Hakbal of the Surging Soul-Mill by CapnHaven

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 27

Deck overview

This deck is a Simic Merfolk tribal deck commanded by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. Its primary game plan is establishing early board presence with low-mana Merfolk creatures, deploying Hakbal on Turn 4, and utilizing the explore mechanic at each combat phase to filter draws, buff the team with +1/+1 counters, and ramp extra lands onto the battlefield. As the Merfolk army grows, lords such as Lord of Atlantis and Master of the Pearl Trident grant islandwalk, which combines with Harbinger of the Seas turning opposing nonbasic lands into Islands to ensure unblockable combat damage. The list supports its creature engine with a suite of counterspells and card-selection cantrips, alongside alternate win options like Simic Ascendancy and Thassa's Oracle. While the deck generates high card flow and scalable power, it remains vulnerable to board wipes and lacks targeted removal for resolved opposing creatures.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Augur of Bolas
  • 1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
  • 1 Beyeen Veil // Beyeen Coast
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Cenote Scout
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cultivate
  • 1 Cut Your Losses
  • 1 Deepchannel Mentor
  • 1 Deepfathom Echo
  • 1 Deeproot Pilgrimage
  • 1 Deeproot Waters
  • 1 Distant Melody
  • 1 Emperor Mihail II
  • 1 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
  • 1 Exotic Orchard
  • 1 Fog
  • 1 Forceful Denial
  • 12 Forest
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Harbinger of the Seas
  • 1 Harmonized Crescendo
  • 14 Island
  • 1 Jace, Wielder of Mysteries
  • 1 Jiang Yanggu, Wildcrafter
  • 1 Kumena's Speaker
  • 1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
  • 1 Laboratory Maniac
  • 1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
  • 1 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Mana Leak
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Windrobber
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Midnight Tilling
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mystic Remora
  • 1 Narset, Parter of Veils
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Opt
  • 1 Path of Ancestry
  • 1 Preordain
  • 1 Prime Speaker Zegana
  • 1 Recollect
  • 1 Return to Nature
  • 1 Rishadan Dockhand
  • 1 Seasons Past
  • 1 Seeker of Sunlight
  • 1 Sentinel of the Nameless City
  • 1 Shapers of Nature
  • 1 Simic Ascendancy
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spell Pierce
  • 1 Springleaf Parade
  • 1 Stonybrook Banneret
  • 1 Strategic Planning
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Syncopate
  • 1 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim
  • 1 Thassa's Oracle
  • 1 Thieving Skydiver
  • 1 Thirst for Discovery
  • 1 Thirsting Roots
  • 1 Thought Scour
  • 1 Tome Scour
  • 1 Tributary Instructor
  • 1 True-Name Nemesis
  • 1 Umara Wizard // Umara Skyfalls
  • 1 Unnatural Restoration
  • 1 Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
  • 1 Walk the Aeons
  • 1 Wildest Dreams
  • 1 Wonder
  • 1 Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth