Against the Odds: Modern Four-Color Journey to Eternity (Games)

[@MTGGoldfish]

Vote for next week's Rivals of Ixalan Standard Against the Odds deck! www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/against-the-odds-four-color-journey-to-eternity-modern

[@brewbrewbrewthedeck4138]

Hrm, I think I wanna see Golden Guardian the most. Anything but Gateway since that won't work out well, I think.

[@robh9075]

Standard is shit do more Legacy

[@carter9449]

Seth somehow manages to play his standard value decks in modern

[@dactorwatson2573]

HARD LOCK THE HARD LOCK! LOCKING LANTERN CONTROL! SETH MY MAN THAT WAS SO VINDICATING

[@IntegralKing]

It was more Stone Raining than Vindicating

[@wolfjob]

DactorWatson there is justice after all. Bless.

[@cloysterd]

Next to mana screwing Tron, the most fun you can have in Modern is making Lantern look ridiculous.

[@TheREALGalamineGary]

God it felt good to watch Lantern get dumpstered.

[@brewbrewbrewthedeck4138]

'Twas piloted by a bad player though. In a deck all about information you don't blindly exile cards with Pyxis.

[@Wuscarz]

Seths deck is a toolbox. Randomly exiling might take away Glen Elendra or Acidic slime out of the game. What ever creature gets exiled is removed from the toolbox.

[@Sethsters]

I disagree. I think that was the opponent's best possible play.

[@brewbrewbrewthedeck4138]

That justification makes no sense, Petri. Seth wasn't playing an established deck, the opponent had no idea whether or not it's a toolbox deck. Aside from that, I ask you to recall that Pyxis exiles THEIR cards, too, and thus might actually remove THEIR answers and outs as well. After all, the new Lantern Control features some silver bullets itself since it can tutor those with Whir of Invention. Again, only a noob would blindly exile cards with Pyxis in Lantern Control.

[@Nr4747]

Meh, Lantern can be pretty annoying, but it's a very meta game-depending deck. It's obviously great against midrangey creature-heavy decks, but struggles against burn-heavy decks and sometimes against fast Combo.

[@sirpancreasjr3362]

I have seen spice, but this is some *s p i c e*

[@JustAnotherPest]

19:06 That secret UG Merfolk Monastery Mentor tech though.

[@phillipmeade7640]

I am the only person watching the jeskai control deck wondering why he wasn't attacking Elspeth each turn in the air? I know there was a noble hierarch on the table for the buff but if they threw all their blockers infront of sun titan and killed it you could always bring it back and get value again while still killing that pesky planeswalker.

[@MTGGoldfish]

I think if you run the math on some of the situations (I cut out most of the counting, since it was pretty boring) there were several turns where we literally needed every single creature back on defense to block or we would be dead to an all-out attack.

[@SaruParadise]

Phillip Meade pretty sure that losing the mulldrifter as a blocker meant he wouldn't have enough blockers so if the opponent took it they'd swing back for lethal.

[@graffaelv]

It was certainly super close. Seth still played an amazing game. Here is my take on how it could have gone down at 37:46 when Seth attacked Elsbeth with Sun Titan. It would have been best if he also attacked Elsbeth with Muldrifter bringing Elsbeth to 2 loyalty. Opponent had 8 attackers on the following turn to Seth's 7 blockers, and Seth at 5 life. On the following turn Muldrifter kills Elsbeth with a lone attach pumped by Noble Hierarch. Opponent has 11 attackers. Seth 7 blockers and at 5 life. From there opponent cannot make more attackers and Seth takes over the game.

[@hwago123]

You can attack with Mulldrifter exalted putting them to 4. You then have 8 blockers to their 13 attackers and are at 7 life and they are at 7 life. If they attack with all and you block all, it would only put you to 2 life, leaving them with 1 token that didn't die from Noble and you have 4 creatures, any two combined making lethal. Then they have to chump with at least 3 emaining tokens or lose the following turn, and you can continue adding to your board. At that point, game is over unless they draw Cryptic.

[@Soulryu11]

there was a point where he attacked with sun titan when Elspeth was at 3. where instead he could've attacked with mulldrifter with exalted to finish her off.

[@nssangtr25]

This is my favorite series on the whole internet for over a year now. I hardly gather anymore sadly but I can never leave the game, especially when there is fantastic people like Seth out there entertaining me. This exact article/video series is what keeps me going week to week trudging through the mundane rat race. Thank you! Oh and your extra awesome for picking my favorite card from RIX for your special episode!

[@makhina8839]

This deck seems to be a horrible nightmare for control players

[@elizakleinman1332]

Maybe turn all 15 sideboard cards into aggro hate and it's a real deck?

