Lord of AtlantisLord of Atlantis | art by Melissa Benson
Merfolk are one of Magic: The Gathering's oldest creature types, dating all the way back to the first set in the game's history (Alpha).
Much like Elves, Goblins, and others, only two cards fit the bill for the Merfolk type in Alpha: Merfolk of the Pearl TridentMerfolk of the Pearl Trident (a vanilla 1/1) and the iconic Lord of AtlantisLord of Atlantis.
In terms of gameplay, Merfolk boast numerous synergies as well as a plethora of “lords,” or creatures that boost the power and toughness of creatures that share a type with them (getting their name from the Lord of Atlantis himself).
We'll delve into all those synergies and all the best cards below for those looking to soup up their Merfolk Commander deck. Let's—ahem—dive in.
Honorable Mentions
Nicanzil, Current ConductorNicanzil, Current Conductor
Lord of AtlantisLord of Atlantis/Master of the Pearl TridentMaster of the Pearl Trident
Thieving SkydiverThieving Skydiver
Thieving Skydiver
Seafloor OracleSeafloor Oracle
Seafloor Oracle
Deeproot HistorianDeeproot Historian
Deeproot Historian
Top 21 Merfolk Cards for Commander
21. Summon: LeviathanSummon: Leviathan
The most recent card on this list, which also happens to be one of the best Summons from Final Fantasy, tacks on the eminent Merfolk creature type to the standard kindred “sea monster” blend: Kraken, Leviathan, Octopus, and Serpent.
While expensive at , you get a 6/6 beater with ward as well as a soft board wipe of non-Merfolk in the first chapter and major card advantage upside in its final two chapters, which adds up to a pretty sick combination and an auspicious start to this list of top Merfolk cards.
20. Topography TrackerTopography Tracker
While green Merfolk first appeared in 2001's Apocalypse (via the Elf Merfolk Gaea's SkyfolkGaea's Skyfolk for ), the synergies, strengths, and weaknesses of green Merfolk weren't codified until the 2017 release of Ixalan, which debuted a number of terrific Merfolk for green mages.
The set also explored the brand-new (at the time) explore mechanic, which Merfolk were heavily involved in. Topography TrackerTopography Tracker from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander bonus sheet doubles up all of your explore triggers and also nets you a MapMap token upon entering. Perfect for green M'folk.
19. Deeproot PilgrimageDeeproot Pilgrimage
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan's release in 2023 was a major boon for Merfolk fans, as it delivered a plethora of explore-focused Merfolk as well as just all-around strong Merfolk creatures that slid perfectly into existing Merfolk shells.
This enchantment riffs on the uncommon Deeproot WatersDeeproot Waters from the original Ixalan and gives you more of a board presence if you've already played a turn-one Merfolk – and many strong options exist of those.
While you sadly only get one hexproof Merfolk per attack, that's still a nifty boon that can snowball quickly. It also pairs beautifully with effects such as the one found on…
18. Deeproot EliteDeeproot Elite
Effects that incrementally beef up your creatures are often quite strong and have become more and more omnipresent as Magic's cards get more complex and text-heavy.
Deeproot Elite's effect is fairly elegant and clean: when a Merfolk enters, you get to put a +1/+1 counter on another Merfolk you control. While it doesn't scream “superpowered,” Merfolk can appear rapidly, and, when they do, these tokens can compound rather quickly if combined with proliferate mechanics or Hardened ScalesHardened Scales-style abilities.
17. Cold-Eyed SelkieCold-Eyed Selkie
A three-mana 1/1 with islandwalk makes the list… what gives? Two reasons. First, the terrifying visage of this creature is enough to force me into placing it on the list out of sheer fear.
The other reason is that the text: “Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, you may draw that many cards,” is rather appealing, wouldn't you say?
Sure, this Merfolk is frail at 1/1 with no protection, but once you toss down a few lords and boost this creature's power and toughness to hefty heights, you're drawing beaucoup cards per turn.
16. Kopala, Warden of WavesKopala, Warden of Waves
Speaking of protection (or lack thereof in the Selkie's sake), Kopala, Warden of WavesKopala, Warden of Waves from Ixalan taxes all of your foes if they want to target your beloved Merfolk. That's both via casting spells and activating abilities, too, which is nice.
A bonus to a kill spell can be the difference between a foe focusing on your most valuable Merfolk (the MVM, if you will) to changing their mind and destroying one of your other opponents' critters instead.
