MTG Salvation

Echoing Truth, counterspells,high lands count, never siding out Vial. On the other hand, siding out all of Master of Waves.
These are important for your creatures to keep attacking. It's also good to think your lords of kind of pump spells. Even one creature being able to keep attacking is good!
To make the room for additional lands etc, you can cut removals (Prison deck often is control-lock.So removals are suck) and Harbinger. Please pay attention to Wrath also.

Copying activated Mutavault with Phantasmal image makes another vault not activated. This is tiny tech, but it's possible anyway.
This is all I can tell. Good luck

I think that Harbinger is similar to Tec Edge.
As Juza explained, "Its(= Tec Edge's) power lies in having and drawing multiples". In this point, Harbinger is the same.
Bouncing once is not enough to establish a firm tempo advantage. The more you bounce your opponent's creatures, the more advantage you can get.
Or, after you play a Harbinger as 2/2 vanilla merfolk, you might want to hold another. If so, just 1 or 2 Harbinger is not enough. IF you use him and try to get value out of him, you may need at least 3 copies. To make the most, 4 is firm.

I used Nikachu's list at EP.34 Pt.5 yesterday's FNM. I thought his list was appropriate to test 4 Harbinger MD. 3 round twice and I got 4-2(lost games were against Affinity and Jund, but revenged a defeat to the same Jund player!!!). I'm satisfied with this result and why 4.

Quote from Nikachu_ »

Keep or Mulligan? Modern Merfolk
Twitter: @nikachumtg

http://youtu.be/ROMOUEmZ5zE

I've been wanted such a video! Very, very helpfull. Thanks!

Quote from Conburnmadman »

What is everyone's prefered plan versus the Grishoalbrand deck?

A friend of mine plays Grishoalbrand deck, so I have some experience against that.
I think one prefered plan is to prevent him or her from making their hands good.
Countering spells like Faithless Looting, Tormenting Voice or other draw/looting spells may stop their combo.
Recommendation: Dispell, Spellpierce
And the other plan is to get them mana screw. Spreading seas is very good in this matchup. Tec Edge is not bad, but a bit slow.

Ofcourse counters is very important, in addition, that deck heaviliy depends on graveyard, so Relic also.
Side plan
In: All of your counters, Relic
Out: Master of waves(risk of tapping out), Kira(no use), Spellskite(no use),Dismember(useless),Reejerey(the point of this MU is not curving out)
Try to beat ASAP, but tapping out is dangerous. Taking care of these points, you have enough chance.

Good luck

Quote from Prosim »

I feel like Merfolk were sent back to the algae age after the pro tour.

Some of us feel differently: http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/daily-magic-update/update-2016-02-10#fish
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/modern-constructed-league-2016-02-09

Eldrazi is hard mode but I also like Dark Souls series...

Played against another NEW version of this deck. It was using the colored Lands from G/R Tron (so Groves/ RG pain land) To cast spells like Ancient Stirrings, Lighting Bolt and Kozilek's Return. It was still using Temples, Eyes, and Urborg. This might catch on as it seemed pretty strong with the addition of Bolts, and the new board wipe. We knew it was a matter of time before people started playing it. Game 2 I got blowen out by him casting two of them to wipe my 3/3's
(which I was committing to try to play around it).

Hey guys, Kevin Rogers again. I just wanted to let you know there were I believe 2-3 Merfolk players in 32-17th place who's lists didn't get published. I lost my notepad half-way through the tournament so I've written down everything I remember. Fish was everywhere at the top tables at round 4 for example then slowly shifted to x-2 and x-3.

I was actually playing Nikachu's(with his permission) exact list.

Match 1 BW Tokens 2-1 Game one went swimmingly(PUN INTENDED). I curved out perfectly with a vial turn 1. He had a removal light hand but managed a bitterblossom turn 2 to match me. Through the game he amassed a few tokens, intangible virtue and then sorin to swing for 9(he had previously blocked a lord to prevent damage with a fae). Spreading seas into lord sealed the deal killing sorin with one creature and him scooping after drawing nothing relevent. I forgot the second game's details but I lost miserably. Game 3 I was on my way to lose but a timely negate on his timely reinforcements(see what I did there?)spreading seas turn 2 to cut him off turn 3 procession, tectonic edge on his windbrisk heights(his 2nd white source) and an echoing truth after a lingering souls and flashback cleared his field and everything fell apart.I felt like I would have lost regardless without that echoing truth blow out. The reason he would have won was a very good play where he killed all of my creatures when I cast a phantasmal image. It left my entire board empty but with 5 lands on turn 3.

