Hakbal of the Surging Soul is one of the breakout Merfolk commanders, leading Simic lists that flood the board and explore repeatedly. Articles and deck techs highlight how giving all your Merfolk explore at combat quickly snowballs card selection, +1/+1 counters, and extra lands. He turns classic Merfolk lords and token makers into a value engine that also hits hard in combat. Fans of tempo-aggro strategies and tribal decks with a strong engine love how Hakbal blends early pressure with late-game inevitability.