Ryan Hallows's Here fishy fishy fishy
 
Type: Deck Idea
Format (legal 👍) modModern
Approx. Value:
$190.64
Buy

0 Likes 17 Comments
Avg. CMC 1.88
Card Color Breakdown
Card Type Breakdown

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Main Deck - 48 cards, 10 distinct
Columns
Name  Edition $ Type Cost
Rarity Color
Creature (20)
4 Cursecatcher
$0.44 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
4 Lord of Atlantis
$18.21 Creature - Merfolk
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
$1.15 Creature - Merfolk
4 Merrow Reejerey
$0.67 Creature - Merfolk Soldier
4 Silvergill Adept
$0.17 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
Instant (4)
2 Dismember
$2.96 Instant
2 Spell Pierce
$0.15 Instant
Artifact (4)
4 Aether Vial
$4.18 Artifact
Land (20)
16 Island
$0.13 Basic Land - Island
4 Mutavault
$6.36 Land
Sideboard - 7 cards, 7 distinct
Name  Edition $ Type Cost
Rarity Color
Creature (5)
1 Harbinger of the Seas
$4.39 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
1 Merfolk Trickster
$0.52 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
$0.46 Legendary Creature - Merfolk God
1 Tide Shaper
$0.15 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
1 Vodalian Hexcatcher
$2.23 Creature - Merfolk Wizard
Land (2)
1 Cavern of Souls
$37.91 Land
1 Otawara, Soaring City
$11.96 Legendary Land

Notes
 
Solid Blue Merfolk deck I've been working on since Fallen Empires came out. Changes a little every time a new set comes out. Has been pretty successful and is quick. Recently reworked to make it quicker and more aggressive.
Comments
  • Sean | 22-Nov-2013 15:25
    Those Cursecatchers have gotten pricey!
    • Ryan Hallows | 27-Nov-2013 14:46
      Yes they have. Luckily I only need one more.
  • swanlass | 28-Jan-2013 21:16
    You could add 4 "Retraced Image" for mana acceleration (play multiple islands in a single turn) or one mana creature casting.
  • Sean | 28-Jan-2013 19:53
    Do you get the wanderwine prophets or stormtide leviathan out very often?  You've got 20 lands and leviathan takes 8, so you'd have to get through 8/20 of your deck on average before you can cast it - that's 40%, 24 cards, or 17 turns on average (and 8 turns if you get exactly the right number of lands).  Wanderwine is 18 cards (6/20*60) or 11 turns on average - until then they're a dead card. 


    They look like more of an EDH way creature - more Lords might be better in standard.
    • Ryan Hallows | 29-Jan-2013 01:21
      Actually, any time I've played this deck it's usually over before I have to worry about not casting Wanderwine Prophets. I am going to end up putting in a couple extra lands and sideboarding the 2x Stormtide Leviathan with a pair of Riptide Shapeshifters (currently on my wishlist). Though I have it filed as "legacy", this deck only ever gets used in our casual 5 color matches. I think once I get a couple Rite of Replication, it will make it much more agressive. I like Seth's idea of using Retraced Image, though I'm not sure what to pull to put it in. Any suggestions?
      • Sean | Edited 06-Feb-2013 03:05
        Retraced Image is a neat idea, but, if you draw it after you've dropped the land in your hand, it is a dead card.  Since most of your quick aggressive merfolk are pretty cheap anyway, ramping 1 mana probably isn't a big deal, especially with just 20 lands. 


        Riptide Shapeshifter is a cheaper way to cast a Leviathan of some sort , but still kind of slow.  It comes out on T5 at the earliest and activates on T6 at the earliest.  Certainly more reliable than hardcasting the leviathan before activating the shapeshifter, but if you draw the leviathan, you've got two dead cards.



        Rite of replication is pretty much just a clone that dies to bounce, since you're pretty unlikely to use the kicker.  In that case, may as well run actual clones that are cheaper - phyrexian metamorph, phantasmal image, etc. 


        Honestly if you still have Lord of Atlantis, I'd add that with Master of Pearl Trident.  Double islandwalk is a waste, but the boost is huge.  Otherwise: Cursecatcher, Coralhelm Commander if you need more lords & lategame reach, a full set of Silvergill Adept, Wake thrasher is a huge beating, maybe 1 or 2 Sower of Temptation instead of surgespanner, or maybe a few Spreading Seas so you know islandwalk will hit and you get through the deck a bit faster.
        • Ryan Hallows | 02-Mar-2013 17:12
          Ok, I reworked the deck, what do you think?
          • swanlass | 02-Mar-2013 22:02
            Merrow Commerce and Wake Thrasher don't seem like an ideal combination.
          • Sean | Edited 05-Mar-2013 00:30
            I think with 20 lands the deck is positioned to be 1-3 cost at the most, any higher drop cards won't get played on T4.  Even at 24 lands, Blue Sun's Zenith is a late game way to refill your hand, more of a control card than aggressive or temp.


            I like spreading seas better than mind bend because mind bend just puts a bigger target on the back of your lord, whereas getting rid of spreading seas doesn't also get rid of a creature.  Plus spreading seas draws a card, which is handy. 


            Seth has a point with merrow commerce untapping all your stuff at the end of your turn, so wake thrasher doesn't get the boost next turn.  One or the other is going to work out better, I'm not sure which.



            Otherwise, I think this is going to work out really well.  Wakethrasher is slow to swing - T4 at the earliest - but it swings for 5 or 6 and with merfolk sovereign or islandwalk + spreading seas, that should end games quickly.
            • Ryan Hallows | 05-Mar-2013 02:14
              This is why I go to you guys for advice. :) So I cut out the Merrow Commerce and one of the Blue Sun's Zenith and added in 4 of the Spreading Seas and another Island. I think the Wake Crasher s are more important to have than the Merrow Commerce, and I can always put them in my sideboard should I need them. 
              • Sean | Edited 05-Mar-2013 02:59
                Test it out, but with 4 spreading seas and 4 Master of Pearl Tridents, you may not need sleep because you may end up with all unblockables already.  Lord of Atlantis would double up on the odds of getting islandwalk too, and with 4x ponder in the mainboard, you should draw into whatever you need.
                • Ryan Hallows | Edited 23-Jul-2013 22:25
                  Ok, what do you think...Spreading Seas vs. Aquitect's Will? I'm leaning toward AW instead of SS. 

                  And on a second note. I am thinking about switching out Blue Sun's Zenith for Curiosity. What do think?
                  • Sean | 24-Jul-2013 00:25
                    Will is one cheaper, will ususally draw, and is very hard to remove; whereas Spreading Seas costs one more, is easier to remove, but always draws and can color-hose an opponent.  Either seems pretty good to me. 


                    I think cutting BSZ is a good idea.  Not sure whether curiousity is a good fit though, seems like it is just asking to get 2-for-1'd: a single creature removal will kill two of your cards.  If you need draw, maybe think twice? Instant speed means leaving mana up for a counterspell isn't wasted if you don't counter anything.



                    Also, the new rare merfolk in M14 - Tidebinder Mage - seems like a pretty good sideboard card once the price settles down to <$1. 
                    • Ryan Hallows | 24-Jul-2013 01:37
                      thanks! I like the idea of using Think Twice. The Blue Sun&#39;s Zenith is just too undependable in a fast a furious format like legacy. 
                      • Sean | 24-Jul-2013 02:02
                        Ah, if this is for legacy, run brainstorm and ponder; skip think twice.  Ponder reaches 1 card deeper than brainstorm so it is perhaps better for combo.  Brainstorm + fetch can shuffle away bad cards, brainstorm can hide cards from "thoughtseize" type disruption, and do all kinds of other amazing things at instant speed. 


                        Force of Will is too rich for my blood, but you can run daze over counterspell, since it can be cast for free, and spell snare is another viable option. 


                        If you get your hands on aether vials, run standstill too, since you can "cast" creatures without triggering standstill.
                        • Ryan Hallows | 25-Jul-2013 00:36
                          Well, I finally gave up on my "own" build and looked at some of the competitive merfolk decks. I've changed it around quite a bit, but it seems that this is the "winning" card combo. I don't know if I'm happy with it or if I just feel like I sold my soul. :/
                          • Sean | 25-Jul-2013 01:25
                            Haha, I've been playing legacy & modern here at a nearby store.  A few guys run fish and it is really good.  I think you'll appreciate the power, plenty of room for "choose your own deck" in EDH & un-format decks :)
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