I think I'd rather run Elvish Rejuvenator in the District Guide / Skittering Surveyor slot, as it gets and land and puts it directly into play, rather than just basics (not going to be alot to fetch in an 4-color deck) and into your hand. Also, putting cards on the bottom isn't that a big deal since if all goes to plan you are searching multiple times with Vannifar.
From there just pick what you want the deck to do and find the odd cards. void winnower would be a fair card, but yennett is in the color of twincast, so expropriate seems like the go-to game ender.
Don't forget Cruel Tutor. In a similar vein, Lim-Dul's Vault and Diabolic Vision. Also, you probably want all the 1-drop blue card selection:
Sleight of Mind
Portent
Brainstorm
Serum Visions
Ponder
Preordain
Opt
Scroll Rack is solid, and I'm sure there's a new Doomsday stack that you can win with.
I'd imagine it'll be a lightning rod for removal, so you're going to want ways to protect the commander, via counterspells or stuff like:
Diplomatic Immunity
Vanishing
Gift of Immortality
Lightning Greaves
Alexi's Cloak
Cloak and Dagger
General's Kabuto
Mystic Veil
Pemmin's Aura
Protective Bubble
Robe of Mirrors
Spectral Cloak
Draft more 2-drops. Also, merfolk can only really support 1 person per draft pod. I have mostly been having success with R/G midrange dinos, but make sure you have answers for flyers if you're going this route.
Some other cards to consider that weren't mentioned yet:
Deepchannel Mentor - makes a lot of your guys unblockable Archmage Ascension - if you're going to be drawing a bunch of cards, might as well take a bunch of turns Beastmaster Ascension - for merfolk swarms Sigil Tracer - a lot of merfolk also happen to be wizards; gets silly with untap effects Grimoire Thief - help against combo decks Mind Over Matter - easily lets you draw through your deck if you're searching for a specific card
Anyone think there will be any Un- or silver border Holiday promo spikes now that (for a month [or maybe longer?]) silver boardered cards are legal in Commander? I am guessing Super-Secret Tech will get an upswing (sorry, typing on a cell & no option to link said card is available).
Looks like it's already started (see Jack-In-the-Mox, Frankie Peanuts, etc.)
What good support cards would there be for the rest of the deck to support the Wizards tribe?
I think Attrition would be a good addition, so every token you make can take another creature with them from the battlefield.
Also, Gravepact and Dictate of Erebos can be really good IF you have enough sacrifice outlets for the tokens (the tokens themselves go to exile EOT, so they don't trigger these all by themselves).
I have not spend a lot of time brewing yet but the main concern I have is about keeping my opponent's creatures at bay. With their puny stats, making favorable blocks is nearly impossible.
If you're going to add sacrifice outlets, might I suggest Faces of the Past?
I've been testing a similar plan, going 2/2 with Glorybringer/Avacyn, though. I can't decide which one I like seeing more,
I'm also not sure about Town Gossipmonger, especially as a 4-of. If we need another option as a 1-drop, I'd rather see Village Messenger. It gives us something to do with red on T1, has haste native so it can start swinging, comes in as a human to get a counter from Mimic while placing a counter on Lieutenant, still gets buffed by Crop Captain and Always Watching when flipped, and when flipped gets +1/+1 and menace. Menace has proven extremely useful vs control, since it can't be blocked by the lone flashed-in Gearhulk, while also tying up aggro decks by forcing double blocks.
My only other change to this list would be swapping Garrison #4 for a singleton Combat Celebrant.
I would rather run Bloodlust Inciter over Village Messenger, especially since that list is running the full playset of Hanweir Garrison.
Finally did some testing with AKH last night on cockatrice, some thoughts:
-Bloodlust Inciter is great; he gives you more nut draws and makes your topdecks better (Hanweir Garrison, Honored Crop-Captain). Removal spell for your turn 2 Mimic felt so bad before, at least this way it gets in for 2 damage before eating the dust. Makes me want to test slotting in some copies of Kari Zev and possibly Aether Chaser (likely cutting some copies of Nerd Ape).
-Think I want to move the Needle Spires to the side along with a package of bigger stuff (maindeck curve tops out at 3) - 4 mana Gideon and Chandra, possibly Glorybringer (though it would require running Always Watching which I am currently not doing, opting for 16 1-drops along with full set of Reckless Bushwhacker)
-List probably needs more MD removal.
