Hello fellow Magic fans! I hope that your day is going extremely well! Ever since Alpha debuted with Lord of Atlantis and Merfolk of the Pearl Trident, Merfolk decks have existed. Being combined with tempo cards of the day like Winter Orb, they'd make the cut in powerful decks called "Frozen Fish" and then after the first typal set ever printed, Fallen Empires pushed the Merfolk creature type as a supported group even more. There were now Aggro and Aggro-Control variants of Merfolk you'd run into all day long as well as Frozen Fish.

However, the powers that be didn't print Merfolk for a long time because they had tails, and thus didn't make sense as a creature running around outside of their seas. Now, they have legs but there were years when there were no Merfolk being made, so of the four biggest creature types from the first set, they have the fewest numbers because of that. There are just 270 Merfolk as opposed to 448 Goblins, 565 Zombies and 578 Elves. Merfolk have just 9402 decks over at EDHREC.com, which is a top 20 archetype at 17, but pretty low considering how often they were played in the old days. Anyways, ready for my look at the best Merfolk ever printed for kitchen table formats like Commander, Highlander, Type Four, Five Color, and multiplayer? For purposes of this list, I am only covering things with the Merfolk creature type, not changelings, or things that make Merfolk tokens or things like that. Also, I will be giving you four Honorable Mentions, not three.

Let's do it to it!

Honorable Mention #1 (#14 Overall) - Jori En, Ruin Diver

Check out our first Merfolk on my list! This 3-drop Izzet colored 2/3 is legendary for Command Zone purposes. When you cast your second spell each turn, you draw a card. Note that this does not read "on your turn" anywhere so in multiplayer you can trigger many times, once on yours, one on your foe's with two instants or flash cards. This is in just 640 decks as a Commander, but a strong 14020 in the 99 as well, so it's in a good number of decks in its color type. I like it leading a Cantrip Archetype (21168 decks) with instant cantrips to trigger this a few times each round like Opt and Brainstorm. Then you can win with Spellslinger things like Guttersnipe. Then you can run this in Izzet Wheels (52351) where you have tons of cheap spells that cost 1 or 2 mana like Lightning Bolt and Pongify to cast instantly or on your turn to drop your hand and then reload with this and then eventually with the wheel you draw from this. It's pretty strong and played heavily in the 99, but I like it with Izzet brews too. Ready for another 3-drop that's not a legendary dork?

Honorable Mention #2 (#13 Overall) - Cold-Eyed Selkie

Check out this 3-drop 1/1 with Islandwalk in the Simic colors. When it deals combat damage to a player? You draw cards equal to its power. That will always be one by default, but can be scaled up quickly by a few power pumping things:

1. Auras like Rancor that are played.
2. Equipment like Sword of Fire and Ice that are heavily played.
3. Lords in Merfolk that pump them all, like Master of the Pearl Trident.
4. Anthems that pump your team like Gaea's Anthem.

If you have any of those four things in your Simic deck, this is a card you'll want to consider. This is in a powerful 27332. Although it's Simic for color identity, so it can only be with those two colors, it's easier to cast than your usual dork. It's very strong in Aggro, Aura, Equipment, Voltron, and Merfolk brews. It doesn't even matter if your opponents have Islands with cards like Quicksliver Fountain. You can give your team Islandwalk with Master of the Pearl Trident and then give them an Island if they don't have it with something like Phantasmal Terrain or the Merfolk Tribal Instant Aquitect's Will. It's very strong in many different brews and it's a Commander staple with more than 25k in decks. Ready for our only Merfolk card that's not a dork?

Honorable Mention #3 (#12 Overall) - Merrow Commerce

Merfolk came back from their long time away with this set. Nice. Then this 2-drop enchantment is one of three Merfolk Tribal cards. Also note that this will untap your Merfolk in your end step, so that's once extra no matter how many foes you have. This will let you swing with your team and untap for blocking, like pseudo-vigilance. It'll also let you tap your tappers more than once, like the next card. Or it'll let you tap your stuff with things like Opposition or Earthcraft to tap and untap once. Good stuff, and it's very strong in Merfolk decks, but that one sided aspect drops it here in my Honorable Mention spot. This is in 8349 decks in EDHREC.com. Next is the tapper we alluded to in this text.

Honorable Mention #4 (#11 Overall) - Kiora's Follower

Our tapper is this 2-drop 2/2 on curve Simic colored Merfolk. It'll tap to untap any permanent, so you can use it for lands like a Mana Merfolk. Or you can swing with an on curve beater instead. You can untap a beefy Commander after they swing, a tapper Commander after they tapped, another tapper like Arcanis the Omnipotent or Prodigal Sorcerer in Blue or Circle of Dreams Druid in Green to make a ton of mana. You can also untap artifacts like Staff of Nin, Temple Bell, or Sol Ring don't sleep on that either. It's also a Commander Classic with a massive 36259 in decks over at EDHREC.com. This thing is great in Pingers, Tappers, Aggro, Mana Dorks, Tempo to untap your land in a Winter Orb, or in many other places. Now what (Simic) duo makes our first slot in the Top Ten?

