I should quickly mention that one of the better UW cards for Merfolk is Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. She's also sort of positioned given Cheerios presence in modern.
Also Spell Queller is likely a playable card that I never had the chance to use.
(Edited Dredge because Spell Pierce is a lot better than Clique or Vapor Snag)
(Edited Esper control to remove islands instead of Mutavault because they are a path deck.)
Sideboard Guide for SCG Regionals
Please keep in mind that 20% of the time I deviate from my own sideboard guide because my opponent showed me something unique that I wasn’t prepared for. If your opponent surprizes you with something new, do what you have to do when sideboarding.
Maindeck
12 Island
4 Mutavault
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Silvergil Adept
2 Harbinger of the Tides
3 Merrow Reejerey
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Master of Waves
3 Spell Pierce
2 Vapor Snag (or Dismember)
4 Aether Vial
4 Spreading Seas
Sideboard
4 Gut Shot
4 Tectonic Edge
4 Unified Will
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Harbinger of the Tides
Bant Eldrazi
+2 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Spell Pierce
Burn
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Vapor Snag
Abzan
+4 Tectonic Edge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Aether Vial
-3 Spell Pierce
Jund
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Tectonic Edge
-4 Aether Vial
-1 Spell Pierce
Affinity
+4 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Spell Pierce
-2 Master of Waves
Tron
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
Grixis Control
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+4 Tectonic Edge
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Mutavault
-2 Vapor Snag
Dredge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Vapor Snag
-2 Vendilion Clique
(side out dismember if you're playing it)
RG Valakut
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
Infect
+4 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Master of Waves
-1 Merrow Reejerey
Ad Nauseam
+4 Unified Will
+2 Tectonic Edge
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
Cheerios
+4 Unified Will
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Merrow Reejerey
Esper Control
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-2 Vapor Snag
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Island
-4 Master of Waves
can you pls try copter in the next modern league?? I'm not on modo, but shouldn't they be cheap after the ban?
I just don't see the purpose of the card. In exchange for some utility out of copter, you are attacking with 1 creature instead of 2. I think it makes up for the disadvantage but I don't see any theoretically situations where copter would give me a concrete advantage vs our worst match ups. Even against affinity we need to tap creatures to activate it which means we have less creatures to block with.
Which brings me to another point, on turn 3 you basically have to tap your team down to attack with the guy. Assuming you turn 2 copter, turn 3 you'll playb a creature and tap him, leaving no defense on your opponent's next turn. In fact, you'll always be one attacker short when you want to use the copter. Sometimes this won't matter because we don't even want to attack or block with a single islandwalker on the board, but in a race vs combo, we would.
I do like how it dodges all sorcery speed sweepers like Anger of the Gods and Supreme Verdict. But it still dies to all removal in the format, including Kolaghan's command.
The looting is also very good, our deck can use all the filtering we can get.
I watched a decent chunk of Mr.Mulligan play with the card. I wasn't impressed overall. It did things, but I didn't think it did enough things. It has just enough downsides that I'm passing on t unless someone can really prove it's worth, or if the meta shifts to a point where it's good.
Well, that just gives you the option to run it or not.
I don't quite see 8seas working against burn consistently. Yes there will be games in which it works. On the play it might be good. But on the draw? I dont see it.
Decks like Burn and Bogels get thrashed by 8-seas because almost all their cards require colored mana. Turn 1 sea's claim on the draw is fantastic. You would have to play the games out but nailing a land severely slows their clock down (or shuts their hand down) which gives us more time to get to MoW mana and when MoW hit the board it's very clearly over with the extra devotion.
I'm sure you can bring up scenarios where it doesn't work because they have an incredible draw, but likely you're cooked vs those run outs even under normal circumstances.
A burn heavy meta is a good reason to go the Sea's Claim route.
Also Spell Queller is likely a playable card that I never had the chance to use.
