How to Play Hakbal of the Surging Soul in Commander

Bracket 3 · Our Hakbal of the Surging Soul decklist · Merfolk Tribal

Our Hakbal list is Simic Merfolk with explore and +1/+1 counters. Every combat, each of your Merfolk explores, so a wide board draws lands and grows creatures every turn.

The deck stacks lords like Lord of Atlantis and Merfolk Sovereign, doubles explore with Topography Tracker, doubles counters with Branching Evolution and Hardened Scales, and makes the team unblockable with Herald of Secret Streams.

Strategy
Merfolk Tribal
Bracket
3
Avg. mana value
2.91
Lands
35
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01The Commander

Hakbal of the Surging Soul is a four-mana 3/3. At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk creature you control explores: reveal the top card, put a land into your hand, or put a +1/+1 counter on the creature.

Whenever Hakbal attacks, you may put a land from your hand onto the battlefield. If you don't, you draw a card. Explore keeps feeding you lands for that.

With five Merfolk out, each combat is five explores. Topography Tracker makes each one explore twice, and Hardened Scales adds counters on top.

02How This Deck Wins

  1. 1

    Flood the board with Merfolk

    Cheap Merfolk like Benthic Biomancer, Kiora's Follower and Stonybrook Banneret, plus token makers like Deeproot Waters, give Hakbal more explorers.

  2. 2

    Explore and grow

    Each combat every Merfolk explores. Branching Evolution, Hardened Scales and Ozolith, the Shattered Spire add extra counters.

  3. 3

    Swing unblocked

    Herald of Secret Streams makes countered creatures unblockable, and islandwalk lords like Lord of Atlantis get past Island players.

03Deck at a Glance

Bracket 3 · Merfolk Tribal · 100 cards

Composition

  • Commander1
  • Creatures34
  • Instants & sorceries16
  • Artifacts & enchantments14
  • Planeswalkers0
  • Lands35
  • Tokens7

Mana Curve

00
41
242
203
94
55
16
17+

Color Split

89colored
symbols
  • Blue 65%
  • Green 35%

By the Numbers

2.91avg. mana value
35lands (19 basic)
0Game Changers
7token types included

Cards by Role

Explore and Counter Payoffs20
Merfolk Lords9
Merfolk Engines19
Ramp7
Interaction9

04Explore and Counter Payoffs

Hakbal's explores put counters everywhere. These make it count.

Topography TrackerEvery explore happens twice, doubling Hakbal's lands and counters.
Herald of Secret StreamsEvery creature with a +1/+1 counter can't be blocked.
Branching EvolutionDoubles every +1/+1 counter your creatures get.
Nicanzil, Current ConductorExplored lands put a land from hand onto the battlefield, and nonlands grow Nicanzil.
Merfolk Cave-DiverGets +1/+0 and becomes unblockable whenever one of your creatures explores.

Also in this role

Hardened Scales
Ozolith, the Shattered Spire
Simic Ascendancy
Evolution Sage
Merfolk Skydiver
Deeproot Elite
Metallic Mimic
Benthic Biomancer
Zegana, Utopian Speaker
Prime Speaker Zegana
Tributary Instructor
Inspiring Call
Ripples of Potential
Ruinous Intrusion
Quandrix Command

05Merfolk Lords

Anthems turn small Merfolk into real attackers.

Lord of Atlantis+1/+1 and islandwalk for all Merfolk.
Master of the Pearl Trident+1/+1 and islandwalk for your Merfolk.
Merfolk Sovereign+1/+1, and taps to make a Merfolk unblockable.
Merrow Reejerey+1/+1, and taps or untaps a permanent each time you cast a Merfolk.
Mist Dancer+1/+0 and flying for every other Merfolk.

Also in this role

Merfolk Mistbinder
Vodalian Hexcatcher
Svyelun of Sea and Sky
Kopala, Warden of Waves

06Merfolk Engines

Card draw, cost reduction and token makers.

Kindred DiscoveryDraws a card whenever a Merfolk enters or attacks.
Emperor Mihail IICast Merfolk from the top of your library and make tokens.
Deeproot WatersA hexproof Merfolk token for every Merfolk spell.
Reflections of LittjaraCopies every Merfolk spell you cast.
Seafloor OracleDraws a card whenever a Merfolk deals combat damage to a player.

Also in this role

Deeproot Pilgrimage
Merrow Commerce
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca
Kiora's Follower
Stonybrook Banneret
Singer of Swift Rivers
Realmwalker
Deeproot Historian
Tishana, Voice of Thunder
Tatyova, Benthic Druid
Cold-Eyed Selkie
Bident of Thassa
Thieving Skydiver
Tishana's Tidebinder

07Ramp

Get Hakbal out on curve.

Growth SpiralDraws and puts a land onto the battlefield at instant speed.
Kodama's ReachTwo basic lands for three mana.
ExploreAn extra land and a card.
Sol RingFast mana.

Also in this role

Arcane Signet
Simic Signet
Swiftfoot Boots

08Interaction

Counters, bounce and one-sided board resets.

Wave GoodbyeBounces every creature without a +1/+1 counter. Hakbal's explores make it one-sided.
Raise the PalisadeName Merfolk and bounce everything else.
CounterspellTwo-mana answer to anything.
AetherizeBounces every attacking creature.
Heroic InterventionSaves your board from a wipe.

Also in this role

Beast Within
Rapid Hybridization
Ravenform
Curse of the Swine

09Combos and Key Interactions

+

Hakbal of the Surging Soul + Topography Tracker

Every Merfolk explores twice each combat, drawing lands and stacking counters.

