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The Lost Caverns of Ixalan is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Magic: The Gathering's take on the hollow-world sci-fi trope. The Aztec-themed plane of Ixalan doesn't have a molten iron core, and instead has a lost civilization living deep underground powered by an internal sun.

Every Card In Magic: The Gathering's The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan
It's time for Magic: The Gathering to head below the surface a꧋nd into The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan.
Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say there are several civilizations living underground. In addition to the dinosaurs, goblins, and humans, merfolk tribes populate the Deeproot Tree's plunging tendrils deep beneath the surface. These merfolk are a powerful force in the caverns of Ixalan, and the Explorers Of The Deep deck showcases just how potent these fish people can be.
Explorers Of The Deep Key Themes
Explorers of the Deep is primarily a merfolk typal deck. The deck is mostly creatures, and the vast majority of those cards are merfolk. You've also got a sub-theme of wizards as there are also quite a few wizards (and cards like Sage of Fables and Stonybrook Banneret helping them out), but don't kid yourself; this is a merfolk deck, plain and simple.
The secondary theme of Explorers of the Deep is +1/+1 counters. Since the explore will most likely result in a +1/+1 counter whenever you activate it, you'll be getting a lot counters, and you've got lots of ways to get more. Cards like Deeproot Elite, Kumena, Metallic Mimic, and Branching Evolution all keep the counters coming, while cards like Sage of Fables and Tributory Instructor turn those counters into cards.
Keep Herald of the Secret Streams in your hand until you've built an army to attack with. By making all your creatures with +1/+1 counters unblockable, this card is a secret we꧑apon to take out players.
Besides +1/+1 counters, you've got plenty of ways to boost the power and toughness of your merfolk army, like Merfolk Mistbinder, Merfolk Sovereign, and Merrow Reejerey. You've got several ways of making those merfolk unblockable (such as Rogue's Passage), and plenty of ways to break a stale board state in Curse of the Swine and Wave Goodbye.
What you don't have is a great way of recovering from a board wipe, so be sure to not overextend yourself by cas🥀ting your entire hand b🌞efore you have an easy way of refilling it, like Inspiring Call.
Explorers Of The Deep Commanders Analysis
Hakbal of the Surging Soul is the box-topper and namesake of Explorers of the Deep. This 3/3 merfolk scout will let each merfolk you control explore at the beginning of combat, causing many of them to gain +1/+1 counters. He's also competitively priced at four mana and can keep your hand full of cards. All in all, a great commander for your army of merfolk.
The other commander is Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood. This beefy salamander is more about mana ramping than exploration, but this can be aꦚ very helpful thing when you get several card drawing sources🧔 (like Cold-Eyed Selkie) online.
There are quite a few other potential commanders in Explorers of the Deep, including Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca; Nicanzil, Current Conductor; and Prime Speaker Zegana. All of them fit the deck's overall theme and are great choices for commander if Hakbal doesn't fit your liking.

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Explorers Of The Deep Commander Deck List
Here's the entire Explorers of the Deep deck list.
Image |
Name |
Description |
---|---|---|
Commander |
||
|
Hakbal of the Surging Soul |
Two generic, one green, one🐬 blue legendary creature – Merfolk Scout – 3/3 – Myth🔴ic Rare At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk creature you control explores. (Reveal the top card of your library. Put that card into your hand if it's a land. Otherwise, put a +1/+1 counter on the exploring creature, then put the card back or put it into your graveyard.) Whenever Hakbal of the Surging Soul attacks, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield. If you don't, draw a card. |
Creatures (37) |
||
|
Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood |
Four generic, one💟 green, one blue legendary creature - Salamander Serpent - 💃6/6 - Mythic Rare Whenever Xolatoyac, the Smiling Flood enters the battlefield or attacks, put a flood counter on target land. That land is an Island in🐎 addition to its other types f𒀰or as long as it has a flood counter on it. At the beginning of your end steꦬp, untap each permanent you control with a flood counter on it. |
|
Benthic Biomancer |
One bl𓄧ue creature - Merfolk Wizard Mutant - 1/1 - Rare One generic, one blue mana: Adapt 1. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put a +1/+1 counter on it.) Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Benthic Bioma🌼꧂ncer, draw a card, then discard a card. |
