3/26
+field of ruin
+arch of orazca
+endless sands
+desert of the mindful
+desert of the indomitable
+ipnu rivulet
+hashep oasis
-woodland stream
-2 forest
-3 island
+baral's expertise
+kefnet the mindful
+rhonas the indomitable
+commit // memory
+paradox engine
-crashing tide
-river's rebuke
-supreme will
-jadecraft artisan
-storm sculptor
-vineshaper mystic
-riverwise augur
-itlimoc, cradle of the sun
+deeproot waters
+aquatic incursion
Admiral's Orders is technically better than Cancel, but I think I'd like Horns***gle or Insidious Will even more, and I'd consider straight cutting it or Crashing Tide for the Deeproot Waters as well.
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Commander - Currently Playing: RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G) RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B) WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Admiral's Orders is technically better than Cancel, but I think I'd like Horns***gle or Insidious Will even more, and I'd consider straight cutting it or Crashing Tide for the Deeproot Waters as well.
Yeah I kinda forgot the token stuff. aquatic incursion is probably better than most 4-drop merfolk too, just for the extra bodies, and the late-game wincon is nice to have, plus it's blink/bounce-able.
Considered insidious will, and maybe it's worth it, but horns***gle I don't like. Biggest thing to counter, I think, is board wipes. Also I think targeted removal aimed at my dudes is very possible after I declare attackers (most people would rather ignore a threat until it becomes their problem specifically) so the discount on admiral's orders seems like it could be useful reasonably often. It's not something I'm married to but I think it's currently the best counterspell for that slot.
I'd also like to see 1 more counterspell. Looking like maybe the top tier deck of the format at this stage for consistency, imo. Other decks can out combo/over-the-top, but for sheer consistency of doing what the deck wants to do every game, merfolk have it.
I'd also like to see 1 more counterspell. Looking like maybe the top tier deck of the format at this stage for consistency, imo. Other decks can out combo/over-the-top, but for sheer consistency of doing what the deck wants to do every game, merfolk have it.
So I tested it last night mostly vs commander decks (plus another guy who, hilariously, also built a kumena brawl deck. awkward...). It did feel reasonably strong even vs commander decks, although ofc it couldn't handle everything being thrown at it and I did ultimately lose both games although the second one was really close...
The table was full of obnoxious decks - one guy had a "literally the only thing I ever do is try to combo win" deck which killed me the first game because I had no idea wtf his deck was doing (it was a really badly made combo deck so it wasn't obvious) and didn't leave up a counterspell (although he probably had another counter), one guy had a random/global damage vial smasher deck that seemed to have a homing beacon on my ass, and the third guy was playing classic MBC and resolved a combo that eventually kept making us discard our hands every turn while his got huge (geth's grimoire + words of waste.
combo guy went down first with me smacking him down most of the way, then RNG guy took several consecutive turns (snore) then got rekt when I countered his third time warp leaving him tapped out although I was down to 3.
MBC guy ripped apart his hand, gained a ton of life from sangromancer then ninjutsu'd him for ink-eyes - luckily aimed at RNG guy - and plays guiltfeeder. On my turn I take a big swing at both of them to draw cards with seafloor oracle, leaving up 2 guys, praying for removal for the guiltfeeder, but 4 cards later, no dice. 5 mana left, I play a jade bearer with my vanquisher's banner out and rip a commit // memory off the top. Sweet. RNG guy goes to his turn, and I inform him that I will kingmake the crap out of the MBC guy if RNG guy recasts vial smasher or any other random/symmetrical damage thing, given that I'm at 3. He plays a seedborn muse and passes - he's at 9 at this point. MBC guy casts a very lethal for everyone exsanguinate - my priority first. I really don't want to cast commit, given that I'll probably die to guiltfeeder - but luckily there's a trigger on the stack for RNG guy's rhystic study. I pass priority again like a baller, and MBC lets him draw. Is it a counter? Well, it's not BUT he has a forbidden alchemy in the grave! He casts it and rips arcane denial off the top! The he dies to guiltfeeder and I chump block the ground guys coming at me. eot I commit the guiltfeeder -
I figure my only chance here is to go all-in on the seafloor oracle and try to draw enough merfolk to keep chumping for a few turns until I can kill him.
