by Brent Houlding

Created on: January 24, 2010

2007 brought players of Magic: The Gathering the Lorwyn expansion, and with it, Merrow Reejerey. This little Merfolk can do an awful lot, but where exactly does it fit in?

When Lorwyn was first revealed to be a "tribal" expansion, there was much speculation as to what the blue tribe would be. Long ago there were Merfolk, later replaced by Cephalids, Vedalken, and even

Moonfolk.  Many suspected it would be an entirely new race, but long-time players were pleasantly surprised to discover Merfolk were making their comeback in a big way, with 22 entries in the set. One of the highlights was the uncommon Merrow Reejerey.

First the basics. The Reejerey costs 2U, netting you a 2/2 creature. He comes with the "lord" ability, giving all other merfolk +1/+1. But without another ability, he simply wouldn't live up to other merfolk lords of the past, and he certainly delivers, giving the ability to tap or untap a permanent whenever you play a Merfolk spell. This combo enabling ability was invaluable in many decks.

When Merfolk Reejerey was in standard, he could be found in two types of decks: Merfolk aggro or the affectionately termed "Millfolk". Along with Lord of Atlantis, the 8 lord Merfolk aggro decks had a great combination of monocolor, speed and size to take down unprepared opponents. Coupled with Silvergill Adept, Wake Thrasher, and a variety of other inexpensive beaters, the deck was a force to be reckoned with.

At the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the Millfolk deck aimed to "deck" the opponent by forcing them to put all their library cards in the graveyard. This effective combo deck centered around Drowner of Secrets, Merrow Commerce, and Tenth Edition's Ambassador Laquatus. The Reejerey had a vital role in protecting the combo pieces and using its untap ability to allow just that many more activations of Drowner of Secrets' mill ability.

Unfortunately, once Time Spiral and Coldsnap rotated, the tribe and thus Merrow Reejerey lost some of their potency, failing to find a place in the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor/Alara standard. Equally disappointing, the card hasn't found much of a role in Extended either. Where it has found a very welcoming home is Legacy.

Emerging relatively recently, the Legacy Merfolk deck is a force to be reckoned with. While some will argue whether the deck should have a green(for Tarmogoyf) or white(for removal) splash, the inclusion of the Reejerey is never in question. Ganging up the greatest Merfolk in Magic's history along with key control elements, this deck is both speedy and very able to keep the opponent from doing much at all. Combined with the low casting costs of the other Merfolk and convenience of monocolor, Reejerey often enables turns where the Merfolk player can simply empty their hand and deliver a fatal blow to the opponent.  The deck continues to be a strong force in most Legacy metagames world wide.

Overall you won't find a much better uncommon than Merrow Reejerey.  He has found success in nearly every format he's been legal in, and continues to be a fan of eternal and casual players. Pick up a playset today, you won't regret it.

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