+

Herald of Secret Streams + Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Explore puts counters on your Merfolk, and Herald makes every countered creature unblockable.

+

Wave Goodbye + Hardened Scales

Your Merfolk have counters from exploring. Every creature without one goes back to hand.

10How to Play

Opening hand

Keep hands with two or three lands, cheap Merfolk and a ramp spell. Hakbal on turn four wants two or three Merfolk already out.

1

Early gameturns 1-3

Play cheap Merfolk and engines like Deeproot Waters or Stonybrook Banneret.

2

Mid gameturns 4-7

Cast Hakbal and explore every combat. Add counter doublers like Branching Evolution or Hardened Scales.

3

Late gameturn 8+

Make the team unblockable with Herald of Secret Streams, clear blockers with Wave Goodbye, and swing.

Tips

  • Explore happens at the beginning of combat, before attackers are declared.
  • Put nonland cards you don't want into the graveyard when exploring.
  • Hakbal's attack trigger draws a card if you choose not to put a land down.
  • Realmwalker naming Merfolk lets you cast Merfolk from the top of your library.

Common mistakes

  • Casting Wave Goodbye before your creatures have counters.
  • Overextending into a wipe without Heroic Intervention.
  • Forgetting Hakbal only explores with Merfolk creatures.
  • Keeping lands you need in your library instead of taking them.

Watch out for

  • Board wipes.
  • Effects that remove counters.
  • Fliers that block your ground Merfolk.
  • Removal on Hakbal.

11Bracket and Rule 0

1Exhibition
2Core
3Upgraded
4Optimized
5cEDH
Bracket3

Our list runs no Game Changers.

The deck wins through combat with no two-card infinite combos.

12Full Decklist

Every card in our Hakbal of the Surging Soul proxy deck (100 cards). Hover or tap a name to see the card.

Commander

  • 1Hakbal of the Surging Soul2GU

Creatures (34)

  • 1Benthic BiomancerU
  • 1Deeproot Elite1G
  • 1Kiora's FollowerGU
  • 1Lord of AtlantisUU
  • 1Master of the Pearl TridentUU
  • 1Merfolk MistbinderGU
  • 1Merfolk SkydiverGU
  • 1Metallic Mimic2
  • 1Nicanzil, Current ConductorGU
  • 1Stonybrook Banneret1U
  • 1Thieving Skydiver1U
  • 1Vodalian Hexcatcher1U
  • 1Cold-Eyed Selkie1G/UG/U
  • 1Emperor Mihail II1UU
  • 1Evolution Sage2G
  • 1Kopala, Warden of Waves1UU
  • 1Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca1GU
  • 1Merfolk Cave-Diver2U
  • 1Merfolk Sovereign1UU
  • 1Merrow Reejerey2U
  • 1Realmwalker2G
  • 1Singer of Swift Rivers1GU
  • 1Svyelun of Sea and Sky1UU
  • 1Tishana's Tidebinder2U
  • 1Topography Tracker2G
  • 1Deeproot Historian3G
  • 1Herald of Secret Streams3U
  • 1Seafloor Oracle2UU
  • 1Tributary Instructor3G
  • 1Zegana, Utopian Speaker2GU
  • 1Mist Dancer4U
  • 1Tatyova, Benthic Druid3GU
  • 1Prime Speaker Zegana2GGUU
  • 1Tishana, Voice of Thunder5GU

Instants (10)

  • 1Rapid HybridizationU
  • 1CounterspellUU
  • 1Growth SpiralGU
  • 1Heroic Intervention1G
  • 1Ripples of Potential1U
  • 1Beast Within2G
  • 1Inspiring Call2G
  • 1Quandrix Command1GU
  • 1Aetherize3U
  • 1Ruinous Intrusion3G

Sorceries (6)

  • 1Curse of the SwineXUU
  • 1Explore1G
  • 1Kodama's Reach2G
  • 1Ravenform2U
  • 1Wave Goodbye2UU
  • 1Raise the Palisade4U

Artifacts (6)

  • 1Sol Ring1
  • 1Arcane Signet2
  • 1Ozolith, the Shattered Spire1G
  • 1Simic Signet2
  • 1Swiftfoot Boots2
  • 1Bident of Thassa2UU

Enchantments (8)

  • 1Hardened ScalesG
  • 1Deeproot Pilgrimage1U
  • 1Merrow Commerce1U
  • 1Simic AscendancyGU
  • 1Branching Evolution2G
  • 1Deeproot Waters2U
  • 1Kindred Discovery3UU
  • 1Reflections of Littjara4U

Lands (35)

  • 1Alchemist's Refuge
  • 1Breeding Pool
  • 1Command Tower
  • 1Dreamroot Cascade
  • 7Forest
  • 1Hinterland Harbor
  • 12Island
  • 1Karn's Bastion
  • 1Mosswort Bridge
  • 1Path of Ancestry
  • 1Reliquary Tower
  • 1Rogue's Passage
  • 1Secluded Courtyard
  • 1Simic Growth Chamber
  • 1Temple of Mystery
  • 1Unclaimed Territory
  • 1Vineglimmer Snarl
  • 1Yavimaya Coast
Hakbal of the Surging Soul proxy deck cover

Get the deck

Hakbal of the Surging Soul Merfolk Tribal proxy deck

Hakbal turns a school of Merfolk into a card and counter engine. Go wide, explore every combat, and swing unblocked.

Every card in this guide is shown exactly as it prints in the deck you get, sleeve-ready, with tokens.

Shop the deck · $45

Every card named in this guide is in our deck, and every image is our own proxy card, rendered from the art in this deck.