I swing all out...and get sudden spoilinged. Womp womp. But wait, I have the memory side of commit // memory in my grave! But he's got a solid number of creatures and I only have a few mana left after that, so I scoop.
Anyway, nuts game.
I agree it seems very consistent, the draw ability and the low curve means you can cycle through your deck pretty quickly, and once you can start activating the 5 merfolk ability you can deal a lot of damage very quickly. Counters and disruption seem extremely clutch, at least in small numbers, in this format, for disrupting the instant-win cards and board wipes. I could see one more counter although the counter options are pretty unexciting. But there's a couple I'd at least consider (the ones that end with "will" basically.
Not so sure about the dagger. I mean it's ok I guess, but by the time I've paid 4 and tapped 2 merfolk (plus given away some clutch blockers), is it really any better than a gilded lotus? This just doesn't feel like a ramp deck to me. I guess it does come back untapped and it can just be an equipment late-game if you don't need the mana, so it's definitely useful, but the deck is already pretty packed full as-is, idk what I'd cut.
Not so sure about the dagger. I mean it's ok I guess, but by the time I've paid 4 and tapped 2 merfolk (plus given away some clutch blockers), is it really any better than a gilded lotus? This just doesn't feel like a ramp deck to me. I guess it does come back untapped and it can just be an equipment late-game if you don't need the mana, so it's definitely useful, but the deck is already pretty packed full as-is, idk what I'd cut.
Turn 2, play Dowsing Dagger. Turn 3, play Kumena. Turn 4, equip Kumena (costs 2). Transform into Lost Vale and you actually gain an extra mana for the turn. Just seems exactly where you'd want to be at. Would I play Gilded Lotus in Brawl? In a heart beat!!
Maybe even play a Spell Pierce as the additional counter? It's the board wipes you'll want to stop, and opponents probably won't have the time to play around/late game a counter like this on average, with so much pressure.
Turn 2, play Dowsing Dagger. Turn 3, play Kumena. Turn 4, equip Kumena (costs 2). Transform into Lost Vale and you actually gain an extra mana for the turn. Just seems exactly where you'd want to be at. Would I play Gilded Lotus in Brawl? In a heart beat!!
Maybe even play a Spell Pierce as the additional counter?
Well, but (1) that means you aren't playing a merfolk on turn two and (2) what if your opponent has removal for kumena? Worse, what if they have instant-speed removal on your turn 4? Well then you've basically just skipped 3 turns and you're pretty screwed.
I would play gilded lotus in plenty of brawl decks but I'm not sure about this one. Like I said I don't think it's really a ramp deck. Well...I probably would because it pretty much lets you put your deck into play with paradox engine, but that obviously doesn't work with vale.
Kinda forgot about spell pierce. I don't love that sort of thing in commander but in brawl it might actually have legs for a low to the ground deck like this. Countering a board wipe for 1 mana would be brutal.
Kinda forgot about spell pierce. I don't love that sort of thing in commander but in brawl it might actually have legs for a low to the ground deck like this. Countering a board wipe for 1 mana would be brutal.
I guess Wizard's Retort is your next best option, you have 5 wizards in the deck.
I would definitely be running artifact removal, as a resolved Spyglass will really put a wrench in your plans. That and gearhulks and quite a few other good artifacts will see play.
There are a lot of sweepers and board wipes in this format, and I think you're going to struggle in an environment where you counter one just to get blasted by another. If you're holding merfolk back to draw, they aren't swinging without a resolved paradox engine.
Sentinel you can maybe take or leave because most of the time it's just a 1/3 Merfolk but it's probably better than Jungle Delver.
