Rivals Release day today.
We had 4 tournaments: 2 drafts, Standard and Modern so people played what they wanted, but that split us up too much.
Only 8 people showed up for Modern.
Anyway, I took my Mono U version (19 lands, 2 Copter, 2 Waves, no more Weavers) and played against 3 Thoughtseize decks: Junk, regular Jund and Shadow Jund.
R1 Junk
Cursecatcher into Copter into Kira. He had no Decays so I grinded him out without problem.
Then I mulled to 6: 3 lands, Dismember, 2 Seas. He discarded my Seas and I played the other. Then he played another discard hunting for Dismember to play his creature but I drew second one. Then I draw Spreading Seas, leaving his Gavony Township unmolested
He scooped in disgust.
R2 Jund
Merfolk player trying some other decks, he wanted to dust off his overpriced cards.
We split 2 games, then in third there was a mess of a board, many permanents, including Ooze, Lavamancer, Goyf, Confidant and Ravine among lands.
I was scrambling for lands (6 lords in hand), with Copter and some irrelevant small dudes and 2 Mutavaults.
Then he did some math and went all in. I activated Muta but it got Bolted, I cast Harbinger returning big Ooze but Harbinger got Lavamanced before blocks. Then he said I was dead but his Ooze and Lavamancer "destroyed" Goyf size and I lived at 1. He wrongly tapped Ravine for Ooze activation instead of attacking with it. I got him on crackback.
R3 Shadow
Regular Copter into Kira (it just feels great) for game 1.
Then I mull to 4 (Island, Seas, Adept, Copter), not the worst but he had Battle Rage before dying.
For game 3 I kept Island, Relic, Dismember, Seas, Adept, Kira, Copter and got there.
His Goyf was irrelevant, Copter got crewed by Kira, Seas was cast...
And I won. Easy
Two of my opponents had Explosives and one even played one for 4 counters (blue from Seased land) just to destroy Master of Waves.
EE on 2 slowed me down considerably and I expect that card from a lot of possible opponents.
This is the main reason I stayed away from UG Folk, adding another Lord at 2 mana is not what I want (and caring about Blood Moon is not my style).
Reej overperformed today, no matter how many times I downplay his importance Twiddle effect is powerful, and it played nice against EE with 2 counters.
Nicely done, FANAttIC! I am continuing to test Tropical Fish, but I have to say I am a tad underwhelmed so far. If the results don't pick up soon, I anticipate going back to mono-U for a good long time will be in my future.
Congrats, man! And to answer your question, I'm kind of out on Copter in Modern, but I consider it to be fantastic in Legacy. The Legacy version of the deck is in greater need of filtering, and a 3/3 body represents an upgrade more often than it does in Modern (because we have more Lords). I'll check out your recorded match when I have a chance, and edit this post accordingly.
For the love of God, please do NOT go to 18 lands...did a $2k modern tournament this weekend, playing tropical merfolk and got KILLED by my mana base...I loved how low to the ground and how fast the deck gets off...with 16 lords, the biggest upside is that removal and hand disruption don't hurt as bad, as you will likely have at least two lords on board most of the game...but I mulled to 5 EVERY match, and it was brutal. I think 19 is the lowest we should go.
Private Mod Note
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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
Mismatched Islands, little bit of foils, some regular cards, few inventions, a promo, I thought you were a professional
At 5:00 exposing Copter to Push or Path is not something I would do, that card is too powerful for that, make them leave open mana if they can, you are not under pressure.
At 8:15 you are casting Reej instead of Seas and Lord, smacking him for 6. This way you have wasted mana and dead Adept.
At 26:00 when you cast Relic, unless you expect Ooze and have a creature in your yard, you should activate it immediately (exile one card, not to draw), they could have Tasigur or Angler and waiting for their EOT is not doing you a favor.
At 29:30 you draw a Kira. The way your opponent is playing is that he only uses removal when you show aggression (attack step). I would pass a turn waiting to tick up Vial to 3 and then activate to put Kira down. Opponent is showing a lot of signs that he doesn't know what your cards do, you could wait.
At 30:55 why did Kira stayed home?
At 32:15 Vialing Adept on your turn, what were you hoping to find? Seas doesn't win it this turn, nor another Lord or Waves, Damnation is a real possibility, you could wait.
Second video.
1:05 you pass the turn with overwhelming board? Couldn't you just put the revealed Lord down and smash? He has no good blocks, the game is over.