-4 vials(a general rule I use is that thoughtseize effects make vial bad)-2 tidebinder, -1 master of waves(I want 21 lands without vial here to curve out and he played lots of relevent lands to blow up I also wanted full reejereys for zealous persecution) +3 negate +2 echoing Truth, +2 tectonic edge

Match 2 Grishoalbrand 2-0 This guy was cool as hell huge shout out to Tye Copeland in the top 16. Game one he couldn't get the combo in time for my clock. I figured out what he was on luckily from his night's whisper. Game 2 he had the dream... Turn 2 griselbrand while I had tapped out for a vial. This unlucky bastard drew 21 cards and only saw 1 nourishing shoals. At 2 lands he was screwed with my T1 vial. I topdecked relic and exiled his GY. He never quite and never scooped until the moment I swung for lethal. He even managed to through the breach a griselbrand the turn before I was going to kill him in an attempt but I unlucky had harbinger with a vial on 2 to seal the game. I had an image as well but that's just more outs.

-2 tidebinder mages, -3 master of waves, -4 spreading seas, +3 negates, +2 dispel, +2 relics, +2 echoing truth

Match 3 Infect 2-1 Game 1 I kept a solid hand for anything and everything but infect unfortuantely. He had zero interaction for him and my lords weren't fast enough for his turn 3 unblockable kill. Game 2 was a turn 2 harbinger on his noble hierarch into a fast clock and just enough disruption to never be in danger of an infect creature swinging. Game 3 was a little bit different but very hard fought on both sides. A turn 2 tidebinder mage locked his only infect creature down(a glistener elf). He proceeded to draw 0 of his infect creatures outside of inkmoth nexus which were promptly answered by spreading seas the following turn. He turned on the direct damage plan fetching a dryad arbor and playing a total of 3 hierarchs. Another tidebinder mage tappped down his dryad arbor and an on upkeep echoing truth bought the tempo I needed to seal the deal.

-2 Phantasmal Image, -3 master of waves +2 dispel, +2 dismember, +1 echoing truth. I find spreading seas to be very good since we have few ways to interact with inkmoth nexus. The infect player was kind of salty implying this was not a good decision.

Match 4 BW Midrange 2-0 This gentleman is a wonderful fellow and an Atlanta local I played before at FNM so we each knew what we were on. Game one was super unfortunate..... He had a mulligan down to 5 and I had generic flood lord into battlefield with vial hand. Game 2 was a wonderful game of magic. I would have 100% lost this game if I didn't know his deck. It's like a mixture between Junk without green, Tokens and BW control. He has pack rat, lingering souls, wrath of god, dark confidant, blade splicer all while backed up with hand disruption and paths. This deck is super sexy and spicy. He goes all in on turn 2 packrat plan. I bide my time waiting for him to make a mistake or open himself to 2 for 1s but he plays super tight. I negate his timely reinforcements which I actually think won me the game overall. We trade resources back and forth all through the game. He finally goes in hard on the packrat plan when he lands a liliana and starts getting value. I echoing truthed 1 packrat and 2 tokens to his hand resetting the field. He got them back online with mutavaults to back them up. One play I was absolutely proud of was when he had 0 cards in hand I had a harbinger with 6 mana open. He +1 liliana and I bounced his physical pack-rat to his hand making. Tectonic edge was a huge blow out able to kill his mutavault and create a terrible situation where he lost everything on board while I lost 1 silvergill. He petered out as I just topdecked better with a higher threat density.

-4 aether vials, -3 merrow reejereys, -2 tidebinder mages +4 tectonic edges, +3 negates, +2 echoing truth Treated him like a control deck with token aspects I also knew he played Sorin and I believe the new Gideon even if we didn't see them.

Match 5 Burn without Nacatl 2-0 He was stuck on 1 land until turn 3 and I had a turn 2 spreading seas. Game 2 I had tidebinder, image tidebinder, image tidebinder when he had a creature heavy hand and a double eidolon. If he played anything he died after all the shocks and my swing. Another really cool player though, we spoke for a while.

-4 spreading seas +2 dispel, +2 tectonic edge. I really wanted to curve out this match-up and I don't like relying on spreading seas for tempo when it's most often a 2 mana cycle. I am considering testing it on the play but 100% out on the draw.

Match 6 Affinity. 0-2 He beat me on a mulligan to 4, jesus christ... Game 2 I almost beat him when he mulliganed to 4.... GE-GE

-2 tidebinder mages, -2 master of waves +2 Dismember +2 Echoing Truth

Match 7 Infect. 2-1 I actually won this game on the draw to my surprise. Mainboard tidebinder was the hero of the day. The game 1 was is fuzzy.. I don't remember much but I remember winning. Game 2 I felt 100% in control only to be blown out. I killed all of his creatures or tapped them. He played inkmoth nexus which I spreading seas and played lord. I tapped out to do this which he used nature's claim to kill the sea.... He crack-backed for lethal. Game 3 was unfortunate for him. He took a gamble and it didn't pay off. His T1 glistener elf was met with a dismember and he couldn't pull it off after that. He had a T2 win if I didn't answer glistener elf. I was proud to play around nature's claim this game by double spreading seas on his inkmoth nexus but it didn't matter. He drew 0 creatures the rest the game.

Same SB as match 3

Match 8 Affinity - Draw. I was so happy when he drew with me, I thought he was going to be an ******** and just dreamcrush me but he let me in. He was the 3rd seed so I <3 you Cody Beamish and wish to return the favor in the future if I can.

Match 9(top 8) Nacatl Burn 2-1 Game 1 was a fine game with things getting spell pierced, trades happened and a turn 1 vial glides me to victory. Game 2 was a turn 1 goblin guide no land. Turn 2 double guide no land. I couldn't come back. Game 3 I don't remember the details, I was playing on pure adrenaline. The final turn came down to a nacatl with him having 3 cards in hand and I have 6 life. He had 4 mana and I had cursecatcher on the field. I just resolved master and had an extra creature to block in case of path to exile. He had Boros Charm, land and drew a destructive revelry. GG sir.

I wanted to note that I actually cut my vials on the play in game 3. I didn't think I would need the tempo and just played 2 more negates and 2 more teconic edges.

Match 10 0-2 Todd Anderson drew hot gas. He had all the right answers and phyrexian mana is pretty amazing on a flashback. Vapor snag snap vapor snag felt way worse than bolt snap bolt largely because he did it to my master of waves. Both games were the exact same story and to be honest I don't remember my SB. Todd was cool and i liked playing against him though.


I probably cut my spreading seas for dismember and dispel is my guess.

I have 2 infect players at my store, if there isnt a Wild Definace in play Chalice on 1 is basically an auto win. Dismember and Harbinger help alot, so does Kira to block the Nexus. If I'm not lazy and keep a meh hand I usually win pretty easily. Because of fetching, shocking, and phyrexian mana we can win on turn 4 pretty easily if they dont scoop on the spot to a chalice or killing their last infect guy.

You cant play too carefully against the Grisleshoalbrand deck, I've been killed by him untapping into his second turn where I played a vial instead of held up spell pierce mana. He had the kill in hand so he wasn't gonna go for it until he could. My spell pierce didnt matter. You have to play aggressively, sometimes they dont have it and have to dig for it or they whiff on their draws with grislebrand and due to you attacking them they cant keep going deeper. Holding up mana for counter magic is fine, but not if you aren't deploying any threats since you are giving them more draw steps and time to set up.

League Update I just went 4-1 with this:



Matchups were:

• UR Storm: W 2-0
• Tron: W 2-0
• Zoo (with Knight): W 2-1
• Burn: W 2-1
• Scapeshift: L 1-2

There weren't many notable plays, but I do think I'm going to remove the Dispels in my sideboard for a 4th Negate and 4th Tidebinder or potentially Unified Will. I don't think I ever brought them in and there were times I would have rather had a Negate or Tidebinder when they were in my hand. The only time I wished for a Unified Will was when Scapeshift played Primeval Titan. *sigh* Also, Echoing Truth saved me against burn multiple times as I was able to bounce one creature with Harbinger and Echoing Truth whatever he had two of during his attack step, saving me a lot of life and often allowing me time to cast a Chalice or drop a few creatures the following turn.

Phimage is also used for destroying Bridge from Below (don't copy anything).
Phimage is not so good against Living End (if it is already in the graveyard) since it can't copy anything when Living End resolves.

Quote from DrClark_Kent »

I got manaflooded game 2 which caused me to lose (drawing 6 islands in a row sucks). But it was a very interesting deck. It also had main deck bloodmoon and scab-clan Beserker

That deck wasnt just some janky deck. It beat twin affinity jund and me at the LGS

Sounds like Dragon Stompy or Skred Red similar to Peter Niemeier's Bloody Humans deck but with Chandra. There are other versions that run Stormbreath Dragon.

I mostly agree with what CoBTyrannon says, though I will say that you can make a lot of your matchups either 50:50 or better with proper sideboarding. I recommend Tidebinder Mage against Abzan, Burn, Jund, and Zoo (I have been doing great against all of those decks since I brought that in), Chalice of the Void against Affinity, Bogles, Burn, Elves, Infect, and Living End (it almost single-handedly shuts Bogles, Infect, and Living End down, and it helps against the rest), and some sort of land hate (either Ghost Quarter or Tectonic Edge, though I prefer GQ) against Eldrazi and Tron (really tips the scales in your favor, and you can even sneak them into the mainboard if you're mono-U).

Wahoo! Just went 10-0 in games in the Modern League versus Jeskai Geist, Affinity, Bogles, Burn, and BW Eldrazi. A big thanks to all the folks here for guidance.

I played this list:



Moving forward, I'm interested in running Echoing Truth in the main instead of Vapor Snag because it would allow me to bounce things that aren't creatures, which basically makes it a bad Time Walk, especially for enchantments (Bogles), Planeswalkers, and Artifacts (Tron, Lantern). Also, Ghost Quarter in the main has been an all star.