tmw30

I would totally run it, but it also has a blue mana symbol in it, and that's just not acceptable.

No mana symbols allows :P

@ JonBomb
My immediate assumption to myself was to use infect as the win-con, but the problem was that initial playtesting made me and my infect an early target. This build focuses more on seeming dormant until your can cast something impressive. Unfortunately, many of the mana-generators are rather high profile, so maybe after some more playtesting I will go back to infect.

@Martyr7
It wasn't meant to be amazing, Vandalblast would just wipe you off the table XD I made it more to prove to myself it was possible. Also, I want to argue with a judge that Emrakul should be able to be in an EDH deck as the General only, namely because getting to 15 mana with this bastard deck deserves an Emrakul cast, so playtesting has been underway.

Whatcha guys think?

I'm thinking of ways to improve it, namely things like Veldaken Shackles to deal with Zur, and trying to allocate reasonable combos into the mix. Suggestions are very welcome, as this is a work in progress.

Remand is superior, in my honest (and incredibly biased) opinion. It's a pain in the ass no matter how far into the game the opponent is, and gives you much needed card draw.

Of course, it doesn't 'stop' anything, but that's irrelevant. All you need is to get your super removal on the table, and you don't really need it as much any more. Mana Leak doesn't stop a late-game naturalize anyway.

Those are my two cents.

The deck went four-one at an FMN game with 24 people, winning a match-up against some kind of GW hatebears that used Voice way to much, a RDW that tried way to hard with it's reckoners (highly susceptible to doom blades), an Orzhov deck that pretty much was this one, and a Green splashed Red mana-ramp deck. It lost to Blue Devo due to, well, horrid drawing, namely a read the bones into two more read the bones and then 3 lands. Flipped a table.

Yeah, some people mentioned what I see off, but I am going to stress them further. Firstly, you need Read the Bones, it pretty much makes these black midranged decks. I know this, I play Orzhov in Standard. Secondly, even with Reckoner mainboarded, you have no reason to run those white shocklands, they are just slowing you down or pinging you unnecessarily. Just increase your amount of Rakdos Guildgates and red dependency if it's that important to you, and if you like the white so much, mainboard the Charm, which saves your beasts from the likes of hero's downfall and can turn a DD into a, well, bigger hit. Finally, get rid of Devour Flesh on the mainboard, edicts are nice, but there isn't enough hexproof in standard to justify it currently. It would rather be read the bones. I hope my insight can prove a bit useful, and if you disagree with any of it, that's alright. These are just my findings on playing a deck ridiculously like this one (except Precinct Captains were my white-dependency problem, not reckoners :P).

Really doesn't, but hey, pro red for 4 plus a bonus is alright in modern, not great, or even good, just alright, and it does benefit from it's tribe. The 2/1's are interesting because those are the chump blockers your level up's need to get to their potential without you dying ever few seconds (assuming its not G/W Hatebears and a Baneslayer Angel isn't breathing down your neck) and not be sacrificing your precious merfolk to survive.. All in all, I think it can fight for its slot, however, there are cards that if I made this I would rather have... like... Cryptic Command :P. That's just how I see it, anyway.

I mean, it's good, but I feel that maybe 1 or 2 less Masters wouldn't kill you. Your merfolk handle themselves well, and Thassa's presence would be loved.

And Cryptic Command is my favorite card, so......... yeah, put in 7 of those.

It seems kind of slow for this kind of deck. The idea should be to swamp them with merfolk, use the abilities present, hit for a good chunk of health, and have it all untap from Merrow Commerce. Door just ... doesn't do to much except improve that hit a bit. And then what would he take out for it?

I suggest the Whip and 1 Anger, to be honest.

I like decks like this that do subtle things to win games, and for that, you get a plus one.

My only suggestion is to increase the Viscera Seer count by 1, as they aren't appearing as much as I would like them to. Maybe another MB redcap? They do their job well.

I feel... like Cryptic Command could give you a bit of versatility.

You need counters, as your only one is susceptible to removal. You need stall, as your only stall works on G/R. You need card draw, as again, your only draw is susceptible to removal. And who doesn't like bouncing things?

And let's not forget it's not that mana complex in this deck :P

I get that your going for a tempo/aggro thing, but a highly versatile and powerful control card that could potentially supplement a few weaknesses doesn't sound to bad to me.

Oh, P.S., Thassa on the sideboard? I know, not a Merfolk, but Unblockable + Scry + Indestructable + Free Land When Exiled by Path to Exile = a pretty good 3 drop.

Similar.

Infect has an alternate win-con type thing and generally didn't mix as well with creatures who didn't give poison counters to players, as the normal damage creatures would be, in essence, hitting a different player. Wither still deals combat damage to players, so generally it mixes better with non-infect creatures towards an archetype win-con of "damage". However, they do both deal damage to creatures as -1/-1's, and in that regard are the same.

'Course. Looks fun to play :D

Eh, Jwish27 said NOTHING felt better. I said something that felt better.

Of course, that combo isn't all that reliable, the hoplites are :D

Lightning Helix might be worth looking at. Three Damage and Three Life fits well.

I would actually suggest running two Brave the Elements, the consistency of being able to save your forces or swing lethal makes it worth the Dauntless Onslaught you paid for it, which will it is cool, is a 3 drop, and conflicts a lot with the general mana curve. Just my two cents.

And by the way, a Swamp + Dark Ritual + Entomb + It That Betrays in Graveyard + Exhume on turn 1 feels MUCH better than a turn 1 Favored Hoplite. 'Course, then, an Innocent Blood from your opponent feels worse :P

Terminate > Dreadbore for Mainboard, in my own opinion. If your opponents Planeswalkers get out of control first game, then turn it into Dreadbore.

Thoughtseize deals well with slaughter games.
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