https://mobile.twitter.com/mtgaaron/status/985674571188588544

I guess shops is here for good. Interesting how he admits it now.

The entire B&R argument can be summed up as:

"Paper's too OP we should restrict it; but Scissors are fine" ~ Rock.

A B&R should not be used to cater to pet decks. I think the format is adapting fairly well, as we tend to see different decks on the weekly challenge top 8s. Who knows, maybe more blue decks top 8 because people like playing blue. May dredge doesn't top as much because people think it's boring.

I’m playing red shops. I like it because I think it’s fun and welder is one of my favorite cards. Also I think Ensnaring Bridge + Null Rod is fairly well positioned right now.

Here’s an album of my legacy elf deck.

https://m.imgur.com/a/lTyNr

Wow@this merfolks list. I remember months ago when people laughed at me and said vial was trash in vintage. I guess this top 8 means it's still bad, but less trash

The most obvious comparison is Foundry Inspector. This card costs 1 more, but has flying to fly over ground creatures to attack planeswalkers. Can also trade with Delver.

Con is that it can't be cast off of turn 1 workshop and has 1 less power.

I like your B&R list so much more than the official list.

@notmi this is a great list. I’m inclined to try moxen as well since there’s no more UU.

Any thought on null rod in SB?

So this needs a restriction, and I say this as a die-hard Merfolk player. This card is absolutely nuts.

@notmi thank you for taking the time to answer. I will try your challenge list with the hullbreachers and see how it runs.

@notmi looks like someone else did well on the challenge with vials. Seems like you’re doing something right. I have a few questions.

1. Do you ever get screwed by phyrexian revoker? It seems like us wastelanding and them naming vial will set us back quite a bit

2. Do you think our PO matchup is good enough to not need Null Rod? I know thieving skydiver is really good against serpent and ballista and lone moxen, but PO always is on the back of my mind. I guess the MD flusterstorms and mindbreak traps help, but Null Rod is such a clean answer

3. Any thoughts of splashing white for kataki, deafening silence, or Thalia?

4. Any thoughts on paradigm shift combo with oracle?

@notmi Awesome thanks. I will take your list and try it out with Hullbreacher over Lord of Atlantis.

@notmi Awesome! What is your opinion on Cursecatcher? And why Vial > Null Rod?

@protoaddict

Thanks for the critique! I think your points are valid. I’m having internal struggles of playing Aether Vial or Null Rod. In terms of 1 drops, I think Cursecatcher is a good choice. Mistcaller doesn’t seem terrible either.

I hate to do it but I might cut some lords. UU is hard to cast in this deck. I think there’s a lot of room for improvement but I can see this being a solid deck to play.

With Thieving Skydiver to steal moxen and/or serpents and Hullbreacher to stop draw spells, I wonder how needed Null Rod is? Maybe vial does seem like a better choice.

Updated list. Hullbreacher is NASTY

Deck: Vintage Merfolk.dec

Counts : 60 main / 15 sideboard

Creatures:22
4 Lord of Atlantis
4 Master of the Pearl Trident
4 Silvergill Adept
3 Thieving Skydiver
4 Hullbreacher
3 True-Name Nemesis

Artifacts:6
1 Black Lotus
1 Lotus Petal
1 Mox Sapphire
3 Null Rod

Sorceries:1
1 Time Walk

Instants:12
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Flusterstorm
1 Mental Misstep
1 Daze
2 Force of Negation
2 Mindbreak Trap
4 Force of Will

Lands:19
4 Cavern of Souls
10 Island
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland

Sideboard:15
3 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Null Rod
1 Flusterstorm
2 Steel Sabotage
1 Hurkyl's Recall
4 Ravenous Trap
3 Energy Flux

I think Hollow One is a better 4 CMC game ender than Smoke Stack. However, staxxing someone out is much more satisfying.

I really like your list; it's a lot more aggressive. That might be the right call now as Force of Vigor really screws over slower MUD decks. Here is my current list. It's a lot more Stax based but i'll definitely try Hollow One.

// Vintage Welder Stax

// 60 Maindeck
// 30 Artifact
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Sol Ring
1 Trinisphere
1 Chalice of the Void
2 Crucible of Worlds
3 Smokestack
1 Mana Crypt
2 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Uba Mask
4 Tangle Wire
1 Mana Vault
3 Sphere of Resistance
3 Null Rod

// 8 Creature
4 Goblin Welder
1 Lodestone Golem
3 Phyrexian Revoker

// 22 Land
4 Mishra's Workshop
3 Bazaar of Baghdad
1 Barbarian Ring
3 Mountain
4 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Tolarian Academy
3 Ancient Tomb
2 Cavern of Souls

// 15 Sideboard
// 10 Artifact
SB: 4 Grafdigger's Cage
SB: 1 Null Rod
SB: 1 Ensnaring Bridge
SB: 1 Crucible of Worlds
SB: 3 Tormod's Crypt

// 2 Land
SB: 2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

// 3 Sorcery
SB: 3 By Force