This deck is a fun casual deck made to abuse Rootwater Matriarch combined with cards like Curiosity and Betrayal. What is fun about the matriarch is that she taps to, "Gain control of target creature as long as that creature is enchanted."
What is awesome about this card is unlike many other "Control" cards or creatures, the matriarch "gains" control of the targeted creature without placing something targetable on the creature and she also is not necessary to remain in play to keep control of the creature. Her text block clearly states that her controlling player gains control of the creature. And the controller keeps that creature for as long as it is enchanted.
This leads to some shenanigans with many cards and some of them are included in this deck. So the idea is to take control of opposing creatures and to do that, they need to be enchanted before they can be targeted with the Rootwater Matriarch. Besides the already mentioned auras other fun synergy involves Animal Boneyard , Fool's Demise and Contempt.
Rootwater Shaman lets you enchant at instant speed. The synergy with the return to hand enchantments and sac outlets or just face-beating is awesome. Dispersing Orb lets you 2 for 1 as you sac one of their creatures to bounce one of their creatures. The power of Fool's Demise is amazing in this deck, It lets you gain control without leaving something to target and lets you go get something new.
So if you like Merfolk, Blue Control or screwing with people and their cards then this deck is for you!
Here is the card breakdown:
The Creatures:
Dakra Mystic: This is your 1 drop and it is great in this deck. It's ability lets you goose your tempo or stifle your opponent's deck strategy. Then it gains strength from the Merfolk Sovereigns in the deck and even protection with Sygg, River Guide.
Merfolk Sovereign: These merfolk lords enhance all of your merfolk and increase your deck's inevitability. Adding +1/+1 to all your merfolk and granting targeted unblockability can even win games without all of the other good stuff in the deck.
Merrow Harbinger: This card lets you tinker through your library to cherry pick out whatever merfolk you need most to organize your game plan. Once finished with that, it is an island-walking 2/3 creature.
Rootwater Matriarch: She is the heart of the deck. Her ability will win games and stop your opponents from winning games. And all the while the interactions between her and the other cards in this deck will
Rootwater Shaman: This card lets you play your auras at instant speed. Which can make the combat step very tricky for your opponents. In general it also lets you play during opponent's turns freeing up your mana and field for your own turns. The ability to re-apply cards like Contempt or Fool's Demise at instant speed is great!
Sejiri Merfolk: This is your main 2 drop in the deck. An okay speed bump in the worst of conditions, this card shines once you land a plains. A 2/1 first strike and lifelink creature will ruin weenie aggro and that is even before boosts from your Merfolk Sovereigns or protection from your copies of Sygg, River Guide.
Sygg, River Guide: Besides island-walking, Sygg can confer protection on your merfolk. This will let them dodge kill cards and targeted removal and even let them in a way become unblockable to your opponent's creatures.
The Enchantments:
Animal Boneyard: besides being a source of lifegain when needed in the deck, the boneyard serves an even better purpose of getting rid of creatures you don't want around or want to deny to your opponent. Or even better, when you want them for yourself! If you cast Fool's Demise on an enemy creature you can take control of it with your Rootwater Matriarch. Then, at any time, you can sacrifice that creature to your Animal Boneyard and gain life from it. Then Fool's Demise triggers, returning that creature to play under your control! Then when Fool's Demise goes to the graveyard you get to put it back in your hand. Now you have a creature that your opponent has no way to get back without killing it. And you have your aura back in hand to do it all over again!
Betrayal: This is a great card. Plays for 1 mana, then whenever that creature taps you get to draw a card. And, of course, at any time you can now take control of that creature with your matriarch. And you still get to draw cards when it taps!
Conjured Currency: This card is a great way to trade up into something super that your opponents may have. Then you can use Dispersing Orb or it's single use cousin Disperse to return it to your hand. Cast it again and do it again. See where that is going? Between using your opponent's creatures as sacrifice targets for the orb, you can take basically whatever your opponent has in play away. Fun for you but not for them.
Contempt: This is a good way to get rid of creatures and is yet another repeatable aura that can let your Rootwater Matriarch take control of the creatures you enchant with this aura.
Curiosity: This is another aura similar to Betrayal that can be used to take control of creatures with your matriarch and then let you draw cards when you damage opponents with the stolen creature.
Dispersing Orb: Like Animal Boneyard this enchantment is another sacrifice outlet. More importantly, it lets you bounce things. Like your Conjured Currency after a trade. Or even acts as rescue by bouncing your own important creatures when targeted with removal. Solid in this deck where you may be using your enemy's creatures as fuel for it.
Fool's Demise: This is a super, repeatable foil to any kind of creature-based strategy your opponents try to use. It will let you take creatures away over and over again. Also aids the matriarch by creating targetable creatures for her.
The Other Spells:
Disperse: Instant speed bounce is sometimes crucial to keep your win condition happening or to stop someone else's. So copies of this made it into the deck. The card choice was aided by the naming similarity with the Dispersing Orb.
The Lands:
Evolving Wilds: Copies of this are in the deck to dig up the Plains needed for your handful of white spells. Deck-thinning is also never bad.
Sejiri Refuge: In the deck to mana-fix for the colors you need.
Islands & Plains are basics that round out the mana base for the deck.
That is it for the deck!
Please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions feel free to post them!