[@makhina8839]

Elijah Kleinman - I think the lingering souls didn’t do as much either, maybe trade them for another muldrifter and another angel

[@SpawnofHastur]

Finks + Swaggy could mess with the aggro decks if you built it right.

[@DonovanPresents]

I love the game against lantern control.

[@nosniboR_naI]

Wow beating lantern control feels good man

[@elizakleinman1332]

$666 Perfect price for this deck

[@JCFoxpox]

Just curious Seth, was there any reason in Game 1 why you didn't just start reanimating / sacrificing S Rhino each turn and drain for 3?

[@Cangaroombi]

That was my thought too! I guess just to make the Lantern player feel miserable?

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761]

Zumbo why though? Lantern isn't that bad

[@Cangaroombi]

You always have to make your opponents feel miserable. That's the real meaning of Magic.

[@MTGGoldfish]

This might have been a goo idea.

[@stormcrow1685]

Louise Drake uhh when given a chance to punish lantern control, get to it!

[@xaldrortenderofthevats8948]

I can only imagine what this would look like if made real. A mystic cave, ruled by titans and a demon, to forever fuel a neverending war

[@elizakleinman1332]

A lot more interesting than most magic games

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761]

Xaldror Tender of the Vats hello? Police? Yes, I would like to report a psychopath....

[@chemset475]

The first and last games were so EFFing brilliant I can't even. I love Seth so much.

[@legomanx95]

Why not add resolute archangel? If you are going to be constantly reanimating you just keep reseting your life. Seems to me like that would help with agro matchups.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Resolute Archangel could be interesting tech.

[@atopeconlatxabaleria]

Awesome deck, so much spice. Thanks for beating Lantern and Jeskai Control into the ground too.

[@pieboy107]

That last match against Jeski Control was one of the best matches I have ever seen!!!!!!!!!!

[@stephenhousman6975]

That paper price tag.

[@averagejoebro5206]

Hey Seth just thought I'd let you know I love your content and Everytime I sit down for a calculus exam your voice plays in my head... "Against the odds time" 😂

[@AmazingAlec93]

I built an Abzan journey list with Eldritch Evolution and the archangel thune/spike feeder combo. Lots of value and I can transition sideboard the graveyard package out for just solid sideboard options and play like a regular Abzan deck. Love journey though.

[@gustavowadaslopes2479]

Wow, that's spicy.

[@TheRealKillakeks]

could you eventually post the list? sounds great!

[@Hero-er9oj]

AmazingAlec93 please post the list. I was just looking at the Caleb big mana scales deck and thought journey could be a good fit

[@Antisoilder99]

During the merfolk match could you not legend rule the spreading seas land?

[@TeceraOfficial]

This might be the deck to get me back to playing Modern. It looks sooooo sweet

[@IntenseGenius]

Love this deck! Any chance of playing it again?

[@miguelgrados1617]

How interesting! The Singleton theme to the deck makes me think of EDH, which is real cool, I might put this thing together 👍👌

[@jesselaplante1040]

I'm very impressed with champion of wits in this deck

[@elizakleinman1332]

Do you think it has more potential outside of Standard?

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761]

Jesse Laplante I still think satyr way finder would have been better

[@MTGGoldfish]

I was really impressed by Champion too. In a deck with enough ramp to eternalize, it might actually work in Modern.

[@TheMattmatic]

Maybe there could be a place for Champion in an UG ramp deck like the Budget UG Emerge deck Seth built. That deck was really cool too. Seth if you're reading this - please stream a nonbudget version of that deck some time. That deck has serious potential IMO

[@jesselaplante1040]

Louise Drake not when your trying to hit damnation, getting to draw 2 or 4 cards then choosing what you keep has a lot more options than pick a land or dude and pitch the rest. And he's not playing excavator or loam or crucible to get back pitched lands. Just saying.

[@brewbrewbrewthedeck4138]

Discard Kitchen Finks against Merfolk, an aggro deck? And keep a basic Island in its place? What in the world were you thinking ;_; ?

[@VoidPrincessNoire]

He was thinking about the fact he was facing down 15 unblockable damage next turn. 2 or even 4 life would not have changed how dead he was.

[@Diotialate]

Yeah, he's facing down 18 unblockable damage.

[@MTGGoldfish]

We were basically sweeper or bust, I believe.

[@jamess8014]

Im all about calling Seth out when he makes a silly play, which granted happens to us all, but this was not one of them he needed a sweeper and the land maaay have helped get there?? Dont wanna do math but its at least not a terrible play haha

[@jamess8014]

The attack with just sun titan against elspeth was unbelievably bad tho

[@Neirean]

Watching you pass up multiple lethal mulldrifter attacks on Elspeth for the sake of Sun Titan-ing back a sakura tribe elder over and over was torturous

[@Shadykilla]

The start of the recording cracks me up. Best intro :D

[@brodibeal7189]

I came to tell you how happy I am that you crushed that lantern deck. Gave the video a like as well.

