So on a lark I built this deck on MTGO for a little over 1 ticket and it's turning out to not be half bad.
The goal is to dump creatures and pump them. Unblockable is an amazing key word in a deck that can easily make a 6/6+ by turn 3!
With a few tweaks and SB I'll probably look to convert this to paper and try it at my LGS
I played three games and won all three:
2-0 vs Infect
I was able to play way more creatures and block the few infect creatures my opponent was able to play and then just pumped for the win both games.
2-1 vs Izzet cyclops/delver
g1 my opponent stalled on mana and I was able to win easily
g2 I was able to knock my opponent down to 8 life but he/she was able to pump a Nivix Cyclops for a one hit kill of I think 24 damage
g3 opponent didnt draw into any creatures and I was able to pump a few unblockables for the win
(A further note, with 20 creatures this deck was amazing vs removal in this match and with vines and pump I never traded unfavorably)
2-0 vs threshhold
both games were a simple race of my unblockables vs their threshhold creatures and I was able to throw up a few blockers in both games to stay ahead in life
None of these were S tier decks but I never felt like I was struggling in any match and most every win was with a comfortable margin. (minus the cyclops, seriously the guy/gal had to play 7 cards in one turn including counters to stop my reply and give double strike, cause I blocked, just to pull out a win)
Deeproot Warrior was the only creature that had no impact. Every time it was played I only used it to block so I'll probably look to replace it with another merfolk with a more useful ability before it dies. Mana Leak functioned fine but I'm curious if a 1cmc card like Dispel or Vapor Snag wouldn't be more useful as keeping open 2 mana when I wanted to pump did cause a few hiccups. (maby these could be SB options to replace Mana Leak in games 2&3)
Lastly the draw is lousy with only Cartouche of Knowledge but I'm not sure what to cut if anything to add more draw. I did find myself top decking a few times but luckily most every draw is useful as long as there's at least 1 creature in play. and the Cartouche's ability to give flying was also useful in providing an extra source of evasion several times and even to block a delver in the second match.
Over all for how little I invested, the deck performed well and was fun to play, I think it needs a few tweeks in the main board and a sideboard and it's a great 2nd or 3rd tier deck that can definitely win.
I would replace Deeproot Warrior with Giltgrove Stalker or Jungle Delver. Stalker can't be chump blocked so it will force your opponent to block it with something bigger then you can pump it to act as pseudo-removal for your deck. Delver gives you a late game threat, but Stalker is probably the better option.
You definitely need more draw! I'd drop the Cartouche for some actual card advantage spells. Perilous Research is good if you end up with too many lands or too many creatures. Words of Wisdom might be good too since you don't care too much about creatures blocking you or their spot removal. There's some other options as well.
As for a SB you can use some Enchantment removal and Gleeful Sabotage looks like it would be effective here, but you have a lot of options so just pick whichever you like best. To help against faeries you can use Aerial Volley but you also have a good amount of enchantments that give flying or reach for blue and green. More counter spells will definitely help in the control matches since they'll be boarding in spell that work around hexproof. Graveyard hate would be helpful and to keep it budget friendly I would go with Nihil Spellbomb or Faerie Macabre. Then if you need help against Tron then Spreading Seas is great! It's pretty cheap online despite being about $3 in paper.
I updated the deck and played a few more games going 3-3 in matches
I find that I'm having issues with the right mana at the right time. For now I've gone up to 21 mana and that's working but I'm might go back to 20 and try some Evolving Wilds
1-2 Threshhold
I'm finding that any deck that is also looking to beef up creatures is just a race between who can make the biggest creatures fastest and first. There wasn't any issues with my deck here, opponent just got there first 2 out of 3 times
1-0 Burn
I had counters available and he couldn't remove enough creatures or hit me enough times
0-2 burn
between the two games I got 2 counters total even after siding in all my dispel the second game. I just couldn't stop the burn.
1-2 Boggles
Again this was just a race between his/her enchanted boggles and my unblockables and he/she got the damage through first.
1-0 Zombies
opponent played a lot of zombies but had nothing to back them up and I swung through with lots of unblockable damage
The goal is to dump creatures and pump them. Unblockable is an amazing key word in a deck that can easily make a 6/6+ by turn 3!
