Hello everyone. I'm getting my foot in Modern and I've decided to let Master of Waves lead my way. I've only been playing for about a month and a half on MTGO but I've come to really appreciate the Merfolk deck. I used a list from Jacob Van Lunen on channel fireball as a starting point. It's a more or less clean list and the only controversial aspect should be the SB Spreading Seas which have not been a problem for me at all.
I'll just give my thoughts on some cards which will reinforce the opinions of some of you in this thread.
Phantasmal Image. I cannot see myself playing less than 4 in the main deck. MIGHT be the best card. He just has way too much utility:
-easy to vial in
-copies Silvergill adept to grind out removal heavy MUs or to find lands to help us dump our hand
-copies our lords to make for our most explosive starts
-copies our OPPONENT's creatures which can bring balance to a board we are behind or pull us ahead (I've copied Wurmcoil Engine, Dark Confidant, Thragtust, Murderous Redcap, Thundermaw Hellkite, Flipped Delver, Cunning sparkmage, etc.)
-copies Master of Waves to turn what is a stalled board to way ahead for us.
-No creatures in play or hand? Copy Mutavault! Let's see Liliana or Abrupt Decay deal with that. Occasionally the extra mana in play might even be relevant!
-copies Cursecatcher to help counter a critical spell to screw over combo.
-copies Deceiver Exarch in response to a cast Splinter Twin to tap the Twin target.
and the list goes on. I perhaps haven't even scratched the surface of what else this guy can do.
Cursecatcher. I am not 100% sure about this card yet. I play 4 main deck but it does feel a bit underwhelming. He is semi useful against a deck with many instants but very often I feel like he is a 1/1 body. However it must be kept in mind that he helps our more explosive starts. For example a turn 1 Cursecatcher followed turn two lord and turn 3 lord will deal 8 damage with 9 power on the table if the board was empty. It's also important to keep in mind that he usually turns into a 2/2 because we have so many lords. Therefore he is potentially an aggro creature as much as he is a control card. I'm sure he does buy us a turn or two when our opponents have Anger of the Gods or removal or want to combo off but it's hard to know how effective that has been. I'm not sure yet if he's a solid fixture in the main or more of a metagame option.
Spell Pierce. I don't know if I want 4 but I don't think I want less than 3 main. I don't know about anyone else but I feel pretty naked if I don't have this card main deck. It's my most reliable way of disrupting combo decks or the most powerful cards in Modern in general. Sure it's a relatively dead card late game but I think it is worth it because you can often get blown out very early by Liliana, Seismic Assault, Pyromancer Ascension, Birthing Pod, Splinter Twin, Daybreak Coronet... I dunno there are a million things in Modern it can counter. Occasionally you can force them to pay 2 to tap them out when you know you have the game locked on the following turn.
Master of Waves. Definitely an awkward card because he doesn't support the synergy with the rest of the deck except pumping Mutavaults. It is definitely necessary though. As many have said Master of Waves is only targetable by Path to Exile because he is immune to all other popular removal: Red removal, Abrupt Decay, Liliana of the Veil (because he always comes with friends). I have never found him to be a win more card. I have usually found him to pull me ahead of games I was behind or the board stalled out. Master of waves followed by a vialed in Phantasmal Image is lights out. The pro red aspect is semi relevant against Burn and he can stabilize a board against Zoo by flooding the board with creatures. I play 3 Master of Waves but I might shrink it down to 2. I can't see going less than this unless a new mind-blowing Merfolk gets printed.
Thassa, God of the Sea. I don't play her but I could see her as a 1 of in the deck (playing more than 1 seems iffy because she is legendary and the 3 drop slot should be reserved for Merrow Reejeery). I don't know about anyone else but I have a lot of long games with Merfolk and Thassa would grind out games perfectly. She's less valuable as a body and much more valuable for he scry ability. It will continuously help find threats or find mana to empty a threat dense hand. This is basically how she works in standard.
Tidebinder Mage. I play a few copies in the sideboard but it seems super underwhelming. It will be the first to go in my sideboard when I learn what is better to replace her with. Maybe a metagame card against zoo and pod or maybe Jund?
Now I have some questions for you guys because I have played every matchup a number of times but none against affinity. What are the worst cards in Merfolk against that deck and what are all the sideboard options? For example I didn't even think of Chalice of the Void until I starting reading this thread. I also don't know what are the worst cards. For all I know Spreading seas might be good because it shuts of their man lands, seudo-reduces their artifact count, and clears a path to get through all their blockers. On the other hand the card is slow and we might be dead on turn 3. I know the matchup is bad but what is Merfolks worst MD and best SB cards?
