Modern Illusions

Modern Competitive Merfolk Mono-Blue Tempo Tribal

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Creature (27)

• 4x Adaptive Automaton
• 3x Illusory Angel
• 4x Jace's Phantasm
• 4x Krovikan Mist
• 4x Lord of the Unreal
• 4x Phantasmal Bear
• 4x Phantasmal Image

Land (20)

• 2x Darkslick Shores
• 3x Ghost Quarter
• 11x Island
• 4x Mutavault

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Monastery Siege

Instant (7)

• 3x Dismember
• 1x Mana Leak
• 3x Vapor Snag

Artifact (4)

• 4x Aether Vial

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Sideboard

Instant (8)

• 3x Echoing Truth
• 1x Hurkyl's Recall
• 2x Spell Pierce
• 2x Unified Will

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Monastery Siege
• 2x Spreading Seas

Artifact (4)

• 1x Damping Sphere
• 3x Relic of Progenitus

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Maybeboard

Instant (1)

• 1x Mindbreak Trap

Artifact (2)

• 2x Smuggler's Copter

Planeswalker (2)

• 2x Jace, Cunning Castaway

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Adapted from a SaffronOlive list

Illusion tribal, or, as the cool kids are calling it, Merfrick

The dream start is turn 1 Mutavault into turn 1 Aether Vial. It's strong in Merfolk, it's strong in Death and Taxes, and it's strong here. From there, the mana advantage will either allow you to slam two illusions a turn, or slam one and leave up mana for removal or interaction. From here, the deck seeks one of two ends: either Aether Vialing a Phantasmal Image to copy a Lord of the Unreal in response to removal (thus giving you a hexproof lord that grants hexproof) and grinding out the game, or slamming multiple Krovikan Mists and beating down with flyers. Worth noting that Aether Vial ignores Illusory Angel's cost restriction.

This deck can generate a significant amount of tempo very quickly, and it’s disruption package can even put other aggro decks on their back foot, but it has a very difficult time recovering from board wipes and blowouts. All of the maybeboard cards are possible card advantage sources to shore up this problem.

Date added	7 years
Last updated	5 years
Legality	This deck is Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)	20 - 2 Rares 17 - 6 Uncommons 12 - 7 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	1.93
Folders	Modern