In fact, before I even knew much of anything about all the various formats, I played a Simic deck which was like 80 cards filled with stuff like an Arcanis the Omnipotent with multiple ways to untap it and some other things with useful activated abilities, a playset of Roil Elementals which I protected with counterspells and Archetype of Endurance (they were fun to use alongside Explosive Vegetation and similar effects), Lifeblood Hydra, Horizon Chimera were others, and finally some goodies like Prophet of Kruphix (rip its commander banning) and later additions like Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
He is quite an all round card offering you some board presence, card advantage and quite a serious threat in the long run on the cheap
Notably, this card synergizes with Madam Mim Fox, which can pull Merlin back to a players hand so that players can use it to draw even more cards later in the game
The deck I think gained a lot of ground as it gained a little more resilience to graveyard hate in this current incarnation as by the time they can cast Rest in Peace, much of your damage has already been dealt.
Insatiable Avarice This one-mana tutor/card draw spell costs one base, three to draw three and then lose three life and three total to Vampiric Tutor a card to the top of your library but no life loss base and five mana for both