Curious if anybody has tested these cards in Modern Merfolk
Modern forum
Posted on July 24, 2014, 2:19 a.m. by HorrorAvengers
I've been toying around with merfolk, and ended up taking a crapshoot with a couple cards. In particular, Triton Shorestalker and Hidden Strings . Have these cards been tested within the deck as far as anybody knows, other than in homebrews? And with what success, if any?
HorrorAvengers says... #3
yeah I can see shorewalker not making much of a splash, but Hidden Strings is a turn 4 killing machine. It's 2 mana for the best part of Sword of Feast and Famine , plus it can untap vials or tap opponent's stuff.
July 24, 2014 6:31 a.m.
HydrophobicFish says... #4
Triton Shorestalker is pretty well garbage for Modern Merfolk. It's already been touched upon that Merfolk has Spreading Seas , or Aquitect's Will , and a BUNCH of dudes that grant islandwalk. So, unblockability is pretty worthless. Also, it doesn't do anything else for that one mana, whereas Cursecatcher does.
Something else not mentioned yet... The vast majority of the CMC of merfolk is two, that way AEther Vial can be ticked up to two, and kept there, dropping the majority of the deck. Shorestalker doesn't fit into that mold very well.So, yeah, he wouldn't be a solid addition.
Hidden Strings is a bit more arguable. I would say it's not worth playing though. Yes, you can untap the vial, and get some more mileage from that. But, I don't think it's worth it. Not that Merfolk really runs out of steam quickly, but it does get VERY close to running on no hand, having dumped everything onto the field already. So, that makes the value of untapping vial less appealing. Tapping their stuff is useless, since it'll untap next turn, and you don't really have any tricks that care about tapping their stuff (remember: Strings will cast AFTER you've dealt combat damage, thus being unable to tap blockers).
Strings also is more of a utility card. Merfolk is an aggro (so to speak) deck. Merfolk wants to win before the opponent can get anything tangible on the field. Strings doesn't help that happen. Having another 5/5 beater on the board that anthems everyone else does. So, that brings up the question, what would Strings replace? It can't replace Path to Exile That's the removal, and thus, reach of the deck. You'd be insane to remove the vials. Cursecatcher is so good (there's a reason it's a ten dollar uncommon), removing any of the lords just undoes the point of the deck. Removing Spreading Seas (or Will) removes a LOT of the deck's reach. We have nothing that Strings is better than.
July 24, 2014 8:59 a.m.
HorrorAvengers says... #5
Is it fairly universal to splash white in merfolk?
July 24, 2014 12:58 p.m.
White is okay, I prefer mono U for merfolk in modern. Legacy is another story. Hidden Strings untapping AEther Vial is okay but I'd 100% prefer dumping your hand with AEther Vial + Merrow Reejerey . It just plays out so much better.
July 24, 2014 1:18 p.m.
topdeckermtg2010 says... #7
I have been playing mono blue merfolk for about a year now in modern and it is an amazingly agressive deck that has alot going on in it. Aggro blue decks are almost unheard of until we see merfolk and they have access to all the tricks that blue embodies. Vialing in a cursecatcher or kira great glass spinner to counter spells is huge card advantage. Spreading seas is land dissruption, card advantage and an evassive enabler all in one. You have access to powerful sideboard cards too. One card i would like to test is Polymorphist's Jest in the side board as i believe could easily create a blowout with merfolk blocking key creatures and turning combo creatures into ability-less frogs
Champloo says... #2
I don't think Triton Shorestalker will make much of a wave (huehue) because he's unblockable. but Spreading Seas is a thing and Islandwalk is a thing
July 24, 2014 2:42 a.m.