|
Cold-Eyed Selkie |
One generic, one green or blue, one green or blue🍌, creature - Merfolk Rogue - 1/1 - Rare Islandwalk (This creature can’t be blocked as long as defending player♏ controls an Island.) Whenever Cold-Eyed Selkie deals comba🍒t damage to a player, you may d💎raw that many cards. |
|
Deeproot Elite |
On💖e generic, one green creature - M🦂erfolk Warrior - 1/1 - Rare Whenever another Merfolk enters the battlefield und🎶er your control, put a +1/+1 counter on target Merfolk you control. |
|
Deeproot Historian |
Three generic, one gree🌟n creature - Merfolk Druid - 3/3 - Rare Merfolk and Druid cards in your graveyard 🍃have retrace. |
|
Emperor Mihail II |
One generic, two blue ಌlegendary creature - Merfolk Noble - 3/3 - R🌠are You may look at t💛he top card of your library any time. You may cast Me🤪rfolk spells from the top of your library. Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, you may pay one generic mana. If🍎 you do, create a 1/1 blue Merfolk creature token. |
|
Evolution Sage |
Two generic, one green creature - Elf Dru🧔id - 𝓀3/2 - Uncommon Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.) |
|
Herald of Secret Streams |
Three generic, one blue cre🌞ature - Merfolk Warrior - 2/3 - Rare Creatures you control with +1/+1 co🐟unters on them can’t be blocked. |
|
Kiora's Follower |
One green, one blue cr𒅌eat♓ure - Merfolk - 2/2 - Uncommon Tap: Untap another target permanent. |
|
Kopala, Warden of Waves |
One ꧂generic, two blue legendary creature - Merfolk✅ Wizard - 2/2 - Rare Spells your o🍬pponents cast that target a Merfolk you control cost t𒐪wo generic more to cast. ꦦ🐻Abilities your opponents activate that target a Merfolk you control cost two generic more to activate. |
|
Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca |
One generic, one green, one blue✱ legendary creature - Merfolk Shaman - 2/4 💙- Mythic Rare Tap another ওuntapped Merfolk you control: Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca can’t be blocked this turn. Tap three untapped Merfolk you 🍨con꧙trol: Draw a card. �🌞�Tap five untapped Merfolk you control: Put a +1/+1 counter on each Merfolk you control. |
|
Master of the Pearl Trident |
Two blue creature - Merfolk - 2/2 - Rare Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1 and have islandwalk. (They can’t be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.) |
|
Merfolk Cave-Diver |
Two generi♕c, one blue creature - Merfolk Scout - 2/4 - Uncommon Whenever a creature you control explores, Merfolk Cave-Diver gets +1/+0 until end of turn and can’t be block🦩ed this turn. |
|
Merfolk Mistbinder |
Two green, one blue creature -🃏 Merfolk Shaman - 2/2 - Unco𓆉mmon Other Merfolk you control get +1/+1. |
|
Merfolk Skydiver |
One green, one b♎lue creature - Merfolk Mutant - 1/1 - Uncommon Flying When Merfolk Skydiver enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 co𓆉unter on target creature you control. Three generic, one green, one blue mana: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.) |
|
Merfolk Sovereign |
One generic, two blue creature - Merfolk Noble𒁃 - 2/2 - Rare Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1. Tap: Target Merfolk creature can𒆙&rs🌳quo;t be blocked this turn. |
|
Merrow Reejerey |
Two generic, one blue c♛reature - Merfolk Soldier - 2/♍2 - Uncommon Other Merfolk creatures you control get +1/+1. Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, you may tap or untap targ𝕴et permanent. |
|
Metallic Mimic |
Two generic artifact crea🔥ture - Shapeshifter - 2/1 - Rare As Metallic Mimi♊c enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. Metallic Mimic is the cho𝓀sen type i𒀰n addition to its other types. Each other creature you control of the chosen type enters the battlefield with an addi🍷tional +1/+1 counter on it. |
|
Mist Dancer |
Four generic, one ⭕blue creature - Merfolk Wizard - 3/3 - Rare Flying Other Merfolk you control get +1/+0 and✅ have flying. Encore five generic, two blue (Five generic, two blue, Exile this card from your graveyard: For each opponent, create a token copy that attacks that opponent this turn if able. They gain haste. Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step. Activate only as a sorcery.) |
|
Nicanzil, Current Conductor |
One green, one blue legendary creature - Merfolk Scout - 2/3 🅺- Uncommon When💖ever a creature you control explores a land card, you may put a land card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped. Whenever a creature you control explores a n▨onland card, put a +1/+1 counter on Nicanzil, Current Conductor. |
|
Prime Speaker Zegana |
Two generic, two green, two blue legendary creatyre - Me🌄rfolk Wizard - 1/1 - Mythic Rare Prime Speaker Zegana enters the batt𝐆lefield with X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the greatest power among other creatures you control. When Prime Speaker Zegana enters the battlefiel🍸d, draw cards equal to its power. |
