Mermaid Inflation by user7267877

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 2

DeckCheck Threat Index: 31

Deck overview

This deck is a Simic Merfolk tribal build centered on Hakbal of the Surging Soul. It uses low-cost Merfolk to establish an early board presence, then deploys Hakbal on Turn 4 to trigger mass explore abilities at the start of combat. Exploring filters draws, puts lands directly into hand, and rapidly places +1/+1 counters on creatures. Counter amplifiers like Branching Evolution and Hardened Scales accelerate this growth. The deck converts large creatures into unblockable damage using Herald of Secret Streams, Master of the Pearl Trident, or Wave Goodbye. While the explore engine provides dependable card flow and mana consistency, the strategy relies heavily on maintaining a wide creature board across multiple turns, leaving it exposed to mass removal spells and tempo disruption.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Benthic Biomancer
  • 1 Brackish Blunder
  • 1 Branching Evolution
  • 1 Chant of the Skifsang
  • 1 Chronic Flooding
  • 1 Cleric of Chill Depths
  • 1 Cold-Eyed Selkie
  • 1 Crushing Canopy
  • 1 Cultivate
  • 1 Decanter of Endless Water
  • 1 Deeproot Elite
  • 1 Deeproot Waters
  • 1 Descendants' Path
  • 1 Eaten by Piranhas
  • 1 Explore
  • 1 Fade into Antiquity
  • 12 Forest
  • 1 Forgotten Monument
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Hardened Scales
  • 1 Herald of Secret Streams
  • 1 Hidden Nursery
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 1 In the Presence of Ages
  • 1 Inspiring Call
  • 14 Island
  • 1 Jadelight Spelunker
  • 1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
  • 1 Llanowar Reborn
  • 1 Lodestone Needle // Guidestone Compass
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Cave-Diver
  • 1 Merfolk Coralsmith
  • 1 Merfolk Mistbinder
  • 1 Merfolk Skydiver
  • 1 Merfolk Skyscout
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 1 Merfolk Windrobber
  • 1 Merrow Commerce
  • 1 Merrow Harbinger
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Mist Dancer
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Out of Air
  • 1 Paralyzing Grasp
  • 1 Primal Vigor
  • 1 Prime Speaker Zegana
  • 1 Repulsive Mutation
  • 1 River Herald Guide
  • 1 River Herald Scout
  • 1 Scroll Thief
  • 1 Seafloor Stalker
  • 1 Secluded Courtyard
  • 1 Seeker of Sunlight
  • 1 Shimmering Wings
  • 1 Simic Growth Chamber
  • 1 Simic Signet
  • 1 Singer of Swift Rivers
  • 1 Stonybrook Banneret
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Syphon Essence
  • 1 Tatyova, Steward of Tides
  • 1 Temple of the False God
  • 1 Thieving Skydiver
  • 1 Thirst for Discovery
  • 1 Thornwood Falls
  • 1 Tide Shaper
  • 1 Tideshaper Mystic
  • 1 Topography Tracker
  • 1 Tributary Instructor
  • 1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
  • 1 Watertrap Weaver
  • 1 Waterwind Scout
  • 1 Wave Goodbye
  • 1 Wayfarer's Bauble
  • 1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker