Hakbal Merfolks by k2pato

Format: Commander

Commander: Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Bracket: 4

DeckCheck Threat Index: 42

Deck overview

This Simic deck is a kindred tempo build commanded by Hakbal of the Surging Soul. It leverages low-cost Merfolk creatures deployed in early turns to establish board presence before casting Hakbal on Turn 4. Upon entering combat, Hakbal triggers explore for every Merfolk on the battlefield, filtering draws, distributing +1/+1 counters, and securing land drops to accelerate mana. The deck converts this board presence into lethal combat pressure by Turn 5 using lord anthems like Lord of Atlantis and Master of the Pearl Trident alongside land manipulation effects such as Harbinger of the Seas and Spreading Seas to grant unblockable islandwalk. Card advantage remains high through Hakbal, Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca, and Svyelun of Sea and Sky, while an efficient interaction suite of cheap counterspells, Vodalian Hexcatcher, and Ripples of Potential shields the board from opposing disruption. It reliably eliminates all opponents across two attack cycles by Turn 7.

Decklist (100 cards)

  • 1 Aether Vial
  • 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
  • 1 Aquitect's Will
  • 1 Beast Within
  • 1 Beastmaster Ascension
  • 1 Benthic Biomancer
  • 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
  • 1 Breeding Pool
  • 1 Bridgeworks Battle // Tanglespan Bridgeworks
  • 1 Command Tower
  • 1 Coralhelm Commander
  • 1 Counterspell
  • 1 Cyclonic Rift
  • 1 Dancing from Dark to Dawn
  • 1 Deeproot Pilgrimage
  • 1 Deeproot Waters
  • 1 Dreamroot Cascade
  • 1 Emperor Mihail II
  • 1 Engulf the Shore
  • 1 Fertile Ground
  • 1 Flare of Denial
  • 1 Foil
  • 7 Forest
  • 1 Glasspool Mimic // Glasspool Shore
  • 1 Guardian Project
  • 1 Hakbal of the Surging Soul
  • 1 Halimar Depths
  • 1 Harbinger of the Seas
  • 1 Harmonized Trio // Brainstorm
  • 1 Hinterland Harbor
  • 16 Island
  • 1 Joint Exploration
  • 1 Karn's Bastion
  • 1 Kindred Discovery
  • 1 Kiora's Follower
  • 1 Kopala, Warden of Waves
  • 1 Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
  • 1 Lightning Greaves
  • 1 Lord of Atlantis
  • 1 Make Disappear
  • 1 Master of the Pearl Trident
  • 1 Merfolk Mistbinder
  • 1 Merfolk Skydiver
  • 1 Merfolk Sovereign
  • 1 Merfolk Trickster
  • 1 Merrow Reejerey
  • 1 Metallic Mimic
  • 1 Misty Rainforest
  • 1 Mystic Remora
  • 1 Negate
  • 1 Nicanzil, Current Conductor
  • 1 Oko, Thief of Crowns
  • 1 Otawara, Soaring City
  • 1 Path of Ancestry
  • 1 Pongify
  • 1 Quest for Renewal
  • 1 Reality Shift
  • 1 Rejuvenating Springs
  • 1 Repudiate // Replicate
  • 1 Rhystic Study
  • 1 Ripples of Potential
  • 1 Rishadan Dockhand
  • 1 Rivendell
  • 1 Roaming Throne
  • 1 Seafloor Oracle
  • 1 Sentinel of the Nameless City
  • 1 Silvergill Adept
  • 1 Sol Ring
  • 1 Spreading Seas
  • 1 Stonybrook Banneret
  • 1 Svyelun of Sea and Sky
  • 1 Swan Song
  • 1 Tatyova, Benthic Druid
  • 1 Tempest Caller
  • 1 Three Visits
  • 1 Tide Shaper
  • 1 Tishana's Tidebinder
  • 1 Vodalian Hexcatcher
  • 1 Yavimaya Coast