|
Realmwalker |
Two generic, one green creature - S🐷hapeshifter - 2/🌠3 - Rare Changeling (This card is every creature type.) As Realmwalker enters the battlefield, choose a cre๊ature type. You may look at the to🌊p card of your library any time. 🐼You may cast creature spells of the chosen type from the top of your library. |
|
Sage of Fables |
Two generic, one blue creature - Merfolk Wizard - 2/2 - ꦯUncommon Eac𓄧h other Wizard creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional +1/+1 counter on it. Two generic, Remove a +1/+1 counter from 🌌a creature you control: Draw a card. |
|
Seafloor Oracle |
Tw🐬o generic, two blue creature - Merfolk Wizard - 2/3 - Rare Whenever a Merfolk you control deals 🔯combat damage to a⛎ player, draw a card. |
|
Singer of Swift Rivers |
One generic, one green, one blue creature - Merfoဣlk Shaman - 3/2 - Rare Flash When Singer of🥃 Swift Rivers enters the battlefield, put a shield counter on another target creature you control. You may cast Merfolk spells as though𓃲 they had flash. |
|
Stonybrook Banneret |
One generic, one blue creature - Merfolk Wizard - 1/1 - Co𝕴mm😼on Islandwalk (This creature can’t be blocked as long as defending player controls an Island.) Merfolk spells 💧and Wizard spells y🌊ou cast cost one generic less to cast. |
|
Surgespanner |
Two generic, two blu🎐e creature - Merfolk Wizard - 2/2 - Rare Wheneve💯r Surgespanner becomes tapped, you may pay one generic, one blue. If yo🧸u do, return target permanent to its owner’s hand. |
|
Svyelun of Sea and Sky |
One generic, two b🌞lue legendary creature - Merfolk God - 3/🧔4 - Mythic Rare Svyelun of Sea a💯nd Sky has indestructible as long as you control at least two other Merfolk. Whenever Svyelun attacks, draw a card. Other Merfolk you control have ward one generic. (Whenever another Merfolk you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, counter it unless that player pays one generic.) |
|
Tatyova, Benthic Druid |
Three generic, one green, one blue legendary creature - Merfolk Druid - 3𓂃/3 - Uncommon L🏅andfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you gain 1 life and draw a card. |
|
Thassa, God of the Sea |
Three generic, one blue legendary♕ enchantment creature - God - Mythic Rare Indestructible As long as your devotion to blue is less than five, Thassa isn’t a creature. (Each blue mana symbol in the mana costs of permanents you control counts toward your devotion to blue.) At the beginning of your upkeep, scry 1. One generic🤪, one blue:💖 Target creature you control can’t be blocked this turn. |
|
Thieving Skydiver |
One generic, one blue creature - Merfolk Rogue - 2༺/1 - Rare Kicker X. X can’t be 0. (You may pay an additional X as you cast this spell.) Flying When Thieving Skydiver enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, gain control of target artifact with mana value X or less. If that artifact is an Equipment, attach it to T♔hieving Skydiver. |
|
Tishana, Voice of Thunder |
Five generic, one green, one blue legendary creature - Merfolk Shaman - */*🐲 - Mythic 🥂Rare Tishanaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ, Voice of Thunder’s power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand. You have no maximum hand size. When Tishana enters the battlefield, draw a card f✱or ✤each creature you control. |
|
Topography Tracker |
Two generic, one green crea🎀ture - Merfolk Scout - 2/2 - Rare When Topography Tracker enters the battlefield, create a Map toꦚken. If a creature you control would explore, instead i❀t explores, then it explores again. |
|
Tributary Instructor |
Three generic, one green creature🍃 - Merfolk Shaman - 4/4 - R🦩are Mentor Whenever a c༺reature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it dies, draw a card. |
|
Vorel of the Hull Clade |
One generic, one green, one blue legendary creature - Human Meꦇrfolk - 1/4 - Rare One green, one blue, Tap: Doubl𒁃e the nu🐼mber of each kind of counter on target artifact, creature, or land. |
|
Zegana, Utopian Speaker |
T💦wo generic, one green, one blue legenda⛎ry creature - Merfolk Wizard - 4/4 - Rare When Zegana, Utopian Speaker enters the battlefield, if you꧟ control another creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, draw a card. Four generic, one green, one blue: Adapt 4. (If this creature has no +1/+1 counters on it, put four +1/+1 counters on it.) Each cre🥀ature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has trample. |
Instants (9) |
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|
Aetherize |
Three generic, one blue instant - Uncommon Return all attacking creatures to their owner&🍬rsquo;s hand. |
|
Beast Within |
Two generic, one green instant - Uncommon Destroy target permanent. Its cont💮roller creates a 3/3 green Beast creature𓄧 token. |
|
Commit // Memory |
