make bold predictions for the archetype. Nothing happened after Ixalan and sadly nothing here to see so far either. The cards spoiled simply aren't good enough for modern.
I'm still holding out hope for a Cursecatcher upgrade or any other kind of Merfolk hatebear. I'd definitely want some goodies for mono-U as well. At the end of the day, I believe that these cards make UG worth testing, but I'm not convinced it'll be better.
—Radha, Keldon warlord
I think I've caught the Merfolk bug (especially since my dream of a Korean-language version is closer), and will prbably go UG since it's my favorite color combination, and I love the idea of having Heroic Intervention as an option makes me happy.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
That new strict counterspell for U during our turn could be interesting if it is online as soon as we declare attackers to protect the team.
And at worst it is a 1UU counterspell we can keep up if we expect a non verdict sweeper or have the kill on the board and want to play it safe.
EDIT: Admiral's Order is the card
—Radha, Keldon warlord
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG
RBridgevineB
RGR/G EldraziX
UBlue MoonR
UU/W TronW
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
I agree it's not for Modern, since GG is simply not realist for Merfolk. Though "all non-draft formats" is harsh: it should see significant Standard/EDH play.
WBC Eldrazi & Taxes CBW
UR Keep on Cantripin' (UR Phoenix) RU
WU Surprise! It's not UW Control! (UW Midrange) UW
BG The Rock, Straight BG
U Mono-Blue Fish U
RBW Mardu Pyromancer BWR
RG Rabble! Rabble! (GR Blood Moon Aggro) GR
Legacy
W Death & Taxes W
Her future is not so beautiful as her art.
At least not in Merfolk deck, as I can see fun times with Winding Constrictor into 6/5 Ranger.
3/3 for 3 is a big boy, and saving one of our guys from removal is a nice trick.
Also, I still despise that they're screwing up Vampires and Merfolk by throwing them into colors where they clearly don't belong for historical and thematic reasons. But they stopped caring about that a long time ago.
Am I grumpy? Yeah, a bit. Ending rant now.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
edit: this was meant to be a reply to lord_darkview, I'm new with mtgsalvation so I messed up
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG
As I said when the Ixalan Merfolk came out - ppl will be hyped up by the new cards and make bold predictions for the archetype. Nothing happened after Ixalan and sadly nothing here to see so far either. The cards spoiled simply aren't good enough for modern.
Bant Eldrazi
UW Control
U Merfolk
Legacy
Merfolk
UR Delver
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers: