Merfolk Suggestions and Jace Beleran question?

beanbungo · Joined: 09 Oct 2005 Posts: 71

I've noticed some of the faerie/merfolk/blue controlish decks sideboard Jace Beleran, does anyone know exactly what the reason is behind it? What is it good against exactly?

Also a noob question, Runed Halo, you can't name Faerie token can you?

Also any suggestions on a merfolk u/w sideboard would be nice

so far my sideboard looks like -

4x Burrenton Forge Tender
3x Pollen Lullaby
3x Wispmare
3x Cold-Eye Selkie (which are questionable seeing that they're only good against faeries b/c of islandwalk then again they die to peppersmoke like everything else)
2x Revillark

stone_d · Joined: 19 May 2006 Posts: 48

You can't name a token since runed halo says name a card and tokens aren't cards.

I think Jace is sideboarded in vs control, since it makes alot of differince if the game takes longer.

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 487

jace is a great sideboard card vs any deck that wants to win in the long-game, so basically control decks.

as for runed halo:

you must name a card. since "faerie Rogue" is not a card, you can't name it. however, when you name a card, you will be protected from anything with that name. so, let's say you name the card "shapeshifter." you would also be protected from the token made by Crib Swap.

in short, you must name a card, but you will be protected from all sources with that name.

onecleanceli · Joined: 27 Mar 2005 Posts: 264

i think you're wrong here... 'shapeshifter' is not a card, its a 'type', or 'sub-type' or something like that.... im pretty sure runed halo works just like meddling mage, cranial extraction, etc.... you have to name a valid printed card, not like 'goblin' or anything like that....

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 487

rdeg87 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 200

In that case, you have protection from the "Card" Shapeshifter and not from creatures with the ability Shapeshifter. Your really just contradicting yourself

Inferno3 · Joined: 25 May 2006 Posts: 36

rdeg87 · Joined: 29 Apr 2007 Posts: 200

Just reading through the cards. It does seem to be an unusual loop-hole. Dont know if it actually works as the card "Shapeshifter" and the creature token "Shapeshifter" are two different things. Has anyone gotten actual confermation of this?

thedarkness · Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 493

Actually, you're all wrong, at least partly.

It has protection from anything with the name Shapeshifter.

However, TOKENS are always considered to be "named" X Token # if they aren't given a specific name, if I remember correctly.

For example, Bitterblossom produces Faerie Rogue Token 1, 2, 3, etc.

Crib Swap Produces Shapeshifter Token 1, 2, 3, etc.

I may be wrong about the numbering, but I guarantee I'm right about Shapeshifter.

Edit: lawl.

216.1 - Some effects put token creatures into play. A token is controlled by whomever put it into play and owned by the controller of the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability may define any number of characteristics for the token. A token doesn't have any characteristics not defined by the spell or ability that created it. The spell or ability that creates the token sets both its name and its creature type. If the spell or ability doesn't specify the name of the token, its name is the same as its creature type(s). A "Goblin Scout creature token," for example, is named "Goblin Scout" and has the creature subtypes Goblin and Scout. Once a token is in play, changing its name doesn't change its creature type, and vice versa. [CompRules 2005/08/01]

It would seem that I am incorrect. This is the last time I rely on modo's token naming system for that shit. Razz

Ownj00 · Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 78

naming assembly-worker protects you from urza's factory tokens, so the shapeshifter example should be fine as well.

Ggerg · Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 487

oh what!? i'm right? well fancy that.

bananaman2 · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 14

Yep Ggerg was right about the naming shapeshifter working. It's a stupid loophole and hopefully will be hit with the errata mallet.

As for some S/B help i'd really recommend 4 Reveillarks. I played against merfolk with a firespouting deck and it's just an absolute beating. Forge tenders are an autoinclude at the moment with all the red decks and wispmare is nice against faeries. I'm not so sure about pollen lullaby and the cold-eye selkie. See what your weaknesses are and fill those slots with something useful.

4 x Burrenton Forge Tender
4 x Reveillark
3 x Wispmare
4 x w/e you like. (jace and runed halo maybe Smile

)