With my testing I have learned a couple things. Nullhide Ferox is a very difficult card for decks to deal with. Even if the opponent has the removal, spending that two extra mana can go a long way at slowing your opponent down. Kraul Harpooner has been very impressive and deals with the decks main weakness (flyers). Assassin’s trophy is a great catch all removal spell for this deck and it is best to use late game against your opponents best threat. I view my sideboard as a creature tool box. I will also bring in Vivien Reid to help find my important creatures in specific matchups such as black decks, graveyard decks and control decks centered around enchantment based removal. I see a lot of potential in this deck and I think it is well positioned as long as Boros and token based strategies become popular. I think our worst matchups are control decks featuring Teferi, Hero of Dominaria.
I have made a few adjustments to the deck. I added four Mist-cloacked Herald. I do believe we have to have 8 one drops to keep a healthy curve and stay aggressive. I think Jade Bearer is too weak to consider even with the synergies with +1/+1 counters. I think Hadana's Climb gives the deck needed reach and I do not think people will be expecting it the first couple weeks. I put all of the interaction cards in the sideboard because each card is good against certain decks while being weak to others. Lastly, I left the land count at 23. I am nervous to go below that even with our lower curve.
Personally I do not think splashing a third color is necessary. I also do not think our decks weakness is lifegain. It is not like we are a all in red aggro deck. We have a pretty decent long game plan with creatures that replenish our hand such as silvergill adept, merfolk branchwalker and kumena, tyrant of orazca while Nissa, steward of elements replenishes our board. We also do not have an easy way to splash a third color without completely diminishing the consistency of the deck. Aether hub only works in decks where you can consistently get more energy, which this deck is incapable of doing. I think Blue and Green has enough to offer in the sideboard where we are not forced to switch to a three color scheme.
Well Saydee I would recommend just moving over to the energy forum if the situation is so dire. I for one am up to the challenge of beating Energy. Anyway these are the creatures I thought were the most standard viable. The weakest creature by far is river sneak, however, I do believe this card gives us needed reach in dire situations. What else can you ask for from your worst creature. I do not think three colors are viable. You can not build a three color mana base for an aggro deck that will be consistent without aether hub and attune with aether. This deck will succeed by staying low to the ground, playing efficient creatures and backing them up with blossoming defense and counter spells. I think Nissa, steward of elements shines in this deck especially when keeping the creature curve at 3 or below. Lastly, I did not include any four drop merfolk creatures because I think they are too fragile, expensive and unnecessary. I also wanted to make nissa as consistent as possible.
Can I see your mana base. I would just be concerned that a three color mana base would not be consistent enough especially with the lack of dual lands in this current meta game. Some decks can get away with it, like energy, that get access to aether hub and attune with aether. Also the way it is now it seems like our mana base has to be heavy green.
I put together the merfolk creatures that stood out to me as the most powerful and efficient. I think Nissa can be a superstar in this deck seeing that 12 of our creatures have enter the battlefield triggers. I think 28 creatures feels right for this deck which leaves us 3 spots for our planeswalker and 6 spots for spells. Which spells we choose entirely depends on the meta game. I think the safest route is to go 4 blossoming defense and 2 unsummon. We can always side these out in games 2/3 for counter spells, graveyard hate or artifact hate. I think Merfolk has a real shot in this standard environment and I know the competition will be tough especially against energy, however, it would not be fun if it was easy right?
For the new standard format I am looking to build a Midrange/Big Red style deck. The deck below is a rough example of what I am trying to build. What inspired me to build this deck was actually Wily Goblin. I think playing Chandra, Torch of Defiance or Glorybringer a turn early can be an effective strategy. I built an artifact sub-theme around this strategy. I do not have a sideboard yet because I do not know what decks to expect in the upcoming standard format. Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions on how I can improve this deck please let me know!
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Pelt Collector
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
2 Jadelight Ranger
4 Thorn Lieutenant
2 District Guide
4 Kraul Harpooner
4 Steel Leaf Champion
4 Nullhide Ferox
14 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Overgrown Tomb
1 Golgari Guildgate
Instant (4)
4 Assassin's Trophy
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Deathgorge Scavenger
2 Plaguecrafter
2 Vine Mare
3 Duress
2 Find // Finality
2 Vivien Reid
With my testing I have learned a couple things. Nullhide Ferox is a very difficult card for decks to deal with. Even if the opponent has the removal, spending that two extra mana can go a long way at slowing your opponent down. Kraul Harpooner has been very impressive and deals with the decks main weakness (flyers). Assassin’s trophy is a great catch all removal spell for this deck and it is best to use late game against your opponents best threat. I view my sideboard as a creature tool box. I will also bring in Vivien Reid to help find my important creatures in specific matchups such as black decks, graveyard decks and control decks centered around enchantment based removal. I see a lot of potential in this deck and I think it is well positioned as long as Boros and token based strategies become popular. I think our worst matchups are control decks featuring Teferi, Hero of Dominaria.
