Steve — Hakbal of the Surging Soul by Necromogg

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 39

Deck overview

This deck is a high-synergy Simic Merfolk tribal build commanded by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. The strategy focuses on curving out low-cost Merfolk during the first three turns, then casting Hakbal on Turn 4 to trigger explore across the entire squad each combat step. Exploring provides substantial card filtering, drawing land cards while granting +1/+1 counters to nonland reveals. This quickly builds a massive, resilient army while ensuring consistent land drops through Hakbal's attack trigger. The deck converts this wide, tall board into a fast victory using evasion lords such as Lord of Atlantis and Master of the Pearl Trident, unblockable enablers like Herald of Secret Streams, or Harbinger of the Seas to force islandwalk against nonbasic lands. Instant-speed countermagic and mass protection spells defend the board against opposing sweepers until combat damage finishes the table.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Arcane Denial
  • 1 Ash Barrens
  • 1 Bident of Thassa
  • 1 Branching Evolution
  • 1 Bred for the Hunt
  • 1 Cold-Eyed Selkie
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Deeproot Champion
  • 1 Deeproot Elite
  • 1 Deeproot Pilgrimage
  • 1 Deeproot Warrior
  • 1 Deeproot Waters
  • 1 Deeproot Wayfinder
  • 1 Emperor Mihail II
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Forerunner of the Heralds
  • 14 Forest
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Harbinger of the Seas
  • 1 Harbinger of the Tides
  • 1 Hardened Scales
  • 1 Herald of Secret Streams
  • 1 Heroic Intervention
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 1 Inspiring Call
  • 14 Island
  • 1 Jadelight Ranger
  • 1 Kindred Discovery
  • 1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
  • 1 Kumena's Speaker
  • 1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
  • 1 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Master of Waves
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Branchwalker
  • 1 Merfolk Looter
  • 1 Merfolk Mistbinder
  • 1 Merfolk Skydiver
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 1 Merfolk Trickster
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Metallic Mimic
  • 1 Mist Dancer
  • 1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
  • 1 Mistcaller
  • 1 Murkfiend Liege
  • 1 Myriad Landscape
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Prime Speaker Zegana
  • 1 Reflections of Littjara
  • 1 Remand
  • 1 River Heralds' Boon
  • 1 Roaming Throne
  • 1 Seafloor Oracle
  • 1 Sentinel of the Nameless City
  • 1 Silvergill Adept
  • 1 Simic Charm
  • 1 Simic Growth Chamber
  • 1 Siren Stormtamer
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Swift Warden
  • 1 Thada Adel, Acquisitor
  • 1 Thassa, God of the Sea
  • 1 Thieving Skydiver
  • 1 Tide Shaper
  • 1 True-Name Nemesis
  • 1 Unclaimed Territory
  • 1 Vodalian Hexcatcher
  • 1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
  • 1 Wave Goodbye
  • 1 Yavimaya Coast
  • 1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker