BUDGET Kumena $75 as of Feb '19

Commander / EDH Aggro GU (Simic) Merfolk Tribal

oliveoilonyaasscureshemorrhoid

Land (36)

• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 1x Fertile Thicket
• 10x Forest
• 14x Island
• 1x Llanowar Reborn
• 1x Lumbering Falls
• 1x Simic Growth Chamber
• 1x Temple of Mystery
• 1x Terminal Moraine
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse
• 1x Tranquil Thicket
• 1x Warped Landscape
• 1x Yavimaya Coast

Draw (10)

• 1x Benthic Biomancer
• 1x Bounty of the Luxa
• 1x Cold-Eyed Selkie
• 1x Fallowsage
• 1x Merfolk Looter
• 1x Prime Speaker Zegana
• 1x Rites of Flourishing
• 1x Seafloor Oracle
• 1x Tishana, Voice of Thunder
• 1x Whirlpool Rider

Ramp (7)

• 1x Basalt Monolith
• 1x Bounty of the Luxa
• 1x Druids' Repository
• 1x Kiora's Follower
• 1x Rites of Flourishing
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Stonybrook Banneret

Graveyard (1)

• 1x Grave Sifter

(un)tap (13)

• 1x Basalt Monolith
• 1x Copperhorn Scout
• 1x Curse of Bounty
• 1x Fallowsage
• 1x Grimoire Thief
• 1x Kiora's Follower
• 1x Merfolk Looter
• 1x Merrow Commerce
• 1x Murkfiend Liege
• 1x Quest for Renewal
• 1x Surgespanner
• 1x Throne of the God-Pharaoh
• 1x Wake Thrasher

Other (10)

• 1x Altered Ego
• 1x Arcane Adaptation
• 1x Cosi's Trickster
• 1x Deeproot Waters
• 1x Forerunner of the Heralds
• 1x Jungleborn Pioneer
• 1x Lurking Predators
• 1x Merrow Harbinger
• 1x Mist-Cloaked Herald
• 1x Triton Shorestalker

Sweeper (5)

• 1x Crush of Tentacles
• 1x Devastation Tide
• 1x River's Rebuke
• 1x Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep
• 1x Whelming Wave

Protection (4)

• 1x Kopala, Warden of Waves
• 1x Stormtide Leviathan
• 1x Swift Warden
• 1x Teferi's Veil

Commander (1)

Combat (12)

• 1x Alpha Status
• 1x Deeproot Elite
• 1x Forgotten Ancient
• 1x Herald of Secret Streams
• 1x Merfolk Mistbinder
• 1x Merfolk Sovereign
• 1x Murkfiend Liege
• 1x Simic Ascendancy
• 1x Skatewing Spy
• 1x Stoneforge Masterwork
• 1x Tempest Caller
• 1x Zegana, Utopian Speaker

Removal (9)

• 1x Acidic Slime
• 1x Banishing Knack
• 1x Harbinger of the Tides
• 1x Incubation / Incongruity
• 1x Naturalize
• 1x Retraction Helix
• 1x Selkie Hedge-Mage
• 1x Surgespanner
• 1x Tidebinder Mage

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Maybeboard

Other (33)

• 1x Caller of Gales
• 1x Combine Guildmage
• 1x Coralhelm Commander
• 1x Deeproot Champion
• 1x Deglamer
• 1x Dense Foliage
• 1x Drowner of Secrets
• 1x Familiar Ground
• 1x Jade Bearer
• 1x Jade Guardian
• 1x Kindred Summons
• 1x Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner
• 1x Krosan Grip
• 1x Kumena's Speaker
• 1x Master of Waves
• 1x Merfolk Skyscout
• 1x Merfolk Spy
• 1x Merfolk Traders
• 1x Mind's Dilation
• 1x Mistcaller
• 1x Nature's Claim
• 1x Plaxcaster Frogling
• 1x Return to Nature
• 1x Riptide Pilferer
• 1x River Sneak
• 1x Sandbar Merfolk
• 1x Seedborn Muse
• 1x Shapesharer
• 1x Silvergill Adept
• 1x Tidal Courier
• 1x Umara Entangler
• 1x Unravel the Aether
• 1x Vodalian Merchant

Draw (19)

• 1x Azami, Lady of Scrolls
• 1x Fecundity
• 1x Guardian Project
• 1x Heirloom Blade
• 1x Key to the City
• 1x Kindred Discovery
• 1x Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1x Mask of Memory
• 1x Riverwise Augur
• 1x Sage of Fables
• 1x Salvager of Secrets
• 1x Scroll Thief
• 1x Shamanic Revelation
• 1x Skeleton Key
• 1x Tatyova, Benthic Druid
• 1x Thrasios, Triton Hero
• 1x Verity Circle
• 1x Wistful Selkie
• 1x Zendikar Resurgent

Ramp (7)

• 1x Growth Spiral
• 1x Into the Wilds
• 1x Sea Scryer
• 1x Simic Locket
• 1x Song of Freyalise
• 1x Thada Adel, Acquisitor
• 1x World Shaper

Removal (6)

• 1x Cursecatcher
• 1x Imprisoned in the Moon
• 1x Lignify
• 1x Merfolk Trickster
• 1x Rootwater Hunter
• 1x Sprouting Renewal

Combat (4)

• 1x Aquatic Incursion
• 1x Curse of Predation
• 1x Ivy Lane Denizen
• 1x Merrow Levitator

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At sunrise, the Champion and her companions awoke to find their supplies gone and Brygus, their sentry, dead. Carefully arranged piles of ornamental shells gave a clear warning: go no further.

Long have we waited for green to splash into the Merfolk legendaries. Commander players, rejoice!

This deck is my attempt to build an optimized deck with a merfolk tribal and combat strategy with the best of budget. The themes revolve around capitalizing on the Kumena's ability to tap, while supporting the merfolk board state. I've also included subthemes that enable a voltron strategy, +1/+1 counter synergies, and the usual ramp/ draw/ removal/ board wipes. The cards with an A next to them are the cream of the crop in this deck.

All suggestions and upvotes are always appreciated!

Tips/ Combos Show

"Above the waves you may be mighty indeed, but down here you belong to me."

All the board wipes are water-based blessings; a little flavor never hurt anyone. Herald of Secret Streams combos well with Altered Ego . Wake Thrasher combos well with untap spells like Quest for Renewal and Murkfiend Liege . Rites of Flourishing gives fuel to more competitive decks, but complements the deck's lower mana curve, and lets us drop lands from all the drawing. Banishing Knack / Retraction Helix combos well with Kiora's Follower and Surgespanner ( to remove 4 of anything your little heart desires, at instantaneous speed). If you have Whelming Wave or Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep in hand, Arcane Adaptation becomes much more useful.

The only infinite combo in this deck is below, in case the game goes on too long.

• Wake Thrasher + Basalt Monolith . Tap the Basalt Monolith for then untap it with the floating mana, making Wake Thrasher infinitely big.

Highlights of the Deck (cards with an A next to them) Show

The tritons broke the surface, and the Nyxborn broke ranks.

Surgespanner - This merfolk directly synergizes with Kumena. Surgespanner's triggered ability can trigger from it being tapped in any way, so it can be good in itself by attacking, or because it's a merfolk, can be tapped by the commander that results in further benefits. This should be an auto-include for any Kumena deck.

Fallowsage - Much like Surgespanner , Fallowsage benefits further from being tapped, whether by attacking itself, or becoming tapped by any of the commander's abilities. You need not justify putting this in the 99, you need justification for not putting this in the 99.

Grimoire Thief - This is the last merfolk that renders additional benefits from being tapped in any way. This two drop might not seem like it would shine in commander, as its triggered ability catches more hate than actual cards. However, when paired with other tap/ untap synergies, like Quest for Renewal and Murkfiend Liege , this card generates much more traction.

Quest for Renewal - Quest for Renewal can be great if you're swinging wide in combat, but it can also be triggered from any of Kumena's activated abilities. Once you've gone on enough quests, you can now adequately block each turn and take advantage of the commander's abilities much more frequently.

Throne of the God-Pharaoh - Similar to Quest for Renewal , this card takes full advantage of the commander's activated abilities. Every merfolk that's tapped from combat or the commander, is now game-ending threatening. Just like the rest of the highlights, this is an auto-include.

Herald of Secret Streams - This combos well with any of the +1/+1 counter synergistic cards, like Altered Ego . However, Herald really shines with Kumena's last ability, as all your merfolks with their new +1/+1 counters are now unblockable. Furthermore, Herald is a merfolk himself that furthers this counter cause.

Possible Replacement Cards Show

"We are not an empire, and I am not a queen. But I speak with the shout of the rivers and the whisper of the clinging mist."

Ramp: Rishkar, Peema Renegade , Burgeoning

Merfolks: Empress Galina , Thada Adel, Sol Ring Thief , Master of the Pearl Trident / Lord of Atlantis , Merrow Reejerey

Untap: Paradox Engine , Seedborn Muse , Intruder Alarm

Draw: Sylvan Library , Rhystic Study , Herald's Horn

Low curve: Door of Destinies , Collected Company , Equilibrium , Lifecrafter's Bestiary , Ezuri, Claw of Progress , Coat of Arms

Protection: Steely Resolve / Asceticism , Propaganda , Heroic Intervention

Board wipes: Cyclonic Rift , All Is Dust , Kederekt Leviathan

Updates Show

The rivers can no longer provide safe passage for travelers and commerce. They serve only as highways for raiders and channels for blood and woe.

2/10/19

+ Seafloor Oracle ; - Edric, Spymaster of Trest . Even though Edric dissuades people from attacking you and provide resources to topple the archenemy, Seafloor Oracle provides asymmetrical draw and can be fetched with the merfolk tutors.

+ Slinn Voda, the Rising Deep ; - Coastal Breach . Slinn Voda is an asymmetrical sweeper, combos with Arcane Adaptation , and is at a much lower cost than Coastal Breach.

+ Sol Ring ; - Elemental Resonance . I can't believe I never put in Sol Ring. Duh.

+ Zegana, Utopian Speaker ; - Dragon Throne of Tarkir . Zegana can be fetched with a merfolk tutor (if Herald of Secret Streams is exiled), cantrips, provides immediate evasion to the board state (instead of an additional equip and activation cost), is a merfolk, and can become an 8/8 trample in addition to all the merfolk synergies.

+ Curse of Bounty ; - Seahunter . Curse of Bounty is at a much lower cost, and is essentially another copy of Quest for Renewal .

+ Lurking Predators ; - Skullwinder . Lurking Predators can help rebuild after a board wipe hits, and should work well in a deck with more than half of the spells being creatures.

+ Simic Ascendancy ; - Abundance . Simic Ascendancy combos well with Herald of Secret Streams , Forgotten Ancient , and other merfolks that deal with counters like Deeproot Elite or Cosi's Trickster .

+ Skatewing Spy ; - Sapphire Drake . Skatewing Spy has cheaper CMC.

+ Incubation / Incongruity ; - Reality Shift . Incubation can cantrip if needed, unlike Reality Shift.

+ Benthic Biomancer + Mist-Cloaked Herald + Triton Shorestalker + Swift Warden ; - Streambed Aquitects - Gaea's Skyfolk - Realmwright - Silvergill Douser . More cheap merfolks.

1/7/18

+ Merfolk Mistbinder ; - Runed Stalactite . Mistbinder buffs almost every other creature, plus this deck has too few non merfolk to justify running the Stalactite.

+ Jungleborn Pioneer ; - Aquitect's Will . The Will was the only contributing synergy to islandwalk, so I decided to cut it for a card that enables the same "draw one card" as long as you've the commander .

+ Forerunner of the Heralds ; - Tuskguard Captain . Forerunner is a merfolk, that gets bigger, and can tutor for Herald of Secret Streams and can draw into it rather quickly with the commander's ability. Everything Forerunner does is better than Captain, a potentially dead 3 drop that only synergizes with the commander's most expensive ability.

+ Deeproot Elite ; - Deeproot Champion . There's not too many noncreature spells in this deck, and Elite supports merfolk tribal, +1/+1 counter synergy, and voltron capabilities.

1/5/18

+ Whirlpool Rider ; - Wistful Selkie . Rider has a cheaper CMC (especially with Stonybrook Banneret ), has a more high risk/ high reward ability as it can also draw 0. Rider does require a blue mana source, but it can make Kumena 's second activated ability more worthwhile.

+ Acidic Slime ; - Lullmage Mentor . Yes, this decision takes away tempo and a merfolk, but hear me out. I've no other counterspells in the deck, so Mentor is not a merfolk producer; in most games, having seven, untapped merfolk is rather uncommon, especially since this deck favors combat and using the commander's abilities. During a worst case scenario, Mentor is a 2/2, and Slime is a 2/2 deathtouch (which dissuades people from attacking you). Furthermore, I'd rather be able to take care of a pesty Phyrexian Arena , or a valuable Mirari's Wake , instead of casting an arguably dead card that takes up three of my mana sources.

1/4/18

+ Teferi's Veil ; - Mizzium Skin . My weeny creatures aren't good blockers, and I'll most likely have a creature in hand to play for a blocker. I'd much rather save my creatures from a board wipe than have one or two crucial creatures be removed from not having Mizzium Skin. Furthermore, this deck doesn't have much graveyard interaction so a board wipe is rather devastating. However, cards like Quest for Renewal count against this card, so play it when the time is right.

+ Merfolk Looter ; - Saprazzan Legate . If Legate isn't a free cast, then it's terribly off tempo. Looter is one of the best merfolk, and can help the deck function when the commander absent.

+Island; -Forest.

+ Grimoire Thief ; - Bred for the Hunt . Bred does give more purpose to +1/+1 counters, but I wont be activating Kumena 's +1/+1 activated ability as much. Thief gives the deck more tempo, synergizes directly with the commander as it's a merfolk with additional benefits from becoming tapped, and has the chance of saving his brethren with a martyr-filled counterspell.

Date added	6 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	WBR
Splash colors	UG
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 0 Mythic Rares 33 - 0 Rares 23 - 0 Uncommons 16 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.27
Tokens	Frog Lizard 3/3 G, Merfolk 1/1 U w/ Hexproof, Octopus 8/8 U
Folders	Colty, -my shit, Interesting Decks, EDH, .Edh, Kumena decks, Tribal