MTG Salvation

Has anyone tested some number of slither blade or siren stormtamer main board. The deck seems to want additional one drops. The slither blade is unlockable and the stormtamer can save the board from settle the wreckage.

So this is what I'll be playing next week. I'd like to get some feedback on the sideboard.

• Against aggressive decks, like RR, bringing in Tempest Caller over Herald due to how easily removed he is. TC is an ETB effect and more reliable, Herald dies to Lightning Bolt before blocks are declared.
• Against single target-based removal, like UB control, Shapers' Sanctuary and Spell Pierce come in with a trim on Unsummon and a couple picks based on deck. Maybe bring in a Heroic Intervention in the case of Bontu's Reckoning.
• Against more combo control, like UW Approach, bring in Spell Pierce, Nissa, and Heroic Intervention (to dodge Fumigate), removing Herald and Unsummon.
• Midrange, like energy decks, gets Shapers', Spell Pierce, and, maybe, Nissa?

All this is just theory. I haven't played Standard since Return to Ravnica was current, but I've been watching coverage and reading articles. If my bead on these decks is way off, I'm all ears.

i think you guys totally missed the River Herald's Boon. paired with winding constrictor and the right set of creature it could be the next big thing in standard.
vineshaper mystic is also not half bad if you are playing a lot of merfolk. also dont forget metallic mimic
i think its on par with GB energy in terms of power level. and i will definitely run this at the gameday.
the only thing that is lacking with BG is the card draw and soft counter , but in exchange you got disruption in form of duress and your creature hit much much harder than ug version.

I don't think anyone is missing River Heralds' Boon. It's been in just about every list I've worked on, at least. I'm still waiting for all the cards to get here for some of the decks I'm trying to build, though. Also, the one thing people are missing on Vineshaper Mystic is that the reason you end up playing it over Rishkar, Peema Renegade in some lists is it's a 2/4 body most of the time that boosts another early drop. That's pretty relevant in a format where there are a ton of 2 and 3 drops with 3 power right now. It's also not very hard to boost it to a 3/5 and be able to block things like Ripjaw Raptor and an unboosted Bristling Hydra.

Basically, for maintaining a stronger board state Vineshaper Mystic is better, where as Rishkar, Peema Renegade is better once the board state is looking good and you're ready to combo into something.

Well, I did some work with Deeproot Champion and decided that it works really well in a tempo build. Just not quite what you'd expect. Take Siren Stormtamer, Deeproot Champion, Rogue Refiner, Riddleform, and maybe one or two Kefnet the Mindful for good measure, slam them into a deck, and then throw every spell you can into that deck. It's basically like the old Miracle Grow deck I used to play when I was a wee lad in 2002.

Case in point, I really don't think Deeproot Champion probably isn't a super good card yet in a tribal build.

Quote from Colt47 »

Well, I did some work with Deeproot Champion and decided that it works really well in a tempo build. Just not quite what you'd expect. Take Siren Stormtamer, Deeproot Champion, Rogue Refiner, Riddleform, and maybe one or two Kefnet the Mindful for good measure, slam them into a deck, and then throw every spell you can into that deck. It's basically like the old Miracle Grow deck I used to play when I was a wee lad in 2002.

Case in point, I really don't think Deeproot Champion probably isn't a super good card yet in a tribal build.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/weekly-update-oct-15-temur-miracle-grow

Quote from kelannO8 »

Quote from Colt47 »

Well, I did some work with Deeproot Champion and decided that it works really well in a tempo build. Just not quite what you'd expect. Take Siren Stormtamer, Deeproot Champion, Rogue Refiner, Riddleform, and maybe one or two Kefnet the Mindful for good measure, slam them into a deck, and then throw every spell you can into that deck. It's basically like the old Miracle Grow deck I used to play when I was a wee lad in 2002.

Case in point, I really don't think Deeproot Champion probably isn't a super good card yet in a tribal build.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/weekly-update-oct-15-temur-miracle-grow

Hey, what do you know! Still not as good as the dryad was, though.

Is there a reason people aren't running siren stormtamer as a one drop in the deck?

Quote from Colt47 »

Is there a reason people aren't running siren stormtamer as a one drop in the deck?

I was goldfishing this last night and I've decided a few things:

1. Four Unsummon is one too many. It's great for removing blockers when you can't slip under them yet, and also for saving your own creatures, but it's a pretty bad nombo for saving once you have counters out (though I do like using it on Rishkar, Peema Renegade then recasting for more counters). Granted, this is goldfishing, not real games, so I could just be wrong.
2. Deeproot Champion isn't as good in this as he is in a Temur Miracle Grow strategy. There just aren't enough spells to support the card consistently.
3. This deck needs additional one drops. At the moment I'm working in three Siren Stormtamers but I'd like to find room for the fourth.

All that being said, I've dropped one Unsummon and both Deeproot Champions to bring in three Siren Stormtamers. Here's the list I've settled on for tomorrow night. It's worth noting, I'm still not happy with the sideboard. I keep wondering if the Heroic Intervention should just be more Negates. I also wonder if I'm playing the right Nissa, or even want a PW at all. This aggro version of the whole deck could just be the wrong call, and this thing would prefer to be the aggro/tempo play originally posited by the OP. We shall see...

I agree regarding Siren Stormtamer. It is fantastic little card. Even if you don't get to use its ability, it still acts as evasion that may receive counters later on.

What match-ups would you bring Nissa in for? I've got her in the sideboard, but I find it difficult to find a home/time for her.

Also curious what gets sided out. Everyone brings in a sideboard, but not a lot of people explain the reasons they typically side out X card to make room for it. (Usually, you can kind of figure out what to side out, but sometimes it isn't obvious).

I really wish engulf the shores was legal right now.

So various matchups:

Aggro: -4 Metallic Mimic, -2 Verdurous Gearhulk, +3 Heroic Intervention, +3 Tempest Caller
In a matchup like this, we want spent and tempo plays. Gearhulk is big and slow, Mimic is just slow and doesn't immediately impact the board. Heroic Intervention can be used to block, and survive, and opponent's alpha strike, and Tempest Caller facilitates a big alpha strike. Another option is to get rid of the unblockable strategy completely, -3 Herald of Secret Streams and leave in three mimics. Just go bigger with counters and use Caller to get past them.

Combo: -3 Unsummon, -2 Dive Down, -1 Herald of Secret Streams +3 Heroic Intervention, +3 Spell Pierce. This matchup is largely unchanged. We don't need unblockable so a Herald can come out, we also don't need Unsummon or Dive Down since they don't have creatures or very much targeted removal. We bring in Heroic Intervention to nullify the relevant sweepers and spell pierce to eek out some advantage early, when they still have to fully tap out for interference plays. We leave in Blossoming Defense for what the +2/+2 does to our clock.

Control: -3 Unsummon, -3 Herald of Secret Streams, -2 River Sneak, +3 Shapers' Sanctuary, +2 Heroic Intervention, +2 Spell Pierce. This is the matchup I'm least familiar with. Low on creatures means unsummon and herald are blanks. River Sneak is eeked out to make room for a pretty dramatic shift in deck design. Shapers' gives us some card advantage in a matchup that focuses on single target removal and hand disruption, Heroic blanks Bontu's, and spell pierce is spell pierce.

Midrange: I honestly can't tell what this matchup looks like and I feel the sideboard as it is now is least equipped to handle it. I'm thinking this one needs Spell Pierce, Shapers', and maybe Nissa, but not sure if it's this one or the other good one. I like that this one can be played for relatively cheap and still hit something useful with the 0.

That's my best attempt as justifying this sideboard. I'm hoping someone can pick it apart!

I liked the Shapers Apprentice idea to add evasion. Any more thoughts on that?

I've actually been trying out some various Panharmonicon builds of the deck that tries to combo out with merfolk in the mid-game. It basically doubles all the ETB token +1/+1 counter generation and also doubles the effect River Sneak gets from a merfolk entering the battlefield. It doubles the explore triggers as well, so Merfolk Branchwalker and Vineshaper Mystic trigger twice.

Another card I'm thinking about is Animation Module, which combos with the +1/+1 counter theme by allowing a way to make servos, while offering a relevant way to buff River Sneak further.

I'd like to try a Merfolk deck. Seems very fun, but not strong enough to me.

Quote from Simto »

I'd like to try a Merfolk deck. Seems very fun, but not strong enough to me.

Best not to think of it as a merfolk deck. While in limited they are kind of forced to play with themselves, creatures like Merfolk Branchwalker are just good on their own and if someone is playing blue Kumena's Speaker is very playable with at least some other merfolk in the deck. I'm much more a fan of explore on a 2 cost piker and a 1/1 that can become a 2/2 easily by turn 2, than the whole "lets be merfolk" angle. At least, that is my stance until the next set comes out. My feeling is that we will get an enemy land cycle at some point to allow more consistent decks come Rivals.

