9 juni - game tegen emeria control

+1 cavern of souls
+1 thassa god of the sea


Blue/Red Murktide

Sideboarding: +3 Chal +2 Harb // -4 Subt -1 Hex
Essential Cards: Trickster, Harbinger, Islandwalk Lords, Tide Shaper, Chalice, Dismember (Kira)
Matchup Advice: In the past, Modern Merfolk would sideboard out Spreading Seas against blue decks. However, Tide Shaper being a 1-drop 2/2 puts it in an entirely different class than Spreading Seas; it is an essential body to throw in front of a turn-one Ragavan to prevent the opponent from surging ahead (in fact, an unchecked Ragavan is one of the few ways UR Murktide can reliably defeat us). Our approach in the matchup is to play interactive creatures to slow down their attacks, build a board, and eventually play lords and mount an unblockable attack. Note: resist the urge to over-sideboard! Many of our sideboard cards are quite solid in the matchup. However, our main deck cards are excellent! In this case, less is more.
  Hammertime

Sideboarding: +3 Force +3 Chal +2 Seas +2 Harb +2 Bomb // -4 Subt -4 Svy -4 Gill
Essential Cards: Trickster, Harb, Tide Shaper, Seas, Chalice, Dismember, Ratchet Bomb (Hurkyl’s Recall)
Matchup Advice: Getting down an early Chalice (X=1) can help enormously in this matchup, but Hammertime has the power to fight through it. As in most matchups, interaction is how we survive. The main target for Force is Sigarda’s Aid, but there are other good situational targets, as well. Hit their Urza’s Sagas with Tide Shapers and Spreading Seas to destroy them. Dismember creatures in response to equipment targeting (though, if the opponent is tapped out and only controls a single creature, Dismember it on our turn to avoid Blacksmith’s Skill). Use Trickster and Harbinger to slow them down.
  5-Color Creativity

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Seas +2 Bomb // -4 Subt -4 Gill
Essential Cards: Force, Bomb, Hexcatcher, Dismember, Otawara (countermagic, Engineered Explosives)
Matchup Advice: This is a very tricky matchup. If not played with intelligence and care you will lose every time. We do have the tools to win about half the time, but it is rarely easy. Force of Negation is far and away our best spell. Counter Wrenn and Six, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, or Creativity/Transmogrify without a second thought; these are all critical spells. We should virtually never waste counterspells on spot removal like Lightning Bolt or Leyline Binding (unless we have lethal on board); we have tons of Merfolk in the deck, but not tons of counterspells. Ratchet Bomb is another very impactful card for us, blowing up any tokens the opponent has accumulated. Dismember or Otawara can destroy a token in response to Creativity targeting it, effectively countering the spell (unless the Creativity is targeting more than one token, in which case we are out of luck). If Wrenn and Six resolves, be very careful with any X/1s you deploy so they don’t get picked off by Wrenn’s minus ability. 
  Red/White Burn

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Harb // -4 Dism -2 Shaper
Essential Cards: Force, Hexcatcher, Trickster, Harb (countermagic, Tidebinder Mage)
Matchup Advice: Hexcatcher is excellent against Burn, as is Force of Negation. Trickster and Harbinger can slow down their attacks and make it easy for us to stabilize. Aether Vial is excellent, as it plays smoothly around Eidolon of the Great Revel (though look out for Smash to Smithereens in games two and three). Chalice of the Void is not great here; Burn’s mana values are very evenly distributed between 1-drops and 2-drops (and even some 3-drops). Chalice is also another potential target for Smash to Smithereens.
  Black/Red Scam

