Hi, I own an Aggro (Robots) and Aggro-Tempo Deck (Merfolk) and now I want a Control Deck. I've looked around and UW seems to meet that intent best, but what types of UW Control decks are there?
I used to pilot a Mono U Mill Draw Go Deck. I really enjoyed that deck. But, I know mill is the least competitive type of control deck due to its win condition.
I looked into Fae, but found out it was a more long ranged tempo deck. I do not wish to repeat an aggro tempo deck since I have one.
Waaay back in the day I played a World Championship Decree Deck based. It sort of operated like a Control + Big Splashy Deck.
Any artifact control decks?
I really enjoy artifacts (next deck after this one will be Eggs)
Darn. Fae looks very fun, but I already play a aggro tempo control. Its not as long ranged as Fae, but range is not what I'm after. I want more of a draw go type of control. I guess I best hit up the UW Control Primer.
Good points, just ease up on the abrasiveness/ backhanded help. Your posts are the only one that makes want to go on defensive and rebuttal vs listen and adjust my deck accordingly.
@Lordrewind
I have no idea where you got that snippet of someone else addressing me about being irrational. But, thanks for the reply. My issue with Muta was that I was unable to make use of it; thus, chuck it. I will give it a few more goes say 25-50 matches with a set of 4. If it performs well it can keep the slots.
@Cody
Anti-Burn is a personal thing with me, but a lot of aggro decks (not just red deck wins) and even some control decks make use of red. Plus, black and white attempt to control the field via offensive support spells. Outside of that, blue and white love to counter which my sideboard can assist in. But yes, some anti-grave would be great so I might chuck 2 spellskites for g-cage. I get most of my meta pulse via MTG Top8.com. Outside of that I have little modern competitive competition. My meta is EXTREMELY competitive, but they only play standard. :/
A little rambly, but it covers the thinning concept in depth.
In a duel mana build land you only should use one set of land thinners, but in a tempo control or better yet mono control the thinning gain vs life cost is extremely counter productive. Thus, one should use 0.
But, that conclusion tapers off the more draw power the deck has as the article suggested. So, my question is how much taper is needed? In other words, how much draw power is needed per turn to actually make land thinners vs life cost stabilize if not come out ahead???
I do not know what your list has, but this is mine. I has 16 draw cards and 8 thinning cards and their are ways to increase that within the deck, but this is my version. My whole point was that I saw it hard to maximize Muta, that's all. Even my Robot Deck opts out of using its land creatures to drop more pump creatures. I'm not against Muta, just that I would only ever find room for 2 in a deck unless the meta really punished land searchers, which are extremely pervailant as seen in any deck on MTG Top8.com. As for the sideboard, I hate burn; thus, it's all anti-burn hate but doubles vs mirror matches, control, and combo. I lack artifact and grave hate. But, I rather build against most vs the least.
Merfolk:
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
4x Aether Vial
4x Remand
4x Repeal
4x Spreading Seas
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
Sideboard:
1x5 Jace, Memory Adept
2x3 Kira, The Great Glass Spinner
4x2 Spellskite
4x1 Spell Pierce
4x1 Dispel
Like I said earlier in another post, the mana pool is the most difficult part to build. Below are a few mana pool designs that I have yet to decide which is optimal. My personal top picks are italicized.
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
12x Island
4x Mutavault
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
2x Mutavault
2x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
To maximize Muta you must use it as a creature otherwise why wouldn't someone take an Island instead? To maximize Muta you must pay 1 mana for it to become a creature. Thus, you pay 1 mana. Muta is a creature; however, it really cost you two mana. Muta is adding zero to your mana pool when in use as a creature. So, it cost you 2 mana per 1 Muta creature per time.
Muta is only useful on the win turn, when you might need that "one" extra creature to kill your opponent. Outside of this turn I find Muta counter productive because I want to maximize its use, but even when I have spare mana I rather tempo control + draw on my opponents turn.
I prefer more tempo control w/ draw power such as Remand for example. It cost two mana, but I disrupt their spell for that turn and draw a card. 1 Muta creature cost 2 mana per use (that's how I am drawing the comparison for competing mana pool). Plus, I'm putting a land in harms way and leave myself open next turn since I tapped out all mana in a blue deck splashed with tempo control...