I'll just give my thoughts on some cards which will reinforce the opinions of some of you in this thread.
Phantasmal Image. I cannot see myself playing less than 4 in the main deck. MIGHT be the best card. He just has way too much utility:
-easy to vial in
-copies Silvergill adept to grind out removal heavy MUs or to find lands to help us dump our hand
-copies our lords to make for our most explosive starts
-copies our OPPONENT's creatures which can bring balance to a board we are behind or pull us ahead (I've copied Wurmcoil Engine, Dark Confidant, Thragtust, Murderous Redcap, Thundermaw Hellkite, Flipped Delver, Cunning sparkmage, etc.)
-copies Master of Waves to turn what is a stalled board to way ahead for us.
-No creatures in play or hand? Copy Mutavault! Let's see Liliana or Abrupt Decay deal with that. Occasionally the extra mana in play might even be relevant!
-copies Cursecatcher to help counter a critical spell to screw over combo.
-copies Deceiver Exarch in response to a cast Splinter Twin to tap the Twin target.
and the list goes on. I perhaps haven't even scratched the surface of what else this guy can do.
Cursecatcher. I am not 100% sure about this card yet. I play 4 main deck but it does feel a bit underwhelming. He is semi useful against a deck with many instants but very often I feel like he is a 1/1 body. However it must be kept in mind that he helps our more explosive starts. For example a turn 1 Cursecatcher followed turn two lord and turn 3 lord will deal 8 damage with 9 power on the table if the board was empty. It's also important to keep in mind that he usually turns into a 2/2 because we have so many lords. Therefore he is potentially an aggro creature as much as he is a control card. I'm sure he does buy us a turn or two when our opponents have Anger of the Gods or removal or want to combo off but it's hard to know how effective that has been. I'm not sure yet if he's a solid fixture in the main or more of a metagame option.
Spell Pierce. I don't know if I want 4 but I don't think I want less than 3 main. I don't know about anyone else but I feel pretty naked if I don't have this card main deck. It's my most reliable way of disrupting combo decks or the most powerful cards in Modern in general. Sure it's a relatively dead card late game but I think it is worth it because you can often get blown out very early by Liliana, Seismic Assault, Pyromancer Ascension, Birthing Pod, Splinter Twin, Daybreak Coronet... I dunno there are a million things in Modern it can counter. Occasionally you can force them to pay 2 to tap them out when you know you have the game locked on the following turn.
Master of Waves. Definitely an awkward card because he doesn't support the synergy with the rest of the deck except pumping Mutavaults. It is definitely necessary though. As many have said Master of Waves is only targetable by Path to Exile because he is immune to all other popular removal: Red removal, Abrupt Decay, Liliana of the Veil (because he always comes with friends). I have never found him to be a win more card. I have usually found him to pull me ahead of games I was behind or the board stalled out. Master of waves followed by a vialed in Phantasmal Image is lights out. The pro red aspect is semi relevant against Burn and he can stabilize a board against Zoo by flooding the board with creatures. I play 3 Master of Waves but I might shrink it down to 2. I can't see going less than this unless a new mind-blowing Merfolk gets printed.
Thassa, God of the Sea. I don't play her but I could see her as a 1 of in the deck (playing more than 1 seems iffy because she is legendary and the 3 drop slot should be reserved for Merrow Reejeery). I don't know about anyone else but I have a lot of long games with Merfolk and Thassa would grind out games perfectly. She's less valuable as a body and much more valuable for he scry ability. It will continuously help find threats or find mana to empty a threat dense hand. This is basically how she works in standard.
Tidebinder Mage. I play a few copies in the sideboard but it seems super underwhelming. It will be the first to go in my sideboard when I learn what is better to replace her with. Maybe a metagame card against zoo and pod or maybe Jund?
Now I have some questions for you guys because I have played every matchup a number of times but none against affinity. What are the worst cards in Merfolk against that deck and what are all the sideboard options? For example I didn't even think of Chalice of the Void until I starting reading this thread. I also don't know what are the worst cards. For all I know Spreading seas might be good because it shuts of their man lands, seudo-reduces their artifact count, and clears a path to get through all their blockers. On the other hand the card is slow and we might be dead on turn 3. I know the matchup is bad but what is Merfolks worst MD and best SB cards?