[@dannyscott14]

I've always heard people talk about Lantern Control, but this is actually the first time I've seen it. I had no idea people played Pixis of Pandemonium in it, sorta makes me love the deck even though I hate the whole lock out strategy.

[@dariroch]

I think this is the best against the odds deck ever.

[@Zerothas]

Great devk, but definitely could have ended last game a lot sooner. Hit Elspeth a few more times than necessary. Those attacks at face instead would have ended the game quickly. There was actually a chance back when you had your flying tokens that was really wide open.

[@JaLLaM86]

As soon as I saw Journey to Eternity n the spoiler, my eyes lit up and I crossed all of my little finders for you to make a deck with it. Awesome deck. Sun Titan sure does work XD

[@TheMattmatic]

That last game was hilarious. Block, block, block, block, block, block, hit our swans, draw some cards... I mean block, block block.

[@jesselaplante1040]

This was so good i watched it twice. Awesome seth!

[@MysticLeviathan]

The opponent made the right choice at the very end. If the opponent didn't cast bolt then, you could've (should've) used your Fulminator to blow up the Steam Vents after damage is dealt, negating the possibility of his using lightning bolt.

[@junkyardsoul3757]

MysticLeviathan Can't he just cast bolt in response to the fulminator trigger?

[@ahunter7563]

Basicaly,seth made a misplay,but opp played it like he did'nt

[@musicman88881]

Seth... you can't play 4c with intense mana requirements and 3 colourless lands :)

[@elizakleinman1332]

Seth can do anything

[@MTGGoldfish]

I'd rather lose to myself and occasionally not lose to Tron thanks to Ghost Quarter than not lose to myself and know I'm drawing dead to Tron :)

[@the_snakelicious]

Some times adding the Tron tech is just not worth it man, even if you draw the Ghost Quarters against Tron they just find more pieces anyway.

[@gustavowadaslopes2479]

It's Tron. Off course it's worth it.

[@the_snakelicious]

Making your already greedy mana base worse for every matchup just to have a slight chance of drawing the correct land against Tron when you won't even be playing against it most of the time is definitely not worth it. Ghost Quarter is great when the opportunity cost is low, like in a two color deck, but not here. Forcing GQ on a 4C deck with very greedy mana base is just stupid, you'll get hurt by it way more often than you will be glad you have it.

[@destefy7394]

around 18:19, there's a weird glitch making the mulldrifter triggers look like thought-not seers

[@mewr11]

8:30 "we have a journey, but no way to flip it" he says with a 1-toughness creature staring at a board full of 1/1 tokens.

[@stormcrow1685]

19:53 I’m so confused! I thought we were still in the monks matchup, and even if it was merfolk, it doesn’t play white.

[@yugiberto2774]

That final match was insane!!!

[@Beldurkin]

Seth, against Merfolk, you could have played Journey on Sakura-Tribe elder, sac'ed it, and legend ruled the enchanted one. It's still legendary.

[@Breadnaught]

That round 1 is awesome

[@luliby2309]

This is like the Modern Nic Fit! I wonder if you could keep exploring this idea maybe by building a more focused version. Maybe another version that has more Finks, Rhino, and/or Thragtusk since now you know that aggro is good against it. You could have one that has stuff to beat aggro and you already have game against control.

[@Kurogetsu1]

the first game against lantern control. instead of looping fulminator and champion of wits, couldnt you have been using the seige rhino as an actual clock instead?

[@sovietphoenixgaming2130]

Seems like an awesome deck. Could use a bit more anti aggro tech.

[@Joebob31100]

This deck reminds me a lot of the Seance deck you played a while back.

[@mmlgamer]

On that last turn, you could have used Fulminator Mages to force a potential Lightning Bolt. That takes good reading, but still.

[@djelibaebi]

re: the esper control match in the last moments, when they didn't have a counter - can't you fulminator the steam vents before they pay the 2 life to untap it?

[@adriendelplace8755]

One of the best game of magic I've seen you play (game 2 vs jeskai control) Jeskai control was so cool before t3feri... :(.

[@obesechicken13]

I think this deck shows why I hated elspeth in theros standard. Who would win? Atzal, 20 lands, 10 creatures including 2 titans, or one elspy boi?

[@JonaxII]

I just noticed I have almost all of those cards. Shall I play this at FNM tomorrow?

[@zackestin1368]

What wins, a full deck built around continued value, or a single elspeth suns champion

[@icantpronounce]

maybe add more siege rhino to side board for agro decks which seem to be the hardest match ups

[@elizakleinman1332]

and more wraths and lifegain and everything

[@iainarlt7668]

you could've destroy the red source with fulminator to force the bolt so it wasn't necessarily a misplay by the jeskai control player.

