JANUARY 2018: MONO BLUE MERFOLK

GREETINGS! Before anything else, I wish you all a prosperous 2018!

I have been swimming in the deep waters of modern with mono blue's school of fish since November 2016. Let me share my thoughts about the deck. To start, my results:

Burn 3-0  (6-2)

UW Aggro 2-0  (4-0)

Tron 2-0   (4-1)

Eldrazi Tron 1-0   (2-0)

Goblin Whack 1-0   (2-0)

Grix DS  1-0   (2-0)

Scry red 1-0   (2-0)

BR agro 1-0   (2-1)

Ponza 1-0   (2-1)

Ad Nauseam  2-1   (5 -3)

Death Shadow BGx 1-1   (3-2)

UR Storm 1-1   (2-3)

Merfolk  0-1   (1-2)

Living End 0-1   (0-2)

Scapeshift  0-1   (0-2)

RW Prison  0-1   (0-2)

UW control 0-2   (0-4)

Elves 0-3   (1-6)     

Total: 17-12  (38-31)

I never thought I would see burn as the topmost winnable match up. Honestly; when I was in the process of acquiring this, I assumed that burn is one of its worst match up. In all eight games against burn, all I can remember was that I only fire my counter spells when my life total was within the range of just two Lightning Bolt spells.  The combination of lord effect plus Spreading Seas was (I think) the main reason why I won against these archetype UW Aggro, Tron, Eldrazi Tron, Goblin Whack, Grix DS, Scry Red, Br Aggro, Ponza, Ad Nauseam, Jund DS, and UR Storm.  And finally, the last group wherein I am still winless against any of them so far: Merfolk, Living End, Scapeshift, RW Prison, UW Control and Elves. Among them, I abhor Elves most because of Shaman of the Pack. Scapeshift and Living End comes next respectively.

Removals

Initially, I dislike the idea of losing four life points. But after testing Vapor Snag and Echoing Truth in its slot; killing, instead of just bouncing, is a better call.

Counter spells

Unlike its legacy counterpart, most, if not all, modern merfolk’s counter spells are coming off its fifteen. Here are the common sideboard counter spells that a modern merfolk deck uses: Dispel, Disdainful Stroke, Negate, Spell Pierce, Spell Snare, and Unified Will. Among them, Negate and Dispel are my favorite.

Cavern of Souls

I think team mono blue really does not need a set this because of the following reason:

• The very obvious reason: it cannot help you cast non-merfolk creature spells. 
• You don't want to be in a situation wherein you cannot cast those sideboard cards simply because you have two of this in play. 
• Maybe it's just me, but versus decks that has counter spells,  during games two/ three, I think they tend to lessen the number of their counter spells and bring-in more removals.
• Chalice of the Void, same reason as above.  

I cannot make a comment for UG version because I haven't tried it yet. 

Kopala, Warden of Waves 

vs. Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

Kira. No doubt about it. Aside from Kopala being a merfolk, the only advantage of kopala over Kira is that it can somehow protect your Phantasmal Image even if the latter has that sacrifice trigger ability. 

I'll end my first post for 2018 with a tournament report and my eternal calendar for January.

Pinoy Planeswalker Finale Modern (Season 2)

7 January 2018

Madcap Gaming

San Pedro, Laguna

3 Dismember

4 Spreading Seas

4 Aether Vial

 

1 Phantasmal Image

2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner

3 Master of Waves

4 Silvergill Adept

4 Curesecatcher

4 Harbinger of the Tides

4 Merrow Reejerey

4 Lord of Atlantis

4 Master of the Pearl Trident    

15 Island

4 Mutavault

Sideboard

1 Echoing Truth

3 Relic of Progenitus

3 Ceremonious Rejection

3 Negate

3 Gut Shot

2 Dispel             

A little over 50 persons showed up. Six rounds then cut to top eight. Despite seeing like eight affinity decks, somehow I managed to dodge them all.

Bye 2-0

UR Thing in the Ice and Klin Fiend Aggro 2-1

Reanimator Goryo 2-0

Ad Nauseam 1-2

Coco Spirits 2-1

UR Storm 1-2

UR Klin TiTi

Game one: Thing in the Ice acting as Wrath of God kept my creatures at bay. Two attacking the 7/8 flying horror creature game him the win eventually.

Game two: He ran out of gas plus my folks are on islandwalks. I win.

Game three: A well timed Dismember killing his Klin Fiend saves the day for team mono blue!

2-0  (4-1)

Reanimator Goryo

Game one: He mostly drew bricks. I win. 

Game two: He had six lands while on my side: three islands, a Mutavault and an Aether Vial (three counters). Our life total were: him 15 me: 20. He brings onto the table Through the Breach then tapped 5 mana. I read the red instant arcane card and instantly Emrakul, the Aeons Torn comes into my mind. I checked my hand: 1 Merrow Reejerey, 1 Phantasmal Image, and 1 Harbinger of the Tides. I responded to his red spell with vial's activation. He allowed it. I bring down reejerey. I allowed his TTB, he brings down a macho 15/15. I immediately stopped him from tapping his 15/15 and said, "before combat, still in main phase..." (tapped all of my four lands), then brings Harbinger down onto the table from my hand. I put Reejerey on top of Harbinger (then point to his 15/15) to show its trigger ability. He momentarily read Reejerey's text, then nods. Big mama became tapped and when Harbinger resolved, I let him know of his trigger ability (again pointing to big mama). He read Harbinger before confidently bringing it back to his hand. I untap, draw for the turn (second Harbinger). Desperately swing Reejerey and Harbinger to bring him down to ten life points before shipping back the turn. He binned his 15/15 through Faithless Looting; put in the stack big mama's trigger ability (shuffle graveyard to library) then casted Goryo's Vengeance pointing to big mama. I paused for a minute and check if everything is in order. Looks like it is, I let his black arcane spell to resolve. Then proceed to shuffle his graveyard into his library. And when he was about to attack, I stopped him again to cast my second Harbinger. I win the round in my last turn.    

3-0  (6-1)

Ad Nauseam 
Game one: I lost this one. It's like next to impossible to beat Ad Naus with team mono blue without counters (with the exception of Cursecatcher) in the main deck. 
Game two: I bounced his Phyrexian Unlife with Echoing Truth and he had no Pact of Negation or any form of protection for it. I swing for lethal in my turn. 
Game three: The turning point of the game was when I tried countering his Bontu's Last Reckoning with Dispel. I was so focus on trying to get that four and zero record, plus seeing all his lands sideways, that I did not even bothered to check my own cards. I apologized to the defending champ that I really got excited when I saw he's tapped out. I lost this one because of that sweeper. 

3-1  (7-3)

Bant Coco Spirits 

Game one: I out tempo him with Dismember, Reejerey, Harbinger plus lord effects. 
Game two: Collected Company reinforced his troop. Also, he fetched non island shock lands making my islandwalk buddies useless. 
Game three: He kept a strong defensive hand. Unfortunately for him, Kira was there to lead the folks to victory. 

4-1  (9-4)  

UR Storm 
Game one: He went off unmolested. 
Game two: At one point, he went all-in in which Gifts Ungiven was the last spell. Negate gainsaid it. He never get to recover after that. I swim for the win forcing a rubber match. 
Game three: I drew three counter spells throughout the game but not were enough to stop him. 

4-2  (10-6)

Notes

• I was not able to feel the effectiveness of Gut Shot because I did not faced any Affinity or Elves.
• I think Negate and Dispel are enough to cover whatever meta you'll be in.
• I'll probably retain the Dismembers in the main. Killing is better than just bouncing.
• And lastly, will give my sideboard a tweak in my next outing.    

January 2018
14 - Legacy at Madcap (San Pedro, Laguna)
20 - Regran Modern Open (Quezon City)
20 - Legacy at FQ (Mandaluyong City)
21 - 93/94 at Kick Engines (Cubao Expo)
27 - Modern 20k at Gatecrasher (Anonas, Quezon City)
28 - Pauper 15k at Gatecrasher (Anonas, Quezon City)
28 - Legacy at kick Engines (Cubao Expo)

Thank you for reading folks!
 
-Paeng4983
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