If I never find mana to spare then why add Muta?
Its a great card, but field test after field test I am unable to maximize it. Heck, I sometimes lack mana in my hyper aggressive Affinity deck for its land creatures.
Ask yourself, would you rather play a creature over a mutavault?
And
Ask yourself, would you rather play a mutavault over a counter + draw (Remand)?
Mutavualt = Awesome, BUT...I have found it counter productive
I never mana to tap a Mutavault into play unless its for the win on turn 4 or 5. And, in most cases the free mana Reejerey gives me on the winning turn I rather tap my opponents mana as I empty my hand onto the filed.
I prefer Cavern of Souls to protect against the current 37% of control decks running around and some Aggo Faeries and Delver. But, even then it sometimes slows the deck down vs pure islands and mana searching lands.
"Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, you may tap or untap target permanent."
If a Merfolk deck is built right, you should be slowing the opponents tempo while increasing resources (cards) to flood the filed mid game for the win.
Hi, I am new to the forums and this is my first post. I am very familiar with the game, but I am not a rules lawyer. I play Merfolk at tournaments and it does well. I redesigned my current Merfolk deck into two different decks and wanted some constructive criticism.
Merfolk: Draw Tempo
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
4x Aether Vial
4x Remand
4x Repeal
4x Shifting Seas
4x Scorched Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
12x Island
The idea is to disrupt my opp just long enough till I have enough resources to explode onto the field while drawing/ thinning my deck to increase speed and consistency.
Merfolk: Defensive Slow Grow
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
This one is more typical of a Merfolk. The main difference is the anti-spell slant due to the prevalence of offensive/ counter instants in most decks. I am hopping I can better establish a field presence.
I used to pilot a Mono U Mill Draw Go Deck. I really enjoyed that deck. But, I know mill is the least competitive type of control deck due to its win condition.
I looked into Fae, but found out it was a more long ranged tempo deck. I do not wish to repeat an aggro tempo deck since I have one.
Waaay back in the day I played a World Championship Decree Deck based. It sort of operated like a Control + Big Splashy Deck.
Any artifact control decks?
I really enjoy artifacts (next deck after this one will be Eggs)
I want a Control deck...can Faeries do that?
I created this list, what do you think about it?
CREATURE: 20
4x4 Mistbind Clique
4x3 Scion of Oona
4x2 Snapcaster Mage
4x2 Spellstutter Sprite
4x1 Faerie Imposter
INSTANT: 16
4x2 Mana Leak
4x2 Rune Snag
4x1 Mana Tithe
4x1 Silence
MANA: 24
4x Mutavault
4x Faerie Conclave
4x Flooded Strand (my friends don't mind I use this card)
4x Plains
8x Island
CONSIDERING
4x2 Voidmage Protigy
4x2 Phantasmal Image
Good points, just ease up on the abrasiveness/ backhanded help. Your posts are the only one that makes want to go on defensive and rebuttal vs listen and adjust my deck accordingly.
@Lordrewind
I have no idea where you got that snippet of someone else addressing me about being irrational. But, thanks for the reply. My issue with Muta was that I was unable to make use of it; thus, chuck it. I will give it a few more goes say 25-50 matches with a set of 4. If it performs well it can keep the slots.
@Cody
Anti-Burn is a personal thing with me, but a lot of aggro decks (not just red deck wins) and even some control decks make use of red. Plus, black and white attempt to control the field via offensive support spells. Outside of that, blue and white love to counter which my sideboard can assist in. But yes, some anti-grave would be great so I might chuck 2 spellskites for g-cage. I get most of my meta pulse via MTG Top8.com. Outside of that I have little modern competitive competition. My meta is EXTREMELY competitive, but they only play standard. :/
In a duel mana build land you only should use one set of land thinners, but in a tempo control or better yet mono control the thinning gain vs life cost is extremely counter productive. Thus, one should use 0.
But, that conclusion tapers off the more draw power the deck has as the article suggested. So, my question is how much taper is needed? In other words, how much draw power is needed per turn to actually make land thinners vs life cost stabilize if not come out ahead???