I went with basically pure aggro. Now I wish Collected Company was legal. (MAYBE IN RIVALS?!)

Collected Company was one of the most toxic cards to a standard format I've seen and probably marked the start of what I dubbed the "one card to rule them all" seasons of magic. That card basically reads "take all the best 3 cmc or less creatures in standard and slam them into a deck!"

Quote from Colt47 »

Collected Company was one of the most toxic cards to a standard format I've seen and probably marked the start of what I dubbed the "one card to rule them all" seasons of magic. That card basically reads "take all the best 3 cmc or less creatures in standard and slam them into a deck!"

I know I know, i'm just saying... It's even toxic in Modern. Too much CA and Tempo gain for a 4 mana instant.

Anyways, hope RIX will give the Merfolks something fun to playwith. I'll be happy with more add +1/+1 counter guys

Quote from Underused Cards »

I went with basically pure aggro. Now I wish Collected Company was legal. (MAYBE IN RIVALS?!)

kelannO8's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
4 Unclaimed Territory 4 Botanical Sanctum 7 Forest 5 Island 4 Kumena's Speaker 4 Merfolk Branchwalker 4 River Sneak 3 Vineshaper Mystic 3 Watertrap Weaver 2 Kopala, Warden of Waves 4 Shaper Apprentice 3 Deeproot Warrior 4 Metallic Mimic 1 Herald of Secret Streams	2 Heroic Intervention 3 Pillar of Origins 3 Deeproot Waters

My previous builds in this thread are attempts at pure aggro. Your list is part aggro part midrange. Kopala should be sideboard in an aggressive deck. You also are running very few non-creature spells to support Deeproot Champion so he will rarely get counters. Having tried my aggro version I can say definitively that this deck has to have reliable removal. It won’t work without it.

Okay, I took this list to FNM and went 2-2. Brief breakdown of what I remember below.

vs. U/W Approach lost 0-2: this was a janky, borderline budget version. Game one was mana screwed (kept a 2 land hand with action, didn't draw land three until turn 7). Game two was flood and he was able to answer enough of my threats. Might have been able to pull it out but I was trigger happy with the counters I sided in.

vs. G/B Energy won 2-1: he was mana light in game one, decent fight game two, won handily game three. Didn't see much other than Glintsleeve and Longtusk Cub. Seemed suboptimal build.

vs. Temur Aggro (?) won 2-1: this was a weird list with Greenbelt Rampager and other energy standard cards. Game one he was mana screwed, game two was a good back and forth but he won, game three same but I won.

vs. Temur Energy lost 1-2: this was the first deck that felt "on meta" all night and I could tell was seriously out classed. Game two I was able to get ahead and win but it was clearly borrowed time and a slow start for him. Games one and three weren't even a challenge.

Overall, I don't think the aggro approach can win. I loved the idea of going "under" my opponent with unblockable, but there's not enough setup in the deck to make it work and apply early pressure. No haste, no removal, and by the time you are unblockable either you're already going to win or you're so low you need blockers and can't attack. A deck like this needs Rivals and is better suited to a tempo play. Fewer, better value creatures, more answers to the opponent. Going that way, I think it also needs to splash either red or black for some removal. U/G just isn't going to get it done if you want to beat them up with dudes.

My version is budget, but it plays 4x One With The Wind.

Quote from NoobPlayer90 »

My version is budget, but it plays 4x One With The Wind.

For a budget option that is actually really good right now. The meta has very few ways to deal with fliers and I doubt anyone playing T1 and gearing against UB control decks is going to board Heaven // Earth or Crushing Canopy. It also has very few main deck ways to deal with enchantments and is more heavy one removal, so putting one with the wind on something with hexproof or with Kopala on the field will be pretty nasty. Cartouche of Knowledge is the other option that lets you draw a card for one less power.

Given the current mana base support I'd probably go UGW over BUG if a third color is desired.

If you think collected company is "toxic" in modern you are just not very good at this game, there isnt even a collected company deck thats considered T1 right now.

Even without the whole new set spoiled so far Merfolk are gtting lots of playable cards that should make the deck a legitemate tribal deck in the format.

Here is what I look at a baseline to start brewing a new Merfolk deck (which might obviusly change with more cards spoiled):

I didn't include Chart a Course but Silvergill Adept, M.Branchwalker and Nissa should help with card draw/selection.
Please limit new card discussion to the the New Card Discussion subforum until spoilers are complete (maybe tomorrow? I haven't been able to tell). I started a merfolk thread ... Thanks - hoser2