15. Merfolk SovereignMerfolk Sovereign
Merfolk as a creature type has no shortage of lords. In fact, the first rare Merfolk ever, Lord of AtlantisLord of Atlantis, gave this pseudo-creature type its catchy name.
Originally releasing in Magic 2010, this Merfolk lord provides the standard +1/+1 to Merfolk (only yours, thankfully) but also boasts a pretty sweet activated ability: target Merfolk creature can't be blocked this turn.
While obviously better used on your Merpeople, you can also play politics if one of your opponents has a tricky Merfolk that they want to be able to hit another foe with.
14. True-Name NemesisTrue-Name Nemesis
While obviously better in one-on-one formats, this 3/1 Merfolk Rogue for features an amazing—and utterly unique—effect, insofar that it is able to protect itself from a single player during a game of Commander via the “protection from” ability.
Getting protection from a specific player can be game-changing in a Commander pod, as Voltron-style decks can sometimes be halted in their tracks by a creature that can't be damaged, enchanted, blocked, or targeted by a specific player.
13. Emperor Mihail IIEmperor Mihail II
If you're wanting to play your Merfolk deck the old-fashioned way (that is to say mono-blue), you could do worse than choosing this 3/3 Merfolk Noble for as your commander.
Peeking at the top of your library and casting Merfolk from there is a nice effect, and tacking on to create a 1/1 Merfolk is a tasty boon. One quibble: the tokens created here should've all been Merfolk of the Pearl TridentMerfolk of the Pearl Trident tokens. Come on, Wizards of the Coast, it was right there!
12. Harbinger of the SeasHarbinger of the Seas
Speaking of going beautifully in mono-blue Merfolk decks… This Modern Horizons 3 Merfolk Wizard does a spot-on Blood MoonBlood Moon impression, but instead of turning nonbasics into MountainMountains, it turns them into IslandIslands. Talk about land-hosing!
The Harbinger should, obviously, only be played in mono-blue Merfolk decks, and preferably in control shells that focus on icing out the opponent from doing much of anything rather than overwhelming them with tons of creatures, just like Richard Garfield intended.
11. Tuvasa the SunlitTuvasa the Sunlit
While most of the best Merfolk cards are in Simic colors (), white does insert itself into the conversation when it comes to synergistic Merfolk options.
If you're looking to play a straight-up Bant () Merfolk deck, Tuvasa the SunlitTuvasa the Sunlit is a terrific choice as your commander.
Sure, Tuvasa kind of hijacks the Merfolk theme and replaces it with a more Enchantress-y build, but she does grow to immense heights rather quickly if you're throwing down the right Auras and enchantments, and Merfolk sub-synergies can certainly still flourish in a Tuvasa-led deck.
10. Svyelun of Sea and SkySvyelun of Sea and Sky
Another strong choice if you're looking to play a mono-blue Merfolk Commander deck, Svyelun hails from Modern Horizons 2 and is a 3/4 Merfolk God for that will almost always immediately have indestructible thanks to living in a Merfolk-happy environment.
After that, she'll net you a card when she attacks and—the best reason to play her in a Merfolk build—she gives all of your other Merfolk ward , which can be the difference between life and death. Combine her with Kopala and you've got a three-mana tax on foes targeting your guys.
9. Vodalian HexcatcherVodalian Hexcatcher
Yet another terrifically strong Merfolk lord, Vodalian HexcatcherVodalian Hexcatcher debuted in 2022's Dominaria United set and represented the joys of power creep when it comes to kindred boosts.
Though this Merfolk Wizard is only a 1/1, it boasts flash (always useful), so it can ambush unsuspecting foes' attacks by boosting all your Merfolk by +1/+1 on their turn.
Of course, the “hexcatcher” aspect of this lord is that it turns all of your Merfolk into Stubborn DenialStubborn Denials, as you can sacrifice them to counter a noncreature spell unless its caster pays .
8. Wanderwine ProphetsWanderwine Prophets
Getting an extra turn in Magic is an eminently valuable effect. Chaining together multiple extra turns? Well, that's priceless. Wanderwine ProphetsWanderwine Prophets from 2007's Lorwyn gives Merfolk players myriad ways in which to produce a cavalcade of consecutive extra turns.
Of course, the easiest way to get these extra turns is to make the Prophets unblockable, which, conveniently, can be done with a simple activated ability every turn from Merfolk SovereignMerfolk Sovereign.
Sure, the Prophets lack any sort of protection or evasion and you have to exile one of your own Merfolk when it enters, but the allure of multiple extra turns is simply too much to ignore.