-Current list (from memory):
4 Bloodlust Inciter
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Expedition Envoy
4 Inventor's Apprentice
4 Metallic Mimic
4 Honored Crop-Captain
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Hanweir Militia Captain (probably should be Glory-Bound Initiate, but thoughts on this guy?)
3 Hanweir Garrison
4 Reckless Bushwhacker
2 Outnumber
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Needle Spires
rest mix of Mountains / Plains (20 total lands)
SB (can't remember specifics, but some Gideons, couple artifact hate cards, additional removal, Saheeli hate).
I would rather run Town Gossipmonger over Soul-Scar Mage, especially since you are running very little burn and non-creature spells to take advantage of both prowess and his -1/-1 counters effect.
Don't forget Cruel Tutor. In a similar vein, Lim-Dul's Vault and Diabolic Vision. Also, you probably want all the 1-drop blue card selection:
Sleight of Mind
Portent
Brainstorm
Serum Visions
Ponder
Preordain
Opt
Scroll Rack is solid, and I'm sure there's a new Doomsday stack that you can win with.
I'd imagine it'll be a lightning rod for removal, so you're going to want ways to protect the commander, via counterspells or stuff like:
Diplomatic Immunity
Vanishing
Gift of Immortality
Lightning Greaves
Alexi's Cloak
Cloak and Dagger
General's Kabuto
Mystic Veil
Pemmin's Aura
Protective Bubble
Robe of Mirrors
Spectral Cloak
Think there is one slot left for multicolor/colorless mythic
Deepchannel Mentor - makes a lot of your guys unblockable
Archmage Ascension - if you're going to be drawing a bunch of cards, might as well take a bunch of turns
Beastmaster Ascension - for merfolk swarms
Sigil Tracer - a lot of merfolk also happen to be wizards; gets silly with untap effects
Grimoire Thief - help against combo decks
Mind Over Matter - easily lets you draw through your deck if you're searching for a specific card
Capture of Jingzhou - judge promo
NPH Surgical Extraction
AP Llanowar Wastes - lp/mp
NPH Gitaxian Probe
WWK Comet Storm
US Duress x 4 ( 2 nm, 2 lp)
Sage of Epityr
Faerie Impostor
Wretched Gryff
Pile B:
Lightning Greaves (masterpiece)
Pithing Needle (masterpiece)
Spell Pierce (invocation)
Lake of the Dead is a glorified Swamp with Blood Sun out. You can't use the second mana ability because it also requires sacrificing a Swamp.
Looks like it's already started (see Jack-In-the-Mox, Frankie Peanuts, etc.)
If you're going to add sacrifice outlets, might I suggest Faces of the Past?
I would rather run Bloodlust Inciter over Village Messenger, especially since that list is running the full playset of Hanweir Garrison.
-Bloodlust Inciter is great; he gives you more nut draws and makes your topdecks better (Hanweir Garrison, Honored Crop-Captain). Removal spell for your turn 2 Mimic felt so bad before, at least this way it gets in for 2 damage before eating the dust. Makes me want to test slotting in some copies of Kari Zev and possibly Aether Chaser (likely cutting some copies of Nerd Ape).
-Think I want to move the Needle Spires to the side along with a package of bigger stuff (maindeck curve tops out at 3) - 4 mana Gideon and Chandra, possibly Glorybringer (though it would require running Always Watching which I am currently not doing, opting for 16 1-drops along with full set of Reckless Bushwhacker)
-List probably needs more MD removal.
-Current list (from memory):
4 Bloodlust Inciter
4 Thraben Inspector
4 Expedition Envoy
4 Inventor's Apprentice
4 Metallic Mimic
4 Honored Crop-Captain
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Hanweir Militia Captain (probably should be Glory-Bound Initiate, but thoughts on this guy?)
3 Hanweir Garrison
4 Reckless Bushwhacker
2 Outnumber
4 Inspiring Vantage
4 Needle Spires
rest mix of Mountains / Plains (20 total lands)
SB (can't remember specifics, but some Gideons, couple artifact hate cards, additional removal, Saheeli hate).