10. Tishana, Voice of Thunder AND Prime Speaker Zegana

This is our only scoring duo on today's list, and it's a lot of fun. The 7-drop is an X/X where X is your cards in hand. You have no max hand size so that can be big. Then when it ETBs, you draw cards equal to your creature count, for just one more mana than Collective Unconscious. It's very strong card flow and a sizeable dork for the going wide Simic deck like Merfolk, Aggro, Tokens, and more. The 6-drop costs less overall but is much pickier with the mana costs. It's normally just 1/1 but it ETBs with +1/+1 counters equal to your biggest dork. So, it cares about going up, and also makes a big dork. Then you draw equal to its power, still a strong card flow attached to a win con. It likes Power Matters, +1/+1 Counters, Beefy Beats, and biggest stuff making. This pair aren't normally going to be in the same deck, but they are both in the same genre of dork - making a Merfolk beater with big card flow attached for 6 or 7 mana. And they are legendary for Command Zone purposes. Tishana is in 8945 decks and Zegana is in 18150. Next is our first Mono-Blue Merfolk creature!

9. Seafloor Oracle

This is our highest scoring Merfolk card that is not also a legendary to lead your tribe. This 4-drop 2/3 is a Coastal Piracy on legs for your Merfolk. Whenever your Merfolk deal combat damage to a player, draw a card. That's a lot of card flow at a kitchen table that loves that card draw. Note that this will trigger itself. Like the prior two, this is still good on a naked board since you'll draw one extra card each turn, whereas they will give you one or two cards on an empty board and then stop. Nicely done my Merfolk loving Wizard, nicely done. This one is in 8822 decks, so it's run out there, but not in massive numbers. It should go into any Blue Merfolk deck as a clear staple. Ready for the next card which is back to legendary? I got you!

8. Emperor Mihail II

Hello Junior! I hope your day went well! This 3-drop investment gives you an on-curve 3/3 result. Then you have three abilities with this legendary dork. First, you can look at the top card of your library any time you want, so that works with things like Soothsaying and Sensei's Divining Top. Then if it's a Merfolk, you can cast it, so that's card flow over time, but not card drawing. Then when you cast a Merfolk spell you can spend 1 to make a 1/1 Merfolk dork. Nice tribal dork making in your brew! Junior is in 722 lists as a Commander, and then 4367 in the 99, so he definitely likes Merfolk decks. He goes wide and gains card advantage over time. I love Junior loads here, but he seems a bit underplayed compared to Seafloor Oracle above, since they both play into the same space. Our next card is also a Mono-Blue legendary Merfolk! But...which one?

7. Svyelun of Sea and Sky

Hitting halfway on the list today is this 3-drop Mono-Blue Merfolk, with an on curve 3/4 body and three abilities. The first is that if you control at least two other Merfolk, this God will get indestructible. That's very likely, and unlike other Gods it doesn't have an inability to attack or swing or be in play, it's always just a 3/4 for three usually with indestructible. Then when she attacks, you draw a card, so that's card draw over time. Nasty. Then your other Merfolk have ward 1, since you'll want them out to give your God indestructible, she protects them. Also, she can swing for one card when you have indestructible even if she would otherwise be killed, so her abilities all work well together. She leads a strong 1586 decks, and is in 7969 of other decks in the 99. She is the 2nd highest charting legendary in the Merfolk Tribe. She's the best Mono-Blue Merfolk leader for Commander. Now what Simic colored legendary Merfolk is hitting #6? She's a staple on a whole other level from Svyelun.

6. Tatyova, Benthic Druid

Our final card before the Top 5 is this uncommon. She is in a strong 4099 lists as a Commander - good stuff, but in the 99? She's in 72092, so she's a legendary Commander Classic according to EDHREC.com. Let's look at why! She costs five mana, and just for a 3/3 body, under the curve, and she just has one ability! It's landfall. She can landfall a land into a life and a card. The Lands Matter Archetype is pretty popular at Commander as the 10th most common with 42598 decks - pretty good stuff for your Merfolk Druid to play into. Landfall is at 19297 at 23rd. And then she can also rock life gain too, don't sleep on that. Her uncommon status makes her very cheap on the secondary market costing just $0.49 here at CoolStuffInc.com for the cheapest near mint copy. Heavy use and love hasn't hurt her price. That makes her affordable and strong as a leader or in the 99 of two major archetypes. But, she just misses out on our 5 spot, which is also a Simic colored legendary Merfolk, but which one?

Hitting our top five are three Simic Merfolk, one Mono-Blue and one Bant but which ones where? Let's find out together!

5. Adrix and Nev, Twincasters

Although they are also underwhelming in size at a 2/2 for four, Adrix and Nev have two abilities. First, they have ward 2 to protect themselves a bit. Nice. Then if you would make tokens, you'll now double that amount! Leading a Simic Token brew is why they are here as they will double your Treasure, Clue, Food, Thopter, Drake, and Saproling tokens. All of them are now doubled, so this is half of Doubling Season in the Command Zone for one less mana. You can see how popular they are in the Tokens theme. They lead 5889 decks and are in 28888 decks, which is fewer than Tatyova by a lot but in more as a Commander. And their archetypes are more beloved - Treasure is 2nd with 83144 decks compared to Lands at 10th and Tokens generally are at 7th at 53778, both higher than Lands or Landfall. Being a key dork to unlock the Treasures and Tokens Door is pretty useful. Love this duo loads in their archetypes or leading them. Next is the Bant one.

4. Tuvasa the Sunlit

Our only Bant card on today's list! This 3-drop is just a 1/1, so again with the small sizes for costs. Then you have two abilities. First, she gets +1/+1 in size for each enchantment you control, so she's a win-con in that archetype. Then when you cast your first enchantment each turn you draw a card, so she is a Vesuvan Enchantress in the Command Zone but just once. You'll want to combine that with flash to get multiple triggers on opposing turns. She loves enchantments and so do casual players! Enchantments Matter is the 14th biggest Archetype with 31023 decks. The Aura loving subtype is higher at 11th with 40210, so those combined are more than 71k and both in the Top 15 overall. She's leading a massive 5015 decks in Commander, more than many others so far, and then in 6190 more lists. Nasty stuff. She is in the enchantment loving colors of Green with Rancor and the aforementioned Enchantress, White with Academy Rector and Replenish, and Blue with Arcanum Wings and Steel of the Godhead. Nasty combo for the enchantment and aura lovers among us. You can see why she's my 4th overall top Merfolk, but hitting #3 is another Simic leader.

3. Thrasios, Triton Hero

This 2-drop 1/3 Simic-colored partner with a four-mana activated ability is our three spot. All three of them could be #1, though. Thrasios, because of partner and two mana in his cost makes him heavily played just by those that want the colors in their deck, or a cheap body to drop. His four-mana activation scries 1, and then reveal the top card of your library. Was it a land? Put it into play tapped. Otherwise draw. Strong ramp and card flow from one dork. The only issue here is that your foes will know what you drew if it wasn't a land. You can scry and use this to draw. It's also awesome with Sensei's Divining Top, Sylvan Library, Mirri's Guile, scry, and loads more. Fun stuff with any deck manipulation cards. It's very heavily played as a Commander with a massive 16389 among all partnerships and that's the 7th most played Commander if you count all partners. His biggest tag team is with Tymna at 3972 lists, more than many leaders without it to give you four colors. As one of the 99 he's just in 14450. Fewer than as a Commander, so outside of the Command Zone, his impact is less desired, since he requires four mana to use it. Compare those numbers to the other land caring and card flow Simic card Tatyova with more in decks as the 99 but fewer Commanders. Despite his heavy use as a Commander, his reduced usage outside of the Command Zone drops him to the 3rd spot on my countdown, but, again, I see all here of these as worthy of the top spot. Now let's turn to the final Simic colored legendary Merfolk!

2. Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca

Ah yes, our penultimate scoring Merfolk on our list and top Simic dork! This leads all Merfolk Tribal decks with a massive 5236 decks as the leader of the Tribe. Then it appears in just 1177 more decks, so, again, not as many as a Commander in the 99. This 3-drop 2/4 rocks three tap abilities. The first taps any Merfolk you control to make Kumena unblockable. That's nice for a Commander Damage kill, but that probably wants to be with power pumpers like equipment or Master of the Pearl Trident-style Lords. Then you can tap three Merfolk to draw a card. Strong card draw and no mana needed, just tap away. That works with things without haste. Then you can tap five Merfolk to put a +1/+1 counter on all of your Merfolk. Since it wants to go wide anyway to draw cards and make it unblockable, then the permanent boosting of your size is pretty great for your going wide team. As you can see, Kumena is beloved as a Commander and adds Green's love of +1/+1 counters with things like Doubling Season alongside ramp like Cultivate and the core Merfolk in Blue from various blocks. This is the perfect Commander for the tribe! Go wide, get cards to fight going wide removal from sweeping, run counters and Heroic Intervention to counter mass removal to draw more cards and win going wide. You can see loads of good stuff from this Merfolk Shaman! Our Mono-Blue legendary dork is next, but which one? Let's take a looksee!

1. Talrand, Sky Summoner

Ah yes, Talrand, the Win Condition. Four mana for another 2/2 is underwhelming, but when you cast an instant or sorcery, you make a 2/2 flying Drake token. Despite making just a Mono-Blue Spellslinger deck with Talrand as the leader, he is still leading 4,263 decks with that color issue, and he's in a massive 74,049 in the 99 for beloved Izzet and Jeskai Spellslinger (#9 at 50008 decks). I also like him in instant/sorcery heavy stuff like Blue based Cantrips, Izzet Counter/Burn, any Blue Control, Dimir Discard, and more. He's the opposite of Thrasios - not a Commander as often, but in way more decks overall, hence him making my #1 spot. Ready to get things ready for his era to continue to dominate? I hope so too!

And there were my Top Ten Merfolk! I hope that you enjoyed this list and are ready for a Merfolk explosion at the kitchen table! Next week we might be looking at the Top Commander Masters new cards, but there aren't that many, so I might do Top Ten Defensive Creatures for Commander too!