7. Tatyova, Benthic DruidTatyova, Benthic Druid
Tatyova first debuted in 2018's Dominaria and immediately vaulted into the limelight as an amazing Pauper Commander option as well as a terrific landfall enabler, as her triggered ability—gain one life and draw a card—is very easily abusable and eminently synergistic.
As a Merfolk, she's better served as a member of the 99 rather than the leader as a commander (that is looking mighty large these days), but you're never going to be unhappy that you played this legendary Merfolk Druid.
6. Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero
One of the most popular partner commanders ever, this two-mana Merfolk Wizard can be found in 29,827 decks, which would rank 4th overall among commanders were it being taken in solo form.
As a Merfolk, and especially as a “partnered” commander, Thrasios plays a plethora of roles across a wide spectrum of decks. With a nice triggered ability that serves as a great mana sink at , Thrasios plays best in Landfall decks alongside TatyovaTatyova or cards like Risen ReefRisen Reef, but there's always room for a useful, low-cost 1/3 creature in Merfolk decks as well.
5. Merrow CommerceMerrow Commerce
Another Merfolk kindred classic from Lorwyn, this two-mana enchantment actually boasts the quite rare kindred supertype, which means it will ping on any “upon casting a Merfolk spell” text that you might have on the battlefield.
In terms of its effect, untapping all of your Merfolk at the end of your turn is a fairly amazing static trigger, as it allows you to have some fun with Kumena, Tyrant of OrazcaKumena, Tyrant of Orazca or just generally showcase an impressive defensive roster of beefed-up Merfolk. And, yes, this card does indeed untap itself.
4. Merrow ReejereyMerrow Reejerey
The last actual Merfolk lord on this list also happens to be among the best. Merrow ReejereyMerrow Reejerey brings the heat as a 2/2 for (requiring only one pip makes a difference) that, as lords do, boosts your other Merfolk by +1/+1.
But it's the Reejerey's (which means “knight” or “paladin” in the Manx language from the Isle of Man) triggered ability that truly turns it into a kindred powerhouse.
Being able to tap or untap any permanent (not just creature) whenever you cast a Merfolk can turn all of your pesky little 1/1s into annoying threats that can thwart a foe's mana base, tap down their best creatures or double up your mana production. Combine with some flash Merfolk for extra fun.
3. Vodalian Wave-KnightVodalian Wave-Knight
While this card could be construed as a Merfolk lord, I believe that a lord must provide a static power and toughness boost to specific creature types, so Vodalian Wave-KnightVodalian Wave-Knight's case is dismissed. But that doesn't mean this card isn't a terrific Merfolk enabler!
One of only two cards here that boasts white in its mana cost, this 3/3 for pulls double-duty as both a Merfolk and Knight enabler, and it can boost your entire board massively, so long as you're drawing some extra cards every turn. Pair with Cold-Eyed SelkieCold-Eyed Selkie for huge gains.
2. Kumena, Tyrant of OrazcaKumena, Tyrant of Orazca
One of the best Merfolk commanders, Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca is a 2/4 Merfolk Shaman for with three activated abilities, all of which require tapping untapped Merfolk.
Luckily, in a dedicated Merfolk deck you'll be producing all manner of Merfolk tokens and dropping plenty of one-mana Merfolk, which will, of course, be perfect fodder for using one of Kumena's abilities to annoy or harass an opponent.
Toss Merrow CommerceMerrow Commerce and Vodalian Wave-KnightVodalian Wave-Knight into the mix, and, baby, you've got a stew going.
1. Hakbal of the Surging SoulHakbal of the Surging Soul
However, the best Merfolk card in Commander, and the top choice among Merfolk as an actual commander, is Hakbal of the Surging Soul from The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander bonus sheet. This explore-focused 3/3 commander costs , and it lets your entire Merfolk squad explore at the beginning of combat on each of your turns.
You can really go all-in on the explore sub-theme when playing Merfolk, as pairing Hakbal with NicanzilNicanzil, Topography TrackerTopography Tracker, Path of DiscoveryPath of Discovery, Twists and TurnsTwists and Turns and Wildgrowth WalkerWildgrowth Walker is a powerhouse core.
Throw in Merfolk related to drawing cards or playing lands (or both, like Tatyova, Benthic DruidTatyova, Benthic Druid), and you've got a nearly unstoppable tsunami of card advantage, land acceleration and an impressive army of Merfolk rushing up from the depths to consume your foes.
Merfolk Mania
Writing about any of the classic creature types that hail from Magic's genesis is always enjoyable, though Merfolk have come a long way from the vanilla 1/1s of 30 years ago. Thanks for reading!
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