Grasping current is a card advantage neutral alpha strike that can win you the game alone, and if that fails Jace's untap plays real nice with Kumenas abilities, or its just card advantage. The ultimate is mostly irrelevant but if you ever get there it is likely fine.
Also, Kefnet the Mindful seems way to hard to activate if your deck is hand spammy, which it is. Probably would just run opt or something.
Played the deck again tonight versus real commander decks. Killed all three opponents almost single-handed, dishing out over a hundred damage on the last swing. paradox engine is nice. reeeeaaaaal nice. My opponents should not have let me untap with that thing. Deeproot waters was also crucial. hadana's climb was no slouch. Swung in my forerunner of the heralds for 52 damage. All around a great performance. This decklist seems great.
@protoaddict
I didn't totally think about the untap all creatures part, that actually makes jace potentially interesting here. I'm still pretty skeptical, though. He can't really hold a candle to some of our other endgame bombs imo, and we really want a nice low curve I think. And double bounce for 5 is ok but baral's expertise seems a lot stronger.
Jungle delver (and all 1-drop merfolk) are solid gold in this deck as far as I'm concerned, I doubt I'd ever cut them. Pretty sure I'd happily run a 0/1 for 1 with no abilities merfolk. Could cut something like giltgrove stalker or one of the extremely "meh" 2-drop merfolk though, probably reasonable if you're running jace, although it's not a huge upgrade.
I think you're right about kefnet, I'll probably switch it for something else. So far Kumena has provided plenty of late-game nonsense that's far more efficient than 4 mana to draw a card. Maybe something like aethertide whale, similarly difficult to kill and with a high damage output, without the hoops to jump through. Or maybe just more merfolk. I'm pretty much never sad to draw a merfolk.
How's your mana late game? Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep looks like an interesting closer here provided you can generate the mana. Song of Freyalise could be good with Paradox Engine too.
How's your mana late game? Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep looks like an interesting closer here provided you can generate the mana. Song of Freyalise could be good with Paradox Engine too.
10 mana is way more than I'd want to pay for that sort of effect. The 8/8 body is pretty meaningless for this deck.
Song of Freyalise looks potentially very powerful on all sides. Basically goes infinite with paradox engine. I'm not adding dominaria cards until the prerelease though.
Pulled a Kumena from a FNM booty pack, sowhy not. Kumena feels more like a 1 v 1 commander, but we'll see. The Shaper Apprentice will be replaced with a Metallic Mimic as soon as I get get one.
1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
1 aquatic incurion
1 Deeproot Champion
1 Deeproot Elite
1 Deeproot Warrior
1 Deeproot Waters
1 Forerunner of the Heralds
1 Giltgrove Stalker
1 Herald of Secret Streams
1 Jade Bearer
1 Jadelight Ranger
1 Jungle Delver
1 Jungleborn Pioneer
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Kumena's Speaker
1 Merfolk Branchwalker
1 Merfolk Mistbinder
1 Metallic Mimic
1 Mist-cloaked Herald
1 River Sneak
1 Seafloor Oracle
1 Shaper Apprentice
1 Shapers of Nature
1 Silvergill Adept
1 Swift Warden
1 Tempest Caller
1 Waker of the Wilds
1 Negate
1 expel from orazca
1 admiral's order
1 Disallow
1 commit // memory
1 baral's expertise
Alt wincons (5)
1 Rhonas the indomitable
1 kefnet the mindful
1 paradox engine
1 Hadana's Climb
1 Vanquisher's Banner
Land (22)
1 field of ruin
1 arch of orazca
1 endless sands
1 desert of the mindful
1 desert of the indomitable
1 ipnu rivulet
1 hashep oasis
1 Botannical Sanctum
1 Unclaimed Territory
1 scavenger grounds
6 island
6 forest
+field of ruin
+arch of orazca
+endless sands
+desert of the mindful
+desert of the indomitable
+ipnu rivulet
+hashep oasis
-woodland stream
-2 forest
-3 island
+baral's expertise
+kefnet the mindful
+rhonas the indomitable
+commit // memory
+paradox engine
-crashing tide
-river's rebuke
-supreme will
-jadecraft artisan
-storm sculptor
-vineshaper mystic
-riverwise augur
-itlimoc, cradle of the sun
+deeproot waters
+aquatic incursion
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Admiral's Orders is technically better than Cancel, but I think I'd like Horns***gle or Insidious Will even more, and I'd consider straight cutting it or Crashing Tide for the Deeproot Waters as well.