Thanks, but I'll do my own testing.
Merfolk:
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
4x Aether Vial
4x Remand
4x Repeal
4x Spreading Seas
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
Sideboard:
1x5 Jace, Memory Adept
2x3 Kira, The Great Glass Spinner
4x2 Spellskite
4x1 Spell Pierce
4x1 Dispel
Like I said earlier in another post, the mana pool is the most difficult part to build. Below are a few mana pool designs that I have yet to decide which is optimal. My personal top picks are italicized.
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
12x Island
4x Mutavault
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
2x Mutavault
2x Cavern of Souls
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
8x Island
4x Mutavault
4x Cavern of Souls
12x Island
It wasn't even my point in both posts.
Now, I am lost, but if you need a mana composition then here is one for example.
20 basic lands.
0 Muta out of 20 basic lands.
I am not adding or taking out any basic lands for Muta.
Dose that answer the question?
I will try to explain.
To maximize Muta you must use it as a creature otherwise why wouldn't someone take an Island instead? To maximize Muta you must pay 1 mana for it to become a creature. Thus, you pay 1 mana. Muta is a creature; however, it really cost you two mana. Muta is adding zero to your mana pool when in use as a creature. So, it cost you 2 mana per 1 Muta creature per time.
Muta is only useful on the win turn, when you might need that "one" extra creature to kill your opponent. Outside of this turn I find Muta counter productive because I want to maximize its use, but even when I have spare mana I rather tempo control + draw on my opponents turn.
I prefer more tempo control w/ draw power such as Remand for example. It cost two mana, but I disrupt their spell for that turn and draw a card. 1 Muta creature cost 2 mana per use (that's how I am drawing the comparison for competing mana pool). Plus, I'm putting a land in harms way and leave myself open next turn since I tapped out all mana in a blue deck splashed with tempo control...
If I never find mana to spare then why add Muta?
Its a great card, but field test after field test I am unable to maximize it. Heck, I sometimes lack mana in my hyper aggressive Affinity deck for its land creatures.
Ask yourself, would you rather play a creature over a mutavault?
And
Ask yourself, would you rather play a mutavault over a counter + draw (Remand)?
Mutavualt = Awesome, BUT...I have found it counter productive
I never mana to tap a Mutavault into play unless its for the win on turn 4 or 5. And, in most cases the free mana Reejerey gives me on the winning turn I rather tap my opponents mana as I empty my hand onto the filed.
I prefer Cavern of Souls to protect against the current 37% of control decks running around and some Aggo Faeries and Delver. But, even then it sometimes slows the deck down vs pure islands and mana searching lands.
Free Mana = All Creatures In Hand Are Cast Into Play
All Creatures In Hand Are Cast Into Play = GG
Reejerey allows Merfolk to win on turn 4 and most times on turn 5.
And yes, no one should be tapping blockers if you are running Spreading Seas + Reejerey.
But, this is my experience.
The most difficult thing about building a Merfolk deck is not the creature base or support but the mana composition imo.
Why?
Reejerey.
Why?
"Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, you may tap or untap target permanent."
If a Merfolk deck is built right, you should be slowing the opponents tempo while increasing resources (cards) to flood the filed mid game for the win.
Reejerey = Merfolk Deck
No Reejerey = No Merfolk Deck
Merfolk: Draw Tempo
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
4x Aether Vial
4x Remand
4x Repeal
4x Shifting Seas
4x Scorched Tarn
4x Misty Rainforest
12x Island
The idea is to disrupt my opp just long enough till I have enough resources to explode onto the field while drawing/ thinning my deck to increase speed and consistency.
Merfolk: Defensive Slow Grow
4x Merrow Reejerey
4x Master of the Pearl Trident
4x Lord of Atlantis
4x Phantasmal Image
4x Silvergill Adept
4x Cursecatcher
4x Aether Vial
4x Spell Pierce
4x Dispel
4x Shifting Seas
4x Mutavault
4x Cavern of Souls
12x Island
This one is more typical of a Merfolk. The main difference is the anti-spell slant due to the prevalence of offensive/ counter instants in most decks. I am hopping I can better establish a field presence.
Thoughts