Merfolk in Modern Ep.71 Pt.2 vs Abzan (Nikachu)
https://youtu.be/lPzcXT2lOK8
Merfolk in Modern Ep.71 Pt.1 vs RG Ponza (Nikachu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
(Edited Esper control to remove islands instead of Mutavault because they are a path deck.)
Sideboard Guide for SCG Regionals
Please keep in mind that 20% of the time I deviate from my own sideboard guide because my opponent showed me something unique that I wasn’t prepared for. If your opponent surprizes you with something new, do what you have to do when sideboarding.
Maindeck
12 Island
4 Mutavault
2 Cavern of Souls
1 Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1 Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
4 Cursecatcher
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Silvergil Adept
2 Harbinger of the Tides
3 Merrow Reejerey
2 Vendilion Clique
4 Master of Waves
3 Spell Pierce
2 Vapor Snag (or Dismember)
4 Aether Vial
4 Spreading Seas
Sideboard
4 Gut Shot
4 Tectonic Edge
4 Unified Will
2 Relic of Progenitus
1 Harbinger of the Tides
Bant Eldrazi
+2 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Spell Pierce
Burn
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Vapor Snag
Abzan
+4 Tectonic Edge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Aether Vial
-3 Spell Pierce
Jund
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+2 Tectonic Edge
-4 Aether Vial
-1 Spell Pierce
Affinity
+4 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-3 Spell Pierce
-2 Master of Waves
Tron
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
Grixis Control
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+4 Tectonic Edge
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Mutavault
-2 Vapor Snag
Dredge
+2 Relic of Progenitus
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-1 Vapor Snag
-2 Vendilion Clique
(side out dismember if you're playing it)
RG Valakut
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
Infect
+4 Gut Shot
+1 Harbinger of the Tides
-4 Master of Waves
-1 Merrow Reejerey
Ad Nauseam
+4 Unified Will
+2 Tectonic Edge
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Vapor Snag
Cheerios
+4 Unified Will
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-4 Master of Waves
-2 Merrow Reejerey
Esper Control
+4 Tectonic Edge
+4 Unified Will
+2 Relic of Progenitus
-2 Vapor Snag
-2 Harbinger of the Tides
-2 Island
-4 Master of Waves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
Poorfolk in Modern Ep.70 Pt.5 vs RG Valakut (Nikachu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
I just don't see the purpose of the card. In exchange for some utility out of copter, you are attacking with 1 creature instead of 2. I think it makes up for the disadvantage but I don't see any theoretically situations where copter would give me a concrete advantage vs our worst match ups. Even against affinity we need to tap creatures to activate it which means we have less creatures to block with.
Which brings me to another point, on turn 3 you basically have to tap your team down to attack with the guy. Assuming you turn 2 copter, turn 3 you'll playb a creature and tap him, leaving no defense on your opponent's next turn. In fact, you'll always be one attacker short when you want to use the copter. Sometimes this won't matter because we don't even want to attack or block with a single islandwalker on the board, but in a race vs combo, we would.
I do like how it dodges all sorcery speed sweepers like Anger of the Gods and Supreme Verdict. But it still dies to all removal in the format, including Kolaghan's command.
The looting is also very good, our deck can use all the filtering we can get.
I watched a decent chunk of Mr.Mulligan play with the card. I wasn't impressed overall. It did things, but I didn't think it did enough things. It has just enough downsides that I'm passing on t unless someone can really prove it's worth, or if the meta shifts to a point where it's good.
I'm sure you can bring up scenarios where it doesn't work because they have an incredible draw, but likely you're cooked vs those run outs even under normal circumstances.
A burn heavy meta is a good reason to go the Sea's Claim route.
Poorfolk in Modern Ep.70 Pt.4 vs Amulet Titan (Nikachu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
Poorfolk in Modern Ep.70 Pt.3 vs Dredge (Nikachu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
Poorfolk in Modern Ep.70 Pt.1 vs Burn (Nikachu)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPzcXT2lOK8