While the format is definitely floundering in terms of official support from Wizards, plenty of Magic: The Gathering players are still keeping the Pioneer dream alive. We’ve seen a number of innovative strategies do well in the format recently, including one that spotlights Venom from Spider-Man. In today’s MTG Online Pioneer League, SeventhProphet kept this streak going with a spicy new Simic Merfolk brew.
At first glance, this just looks like a particularly efficient typal list. Delve deeper, however, and you’ll find the beating heart of a combo deck. This is a list that can go toe-to-toe with the board-based leaders of the format, while also exploding for an instant win given the right window.
Simic Merfolk In MTG Pioneer
By far the most exciting element of SeventhProphet’s list is its infinite combo potential. We’ve seen Simic Merfolk in MTG Pioneer before, and it’s even put up fairly regular results using a value-based Collected Company build. This version brings something totally new to the table, however, which could elevate the archetype to new heights.
The combo itself is fairly simple. To pull it off, you’ll need Deeproot Pilgrimage in play, as well as two copies of Kiora’s Follower. Once both Followers are free from summoning sickness, you can tap one to untap the other, then repeat this process as many times as you want. Each time you tap one, you’ll get a 1/1 Hexproof Merfolk from Pilgrimage, resulting in an infinitely wide board of Merfolk that can net you a win next turn.
Needing three cards in play, two of which are easily-removable creatures, makes this combo fairly tricky to pull off. Thankfully, SeventhProphet adds some welcome redundancy with Agatha’s Soul Cauldron. Not content with just Standard, this artifact also lets you put Follower’s ability on another creature if your opponent removes it. A lot of the Merfolk here put +1/+1 counters on themselves naturally, which makes this option even more viable.
A combo like this, which doesn’t win the game right away, leaves you pretty vulnerable to board wipes. Thankfully, there is a way to cash in your chips early to stay in the game even if this happens. SeventhProphet runs a full playset of Evendo, Waking Haven here, which can easily be Stationed once your combo is on board. From there, it can generate infinite mana from your infinite board, letting you draw as many cards as you want with Mindspring Merfolk.
As cool as this combo is, you’re not going to be able to pull it off every game. The rest of the time, SeventhProphet’s list plays more like your typical merfolk Typal deck.
A Solid Backup Plan
Even without the combo, this Simic Merfolk list can play a strong game of fair magic. You’ll start your curve off early with Cenote Scout or Mindspring Merfolk, then move up into other strong tempo plays like Silvergill Adept and Vodalian Hexcatcher. Hexcatcher is particularly important, since it buffs all your other Merfolk and lets you trade them in for Force Spikes to throw your opponent off. If you can end your combo turn with one of these in play, your opponent will find it very difficult to interrupt your win.
What makes this list special is how well the combo meshes with this game plan. Kiora’s Follower is a perfectly fine ramp piece in the deck when played normally. Likewise, Deepwater Pilgrimage will get you a ton of value even if you’re just attacking with Merfolk. The real glue that holds everything together is Soul Cauldron, mind you.
SeventhProphet includes a ton of Merfolk with activated abilities, which gives this card plenty to do outside of the combo. They even run a playset of Winternight Stories, to cash in on the same synergy that Vivi Cauldron loves so much. This both digs for your combo, and lets you set up your ‘yard with the Merfolk whose abilities you need. This deck has a ton of options at every stage of the game, which is the mark of a great tempo list.
Making A Splash?
In terms of how SeventhProphet’s Simic Merfolk deck lines up against the current MTG Pioneer metagame, it’s a mixed bag. Like pretty much everything else in the format, the deck struggles against Mono-Red. While you can play a good game on curve, Mono-Red is much, much faster, and can push through your early board with ease. The earliest you’ll be pulling off the combo is turn four, even with ideal draws, so that’s not a reliable out, either.
The other big decks are easier prey for Simic Merfolk. Rakdos Midrange is slow enough that the combo is very much possible. While they do have Thoughtseize to disrupt you, they need to hit exactly Deeproot Pilgrimage, since Cauldron can give access to the other pieces in the graveyard. That said, Rakdos Midrange is also a deck you have a reasonable chance to beat just by curving out.
Izzet Phoenix is another fairly decent matchup. Having Cauldron in the main deck gives you easy access to graveyard hate, which undermines a lot of what the deck is trying to do. The deck’s focus on single-target removal makes it hard for them to interact with Pilgrimage tokens, too. On the other hand, Phoenix can easily explode onto the board in the early game. At that point, there’s really nothing you can do. Even post-sideboard, Simic Merfolk doesn’t have a ton of great answers to Fliers.
Overall, Simic Merfolk is a deck with potential, but also one with some very thorny matchups in the current metagame. Perhaps Lorwyn Eclipsed will print the Merfolk necessary to really push the list over the top.
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