Three generic, one blue instant - Rare Put target spell෴ or nonland permanent into its owner’s library second from the top. Four generic, two blue sorcery - Rare Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.) Each pla𒅌y🃏er shuffles their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws seven cards. |
|
Growth Spiral |
One green, one blue instant - Common Draw a card. You may put a land card from your 🌞hand onto the battlefield. |
|
Inspiring Call |
Two generic, one green instant - Uncommon Draw a card for each creature you control꧅ with a +1/+1 counter on it. Those creatures gain indestructible until end of turn. |
|
Quandrix Command |
One generic, one green, one blue instant - Rare Choose two —
|
|
Rapid Hybridization |
One blue instant - Uncommon Destroy target c🤡reature. It can’t be regenerated. That creature’s controller creates📖 a 3/3 green Frog Lizard creature token. |
|
Ripples of Potential |
One generic, one blue instant - Rare Proliferate, then choose any number of permanent you control that had a counter put on them this way. Those permane𒊎nts phase out. |
|
Ruinous Intrusion |
Three generic, one green instant - Rare Exile target artifact or enchantment. Put X +1/+1 counters o💮n target creature you control, where X is the manaᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ value of the permanent exiled this way. |
Sorceries (6) |
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Bygone Marvels |
Two green sorcery - Rare Descend 8 - When you cast thi⛄s spell, if there are eiﷺght or more permanent cards in your graveyard, copy this spell twice. You may choose new targets for the copies. Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. Exile Bygone Marve✅ls. |
|
Curse of the Swine |
X generic, two blue mana sorcery - Rare Exile X target creatuಌres. For each creature 🃏exiled this way, its controller creates a 2/2 green Boar creature token. |
|
Explore |
One generic, one green sorcery - Common You may play an additional land this turn. Draw a card. |
|
Kodama's Reach |
Two generic, one green sorcery - Arcane - Common Search your library for up to two basic land ca🍰rds, reveal those cards, put one onto the battlefield tapped and the other into your hand🎀, then shuffle. |
|
Ravenform |
Two generic, one blue sorcery - Common 🔯Exile target artifact or creature. Its controller creates a 1/1 blue Bird creature token with flying. Foretell one blue (During your turn, you may pay two generic and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.) |
|
Wave Goodbye |
Two generic, two blue sorcery - Rare Return each creature without a +1/+1 counter on it to its owner's hand. |
Enchantments (6) |
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Branching Evolution |
Two generic, one green enchantment - Rare If one or more +💫1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, twice that many +1/+1 counters are put on that creature instead. |
|
Deeproot Waters |
Two generic, one blue enchantment - Uncommon Whenever you cast a Merfolk spell, create a 1/1 blue Merfolk creature token with hexproof. (A creature with hexproof can’t be the 💖target of spells or abilities your o🍷pponents control.) |
|
Hardened Scales |
One green enchantment - Rare If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on a creature you control, that many plus one +1/+1 counters are put on it instea🐲d. |
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Kindred Discovery |
Three generic, two blue enchantment - Rare As Kindred Discovery enters the battlefꩵield, choose a creature type. Whenever a creature you control of the chosen type enters the battlefie🍨ld or attacks, draw a card. |
|
Reflections of Littjara |
Four generic, one blue enchantment - Rare A🍨s Refl♓ections of Littjara enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. Whenever you cast a spell of the chosen type, copy that spell. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.) |
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Simic Ascendancy |
One green, one blue enchantment - Rare One gener♔ic, one green, one blue: Put a +1♊/+1 counter on target creature you control. Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters a𝓰re put on a creature you control, put that many growth counters on Simic Ascend🍒ancy. At t♚he beginning of your upkeep, if Simic Ascendancy has twent✃y or more growth counters on it, you win the game. |
Artifacts (5) |
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Arcane Signet |
Two generic artifact - Uncommon Tap: Add one mana of any col🦩or in your commandeꦫr’s color identity. |
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Commander's Sphere |
Three generic artifact - Common T♏ap: Add one mana of an💜y color in your commander’s color identity. Sacrifice Commander’s Sphere: Draw a card. |
|
Simic Signet |
Two generic artifact - Uncommon One generic, Tap: Add one green, one blue. |
|
Sol Ring |
One generic artifact - Uncommon Tap: Add two generic. |
|
Swiftfoot Boots |