4 Kumena's Speaker
3 Deeproot Elite
4 Mist-Cloacked Herald
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
Enchantment
2 Hadana's Climb
7 Forest
7 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
1 Hashep Oasis
4 Unclaimed Territory
Artifact
3 Metallic Mimic
Instant
3 Blossoming Defense
Planeswalker
3 Nissa, Steward of Elements
2 Deeproot Waters
2 Aethersphere Harvester
3 Essence Scatter
3 Negate
2 Unsummon
3 Naturalize
I have made a few adjustments to the deck. I added four Mist-cloacked Herald. I do believe we have to have 8 one drops to keep a healthy curve and stay aggressive. I think Jade Bearer is too weak to consider even with the synergies with +1/+1 counters. I think Hadana's Climb gives the deck needed reach and I do not think people will be expecting it the first couple weeks. I put all of the interaction cards in the sideboard because each card is good against certain decks while being weak to others. Lastly, I left the land count at 23. I am nervous to go below that even with our lower curve.
4 Kumena's Speaker
3 Deeproot Elite
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
3 Jungleborn Pioneer
Land
7 Forest
7 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
1 Hashep Oasis
4 Unclaimed Territory
3 Metallic Mimic
Instant
4 Blossoming Defense
2 Unsummon
Planeswalker
3 Nissa, Steward of Elements
1 Shapers' Sanctuary
3 Deeproot Waters
2 Aethersphere Harvester
3 Essence Scatter
3 Negate
3 Naturalize
Personally I do not think splashing a third color is necessary. I also do not think our decks weakness is lifegain. It is not like we are a all in red aggro deck. We have a pretty decent long game plan with creatures that replenish our hand such as silvergill adept, merfolk branchwalker and kumena, tyrant of orazca while Nissa, steward of elements replenishes our board. We also do not have an easy way to splash a third color without completely diminishing the consistency of the deck. Aether hub only works in decks where you can consistently get more energy, which this deck is incapable of doing. I think Blue and Green has enough to offer in the sideboard where we are not forced to switch to a three color scheme.
4 Kumena's Speaker
3 River Sneak
3 Deeproot Elite
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
3 Watertrap Weaver
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
7 Forest
7 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
1 Hashep Oasis
4 Unclaimed Territory
Instant
4 Blossoming Defense
2 Unsummon
Planeswalker
3 Nissa, Steward of Elements
2 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Shapers' Sanctuary
3 Deeproot Waters
3 Essence Scatter
3 Negate
3 Naturalize
Well Saydee I would recommend just moving over to the energy forum if the situation is so dire. I for one am up to the challenge of beating Energy. Anyway these are the creatures I thought were the most standard viable. The weakest creature by far is river sneak, however, I do believe this card gives us needed reach in dire situations. What else can you ask for from your worst creature. I do not think three colors are viable. You can not build a three color mana base for an aggro deck that will be consistent without aether hub and attune with aether. This deck will succeed by staying low to the ground, playing efficient creatures and backing them up with blossoming defense and counter spells. I think Nissa, steward of elements shines in this deck especially when keeping the creature curve at 3 or below. Lastly, I did not include any four drop merfolk creatures because I think they are too fragile, expensive and unnecessary. I also wanted to make nissa as consistent as possible.
4 Kumena's Speaker
4 River Sneak
2 Deeproot Elite
2 Kopala, Warden of Waves
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
2 Watertrap Weaver
4 Silvergill Adept
2 Kumena, Tyrant of Orzca
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
8 Forest
7 Island
4 Botanical Sanctum
4 Unclaimed Territory
Instant
4 Blossoming Defense
2 Unsummon
Planeswalker
3 Nissa, Steward of Elements
3 Deeproot Waters
2 Sentinel Totem
4 Essence Scatter
2 Dissenter's Deliverance
2 Spell Pierce
2 Negate
I put together the merfolk creatures that stood out to me as the most powerful and efficient. I think Nissa can be a superstar in this deck seeing that 12 of our creatures have enter the battlefield triggers. I think 28 creatures feels right for this deck which leaves us 3 spots for our planeswalker and 6 spots for spells. Which spells we choose entirely depends on the meta game. I think the safest route is to go 4 blossoming defense and 2 unsummon. We can always side these out in games 2/3 for counter spells, graveyard hate or artifact hate. I think Merfolk has a real shot in this standard environment and I know the competition will be tough especially against energy, however, it would not be fun if it was easy right?
Creatures/Vehicles: 22 Cards
Inventor's apprentice x4
Wily Goblin x4
Scrapheap Scrounger x4
Aethersphere Harvester x4
Pia Nalaar x2
Glorybringer x4
Spells/Planeswalker: 14 Cards
Shock x2
Lightning Strike x4
Unlicensed Disintegration x4
Chandra, Torch of Defiance x4
Lands: 24 Cards
Dragonskull Summit x4
Aether Hub x4
Canyon Slough x4
Ramunap Ruins x2
Mountain x10