With a few tweaks and SB I'll probably look to convert this to paper and try it at my LGS
4 Shaper Apprentice
4 Gaea's Skyfolk
4 Jade Bearer
4 Mist-Cloaked Herald
4 Triton Shorestalker
Instants
3 Spell Pierce
1 Mana Leak
3 Giant Growth
1 Ranger's Guile
4 Vines of Vastwood
4 River Heralds' Boon
3 Perilous Research
8 Forest
9 Island
4 Thornwood Falls
3 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
2 Mana Leak
3 Aerial Volley
4 Natural State
2 Nihil Spellbomb
I played three games and won all three:
2-0 vs Infect
I was able to play way more creatures and block the few infect creatures my opponent was able to play and then just pumped for the win both games.
2-1 vs Izzet cyclops/delver
g1 my opponent stalled on mana and I was able to win easily
g2 I was able to knock my opponent down to 8 life but he/she was able to pump a Nivix Cyclops for a one hit kill of I think 24 damage
g3 opponent didnt draw into any creatures and I was able to pump a few unblockables for the win
(A further note, with 20 creatures this deck was amazing vs removal in this match and with vines and pump I never traded unfavorably)
2-0 vs threshhold
both games were a simple race of my unblockables vs their threshhold creatures and I was able to throw up a few blockers in both games to stay ahead in life
None of these were S tier decks but I never felt like I was struggling in any match and most every win was with a comfortable margin. (minus the cyclops, seriously the guy/gal had to play 7 cards in one turn including counters to stop my reply and give double strike, cause I blocked, just to pull out a win)
Deeproot Warrior was the only creature that had no impact. Every time it was played I only used it to block so I'll probably look to replace it with another merfolk with a more useful ability before it dies.
Mana Leak functioned fine but I'm curious if a 1cmc card like Dispel or Vapor Snag wouldn't be more useful as keeping open 2 mana when I wanted to pump did cause a few hiccups. (maby these could be SB options to replace Mana Leak in games 2&3)
Lastly the draw is lousy with only Cartouche of Knowledge but I'm not sure what to cut if anything to add more draw. I did find myself top decking a few times but luckily most every draw is useful as long as there's at least 1 creature in play. and the Cartouche's ability to give flying was also useful in providing an extra source of evasion several times and even to block a delver in the second match.
Over all for how little I invested, the deck performed well and was fun to play, I think it needs a few tweeks in the main board and a sideboard and it's a great 2nd or 3rd tier deck that can definitely win.
I would replace Deeproot Warrior with Giltgrove Stalker or Jungle Delver. Stalker can't be chump blocked so it will force your opponent to block it with something bigger then you can pump it to act as pseudo-removal for your deck. Delver gives you a late game threat, but Stalker is probably the better option.
You definitely need more draw! I'd drop the Cartouche for some actual card advantage spells. Perilous Research is good if you end up with too many lands or too many creatures. Words of Wisdom might be good too since you don't care too much about creatures blocking you or their spot removal. There's some other options as well.
You probably want Dispel over Mana Leak or even Spell Pierce or Turn Aside.
As for a SB you can use some Enchantment removal and Gleeful Sabotage looks like it would be effective here, but you have a lot of options so just pick whichever you like best. To help against faeries you can use Aerial Volley but you also have a good amount of enchantments that give flying or reach for blue and green. More counter spells will definitely help in the control matches since they'll be boarding in spell that work around hexproof. Graveyard hate would be helpful and to keep it budget friendly I would go with Nihil Spellbomb or Faerie Macabre. Then if you need help against Tron then Spreading Seas is great! It's pretty cheap online despite being about $3 in paper.
I updated the deck and played a few more games going 3-3 in matches
I find that I'm having issues with the right mana at the right time. For now I've gone up to 21 mana and that's working but I'm might go back to 20 and try some Evolving Wilds
1-2 Threshhold
I'm finding that any deck that is also looking to beef up creatures is just a race between who can make the biggest creatures fastest and first. There wasn't any issues with my deck here, opponent just got there first 2 out of 3 times
1-0 Burn
I had counters available and he couldn't remove enough creatures or hit me enough times
0-2 burn
between the two games I got 2 counters total even after siding in all my dispel the second game. I just couldn't stop the burn.
1-2 Boggles
Again this was just a race between his/her enchanted boggles and my unblockables and he/she got the damage through first.
1-0 Zombies
opponent played a lot of zombies but had nothing to back them up and I swung through with lots of unblockable damage
2-1 RU tokens using Rites of Initiation
two of three games I was able to counter Rites of Initiation and won
RUBDa ShadowBUR