I'm trying out a few sideboard options against Affinity, some of which are a bit out there, like Gleeful Sabotage. I'm also going to give Swift Warden a shot, because Hexproof is nice and the body is relevant. I'm also considering a Bant midrange token-focused list with Kumena, Lullmage Mentor, and Deeproot Elite, as a more casual experiment.
I've just published an article documenting my thoughts on Tropical Fish thus far, and where I think it'll be heading based on the current Rivals of Ixalan spoilers. Check it out and let me know what you think!
I need to get to the end of spoiler season. What I'm interested in almost more than rares or lords are the uncommon and common merfolk I think we can still expect to get (the Kumena's speakers, watertrap weavers and Cursecatchers of the world). Thus far I think the only really playable card we've gotten is mistbinder. But I'm still interested in messing around with Kumena. If we get a low cmc merfolk with a reejerey or merrow commerce type ability I think Kumena could easily be a standard issue top end for an aggressive simic list. Only time will tell though.
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My Decks:
UG Merfolk RG 8-Whack BWG Abzan midrange GRB Living End UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin" RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!" BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
I mean, if we don't get all the fish we need in Rivals chances are Wizards is spreading out the fish love in the upcoming sets. Fish do exist in Dominaria and there's the return of the core set after that. Oh, and another four sets before Standard fish rotates out so they might still sprinkle some here and there to at least try to make it more viable, and some are bound to be Modern playable.
Hmm the new Enchantment/lan is rather interesting, without testing.. not sure how viable it could be for Modern, but seems good for standard (take that with a grain of salt since i don't play standard)
Hmm the new Enchantment/lan is rather interesting, without testing.. not sure how viable it could be for Modern, but seems good for standard (take that with a grain of salt since i don't play standard)
that card is more for bant spirit or knightfall in modern i think..
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Current Deck(s): TappedOut Would love to have more input to improve!
Hmm the new Enchantment/lan is rather interesting, without testing.. not sure how viable it could be for Modern, but seems good for standard (take that with a grain of salt since i don't play standard)
Far too slow for Modern, and I doubt it will find a spot in Standard, unless Snek comes back.
I've just published an article documenting my thoughts on Tropical Fish thus far, and where I think it'll be heading based on the current Rivals of Ixalan spoilers. Check it out and let me know what you think!
What I like most about ur article is that is not trying to force the idea that one brand of merfolk deck is better than the other and give the pros and cons of the U/G variant.
Nice breakdown, Rothgar. It does feel like this new lord is what's UG has been waiting for to really push it over the edge, though I agree it probably doesn't dramatically shift a bunch of match ups. In goldfishing, it does have turn 4 kills way more reliably though, so I have to believe that's going to add up to some wins here and there as even decks like Storm and Affinity can't reliably goldfish turn 3 kills.
I generally like your list for UG Merfolk going forward.
It's tough going down to 2 Mutavault, but shaving at least 1 Mutavault is probably necessary if you go down to 18 lands. I'll probably stick with 19 lands and 4 Mutavaults, but happy to adjust accordingly depending on what puts up results.
I'd also think you'd want at least a couple ceremonious rejection in the SB. Eldrazi and traditional Tron are seeing an upswing, so it's nice to have some solid hate against them.
I agree that the article authored by rothgar13 is very, very fair.
I'm likely to continue leaning towards the Basic variant. The Tropical variant is definitely a bit faster now, and has some more SB flexibility. However, it's also more "all-in" aggro with less singular, powerful cards or strong finishing punch, and I think I'd rather play something else if I'm all-in.
Hadana's Climb // Winged Temple of Orazca seems interesting. It's definitely a bit slower than Tropical likes, but playing it on turn 3 still lets Branchwalker potentially punch for 4, and then the next turn for 10. Three hits with Speaker gets you the remaining 6, as might fetches and shocks. This provides a less "all-in" alternative playstyle.
Mist-Cloaked Herald is nothing new, though we may be reaching a critical density of unblockable 1-drops.
The green ones are interesting. The 3-drop brings another body along, and while I like the idea of UG lowering it's cover to top out at 2, this definitely intrigues me.
I'm just not sure if these do enough. They are still just dudes and make our dudes bigger.
nothing good for 'folk save the lord, this time. I really am disappointed by the absence of interactive merfolk in these two sets. Watertrap weaver was a great card that makes the tribe interesting and fun to play, who wants a bunch of big dudes goldfishing for the win?
Agreed, I will test a UG version with the new Kumena Tirant of Orazca, but it's hard not to feel disappointed. At the end of the day, the best card we got out of this block looks to be a 3 mana 2/2 that taps a creature, speaking at least for the mono U version.
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I think Tyrant of Orazca is a little slow for Modern. You’d basically be spending your turn tapping down to draw a card.
Side note- With Deeproot Elite, would it trigger each time a Mutavault animates?
Thanks. That’s what I thought. Too good to be true haha.
Here’s to hoping for a Queller Merfolk!!!!
To play devil's advocate, replace Tyrant with Reejerey in that sentence. You'd basically be spending your turn tapping down for... nothing.
If you're casting them into the same board state, at least Tyrant draws you a card.
I'm not sure if Tyrant will be good, but I see some potential.
BLiliana, Heretical HealerB| |GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
GWBDoom Plane EnchantressBWG
3 Cursecatcher
4 Kumena's Speaker
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
3 Harbinger of the Tides
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
4 Spreading Seas
Land
3 Breeding Pool
4 Mutavault
1 Forest
3 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Cavern of Souls
Artifact
4 Aether Vial
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Swift Warden
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Hurkyl's Recall
3 Dismember
1 Sundering Vitae
1 Natural State
3 Ceremonious Rejection
1 Gleeful Sabotage
I'm trying out a few sideboard options against Affinity, some of which are a bit out there, like Gleeful Sabotage. I'm also going to give Swift Warden a shot, because Hexproof is nice and the body is relevant. I'm also considering a Bant midrange token-focused list with Kumena, Lullmage Mentor, and Deeproot Elite, as a more casual experiment.
Those were my thoughts originally too, though he could be interesting for those games that go a bit longer so I'm interested in testing him for that.
I've just published an article documenting my thoughts on Tropical Fish thus far, and where I think it'll be heading based on the current Rivals of Ixalan spoilers. Check it out and let me know what you think!
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
RG 8-Whack
BWG Abzan midrange
GRB Living End
UWB Spirit Control
GU Kruphix's "Hug Assassin"
RW Kalemne's "Play Fatties and Hope for the Best!"
BUGW Atraxa's "All counters, all the time"
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
GHardened Steel
WUBRG Slivers
U Merfolk
Legacy
G Hardened Steel
GUWB Counter Slivers
UMerfolk
CG Eldrazi
Commander
WUB Sydri, Galvanic Genius
WUBRGSliver Overlord
that card is more for bant spirit or knightfall in modern i think..
TappedOut
Would love to have more input to improve!
Far too slow for Modern, and I doubt it will find a spot in Standard, unless Snek comes back.
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
I generally like your list for UG Merfolk going forward.
It's tough going down to 2 Mutavault, but shaving at least 1 Mutavault is probably necessary if you go down to 18 lands. I'll probably stick with 19 lands and 4 Mutavaults, but happy to adjust accordingly depending on what puts up results.
I'd also think you'd want at least a couple ceremonious rejection in the SB. Eldrazi and traditional Tron are seeing an upswing, so it's nice to have some solid hate against them.
I'm likely to continue leaning towards the Basic variant. The Tropical variant is definitely a bit faster now, and has some more SB flexibility. However, it's also more "all-in" aggro with less singular, powerful cards or strong finishing punch, and I think I'd rather play something else if I'm all-in.
Hadana's Climb // Winged Temple of Orazca seems interesting. It's definitely a bit slower than Tropical likes, but playing it on turn 3 still lets Branchwalker potentially punch for 4, and then the next turn for 10. Three hits with Speaker gets you the remaining 6, as might fetches and shocks. This provides a less "all-in" alternative playstyle.
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
Modern Tallowisp Spirits - A Modern Tallowisp Deck UW
Eldrazi Ninjas - Summoning Octopus Jutsu YYYYAAAHHHH!
STANDARD
Naban Wizards
Mist-Cloaked Herald is nothing new, though we may be reaching a critical density of unblockable 1-drops.
The green ones are interesting. The 3-drop brings another body along, and while I like the idea of UG lowering it's cover to top out at 2, this definitely intrigues me.
I'm just not sure if these do enough. They are still just dudes and make our dudes bigger.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
Agreed, I will test a UG version with the new Kumena Tirant of Orazca, but it's hard not to feel disappointed. At the end of the day, the best card we got out of this block looks to be a 3 mana 2/2 that taps a creature, speaking at least for the mono U version.