commander · Hakbal of the Surging Soul
Explorers of the Deep (LCC).
A Simic Merfolk counters deck led by Hakbal of the Surging Soul — explore to put +1/+1 counters on your Merfolk, stack them into enormous threats, and win through an unblockable counter-loaded board enabled by Herald of Secret Streams.
The Commanders
Explorers of the Deep is a Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander deck built around Merfolk tribal with the explore mechanic. Each turn, your Merfolk explore — revealing the top card of your library and either putting it in your hand or placing a +1/+1 counter on the creature — growing your team into a massive board while churning through your library. Herald of Secret Streams makes every creature with a +1/+1 counter unblockable, and the deck quickly builds a team of unblockable Merfolk that can't be outrun.
Hakbal of the Surging Soul is the explore engine. Whenever a Merfolk enters the battlefield under your control, that Merfolk explores — meaning it grows with counters or digs you into your library. With ten Merfolk entering over a few turns, Hakbal triggers ten explores, putting ten +1/+1 counters across your board and digging ten cards deep. He snowballs aggressively and rewards dense Merfolk curves.
Nicanzil, Current Conductor is the card draw alternative. Nicanzil draws a card whenever a creature you control explores and finds a land. In a deck where creatures explore constantly, Nicanzil converts the "bad" explore outcomes (land reveals) into card advantage, ensuring you always have plays available and your hand stays full even when your library is being explored away.
Key Cards
Herald of Secret Streams
The deck's win condition in one card. Herald of Secret Streams gives all creatures you control with +1/+1 counters unblockable. In a deck where every Merfolk enters with counters from Hakbal's explore triggers, Deeproot Elite's counter distribution, and Branching Evolution doubling everything — your entire board is unblockable. A 5/5 unblockable Merfolk attacking every turn kills in three hits. Six unblockable Merfolk kill in one hit. Herald transforms a good board into an unstoppable one.
Deeproot Elite
Deeproot Elite puts a +1/+1 counter on target Merfolk whenever a Merfolk enters the battlefield under your control. It doesn't have to be itself — choose the best Merfolk on the board and stack it. With Hakbal triggering explores and Deeproot Elite stacking counters simultaneously, each entering Merfolk generates two separate counter effects. Target Deeproot Elite itself repeatedly and it becomes a 10/10 Merfolk in the mid-game while enabling unblockability through Herald of Secret Streams.
Deeproot Waters
Deeproot Waters creates a 1/1 blue Merfolk Hexproof token whenever you cast a Merfolk spell. In a deck that casts five to eight Merfolk spells per turn cycle, Deeproot Waters floods the board with hexproof 1/1s that Deeproot Elite immediately gives +1/+1 counters to. Those tokens then become unblockable through Herald of Secret Streams. The hexproof property means targeted removal can't pick off your token army, and Branching Evolution doubles the counters they receive from explore.
Merrow Reejerey
Merrow Reejerey pumps every Merfolk you control +1/+1 and lets you tap or untap any permanent whenever you cast a Merfolk spell. In a deck that casts Merfolk constantly, Reejerey becomes a mana fixer, blocker tapper, and lord effect simultaneously. Untap your lands after casting a Merfolk to replay another one the same turn. Tap down an opponent's blocker before combat. The activated ability fires on every single Merfolk cast, giving you granular board control while your army grows.
Branching Evolution
Branching Evolution doubles the number of +1/+1 counters placed on each creature you control. With Hakbal exploring, Deeproot Elite stacking, and Branching Evolution doubling — each entering Merfolk generates four +1/+1 counters instead of two. After three turns, your Merfolk are 8/8s. After five turns, they're 15/15s. Branching Evolution is the explosive multiplier that takes a deck already focused on counter growth and turns it from a mid-game strategy into a turn-five lethal attack.
How to Play
The deck curves smoothly: one- and two-mana Merfolk in the first two turns, Hakbal on turn four to start the explore chain. Every subsequent Merfolk triggers Hakbal, and every explore trigger either grows a creature or digs into your library. Find Herald of Secret Streams by turn five and switch to attack mode — your entire board is now unblockable. Deploy Branching Evolution as early as possible to double counter growth. Nicanzil and Merrow Reejerey provide the card advantage and mana flexibility to keep deploying Merfolk through the mid-game. The deck wins fast once Herald is online and loses slowly when Herald is answered, so protect it with counterspells or find it again with tutors.