{"ops":[{"insert":"Hey there! I built this deck as part of Budget EDH Discords Secret Santa Event. My guidlines were pretty simple: a non-human tribal deck. I landed on Merfolk for the combination of draw power, inevitibilty, and the flexibility the tribe offered. Some of this advice might be more geared towards a newer player, as I'm not sure the experience level of the player receiving the deck!\n\nThis deck is all about grinding out as much value as you can in order to outvalue your opponents, and then running them over with your slippery, river-dwelling friends. Then, go-wide and build a board pressence while maintaining cards in hand. A good draw can quickly rebuild after a boardwipe and strike for 20-40 unblockable damage a turn. Typically you'll want to be able to tap for Kumena's draw ability the turn it comes out, or the turn after.\n\nThe untapping creatures and enchanments reign supreme in this deck, and often make you a target, or themselves a target for removal. Rightfully so, as they act as NOS for the engine, especially in a 4 player game. Of note, Merrow Commerce can tap for, and is affected by, any ability that names \"Merfolk\" without specifying a creature. Most commonly, all three tutors can grab it, it can tap towards Kumena's abilities and untaps itself. It also ends up gaining counters from Kumena's third ability, though largely not relevant, they should be tracked.\n\nSong of Freyalise is also rediculous in the deck, and is likely to eliminate at least one opponent on it's final chapter. The first two chapters also let you safely tap out when combined with an untapper, as you can use your creatures to threaten or cast counterspells.\n\nThrone of the God-Pharoah and Merrow Commerce are NOT a non-bo; simply stack the triggers so that your opponents take damage before you untap the creatures.\n\nMerfolk Trickster is probably the best \"gotchya\" creature in the deck; removing all abilities allows it to take out a surprising amount of creatures, and even take down Gods. Normally, it will be worth keeping in hand to catch an opponent off-guard instead of playing out for more momentum.\n\nLastly, Kumena's:\nKumena's abilities can all be activated at instant speed; use this to your advantage when people swing at you without regard for your ability to tap your creatures after blocks, or tap creatures on their way to their death to draw a card. Also, if you have Merrow Commerce and a card that untaps on opponent's untap steps, you can tap for Kumena's abilities on your end step! Kumena's abilities can also use creatures who are summoning sick; I.e. have entered the battlefield this turn. Kumena is the engine that makes the deck work; try not to play it into obvious removal, and do your best to protect it. It's often worth letting small amounts of damage through to not lose Kumena, despite the generous toughness.\n\nSome shortcomings of the deck that you'll want to adjust based on meta are:\n-Susceptability to fliers. There's not much the deck can to that's dedicated to taking out fliers. Most of the time they aren't a focused strategy, but if you're having trouble with it, adding dedicated flying removal, or just fliers to the deck, will make a big difference.\n-Protection. I've included a few generic protection spells, but I'll go over some suggestions in the next section. As built, the counterspell suite is supposed to count towards the protection for Kumena. \n-The deck is a *little* short on recursion for my liking, I like to be able to recycle cards as needed.\n\nAs far as budget upgrades go, I'd consider these based on the direction you want to take the deck:\n\n-Intruder Alarm should be the first thing you add to the deck. In fact it almost made the final cut despite it's high price tag. It does everything the deck wants, repeatedly untapping your creatures. It's even better when used in lieu with Song of Freyalise, or...\n-Cryptolith Right. I think two is the right amount of effects you want in the deck, though Jiang Yanguu, Wildcrafter deserves special mention for adding to both the ramp and 1/1 counter subthemes. \n-Heroic Intervention. This card is built exactly for a deck like this. Hexproof and indestructible stop 90% of threats to the deck, but it didn't fit well enough to overcome the budget cost of the deck.\n-Blossoming Defence/Veil of Summer/Dive Down/Mizzium Skin/etc.- Depending on how much targeted removal is in your meta, you'll want to adjust the amount of hexproof you'll want to add. Mizzium skin deserves special mention for it's overload ability, and Veil for it's draw ability, though there will be matchups where it's entirely useless. The MOST I would add of these is two, and that would be a targeted-removal heavy meta.\n-Archetype of Imagination is a fantastic finisher in the deck, but I left it out due to it's susceptibility to removal. Normally a wincondition being removed isn't game-ending, but being removed after attackers and before blocks can wipe your entire field. It's up to you to include this powerful, but fragile wincon, and with additional protection it may be worth running.\n-Reliquary Tower, Tishana, Voice of Thunder and Praetor's Council- All of these are worth adding for their no maximum handsize, and the spells make a decent top-end for the deck. Council I'd be a little more on the fence about, but Tishana should slot right in. Especially if you decide to add some more protection.\n-Eternal Witness/Recycle/Noxious Revival- Along with Paetor's Council, these help address the shortage of recursion in the deck. Noteworthy that Eternal Witness can be re-used with surgespanner's ability. \n-Cyclonic Rift- Obvious inclusion if your playgroup and budget allows.\n-Lord of Atlantis; obvious inclusion but simply outside the budget range\n-Jadelight Ranger is a good add if you decide to go more explore-based.\n\nPotential Cuts include:\n-Wildest Dreams; this was the most budget-friendly way I could find to return cards to hand from the graveyard. \n-Spreading Seas; SS was included as a minor inconvenience to other decks while also providing an island for islandwalk. It's also a throwback to classic Modern Merfolk. The card has it's place, but can draw hate if used aggressively and has a low floor of just drawing a card. \n-If you can keep the curve of the deck down, after playing and getting a feel for it, you MAY be able to cut a land, or a ramp spell or two. Personally, I like to make my decks as mana-source light as possible and really push it, but I built this while keeping in mind I wasn't the one playing this deck.\n-Acidic Slime can be cut if your meta doesn't include a lot of important enchantments or artifacts.\n\nThanks for reading this, and I sincerely hope you enjoy the deck!! It's been a blast to build and test.\n"}]}