A Complete Guide to the Explorers of the Deep Commander Precon!
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- čas přidán 8. 11. 2023
- In this series, we will be looking at each of the four Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander precon decks. This will be a comprehensive, in-depth guide to the new Commanders, the new cards, the reprints, and a $30 budget upgrade guide!
Timestamps:
00:36 Explore mechanic defined
01:21 Commander analysis
06:20 Best new cards
09:04 Best reprints
14:10 $30 Budget upgrade guide
The Socials: linktr.ee/planeswalkerproject
#mtgixalan #Commander #BudgetMTG - Hry
For those asking, I've compiled a list of cuts I would make to the deck to add in the cards I suggested for this deck.
Seventeen cards need to be cut, but as always, I implore you to play the deck yourself, and cut the cards that do not quite fit your playstyle, but as for my personal picks:
Merfolk Cave-Diver: A three-drop that does synergize nicely with our Commander, but because its ability is so dependent on the explore mechanic being utilized, in the event we have no way to explore, it's just a 2/4 that does nothing else.
Mist Dancer: This is a five-drop, which already puts it high on my list of cut cards. Merfolk tend to be low to the ground on the mana curve, which enables them to be aggressive. A five-mana creature that grants a small boon and flying isn't great. It's encore ability makes it slightly more relevant, but a brief +3/+0 and flying isn't really enough to make me want to keep it in. I'd rather run any number of other finisher cards.
Prime Speaker Zegana: I'm sorry, but this simply costs far too much mana for me to want it in. Specifically, it has too high of a mana cost and it has very specific mana requirements. All to get a potentially larger creature that can draw me a chunk of cards at once. It was a great Commander in its day, but that day has since passed, and I just don't see it working out in this deck much.
Sage of Fables: I get what we were going for here; providing us with a way to turn those +1/+1 counters into card draw. My problem is, I often need those counters to make my creatures larger, and considering it only gives my Wizards that extra +1/+1 counter, in a deck full of various secondary creature types, it's not doing enough. We have Wizards, but not enough for the support card.
Tatyova, Benthic Druid: I stated in the video that the majority of the multicolor legends in this deck feel kind of unnecessary, and this is one of them. Tatyova can easily be slotted out, at five-mana, I want that slot doing so much more. She can be the Commander of her own deck, which will do much more to support her ability.
Thieving Skydiver: This card can be good in some contexts, but this deck doesn't require alot of theft abilities to make me need the ability. If you can't kick this creature, it does nothing besides fly. If an opponent has an artifact in play you want to steal, maybe you can channel mana into this, but I've never seen a situation with this card where I want this ability.
Tishana, Voice of Thunder: Again, this is a seven-drop that is fine in their own Commander deck, but this just isn't doing it for me. It's too clunky, and even though it can become large, and comes with a few potent benefits, this deck does enough draw on the exploring that I think we can survive without Tishana.
Vorel of the Hull Clade: We don't really need to go super tall with our creatures; we already are going wide with our tokens and the sheer number of Merfolk. If you choose to include something like the Millenium Calendar, or if you want to go heavier on the +1/+1 counter strategy, by all means, as Vorel is at a good point on the curve. But for what I aim for with my build, I just don't need it.
Zegana, Utopian Speaker: To be honest, both Zeganas have their contexts where they are good, and I do like the trample granting ability. But, I also run and prioritize Herald of Secret Streams, which skips the nonsense of trample and just makes my creatures with counters on them flat out unblockable.
Curse of the Swine: I really don't like this card. I feel we could slot in any other removal spell, but I avoid X-costed spells in removal slots for the chance we won't have enough mana to really get rid of the problem creatures.
Explore: This is a cute include to be honest, but with the explore mechanic giving us card draw and lands to hand, I can't find a situation in testing this deck where I ever needed an additional land drop that wasn't provided by something more impactful.
Kodama's Reach: I feel bad saying this, but given the changed landscape of Commander, I feel that Cultivate/Kodama's Reach have reached the end of their lifespan. Three Visits and Nature's Lore both exist in more printings, and let you tutor for nonbasic Forests, that go into play untapped. The exploring we do off our creatures will provide us with plenty of lands to our hand to put into play, that I think this card just doesn't give enough by simply fetching a basic to hand and one to the battlefield tapped.
Ravenform: I'm on the fence with this one. I'm more of a Rapid Hybridization player, than a sorcery speed Beast Within. I like that it gives me the flexibility of targetting a creature or an artifact, but it's a sorcery, and it can't hit enchantments. So, it's flexible, but not enough.
Commit//Memory: I understand there is some self-mill potential to this deck, but I genuinely don't feel that it would be enough to justify either half of this card. Commit is great to deal with pesky spells that we want to delay, or eliminate some problem cards that are on the battlefield, but again, it just doesn't quite fit my playstyle.
Quandix Command: I do get that you can choose two, but I'm not a fan of any of the modes you can choose from. There are other cards I can choose to include that can give me any one of these abilities, in a cheaper, more impactful form.
Ruinous Intrusion: This is a four-mana Naturalize effect that gives +1/+1 counters to a creature of ours. That does synergize nicely, but four mana is pretty steep. I would rather just run Nature's Claim, a one-mana instant that fills a similar role. Giving the opponent four life is neglible in Commander, as we can swing at them and take that back.
Reflections of Littjara: I may be in the minority here in that I just don't get this card's purpose in this deck. Yes, you could in theory get a copy of any Merfolk card we play, but also, are there Merfolk in this deck we would want two of consistently? They all provide some form of value, but does doubling that value really validate a five-drop enchantment? Alot of the better abilities from our creatures do also happen to be on legendary creatures, and so getting a token copy of them would not do us any good.
I hope this has been a helpful guide, thank you for your time and support!
Got my girlfriend this deck.