Sideboarding: +2 Hearse +2 Seas +2 Harb // -4 Shaper -2 Vial
Essential Cards: Hearse, Svyelun, Merfolk Trickster, Dismember (Grafdigger’s Cage, Kira)
Matchup Advice: Scam has some incredibly scary and frustrating openings, but, in general, the matchup is not too unfavorable. If they get us with Undying Evil and Grief on turn one, we will have to rely on the top of our deck for most of the game. However, we do have reasonable tools to fight back. Unlicensed Hearse can prevent them from any undying value, by picking off the Elementals when they hit the graveyard. Hearse also gradually becomes a large late-game threat that can help us win. Svyelun is excellent in the matchup, as her card draw can replenish our hand and help us pull ahead. Since Fury can deal four damage, do your best to have at least one lord on the board alongside Svyelun to protect her (preferably at instant speed, by casting Hexcatcher or vialing in any lord to blow Fury out). As seen in the screenshot and discussion in Chapter 8, Merfolk Trickster is excellent in the matchup because it can remove undying after it has been granted to an Elemental. This will keep their creature in the graveyard after its evoke trigger resolves. Harbinger is particularly solid as a topdeck against Grief; it bounces their attacker, develops our board, and forces them to spend four mana to recast their Elemental for no extra value (since we have no cards in hand to discard). Dismembering an Elemental is excellent, particularly in response to an undying spell.
  Amulet Titan

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Seas // -4 Svy -2 Gill
Essential Cards: Subtlety, Force, Tide Shaper, Seas, Dismember (Tidebinder, Aether Gust, Ashiok)
Matchup Advice: Subtlety is the all-star of this matchup. Amulet players will tap out as soon as possible to play Primeval Titan, and Subtlety is basically Time Walk in that spot. Once we have four mana and can actually cast Subtlety for its full cost (rather than evoking), we will virtually never lose. Force of Negation is for Amulet and Summoner’s Pact. Shaper and Seas are primarily for destroying Urza’s Sagas (which can grab Amulets), but also occasionally for Valakut. Dismember is for Dryad of the Ilysian Grove (without which they have a much harder time winning).
  4-Color & Temur Rhinos

4-Color Sideboarding: +4 Force +3 Chalice +2 Harb +2 Bomb // -4 Gill -2 Subt -1 Svy -2 Dism -2 Shaper
Temur Sideboarding:  +4 Force +3 Chalice +2 Harb +2 Bomb //  -4 Gill -2 Subt -1 Svy -4 Dism
Essential Cards: Chalice, Force, Hexcatcher, Bomb (countermagic, Tidebinder, Kira)
Matchup Advice: There is a subtle but very important distinction to make between Temur Rhinos and 4-Color Rhinos. The latter splashes white, primarily for access to Omnath and Domain spells like Leyline Binding and Scion of Draco. If you see Omnath and/or Scion in game one, you would do well to follow a sideboarding plan like the one outlined above for 4-Color (It keeps in a couple of Dismembers to address their extra creatures). If you don’t see these creatures, follow the Temur advice above (boarding out all Dismembers).
In general, don’t worry about their spot removal. Counter Rhinos and Teferi instead. Always be aware of the possibility of Fury and play accordingly. Resolving a Chalice (X=0) and protecting it (from Leyline Binding, Teferi, Brazen Borrower, and Force of Vigor) is a recipe for success (Rhinos can’t resolve through X=0). Ratchet Bomb is excellent for sweeping away any Rhinos that make it to the battlefield (but be aware that it will also destroy your Chalice!). Dismember is great for killing anything big they play (Rhinos, Omnath, Fury, Scion of Draco).


  Living End

Sideboarding: +4 Force +3 Chalice +2 Hearse // -4 Dism -3 Trickster -2 Subt
Essential Cards: Force, Chalice, Hexcatcher, Hearse (any countermagic, grave hate)
Matchup Advice: Living End is one of Merfolk’s best matchups. It has always been pretty solid, but the addition of Hexcatcher has improved it tremendously. A very cool interaction (discussed in Chapter 7) is being able to sacrifice all our creatures to Hexcatcher’s ability (targeting Violent Outburst) so they return when Living End resolves. Force of Negation, Chalice of the Void, and Unlicensed Hearse are also all top-notch interaction in the matchup. If we can draw a couple of these cards in the first few turns, we are very favored to win the game.
  Blue/White Control

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Seas // -4 Dism -2 Trickster
Essential Cards: Force, Hexcatcher, Mutavault, Cavern, Svyelun, Islandwalk Lords (countermagic, Kira)
Matchup Advice: This is a very solid matchup for Merfolk. Mutavault dodges all their sorcery-speed interaction, and Cavern of Souls and Aether Vial make their counterspells useless. Force or Subtlety their planeswalkers. As usual, don’t waste countermagic on spot removal (unless we have lethal on board). Play patiently and don’t commit too many Merfolk to the board at once. Slow and steady wins the race. Solitude is usually pretty telegraphed as long as you are on the look-out for it, so pay attention.
  Yawgmoth

Sideboarding: +2 Seas +2 Harb +2 Hearse // -4 Gill -2 Svy
Essential Cards: Dism, Subt, Hearse (Cursed Totem, Grafdigger’s Cage, Needle effects, grave hate)
Matchup Advice: Yawgmoth is one of our worst matchups, so play carefully but don’t get your hopes up. The best approach seems to be hitting their mana hard in the first few turns: Dismember and bounce mana dorks with Harbinger, and hit their lands with Spreading Seas and Tide Shapers. The hope in hitting their mana is to prevent them from being able to cast Yawgmoth. Subtlety can also delay Yawgmoth.
  Merfolk (Mirror)

Sideboarding: +2 Harb // -2 Svy
Essential Cards: Vial, Dismember, Trickster, Harb, Master of the Pearl Trident, Subtlety (bounce spells)
Matchup Advice: Our mirror match is more than a little absurd, and immensely dependent upon luck. Winning the die roll is a huge advantage. Playing Aether Vial on turn one is a huge advantage. Drawing Master of the Pearl Trident instead of Lord of Atlantis (which gives our opponent’s Merfolk +1/+1 and islandwalk, as well) is a huge advantage. Drawing interactive cards like Tricksters and Harbingers and Dismembers is a huge advantage. If you draw mostly these cards, you will likely win. If you don’t, you will likely lose. Playing non-basics before Islands whenever possible gains a non-trivial advantage, though we are not often looking to block in this matchup.
  Domain Aggro

Sideboarding: +2 Harb +2 Force +2 Seas // -4 Gill -2 Dismember
Essential Cards: Trickster, Harb, Dismember, Subtlety (bounce spells)
Matchup Advice: Our trump card in this matchup is Merfolk Trickster. Its ability kills Territorial Kavu instantly, and makes Wild Nacatl and Nishoba Brawler (and Tarmogoyf, if they play it) tiny and easy to eat in combat. Harbinger and Subtlety also do a good job slowing them down. Tribal Flames is a sorcery, and Domain Aggro plays a lot of non-creature spells, so a couple Force of Negations can do a good job. Since they play a lot of burn spells, it’s wise to cut back on Dismembers somewhat. Turning one or more of their lands into Islands can sometimes hinder their Domain game plan.
  Jeskai Breach

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Chalice +2 Seas +2 Hearse // -4 Subt -4 Gill -2 Trickster
Essential Cards: Force, Chalice, Tide Shaper, Seas, Hearse, Dismember (countermagic, Needle effects)
Matchup Advice: Merfolk lines up very well against Jeskai Breach. Force stops Underworld Breach and any other significant non-creature spell. Chalice (X=0) prevents them from comboing at all. Seas effects blow up their Urza’s Sagas. Hearse prevents Emry from doing anything, and eventually becomes a huge threat. Dismember kills the few creatures they play (Emry, Ragavan, Ledger Shredder). Interact a little bit and attack with huge unblockable Merfolk. Easy.
  Mono-Green Tron

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Seas // -4 Dismember -2 Trickster
Essential Cards: Force, Tide Shaper, Seas, Hexcatcher (countermagic, Damping Sphere, Needle effects)
Matchup Advice: Tron is a very solid matchup for Merfolk. We have Seas effects to disrupt their Tron lands, Force to stop their important spells, and a fast clock that they have trouble interacting with. This is not a complicated matchup; turn their lands into Islands, counter a spell or two, and attack with Merfolk.
  Grixis Shadow

Sideboarding: +3 Chalice +2 Harb +2 Hearse // -4 Subt -2 Hex -1 Vial
Essential Cards: Chalice, Trickster, Harb, Dism, Svy, Hearse, Islandwalk Lords (Relic)
Matchup Advice: Grixis Shadow is a very fun, even matchup for Merfolk. With 20+ 1-drops, Chalice of the Void can be excellent here. Tap and bounce their creatures with Trickster and Harbinger to gain time. Use Hearse to keep them off delirium and to snipe a Kroxa from the yard (we can also use Hearse to trim our own graveyard to make Drown in the Loch less effective). Since the opponent damages themself in order to play Death’s Shadow, we often don’t need too much of a board to make a well-timed islandwalk lord lethal with a single swing, so these creatures are essential in the matchup. Silvergill and Svyelun let us maintain card advantage against all their spot removal and hand disruption.
  Omnath Control (Various Builds)