RCRDaretti: Superfriends Forever RCR
WGBDoran: Ent-mootWBG
GGGMultani: Group Bear HugGGG
GB(B/G)The Gitrog Monster: Dredgefall DurdleGB(B/G)
RGWGahiji, the Honored Group Hug MonsterRGW
UB(U/B)Yuriko, Ninja Trinket AggroUB(U/B)
WUBRGAtogatog: Assembling a OHKOWUBRG
Considered insidious will, and maybe it's worth it, but horns***gle I don't like. Biggest thing to counter, I think, is board wipes. Also I think targeted removal aimed at my dudes is very possible after I declare attackers (most people would rather ignore a threat until it becomes their problem specifically) so the discount on admiral's orders seems like it could be useful reasonably often. It's not something I'm married to but I think it's currently the best counterspell for that slot.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
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[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Dowsing Dagger / Lost Vale seems like a slam dunk with Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca evasive ability
I'd also like to see 1 more counterspell. Looking like maybe the top tier deck of the format at this stage for consistency, imo. Other decks can out combo/over-the-top, but for sheer consistency of doing what the deck wants to do every game, merfolk have it.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
combo guy went down first with me smacking him down most of the way, then RNG guy took several consecutive turns (snore) then got rekt when I countered his third time warp leaving him tapped out although I was down to 3.
MBC guy ripped apart his hand, gained a ton of life from sangromancer then ninjutsu'd him for ink-eyes - luckily aimed at RNG guy - and plays guiltfeeder. On my turn I take a big swing at both of them to draw cards with seafloor oracle, leaving up 2 guys, praying for removal for the guiltfeeder, but 4 cards later, no dice. 5 mana left, I play a jade bearer with my vanquisher's banner out and rip a commit // memory off the top. Sweet. RNG guy goes to his turn, and I inform him that I will kingmake the crap out of the MBC guy if RNG guy recasts vial smasher or any other random/symmetrical damage thing, given that I'm at 3. He plays a seedborn muse and passes - he's at 9 at this point. MBC guy casts a very lethal for everyone exsanguinate - my priority first. I really don't want to cast commit, given that I'll probably die to guiltfeeder - but luckily there's a trigger on the stack for RNG guy's rhystic study. I pass priority again like a baller, and MBC lets him draw. Is it a counter? Well, it's not BUT he has a forbidden alchemy in the grave! He casts it and rips arcane denial off the top! The he dies to guiltfeeder and I chump block the ground guys coming at me. eot I commit the guiltfeeder -
I figure my only chance here is to go all-in on the seafloor oracle and try to draw enough merfolk to keep chumping for a few turns until I can kill him.
I swing all out...and get sudden spoilinged. Womp womp. But wait, I have the memory side of commit // memory in my grave! But he's got a solid number of creatures and I only have a few mana left after that, so I scoop.
Anyway, nuts game.
Not so sure about the dagger. I mean it's ok I guess, but by the time I've paid 4 and tapped 2 merfolk (plus given away some clutch blockers), is it really any better than a gilded lotus? This just doesn't feel like a ramp deck to me. I guess it does come back untapped and it can just be an equipment late-game if you don't need the mana, so it's definitely useful, but the deck is already pretty packed full as-is, idk what I'd cut.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Maybe even play a Spell Pierce as the additional counter? It's the board wipes you'll want to stop, and opponents probably won't have the time to play around/late game a counter like this on average, with so much pressure.