She has become too powerful, and now i tremble when she wants to play.
Damn you SIMIC. DAMN YOU.
Good analysis and suggestions, thank you!
Lovely video, really!
Looking forward to see the same for Pantlaza and Clavileño!
This is exactly how I feel about this dexk. Excellent upgrade guide for going into the strategy. Theres also a few explore morefolk that are omitted and if you want to go a bit farther into that thaty are good pick ups
I don't have this deck but I have a merfolk deck extremely similar that I am upgrading. I had spreading seas but never heard of Tidal Worrior or Quicksilver Fountain. I just snagged both of these to add and smack people on the face because of Islandwalk. It also messes up their color fixing which is fun.
I added some proliferate to keep the counters flowing so I can overpower faster. Tekuthal Inquiry Dominus, Thrummingbird, Cankerbloom, and Unnatural Restoration from the recent Phyrexian set slotted in nicely.
That is a great idea! Make em bigger, quicker!
An amazing-amazing video! Thank you for the effort.
Honestly I just want become immortal with Wildgrowth Walker out. Especially good since my playgroup doesn’t play combos in any way which result in infinite damage.
First off, great video and a fantastic upgrade guide on a budget. But could you also give a walkthrough of what cards you would cut to facilitate these upgrades? Thank you!
Nice breakdown and upgrade guide
Excellent video!
Awesome video, can't wait to start playtesting with explore and a mass number of Merfolk. Plenty of advantages Simic brings to the strategy.
It feels like Simic might be the most optimal way to play Merfolk, given how much power the combination has with counter synergies and the actual creature type. Curious if they'll be giving us blue/white or black/blue Merfolk when we return to Lorwyn.
I tested all the precons online and this was the one I liked most/saw the most potential in so I bought it. I'm really excited too! (But you know what they say about Simic... you could probably use any commander for a Simic deck and it would still have an insane value engine)
Interesting adds I'm having them all, one of the best I added immediately is Unnatural growth, doubles the dammage and defence each battle 💪💪
Just bought this deck because my friends wanted me to get into MTG.
I've seen several upgrade guides which take out Xolatoyac from the deck and I feel like that's a bad suggestion. I agree with you why it should be kept in and see how it plays out.
I also like how you just think Kumena can be a swappable commander out of the box with few (or maybe even no changes to the deck, upgraded or not). I am curious about its "swappability".
I want to build nicanzil so bad! I really love low to the ground commanders
Tishana’s Tidebender is a excellent addon
I put a couple of counters and hexproof equpments to make sure that Hakbal never leaves the board
11:30 Ouch! It's Merrow Reejerey, not Merfolk Reejerey. Merrow was a merfolk clan of sorts in the Lorwyn plane.
15:37 One often overlooked card for adding a budget merfolk repeatable tutor is Seahunter. It's a bit more expensive at 4 + 3 mana, but you can search for merfolk every turn! As long as you don't read the flavor text.
19:57 Thassa's Oracle "fair" (mana-expensive) combo with 2 or 3 merfolk cards: Thassa's Oracle + Wizard Class + Benthic Biomancer + 1 other creature. That creature is meant to stop the cycle of Wizard Class + Benthic Biomancer, as none of both cards have a "you may" ability; you want to stop drawing after you draw your last card!, and then play Thassa's Oracle.
Eh a little wiggly merfolk never hurt nobody. I do like the fair usage of Oracle in these kinds of decks.
Selkie is soo good, I used the exile artifact spell, Ruinous Intrusion, to take out my opponent's 5 mana artifact creature, dropped the 5 counters on Selkie and smashed in for 7, killing them and drawing a fresh hand for the last opponent lol. They boardwiped but it didn't matter, I had drawn the Historian so I built back up in no time... First game with the precon, it's scary XD
Happen to have the finished Decklist? I really liked your adds and went and bought them. However, I'm not sure what to remove besides the legendary creatures you listed at the beginningish. I can take a stab at it but it would be awesome if you had a list!
I've made a list, in the pinned comment of this video. I am also working on a fully upgraded decklist, using one of the alternate Commanders from the deck.
I would use Progenitor's Icon over the Talisman of Curiosity, its just better and gives you redundancy on flash.👍
Hello, could you add timestamps or divide video into sections? I'd like to go back here from time to time for reference as I'll be playtesting my fish deck :)
Also, for cards that I'd like to include theres Political Trickery that for 3 mana switches my Island with someones land to turn on Islandwalk permanently!
Other card that caught my attention is Tide Shaper from MH2 - it's a Merfolk, turns on Islandwalk and gets +1/+1 for just 2 mana.
Absolutely! I added them to the video description!
I'd put an intruder alarm in aswell it plus lullmage mentor =😂
I’m debating between buying this merfolk deck or the necron deck from warhammer 40k
The merfolk deck likely will be more easily obtained, possibly cheaper too. I missed the boat with the 40k decks, but I'd say to pick whichever one you'll get more enjoyment out of.
no Wanderwine Prophets? :D
Honestly I would like to know which cards to take out
Thank you for the suggestion! I've made a list of which cards I personally cut, in the pinned comment of this video.
What cards would you cut off?
I've made a list, in the pinned comment of this video.
This deck seems absolutely bonkers
It definitely is one of the more synergistic decks in recent years.
I played this deck a couple times straight out of the box... +1/+1 is a major theme, hardly a tertiary theme... cold-eye selkie get way bigger than 5 very quickly.
The problem with this deck is how, like so many simic decks, take so many game actions and take long turns. I wish the lords pump themselves to make calculations easier... when you have three or four of them out it makes it rather frustrating to play. With the amount of +1/+1 counters, the pump from lords are practically trivial. It's almost more important to have protection.
Serpent untaps everything you got with a counter on it.... any counter.