Two generic artifact - Equipment - Uncommon Equipped creature has hexproof and haste. (It can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Equip one generic. |
Lands (36) |
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Alchemist's Refuge |
Land - Rare Tap: Add one generic. One green, one blue, Tap: You may cast spells th𒉰is turn as though they had flash. |
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Command Tower |
Land - Common Tap: Add one mana of any color in your commander’s🥂 color identity. |
|
Hinterland Harbor |
Land - Rare Hinterland Harbor enters the battl🌠efield tapped unless you control a Forest or an Island. Tap: Add one green or one blue. |
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Karn's Bastion |
Land - Rare Tap: Add one generic. Four generic, Tap: Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.) |
|
Llanowar Reborn |
Land - Uncommon Llanowar Reborn enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add one green. Graft 1 (This land enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this land onto it.) |
|
Mosswort Bridge |
Land - Rare Hideaway 4 (When this land enters the battlefield, look at the top four cards of your library, exile one face down, then put the rไest on the bottom in a random order.) Mosswort Bridge enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add green. One green, Tap: You may play the exiled card without paying its mana cost i♎f👍 creatures you control have total power 10 or greater. |
|
Myriad Landscape |
Land - Uncommon Myriad Landscape enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add generic. Two generic, Tap, Sacrifice Myriad Landscape: Search your library fꦐor up to two basic land cards that share a lꦗand type, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. |
|
Path of Ancestry |
Land - Common Path of Ancestry enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add one mana of any color in your commander’s color identity. When that mana is spent to cast a creature spell that shares a creature type with your commander, scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.) |
|
Reliquary Tower |
Land - Uncommon You have no maximum hand size. Tap: Add generic. |
|
Rogue's Passage |
Land - Uncommon Tap: Add one generic. Four generic, Tap൲: Target creature can’t be blocked this turn. |
|
Secluded Courtyard |
Land - Uncommon As Secluded Courtyard 🔯enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. Tap: Add one generic. Tap: Add one mana of any color. Spend this m﷽ana only to cast a creature spell of the chosen type or activate an ability of a 🥂creature or creature card of the chosen type. |
|
Simic Growth Chamber |
Land - Common Simic Growth Chamber ent𒁏ers the battlefield ꦗtapped. When Simic Gro♔wth Cham♌ber enters the battlefield, return a land you control to its owner’s hand. Tap: Add one green, one blue. |
|
Temple of Mystery |
Land - Rare Temple of Mystery enters the battlefield tapped. When Te🐎mple of Mystery enters the battlefield, scrཧy 1. Tap: Add one green or one blue. |
|
Temple of the False God |
Land - Uncommon ﷽Tap: Add two generic. Activate only if you control five or more lands. |
|
Unclaimed Territory |
Land - Uncommon Asꦕ Unclaimed Territory enters the battlefield, choose a creature tyꦬpe. Tap: Add one generic. Tap: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to ꧂cast a creature spell of the chosen type. |
|
Vineglimmer Snarl |
Land - Rare As Vineglimmer Snarl enters the battlefield, you may reveal a Forest or Island card from🐼 your hand. If you don’t, Vineglimmer Snarl enters the battlefield tapped. Tap: Add one green or one blue. |
|
Forest (7) |
Land - Common Tap: Add one green. |
|
Island (13) |
Land - Common Tap: Add one blue. |

168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Magic: The Gather𒅌ing – What Is Descend? 𒊎
Descend into Magic's latest graveyard mechanic.
Explorers Of The Deep Budget Upgrades
Despite the name, there's not a lot of exploring happening in Explorers of the Deep, especially if you decide to sideline Hakbal as your commander. Throwing in a few other explore cards like Deepfathom Echo or Jadelight Spelunker could be a wa🐽y of livꦫening up the exploration theme.
You could also lean even mor eheavily into the merfolk theme. Thada Adel, Acquisitor is loads of fun and great in a deck that already offers some ways of making your merfolk unblockable. Tidebinder Mage is often a removal merfolk at multiplayer tables, and True-Name Nemesis can become a surprising game-winner when you've got your merfolk buffs working.
There are also ways of supercharging Explorers of the Deep's +1/+1 token theme. Primal Vigor, Hadana's Climb, and Wizard Class are considerations that offer either a lot of token꧋s or a bit more versatility.
Explorers of the Deep could also benefit from a few more ways of keeping its merfolk alive. Asceticism, Heroic Intervention, and Simic Charm could help out here.