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
I would play gilded lotus in plenty of brawl decks but I'm not sure about this one. Like I said I don't think it's really a ramp deck. Well...I probably would because it pretty much lets you put your deck into play with paradox engine, but that obviously doesn't work with vale.
Kinda forgot about spell pierce. I don't love that sort of thing in commander but in brawl it might actually have legs for a low to the ground deck like this. Countering a board wipe for 1 mana would be brutal.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
There are a lot of sweepers and board wipes in this format, and I think you're going to struggle in an environment where you counter one just to get blasted by another. If you're holding merfolk back to draw, they aren't swinging without a resolved paradox engine.
Sentinel you can maybe take or leave because most of the time it's just a 1/3 Merfolk but it's probably better than Jungle Delver.
Grasping current is a card advantage neutral alpha strike that can win you the game alone, and if that fails Jace's untap plays real nice with Kumenas abilities, or its just card advantage. The ultimate is mostly irrelevant but if you ever get there it is likely fine.
Also, Kefnet the Mindful seems way to hard to activate if your deck is hand spammy, which it is. Probably would just run opt or something.
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@protoaddict
I didn't totally think about the untap all creatures part, that actually makes jace potentially interesting here. I'm still pretty skeptical, though. He can't really hold a candle to some of our other endgame bombs imo, and we really want a nice low curve I think. And double bounce for 5 is ok but baral's expertise seems a lot stronger.
Jungle delver (and all 1-drop merfolk) are solid gold in this deck as far as I'm concerned, I doubt I'd ever cut them. Pretty sure I'd happily run a 0/1 for 1 with no abilities merfolk. Could cut something like giltgrove stalker or one of the extremely "meh" 2-drop merfolk though, probably reasonable if you're running jace, although it's not a huge upgrade.
I think you're right about kefnet, I'll probably switch it for something else. So far Kumena has provided plenty of late-game nonsense that's far more efficient than 4 mana to draw a card. Maybe something like aethertide whale, similarly difficult to kill and with a high damage output, without the hoops to jump through. Or maybe just more merfolk. I'm pretty much never sad to draw a merfolk.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
Song of Freyalise looks potentially very powerful on all sides. Basically goes infinite with paradox engine. I'm not adding dominaria cards until the prerelease though.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
1x Deeproot Elite
1x Forerunner of the Heralds
1x Herald of Secret Streams
1x Jade Bearer
1x Jade Guardian
1x Jadelight Ranger
1x Jungleborn Pioneer
1x Kopala, Warden of Waves
1x Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
1x Kumena's Speaker
1x Merfolk Branchwalker
1x Merfolk Mistbinder
1x Mist-Cloaked Herald
1x Shaper Apprentice
1x Shapers of Nature
1x Silvergill Adept
1x Swift Warden
1x Tempest Caller
1x Tishana, Voice of Thunder
1x Vineshaper Mystic
1x Watertrap Weaver
1x Botanical Sanctum
1x Desert of the Indomitable
1x Desert of the Mindful
1x Evolving Wilds
5x Forest
1x Grasping Dunes
1x Hashep Oasis
1x Ipnu Rivulet
8x Island
1x Scavenger Grounds
1x Unclaimed Territory
1x Woodland Stream
Sorcery (2)
1x Open Into Wonder
1x River's Rebuke
Instant (9)
1x Blossoming Defense
1x Essence Scatter
1x Expel from Orazca
1x Heroic Intervention
1x Naturalize
1x Negate
1x Spell Pierce
1x Supreme Will
1x Unsummon
1x Deeproot Waters
1x Growing Rites of Itlimoc
1x Hadana's Climb
1x Kumena's Awakening
Artifact (1)
1x Vanquisher's Banner
Current Decks
Standard : WB Orzhov Vampires BW GUB Sultai Constrictor BUG
Brawl : GB Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons BG
Modern : GB Golgari Elves BG GR Atarka Goblins RG
Pauper : W Heroic W GB Delve BG