Not that it mattered, but unless I'm missing something, at around 6:50 of PART 2, your Lord of Atlantis was a 3/3 and was blocked by his 3/4 Restoration Angel ... he put it in the graveyard. In the end, it didn't matter since he was dead on the next turn. I also find it strange that people exile lands that have been enchanted by Spreading Seas. Also he should have used his Ghost Quarter to destroy the land you were targetting, thus saving his Abrupt Decay for a lord.
Overall, you had pretty clean play and your opponent was rather sloppy. That's a good recipe for a win!
Has anyone tested out 16 lord? I was considering going pure aggro but wasn’t sure if it’ll be worth buying the mana for it not. Maybe a creature lineup like..
Creatures 28
4 Cursecatcher / Kumeena’s Speaker
4 Harbinger of Tides
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of Pearl Trident
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
4 Merrow Reejerey
Hey Kizzel! I slapped together a list that was nearly identical to what you've suggested and managed to 5-0 a league right away. I recorded it too if you'd like to check it out.
Hey Kizzel! I slapped together a list that was nearly identical to what you've suggested and managed to 5-0 a league right away. I recorded it too if you'd like to check it out.
Hey Kizzel! I slapped together a list that was nearly identical to what you've suggested and managed to 5-0 a league right away. I recorded it too if you'd like to check it out.
Hey Kizzel! I slapped together a list that was nearly identical to what you've suggested and managed to 5-0 a league right away. I recorded it too if you'd like to check it out.
Hey Kizzel! I slapped together a list that was nearly identical to what you've suggested and managed to 5-0 a league right away. I recorded it too if you'd like to check it out.
How are Branchwalkers working out for you over Harbingers?
I decided to move away from harbinger after seeing a list by Lee Shi Tian who cut them entirely. I think with the added lords it becomes slightly less about tempo and further towards pure aggro (depending on your build). I've found Merfolk Branchwalker to be excellent at mimicking the best card in the deck Silvergill Adept, and with 7 copies you can grind out fair removal heavy decks without 4 mana bombs like Master of Waves or Collected Company. It is a meta call, but so far it's paid off. I think Harbinger of the Tides is less relevant moving forward, although there are always shifts where it can make a comeback. Hope that helps!
Has anyone tested out 16 lord? I was considering going pure aggro but wasn’t sure if it’ll be worth buying the mana for it not. Maybe a creature lineup like..
Creatures 28
4 Cursecatcher / Kumeena’s Speaker
4 Harbinger of Tides
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of Pearl Trident
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
4 Merrow Reejerey
As a matter of fact, I have. Here's the list I've been testing, which has gotten 2 5-0s in the past calendar week (evidence below). I really think that if you're going to do Tropical Fish, 16-Lords is the way to do it.
We had 4 tournaments: 2 drafts, Standard and Modern so people played what they wanted, but that split us up too much.
Only 8 people showed up for Modern.
Anyway, I took my Mono U version (19 lands, 2 Copter, 2 Waves, no more Weavers) and played against 3 Thoughtseize decks: Junk, regular Jund and Shadow Jund.
R1 Junk
Cursecatcher into Copter into Kira. He had no Decays so I grinded him out without problem.
Then I mulled to 6: 3 lands, Dismember, 2 Seas. He discarded my Seas and I played the other. Then he played another discard hunting for Dismember to play his creature but I drew second one. Then I draw Spreading Seas, leaving his Gavony Township unmolested
He scooped in disgust.
R2 Jund
Merfolk player trying some other decks, he wanted to dust off his overpriced cards.
We split 2 games, then in third there was a mess of a board, many permanents, including Ooze, Lavamancer, Goyf, Confidant and Ravine among lands.
I was scrambling for lands (6 lords in hand), with Copter and some irrelevant small dudes and 2 Mutavaults.
Then he did some math and went all in. I activated Muta but it got Bolted, I cast Harbinger returning big Ooze but Harbinger got Lavamanced before blocks. Then he said I was dead but his Ooze and Lavamancer "destroyed" Goyf size and I lived at 1. He wrongly tapped Ravine for Ooze activation instead of attacking with it. I got him on crackback.
R3 Shadow
Regular Copter into Kira (it just feels great) for game 1.
Then I mull to 4 (Island, Seas, Adept, Copter), not the worst but he had Battle Rage before dying.
For game 3 I kept Island, Relic, Dismember, Seas, Adept, Kira, Copter and got there.
His Goyf was irrelevant, Copter got crewed by Kira, Seas was cast...
And I won. Easy
Two of my opponents had Explosives and one even played one for 4 counters (blue from Seased land) just to destroy Master of Waves.
EE on 2 slowed me down considerably and I expect that card from a lot of possible opponents.
This is the main reason I stayed away from UG Folk, adding another Lord at 2 mana is not what I want (and caring about Blood Moon is not my style).
Reej overperformed today, no matter how many times I downplay his importance Twiddle effect is powerful, and it played nice against EE with 2 counters.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
Dont you like Copters even a little bit ??
COuld you guys watch my recorded match and give me advices ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSC8qrzDDro PART 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIGIHVhstTs PART 2
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
—Radha, Keldon warlord
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers:
Mismatched Islands, little bit of foils, some regular cards, few inventions, a promo, I thought you were a professional
At 5:00 exposing Copter to Push or Path is not something I would do, that card is too powerful for that, make them leave open mana if they can, you are not under pressure.
At 8:15 you are casting Reej instead of Seas and Lord, smacking him for 6. This way you have wasted mana and dead Adept.
At 26:00 when you cast Relic, unless you expect Ooze and have a creature in your yard, you should activate it immediately (exile one card, not to draw), they could have Tasigur or Angler and waiting for their EOT is not doing you a favor.
At 29:30 you draw a Kira. The way your opponent is playing is that he only uses removal when you show aggression (attack step). I would pass a turn waiting to tick up Vial to 3 and then activate to put Kira down. Opponent is showing a lot of signs that he doesn't know what your cards do, you could wait.
At 30:55 why did Kira stayed home?
At 32:15 Vialing Adept on your turn, what were you hoping to find? Seas doesn't win it this turn, nor another Lord or Waves, Damnation is a real possibility, you could wait.
Second video.
1:05 you pass the turn with overwhelming board? Couldn't you just put the revealed Lord down and smash? He has no good blocks, the game is over.
Not that it mattered, but unless I'm missing something, at around 6:50 of PART 2, your Lord of Atlantis was a 3/3 and was blocked by his 3/4 Restoration Angel ... he put it in the graveyard. In the end, it didn't matter since he was dead on the next turn. I also find it strange that people exile lands that have been enchanted by Spreading Seas. Also he should have used his Ghost Quarter to destroy the land you were targetting, thus saving his Abrupt Decay for a lord.
Overall, you had pretty clean play and your opponent was rather sloppy. That's a good recipe for a win!
Pioneer: Spirits
EDH: Ur-Dragon + Lord Windgrace + Arixmethes + Atla Palani + Kalamax
Creatures 28
4 Cursecatcher / Kumeena’s Speaker
4 Harbinger of Tides
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of Pearl Trident
4 Silvergil Adept
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
4 Merrow Reejerey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e5Cf9z51SM
Cheers!
That’s awesome. Can you share the list here as well?
Ofcourse! If you'd like to check out the deck tech + gameplay, please check out my channel https://youtu.be/4e5Cf9z51SM
Tropical Merfolk 5-0 Competetive Modern League 1/23/18
Land
4x botanical sanctum
2x breeding pool
3x cavern of souls
4x mutavault
4x scalding tarn
2x snow-covered island
Spells
4x aether vial
4x spreading seas
2x dismember
Creatures
4x kumena's speaker
4x cursecatcher
4x silvergill adept
4x lord of atlantis
4x master of the pearl trident
4x merfolk mistbinder
3x merfolk branchwalker
4x merrow reejerey
Sideboard
4x dispel
2x unified will
1x dismember
4x natural state
4x relic of progenitus
I'd be keen to try out Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca as a 1 of but I personally wouldnt drop below 3 Merrow Reejerey
How are Branchwalkers working out for you over Harbingers?
I decided to move away from harbinger after seeing a list by Lee Shi Tian who cut them entirely. I think with the added lords it becomes slightly less about tempo and further towards pure aggro (depending on your build). I've found Merfolk Branchwalker to be excellent at mimicking the best card in the deck Silvergill Adept, and with 7 copies you can grind out fair removal heavy decks without 4 mana bombs like Master of Waves or Collected Company. It is a meta call, but so far it's paid off. I think Harbinger of the Tides is less relevant moving forward, although there are always shifts where it can make a comeback. Hope that helps!
As a matter of fact, I have. Here's the list I've been testing, which has gotten 2 5-0s in the past calendar week (evidence below). I really think that if you're going to do Tropical Fish, 16-Lords is the way to do it.
Legacy: Merfolk U; Shadow UB; Eldrazi Stompy C
Pauper: Delver U
Vintage: Merfolk U
Primers: