MERFOLK by user2453821

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 3

DeckCheck Threat Index: 45

Deck overview

This deck is a high-synergy Simic Merfolk tribal and +1/+1 counters deck helmed by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. The strategy establishes a low-curve board of Merfolk in the opening turns, then deploys Hakbal to trigger team-wide explore abilities at every combat step. This engine generates immense velocity by placing +1/+1 counters on nonland cards and putting revealed lands directly into hand, while Hakbal's attack trigger accelerates those lands onto the battlefield or draws additional cards. Counter enhancers like Branching Evolution and Roaming Throne rapidly swell the Merfolk army into lethal threats. The deck bypasses blockers through unblockable effects from Herald of Secret Streams, Islandwalk lords, and one-sided bounce spells such as Raise the Palisade. It protects its board state using Ripples of Potential, Inspiring Call, and Vodalian Hexcatcher to close out the game through overwhelming, evasive combat damage.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Beast Within
  • 1 Benthic Biomancer
  • 1 Branching Evolution
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Cenote Scout
  • 1 Cold-Eyed Selkie
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Coralhelm Commander
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Decisive Denial
  • 1 Deepfathom Echo
  • 1 Deeproot Elite
  • 1 Deeproot Pilgrimage
  • 1 Deeproot Waters
  • 1 Dreamroot Cascade
  • 1 Emperor Mihail II
  • 1 Evolution Sage
  • 7 Forest
  • 1 Growth Spiral
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Hardened Scales
  • 1 Herald of Secret Streams
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 1 Inspiring Call
  • 13 Island
  • 1 Jadelight Ranger
  • 1 Jadelight Spelunker
  • 1 Karn's Bastion
  • 1 Kindred Discovery
  • 1 Kiora's Follower
  • 1 Kodama's Reach
  • 1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
  • 1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
  • 1 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Mistbinder
  • 1 Merfolk Skydiver
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Metallic Mimic
  • 1 Mosswort Bridge
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Patchwork Banner
  • 1 Quandrix Command
  • 1 Raise the Palisade
  • 1 Rapid Hybridization
  • 1 Realmwalker
  • 1 Rejuvenating Springs
  • 1 Reliquary Tower
  • 1 Ripples of Potential
  • 1 Roaming Throne
  • 1 Rogue's Passage
  • 1 Seafloor Oracle
  • 1 Sentinel of the Nameless City
  • 1 Silvergill Adept
  • 1 Simic Ascendancy
  • 1 Simic Growth Chamber
  • 1 Simic Signet
  • 1 Singer of Swift Rivers
  • 1 Sodden Verdure
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Stonybrook Banneret
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Talisman of Curiosity
  • 1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid
  • 1 Temple of Mystery
  • 1 Thassa, God of the Sea
  • 1 Tishana's Tidebinder
  • 1 Topography Tracker
  • 1 Tributary Instructor
  • 1 Twists and Turns // Mycoid Maze
  • 1 Vineglimmer Snarl
  • 1 Vodalian Hexcatcher
  • 1 Vorel of the Hull Clade
  • 1 Waterlogged Grove
  • 1 Wave Goodbye
  • 1 Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood
  • 1 Yavimaya Coast
  • 1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker