Overview:

This Merieke Ri Berit deck focuses on a hybrid strategy of creature theft, untap synergies, and artifact-based combos. The commander serves as a control piece to steal opponents' creatures, supported by a dense package of untap effects to bypass her "destroy on untap" downside. The deck aims to win through incremental value from stolen threats, infinite mana/tap loops with cards like Freed from the Real/Pemmin's Aura on Merieke, and alt-win conditions like The Millennium Calendar or Blasting Station pings. While the crab tribal theme is present, it primarily serves as a subtheme with limited strategic impact.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-4): Deploy mana rocks (Mana Vault, Honor-Worn Shaku), untap enablers (Thousand-Year Elixir, Voltaic Key), and protective crabs. Cast Merieke when protection (Crab Umbra, Swiftfoot Boots) is available.
2. Midgame Control (Turns 4-6): Use Merieke to steal key threats, leveraging untap effects like Ioreth of the Healing House or Teferi, Temporal Archmage to maintain control. Activate combos:
   • Infinite Untaps: Freed from the Real/Pemmin's Aura on Merieke + Blasting Station
   • Mycosynth Lattice + Dramatic Reversal: Infinite artifact untaps
3. Late Game: Deploy The Millennium Calendar with mass untap effects (Unwinding Clock, Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset emblem) or use stolen creatures with combat enhancers like Sword of the Paruns.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 3 lands (including WUB sources)
• Prioritize early untap enablers (Voltaic Key, Aphetto Alchemist) or protection (Crab Umbra)
• Look for combo pieces (Freed/Pemmin's + Merieke) or card draw (Distant Melody)
• Avoid hands without blue mana or Merieke enablers

Key Tips:

• Use Reconnaissance to protect Merieke after combat while keeping stolen creatures
• Lithoform Engine copies Merieke's theft trigger or planeswalker abilities
• Uchuulon generates crab tokens from opponents' graveyards for Distant Melody draws
• Mycosynth Lattice enables artifact synergies with Unwinding Clock and Blasting Station

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander-dependent strategy: Merieke removal resets stolen creatures and stalls combos
• Minimal board presence: Crabs lack threat density, relying entirely on stolen creatures
• No graveyard recursion for key artifacts/enchantments

Moderate

• Vulnerable to artifact hate (Vandalblast cripples untap engines)
• Slow combo assembly: Limited tutors for Freed from the Real/critical pieces
• Weak to sacrifice effects bypassing Merieke's theft

Minor

• High CMC crabs clog early hands
• Limited instant-speed interaction beyond Counterspell

Most Important Cards:

• Merieke Ri Berit (Primary control engine/combo piece)
• Freed from the Real (Infinite untap combo)
• Pemmin's Aura (Infinite untap combo)
• Thousand-Year Elixir (Untap enabler with haste)
• Mycosynth Lattice (Artifact synergy enabler)
• Teferi, Temporal Archmage (Untap engine/emblem)
• Blasting Station (Combo payoff)
• Staff of Domination (Mana sink/untap tool)
• Dramatic Reversal (Artifact untap combo)
• The Millennium Calendar (Alt win condition)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 4/10

• Can threaten T6-8 wins with ideal combo draws, but most games require significant setup.

Resilience: 3/10

• Heavily commander-reliant with minimal protection/recursion. Combos fold to single-target removal.

Consistency: 5/10

• Limited tutors for key enchantments, but strong card draw in blue helps find pieces.

Interaction: 6/10

• Moderate counters/removal (Counterspell, Force of Vigor), but overly focused on protecting Merieke.

Rating Justification:

This deck has casual-combo potential with T6-8 wins but suffers from critical commander dependency and fragile synergies. While it contains high-ceiling cards like Mycosynth Lattice, the lack of fast mana/tutors and overreliance on Merieke place it in upgraded precon territory.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5