Looking for advice on my Merfolk Deck

[iconic]

I've just updated a deck that I've been working on focused around the use of merfolk creatures. My idea is pretty simple: build up powerful merfolk creatures by adding counters to them. I would love any advice you have that could make this deck better!

Link to deck: https://deckstats.net/decks/81385/950441-merfolk-counters

[Zmores]

Lands:

Hashep Oasis
Botanical Sanctum
Hinterland Harbor

+1/+1 counters:

Verdurous Gearhulk
Hadana's Climb
Metallic Mimic
River Heralds' Boon
Song of Freyalise
Armorcraft Judge

[CardAgain Sweater]

I've just updated a deck that I've been working on focused around the use of merfolk creatures. My idea is pretty simple: build up powerful merfolk creatures by adding counters to them. I would love any advice you have that could make this deck better!

Link to deck: https://deckstats.net/decks/81385/950441-merfolk-counters

Fun with Fishies, eh? Quick decks do well at the beginning of a new standard. It also looks like you are working with budget considerations (no kumena, ug fastlands, unclaimed territory, metallic mimic, or blossoming defense); budget decks rule, so I won't recommend cards that are more than a dollar or two for a single copy.

Merfolk Trickster is really, really good. I would rather have 4 of them and 3 of the other flash fish, swift warden; being able to nerf an opponent's best threat is more often useful compared to hexproof.

Multiple copies of Herald of Secret Streams do not stack to benefit. Maybe the forerunner merfolk that will let you tutor up the merfolk you need should be included? That way you can have fewer copies of the money fish and still get them in your hand consistantly. Tempest caller consistently screws me as my merfolk opponent taps down all my blockers and the tiny hits all together can be a bruising finisher.

Just thoughts from facing down fish decks lately; thanks for sharing your idea!

I would consider dropping the shapers of nature - this is a good card in grindier, longer games as you can use your mana up if you have no good cards, but merfolk do not want a longer game. They are an aggro/tempo tribe. I would rather have silvergill adept for the draw to keep hand full of fresh fish.

[iconic]

Just made a couple of edits. How's it looking now? Better? Worse? Also, should I keep all the non-creature spells that I have (not that I have a lot) or would it be better to get rid of a few and add more creatures?

[SereneTsunami]

I like Admiral's Order for a merfolk deck. You get to kill Settle the Werckage for 1 blue, it can be all you need to end a game.

[Mnemosyne]

Hey. Serene Tsunami has a good point. Having Admiral's Order, going wide with small merfolk let's you dodge a combat phase instant for 1 blue mana. Which is great. If you don't want it in the mainboard, test it out in the sideboard. 2-3 copies.(It is also a general counter spell for 3, which isn't bad.)

I'd suggest removing your Jungle Delver, despite it working with your counter strategy, I don't think you'll have the 7 mana to spend on the ability. You might want to replace it with another 1 drop like... Kumena Speaker, or Mist-Cloaked Herald. (Deeproot Elite to put counters on the unblockable Mist-Cloaked Herald)

You may even want to consider incraesing your Silvergill Adept to (4) for the card draw... Which is important to keep the momentum going.

Hope this helps, a little. 

[iconic]

I'm loving the help! Just made a couple of minor changes: adjusted the mana base, removed Swift Warden, added two coppies each of Kumena's Speaker and Vineshaper Mystic, and adjusted the amount of Jungle Delvers. Any thoughts on the revisions? Still thinking about increasing Silvergill Adept to four, might add two to the sideboard.

[SereneTsunami]

I like how the deck is evolving. I think you should look at Hadana's Climb. It can make your growing fish fly and double their size. It is also very easy to flip with all the counters flying around.

[MilMaster]

Hi,

it's good to see the community trying to help each other out - so I thought maybe I can share my thoughts too,

I think it would be really good to include a river sneak - it doesn't realy seem much right now but there is one more card you should consider: deeproot waters ...

See where I am going? - Let's just say you have river sneak and deeprot elite out there... if you play deeproot waters you can even drop a 1 mana merfolk and you'll instantly benefit from it

1 merfolk for 1 mana + another merfolk entering (due to deeproot waters) results in the following:

River sneak: +2/+2 from it's own effect + deeproot elite effect +2/+2 (IN FORM OF COUNTERS!) makes the sneak a 5/5 unblockable.

On top of that you get a 1/1 merfolk everytime you play a merfolk which is always good in tribal!

Maybe add 2 curious obsessions - you'll be aggro anyway and you ll attack (if unblockable on board you get the card draw as well!)

Hope the input helps

Best regards
Milmaster

[iconic]

Thanks for the input y'all. I find that the longer I work on a deck the harder it is to decide what should be moved to the sideboard or removed entirely to make room for other cards. That being said, what would your suggestions be for adding the cards you mentioned. I was thinking maybe moving Silvergill Adept to the sideboard for two copies of Hadana's Climb, I think that's a really cool card here. As for the River Sneak and Deeproot Waters, I like the combo, but again I'm not sure what to move around for them, I may put a few copies of each in the sideboard. Any suggestions? Thanks again y'all!

[MonteTribal]

I would shave a few copies of Trickster. It's really good, but your a heavy green deck, and double blue might be hard to come by early on

[mattador_actual]

I'll admit I don't really play standard at all, but why not run 4 Silvergill Adept? It doesn't directly help the counters theme, but it is pretty busted and is the best card in the modern version by a longshot.

Yeah, you reveal a card, but it'll be a merfolk, which your opponent already knows. And most of your merfolk are all similar, so big deal. And you draw a card, which will likely be another merfolk.

[Firegriff]

Just wanted to mention that Deeproot Waters and Deeproot Elite stack.  So if you have two Waters out on the field, you get two tokens.  With one Elite, that makes River Sneak an unblockable 7/7.  If you instead have 2 Elite, it is instead a 10/10 unblockable.  If you have 4 of each (not likely), it becomes an unblockable 25/25...

[MilMaster]

Just wanted to mention that Deeproot Waters and Deeproot Elite stack.  So if you have two Waters out on the field, you get two tokens.  With one Elite, that makes River Sneak an unblockable 7/7.  If you instead have 2 Elite, it is instead a 10/10 unblockable.  If you have 4 of each (not likely), it becomes an unblockable 25/25...

Yeah not sure what you mean by that but I think you are correct regarding this matter...

I've seen the river sneak in action and god it is fuckin disgusting to play against.

2 Deeproot elite + 1deeproot waters + 1 river sneak on board and it gets really weird odd...

Let's say you play silvergill adapt and draw another merfolk that you can play ... 2 merfolks played triggers deeproot waters 2 times that means a total of 4 merfolks enter the battlefield right?

Fun thing:
River sneak gets +4/+4 from her own effect and then gets +4/+4 in form of counters that makes her a 9/9 unblockable for 2 mana ... to avoid removal you may wanna add blossoming defense and bam ! 11/11 collosus to the face!

I'd REALLY consider giving it a shot mate

[Sacromancer]

I have found that Nicachu is the Merfolk man look him up on Pantheon and Youtube lots of good advice, with that said I really think you should look into River Sneak if you want to play the aggro game and I think that swift warden should be main as a 2-3 of or at least in the sideboard. But you are definately on the right track just have to feel out the process and in the sideboard you prob need something to deal with eternalize decks, i would recommend looking at Silent Gravestone or even the land Scavenger Grounds