Merfolk by luke56

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 52

Deck overview

This deck is a high-synergy Simic Merfolk typal strategy led by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. The game plan revolves around curving out efficient, low-cost Merfolk in the opening turns, deploying Hakbal on Turn 4, and utilizing his combat explore trigger to rapidly grow your creatures and filter through your library. This explore engine consistently puts extra land cards into your hand while stocking the graveyard and increasing creature power. By Turn 5, the deck transitions into a lethal threat by layering tribal anthems from lords like Lord of Atlantis and Master of the Pearl Trident, granting evasion such as Islandwalk, and utilizing Harbinger of the Seas to turn all opposing nonbasic lands into Islands. A lean interaction and protection suite featuring Vodalian Hexcatcher, Svyelun of Sea and Sky, and efficient countermagic shields the board from disruption, enabling a swift and decisive combat finish on Turn 6.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Alchemist's Refuge
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Arcane Denial
  • 1 Arcane Signet
  • 1 Attuma, Atlantean Warlord
  • 1 Banner of Kinship
  • 1 Barkchannel Pathway // Tidechannel Pathway
  • 1 Beast Within
  • 1 Benthic Biomancer
  • 1 Botanical Sanctum
  • 1 Brainstorm
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cultivate
  • 1 Daughter of the Deep
  • 1 Deepfathom Echo
  • 1 Deeproot Elite
  • 1 Deeproot Historian
  • 1 Distant Melody
  • 1 Dreamroot Cascade
  • 1 Eclipsed Realms
  • 1 Emperor Mihail II
  • 1 Explore
  • 1 Fabled Passage
  • 1 Farseek
  • 1 Flooded Grove
  • 1 Forerunner of the Heralds
  • 11 Forest
  • 1 Growth Spiral
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Harbinger of the Seas
  • 1 Harmonized Crescendo
  • 1 Herald's Horn
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 11 Island
  • 1 Kiora's Follower
  • 1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
  • 1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Mistbinder
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 1 Merrow Harbinger
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Mist Dancer
  • 1 Murkfiend Liege
  • 1 Namor the Sub-Mariner
  • 1 Namor, Scourge of the Seas
  • 1 Nature's Claim
  • 1 Nature's Lore
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Overflowing Basin
  • 1 Patchwork Banner
  • 1 Path of Ancestry
  • 1 Pongify
  • 1 Rapid Hybridization
  • 1 Reality Shift
  • 1 Realmwalker
  • 1 Sage of Fables
  • 1 Seafloor Oracle
  • 1 Seahunter
  • 1 Simic Growth Chamber
  • 1 Simic Signet
  • 1 Singer of Swift Rivers
  • 1 Skyshroud Claim
  • 1 Sodden Verdure
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Stonybrook Banneret
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Swiftfoot Boots
  • 1 Tangled Islet
  • 1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid
  • 1 Tezzeret's Gambit
  • 1 Topography Tracker
  • 1 Tributary Instructor
  • 1 Vanquisher's Banner
  • 1 Vineglimmer Snarl
  • 1 Vodalian Hexcatcher
  • 1 Wildgrowth Walker