Sideboarding: +4 Force // -4 Gill
Essential Cards: Force, Dismember, Svy, Islandwalk Lords (Nix)
Matchup Advice: “Omnath Control” is a bit of a catch-all name for a variety of decks that play Omnath, evoke Elementals, Counterspell, Leyline Binding, and planeswalkers. On the plus side, their counterspells are generally blanks against Cavern of Souls and Aether Vial. On the negative side, the deck generates so much value and plays so much removal that it is a rough matchup for us. It can be very difficult for us to keep up against all the value that Omnath creates, so we want to Dismember it on sight. If you happen to see Risen Reef, Dismember that on sight, as well. Use Force and Subtlety against any planeswalkers. Try to generate value with Svyelun. Close the game with islandwalk lords.
  Eldrazi Tron (also Prison Tron)

Sideboarding: +4 Force +2 Seas // -4 Gill -2 Lord of Atlantis
Essential Cards: Force, Seas, Dismember (countermagic)
Matchup Advice: We have an excellent matchup against traditional Eldrazi Tron (Thoughtknot Seer, Reality Smasher) because of our Seas effects, Dismembers, and Forces. Against this approach, you should also bring in Harbingers from the sideboard. However, much more popular today is “Prison” Tron, which aims to resolve an Ensnaring Bridge and protect it with Spellskites. We have traditionally had a very difficult time winning against Ensnaring Bridge decks, so Prison Tron is not nearly as favorable for us as Eldrazi Tron. Hit Urza’s Sagas and Tron lands with Seas effects. Save Forces for Ensnaring Bridge and for Karn, the Great Creator. If a Bridge does resolve, we can bounce it with one of our two Otawaras (keep an eye on how many cards the opponent has in hand; they will sometimes have enough cards that even Spellskite redirecting Otawara can’t prevent us from mounting an attack).
  8-Cast Affinity

Sideboarding: +2 Harb +2 Seas // -4 Svy
Essential Cards: Tide Shaper, Seas, Trickster, Harb, Dismember (Hurkyl’s Recall)
Matchup Advice: This is an abysmal matchup. Their mana values are sufficiently diverse that trying to bring in Chalice or Ratchet Bomb is not a winning strategy. We have to hope that they lean into the Urza’s Saga plan, and that we happen to draw lots of Seas effects, to stand a chance. Dismember Urza or any other threatening creature, use Trickster and Harbinger to slow them down as much as possible. Hurkyl’s Recall probably increases our odds of winning any given game by 20% or so, if you play it and draw it.
  Goblins

Sideboarding: +2 Harb +2 Seas // -4 Svy
Essential Cards: Trickster, Harb, Dismember, Lords (Cursed Totem, Needle effects)
Matchup Advice: Another terrible matchup. Dismember their Snoops. Play a lot of lords and try to win with big Merfolk and maybe islandwalk, basically.
  Blue/Black Mill

Sideboarding: +4 Force +3 Chalice +2 Hearse +2 Bomb // -4 Subt (net +7 cards)
Essential Cards: Force, Chalice, Dismember (Gaea’s Blessing/Eldrazi Titans, countermagic)
Matchup Advice: A great matchup to finish this sideboarding guide off. We bring in a lot of useful cards and only cut Subtlety (not a lot of targets in the matchup, and clunky to cast), netting us a few extra cards, making it harder for our opponent to mill us out. Do not cut a land on the draw in this matchup; since we’re adding spells, our land count is already being diluted somewhat. As Mill doesn’t attack our life total, we want to draw all four Dismembers to kill any crabs they play (Ratchet Bomb plays a similar role). Beware of the possibility of Ensnaring Bridge (basically, don’t play Otawara as a land unless absolutely necessary). Crypt Incursion is also a beating. Chalice of the Void is excellent, stopping crabs, Surgical Extraction, Fatal Push, and Visions of Beyond.