Heres the list I'm going to be running. Lingering souls may look out of place or 'greedy' but it's actually pretty darn easy to cast in this shell. You can cast it with your Godless Shrine, Bloodbraid Elf, or pitch it to Collective Brutality/Liliana of the Veil. Or if you want to get really fancy escalate it off a cascaded Collective Brutality. It's a huge mirror breaker and if Jace, the Mind Sculptor decks become the new deck to beat, it does a good job of going wide. The rest of the deck is pretty standard aside from no Inquisition of Kozilek.
So here's a list I played last night at my LGS. Went 3-1 and felt like the deck did exactly what it was born to do, which is crush the opponent's hopes and dreams and either secure a win through grindy beats or by the opponent scooping up their cards. A big difference between my list and a lot of the lists I see on here is my inclusion of Needle Spires. When this card was first previewed I'm pretty sure I laughed it off as unplayable, but now that lightning bolts are at a low, it really can put in some work. A lot of people on this forum talk about how slow their wincons are, but I didn't have that issue. With a spires on the field I was able to end games in 4 swings assuming I had only my manland. Usually I had a Needle Spires and Archangel of Tithes out at the same time, which is a pretty fast clock. I would recommend running some sweepers main too. Having access to 5 sweepers post board felt awesome against Fish and Company. The game I lost was against BG infect. Go figure...Phyrexian Crusader is pretty good against a RW deck. He opened on 2 iok both games which meant i lost my bolt every game and then he really killed me with a t2 Pithing Needle naming Ajani Vengeant, which I had two of in hand.
I'm toying with the idea of going to the upcoming SCG Open and will probaly play this deck. I plan to change up a few of the cards and will re-post once I come to final decision.
Thanks for all the responses on why you guys like Cursecatcher. I'll give the card a few more tries. Maybe it's just not optimal in my LGS meta.
In response to the Wake Thrasher comment. Wake Thrasher was a powerhouse in standard. However, in modern I just don't see him being that great. He doesn't provide you with any added benefit the turn he comes into play unlike the other 3 drops (reejery, thassa, Kira). He also cant block anything without dying, which most games won't matter but against burn or infect you have to block. Without a lord he's just like a Steppe Lynx. Obviously he gets pumped on all your turns, unlike Lynx, but he still dies to bolts, forked bolts, lavamancers, clasms etc as soon as you pass the turn. While this isn't normally a great argument against a card I think it is in this instance because you have to compare him to the other 3 drops. My suggestion would be to test him out in real life. I think you'll find that he just isn't good enough.
And then you've lost a threat (cursecatcher) and their spell still resolves, so they've effectively 2 for 1'd you. In a tempo deck like merfolk I just don't see how that's acceptable.
I'm banking on Battle for Zendikar providing us with a good 1cmc merfolk or maybe another 2cmc lord. I think that's what's holding merfolk back from being tier 1.
Can someone explain to me why Cursecatcher warrants a space in the merfolk deck? I've been playing Merfolk for a few months now and I hate hate hate this card. I don't like it turn one and it only gets so much worse mid to late game. I find that when I play it it doesn't provide me any extra protection and as a 1/1 it doesn't really provide pressure. Sure it gets pumped by lords, but it's still so small I feel. Most of the time the opponent just leaves one extra mana up when they bolt my lord and then cursecatchers feels worthless. I understand that he's basically a pseudo-thalia but I've just had horrible experiences playing with it. In fact the only weeks I've done well at my LGS were the weeks I took cursecatchers out for more 2cmc threats. I recall watching your videos Nikachu and you mentioned you were gonna make a video on cursecatcher. I would love to see a video on why this card is viable. Because I just don't see it.
Lol. What...the....****. If I could play 40 silvergills and 20 islands I would. The best card in the deck IMO. Can't think of a single matchup it isn't good in because it replaces itself. I've kept many otherwise "not so great" hands because of a single silvergill in hand. If you're gonna take a card out make it curse catcher or vial (if on the play)
Reckoner definitely doesn't make the deck IMO. Just look at other peoples results sans reckoner/ssg. I've played a lot both ways and love love love both versions. Reckoner is better vs infect and burn because you get the early blocker. But against jund/junk/control/twin reckoner just eats bolts and decays all day. The "big red" versions with Wurmcoils is more resilient to removal and aims more for the late game plan. I think which version you see as "viable/better" totally depends on your meta. Same goes for pyroclasm vs volcanic fallout. Fallout much better vs affinity (hits lands). Pyroclasm better vs burn (fallout hurts you). In the end the card that makes the deck is Koth. Protect him and you win. Blood moon is MVP game 1, but koth is the glue to the deck every game.
Outside of the animating, Ojutai's Command is not as good as Cryptic Command. The reanimation effect of Ojutais is what makes it worth testing in this deck. The triple UUU on cryptic (as you mentioned) is in fact much harder for my list to run with caverns.
I'll test stony silence over kataki the next few weeks. I'll see how it fairs if any Affinity decks show up (not often at my LGS, or they lose first round to twin decks)
I was originally planning to run much more white hate when I decided to put the deck together, which is why it may look funny with only 3 white cards (2x Kataki, War's Wage and Sygg, River Guide). I also plan to test Ojutai's Command when it comes out.
Playing Path to Exile never made much sense to me, especially in a pain-free (manabase that is) deck that can afford to run Dismember. I agree that giving your opponent free lands goes totally against the cards you mentioned (Spell Pierce, Monastery Siege, Spreading Seas, Cursecatcher, etc). This may sound weird, but I'd probably run Reality Shift before I ever ran Path to Exile. A 2/2 creature (most likely can't manifest it) that can't block my islandwalking creatures is a better trade-off than giving my opponent free lands.
On the topic of Stony Silence vs Kataki, War's Wage: Merfolk is a tempo aggro deck, so whenever we can play a hate card that also doubles as a creature we should do so. Also, a turn 2 Kataki, War's Wage is basically GG for affinity unless they have Galvanic Blast. In almost any other deck (except Hatebears) I would run Stony Silence, just for it's dual applications against tron.
A similar tempo argument can be made for Rest in Peace and Relic of Progenitus. Being able to cantrip off of Relic of Progenitus, means that we draw into our threats faster. I also think [/card]Relic of Progenitus[/card] is one of the best sideboard cards ever printed (even mainboard in some decks). I run it in almost every deck i've ever built.
It's a good card to swap out vials for in matchups like jund/junk where vials don't do much and destroying their greedy mana and manlands is advantageous. Also on the play vs a lot of decks, the card disasvantage of vials warrants them coming out.
Thassa was a beast all night. Between thassa and siege, you really feel like you never have a dead draw (lands and vials no more). Note that I didn't run Cursecatcher. I don't like this card. It's good when it's good and ****ing awful when it's not. The reason I'm running only one Kira is because I was predicting a lot of abrupt decays and Pestermite flash blocks. The spellskites also have more mainboard game vs twin and burn, which are always at my LGS. I saw SaintA trying syyg, River Guide in his lists and I think I'll be keeping it in my list. Plays a similar role as Kira (but much more mana intensive) except it's a merfolk and can stop decay as well as swing into twin decks freely (free island walk!). I don't think this deck needs more "lords" or merfolk creaures. Two lords and a mutavault is usually sufficient to end the game as long as you can protect them with kira, sygg, and spellskite. Also, I'll never play vapor snag again after playing 4 dismembers. Killed so many goyfs
Skred is an instant and it hits everything. Scrying Sheets costs one less to activate and can be setup with serum visions. I will admit that desolate lighthouse is good, but I've had really good luck/results with Scrying Sheets. Desolate lighthouse also costs a Red and a Blue. Scrying Sheets can be used with either.
@Valanarch. RUG delver most definitely ran cryptics alongside tempo cards back in the day. I got top 8 at state championships last year with that sort of RUG delver list (http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/deck.asp?deck_id=1209963).
In other news, I've been testing Skred in my Blue Moon deck (calling it Snow Control) and it's been fantastic. Hits basically everything in the format and you know what else snow lands open us up too? Scrying Sheets. Can't express how much I love this card mid to late game. I'll post a deck list at some point today for you all.
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Dark Confidant
4 Bloodbraid Elf
2 Scavenging Ooze
Instants
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Terminate
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Maelstrom Pulse
Sorceries
4 Thoughtseize
2 Lingering Souls
1 Collective Brutality
4 Liliana of the Veil
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
Land
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
3 Raging Ravine
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Swamp
1 Blooming Marsh
1 Godless Shrine
1 Blood Crypt
1 Stomping Ground
1 Forest
4 Fulminator Mage
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Collective Brutality
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Damnation
1 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Dreadbore
1 Lingering Souls
1 Duress
I'm toying with the idea of going to the upcoming SCG Open and will probaly play this deck. I plan to change up a few of the cards and will re-post once I come to final decision.
2 Goblin Dark-Dwellers
2 Archangel of Tithes
4 Magus of the Tabernacle
Land Destruction
4 Stone Rain
4 Molten Rain
4 Boom // Bust
1 Crucible of Worlds
Control
2 Anger of the Gods
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Lightning Helix
1 Condemn
4 Ghostly Prison
2 Ajani Vengeant
2 Needle Spires
2 Temple of Triumph
4 Arid Mesa
1 Rugged Prairie
4 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Sacred Foundry
2 Mountain
2 Plains
1 Anger of the Gods
1 Crucible of Worlds
2 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
4 Kor Firewalker
1 Porphyry Nodes
1 Nevermore
2 Wrath of God
In response to the Wake Thrasher comment. Wake Thrasher was a powerhouse in standard. However, in modern I just don't see him being that great. He doesn't provide you with any added benefit the turn he comes into play unlike the other 3 drops (reejery, thassa, Kira). He also cant block anything without dying, which most games won't matter but against burn or infect you have to block. Without a lord he's just like a Steppe Lynx. Obviously he gets pumped on all your turns, unlike Lynx, but he still dies to bolts, forked bolts, lavamancers, clasms etc as soon as you pass the turn. While this isn't normally a great argument against a card I think it is in this instance because you have to compare him to the other 3 drops. My suggestion would be to test him out in real life. I think you'll find that he just isn't good enough.
I'm banking on Battle for Zendikar providing us with a good 1cmc merfolk or maybe another 2cmc lord. I think that's what's holding merfolk back from being tier 1.
Lol. What...the....****. If I could play 40 silvergills and 20 islands I would. The best card in the deck IMO. Can't think of a single matchup it isn't good in because it replaces itself. I've kept many otherwise "not so great" hands because of a single silvergill in hand. If you're gonna take a card out make it curse catcher or vial (if on the play)
I'll test stony silence over kataki the next few weeks. I'll see how it fairs if any Affinity decks show up (not often at my LGS, or they lose first round to twin decks)
Playing Path to Exile never made much sense to me, especially in a pain-free (manabase that is) deck that can afford to run Dismember. I agree that giving your opponent free lands goes totally against the cards you mentioned (Spell Pierce, Monastery Siege, Spreading Seas, Cursecatcher, etc). This may sound weird, but I'd probably run Reality Shift before I ever ran Path to Exile. A 2/2 creature (most likely can't manifest it) that can't block my islandwalking creatures is a better trade-off than giving my opponent free lands.
On the topic of Stony Silence vs Kataki, War's Wage: Merfolk is a tempo aggro deck, so whenever we can play a hate card that also doubles as a creature we should do so. Also, a turn 2 Kataki, War's Wage is basically GG for affinity unless they have Galvanic Blast. In almost any other deck (except Hatebears) I would run Stony Silence, just for it's dual applications against tron.
A similar tempo argument can be made for Rest in Peace and Relic of Progenitus. Being able to cantrip off of Relic of Progenitus, means that we draw into our threats faster. I also think [/card]Relic of Progenitus[/card] is one of the best sideboard cards ever printed (even mainboard in some decks). I run it in almost every deck i've ever built.
2-0 RUG Twin
2-0 Jund
2-0 UB Faeries
2-0 Bant Geist
My list is a little different than what others seem to be running
Sideboard
Thassa was a beast all night. Between thassa and siege, you really feel like you never have a dead draw (lands and vials no more). Note that I didn't run Cursecatcher. I don't like this card. It's good when it's good and ****ing awful when it's not. The reason I'm running only one Kira is because I was predicting a lot of abrupt decays and Pestermite flash blocks. The spellskites also have more mainboard game vs twin and burn, which are always at my LGS. I saw SaintA trying syyg, River Guide in his lists and I think I'll be keeping it in my list. Plays a similar role as Kira (but much more mana intensive) except it's a merfolk and can stop decay as well as swing into twin decks freely (free island walk!). I don't think this deck needs more "lords" or merfolk creaures. Two lords and a mutavault is usually sufficient to end the game as long as you can protect them with kira, sygg, and spellskite. Also, I'll never play vapor snag again after playing 4 dismembers. Killed so many goyfs
In other news, I've been testing Skred in my Blue Moon deck (calling it Snow Control) and it's been fantastic. Hits basically everything in the format and you know what else snow lands open us up too? Scrying Sheets. Can't express how much I love this card mid to late game. I'll post a deck list at some point today for you all.