Merfolk was the first Modern deck I ever built, and as such it will always have a special place in my heart. Until Humans busted onto the scene, it was one of the few competitive Modern tribal decks, and dedicated Merfolk players have honed their Islandwalking strategies like sharpened knives. As a lover of aggressive decks and synergy, seeing Merfolk make their way back into Magic has me ready to start diving into the deep end of deck construction for both Standard and Modern.
Standard
While it didn’t seem like there were enough Merfolk to make a splash in Standard with the release of Ixalan last fall, Rivals of Ixalan brings with it a whole new school of fish. I believe there are two routes a deck builder can take when building Standard Merfolk: an all-in aggressive strategy or a grindier midrange deck.
Rivals of Ixalan gives us Mist-Cloaked Herald – which, in conjunction with Kumena’s Speaker, gives us eight one-drops to curve out with. With Metallic Mimic, River Sneak and now Merfolk Mistbinder in the two-drop slot, our ability to present a fast clock will punish any deck that finds itself with a slower start. Blossoming Defense and Dive Down could provide protection for our threats, if the meta warrants their inclusion, and I believe Spell Pierce can finally find a home in this tempo-oriented deck, countering the early interaction that our opponent will be relying on to be able to turn the corner later in the game.
As I begin testing Merfolk, this is likely where I’m going to start:
Aggrofolk
4 Deeproot Elite
2 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
4 Kumena’s Speaker
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
2 Metallic Mimic
4 Mist-Cloaked Herald
4 River Sneak
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Blossoming Defense
2 Spell Pierce
4 Botanical Sanctum
7 Forest
2 Hashep Oasis
5 Island
4 Unclaimed Territory
Sideboard:
2 Deathgorge Scavenger
2 Essence Scatter
3 Heroic Intervention
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
1 Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
2 Negate
1 Nissa, Steward of Elements
3 Tempest Caller
I completely forgot that Heroic Intervention was still in the format, and it seems like just the answer Merfolk needs to protect against Fumigate and Bontu’s Last Reckoning. I think Tempest Caller is also an underutilized sideboard card – not only for Merfolk, but for any deck attempting to push through damage.
If the format is prepared for hyper-aggressive strategies, I would rather explore a synergistic +1/+1 counter deck built around Herald of Secret Streams instead. Giving every creature in your deck unblockable renders many opposing strategies obsolete. Forerunner of the Heralds gives you a way to tutor up your Herald of Secret Streams, and Verdurous Gearhulk seams like a natural top-end inclusion. I also like the inclusion of Shapers of Nature for grindy, late-game longevity.
Midfolk
4 Deeproot Elite
2 Forerunner of the Heralds
4 Herald of Secret Streams
2 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
3 Merfolk Mistbinder
4 Metallic Mimic
2 Shapers of Nature
3 Silvergill Adept
2 Verdurous Gearhulk
4 Blossoming Defense
2 River Heralds’ Boon
4 Botanical Sanctum
10 Forest
6 Island
4 Unclaimed Territory
Sideboard:
2 Essence Scatter
3 Heroic Intervention
1 Lifecrafter’s Bestiary
2 Appetite For The Unnatural
3 Negate
2 Silent Gravestone
2 Vizier of Many Faces
Modern
“Tropical Fish” has been on every Modern Merfolk player’s mind since Kumena’s Speaker was printed in Ixalan (and, for some, since Collected Company was first printed). The addition of Merfolk Mistbinder now gives the deck up to sixteen (sixteen!) lords to pump their team. I would start with something akin to this:
Merlords
2 Cursecatcher
4 Harbinger of the Tides
1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
4 Kumena’s Speaker
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Merfolk Mistbinder
3 Merrow Reejerey
4 Silvergill Adept
2 Dismember
4 Spreading Seas
4 Aether Vial
4 Botanical Sanctum
2 Breeding Pool
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Island
2 Misty Rainforest
4 Mutavault
Sideboard:
3 Ceremonious Rejection
2 Cursecatcher
2 Natural State
3 Relic of Progenitus
2 Spellskite
1 Tidebinder Mage
2 Unified Will
Kopala, Warden of Waves can easily replace (or supplement) Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, and I think Merfolk Mistbinder can slot in where some Tropical Fish lists were previously running Merfolk Branchwalker. Some players have suggested replacing the underperforming Harbinger of the Tides, but I feel that Merfolk struggles to answer opposing threats enough that Harbinger still provides much-needed interaction with other creature-based decks.
Tropical Fish also has some flexibility with its choice of one-drops. The deck’s split of Cursecatchers and Kumena’s Speakers could shift, depending on the metagame that you’re facing. If you need win the game in a hurry, Kumena’s Speaker’s bigger body is paramount; if you need to protect your team from more reactive decks, you’ll want more Cursecatchers in the main.
Collected Company is another card that can potentially slot into Merfolk decks now that the manabase can better support it, but it would need to replace either Aether Vial or Spreading Seas. Personally, I prefer Aether Vial, as it allows you to apply the maximum amount of pressure, but if your meta is particularly sweeper-heavy, Collected Company becomes the more valuable late-game top-deck. Alternately, Spreading Seas’ ability to punish mana-greedy decks while enabling Islandwalk makes it one of the most powerful cards in the deck, and I would rarely look to cut it from the maindeck.
I feel like I’ve only skimmed the surface of the Merfolk pool with these three decks. With so many new Merfolk coming in Rivals of Ixalan, there are strategies that I still haven’t explored, and I, for one, am ready to dive in!
Header design: Justin Treadway
Header image: “Merfolk Mistbinder” by Clint Cearley
A Spike at heart, Chantelle spends her free time prepping for tournaments, working toward the ever-elusive Mythic Championship, and championing other competitive ladies. She’s a combo aficionado and seasoned aggro deck player, and Standard and Modern are her preferred formats. Growing and improving as a player, both technically and in her mental game, are of the utmost importance to her.