[@stormcrow1685]

So dirtly and cool! Wonder how crazy this would be with panharmonicon

[@MTGGoldfish]

I wanted to play a couple of Panharmonicons, but after playing Journey and a couple of Evolutionary Leaps I could find room :(

[@Galva94a]

Why dont you attack elspeth with mulldrifter at 39:15?

[@calebj5852]

How well would journey go into the Budget Magic Abzan Rites deck? It seems like a 1 or 2 of would fit into it, but I'm not sure what you'd want to cut for it

[@illakunsaa]

I think Necroplasm would be a pretty decent sideboard card against tokens. Against BW tokens you could basically hard lock them out with Necroplasm and a sac outlet.

[@MTGGoldfish]

I was thinking that Minister of Pain would do something similar, but if the get Intangible Virtue it doesn't work :(

[@merlannin2108]

This looks like the most fun toolkit modern deck since your old BUG chord video

[@geniphill]

First game why didnt you just get seige rhino?

[@AlimTetramorph]

Lol, I played against this deck yesterday on my stream. I was sooo confused as to what was going on on the other side of the board.

[@TheSergeylunyov]

First game is the best I ever see on magic! Beat lantern on there field! Niiiiice!

[@SlammHaammer]

I'm not sure why you didn't attack with mulldrifter to finish off Elspeth during that last game?

[@fazzitron]

I want to see a list for that UW mentor deck

[@NPDGX]

I've seen some people mention going Abzan over 4c, and I like the idea, but would you not lose a bit of consistency? If you use Satyr Wayfinder and Grisly Salvage to fill the yard instead of things like Champion of Wits, do you not run the risk of milling Journey to Eternity? How do you work around that?

[@MTGGoldfish]

Eternal Witness would help.

[@felixkoi]

In that last major standoff, I was wondering why you didn't attack Elspeth with more creatures? They could have eaten your creatures with 1/1's but many of those creatures (Kitchen Finks, etc) you would have been pretty happy to see die

[@stephenlofton5403]

What a crazy match against the mentor deck. Would be pretty awesome to see a Mentor/Young pyro jeskai control/intangible virtue deck.

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761]

Stephen Lofton mentor was a real thing in legacy

[@stephenlofton5403]

Louise Drake I'm sure mentor is very good in any format where Gitprobe and ponder are legal. They're a little fragile for modern just thought it might be interesting in a midrange token build with counter spells.

[@LucasLima-su4hl]

BEST AGAINST THE ODDS EVER!!!!

[@ForTheViolence]

Do you think you can sneak the vizier druid combo into this in an abzan type build?

[@Jeffery8839]

I feel massacre worm would be crazy good here as well in the sideboard

[@owensprod3784]

Great deck, but I wouldvebeen attacking elspeth with the mulldrifter too :P

[@Fauna_CR]

18:21 What was with the Thought Knot Seer?

[@jacobdachauer4377]

Hey Seth, I hate it when people ask about this, but I am curious how this works....spreading seas enchants your land, does that change it from a legendary land to just an Island? Or could you legend rule your own land to remove the enchantment?

[@MTGGoldfish]

I'm pretty sure it's still legendary, so we could legend rule it away.

[@jacobdachauer4377]

I was going to say, you could still have survived that turn!! And then I saw that you had an island, so it didn't matter....but still good to know for in case if I ever run into that.

[@jesselaplante1040]

Holy crap. You beat an Elspeth. I'm stunned.

[@ygivens21]

Jesse Laplante why did he attack her so many times anyways though he could have easily won several turns before in the air

[@gustavowadaslopes2479]

Elspeth requires many blockers.

[@jesselaplante1040]

Crackback kill on several of the turns. Some i had to go back, but your kinda right. Several times couldve chipped in.

[@NeoDeathrose13]

"Blue Damnation, seems good." In completely serious tone. I laughed so hard I had to pause the video. Don't even know why.

[@thatsedzoonth]

Fill your graveyard in the circus of value!

[@Icenri]

I love it when new cards come to bust the modern meta this much 😂

[@thetruth4654]

I would have build a Jund Version of Journey to eternity and would have used Prime time and Inferno Titan that way you could have used Valakuts as a win con as well

[@rayward623]

You are a really good player man.

[@hoodyhoo66]

Oh man, I am so happy you humilated Lantern control, 2nd most hated deck on my list (after Storm.)

[@brewbrewbrewthedeck4138]

Where did that Shadowborn Demon come from?

[@PaperWaster]

What a great match against jeskai!

[@DKforever24]

Why does MTGO never know what color border to put on full art textless promos?

[@Atmapalazzo]

how is mistbinder spicy in UG merfolk lol. I like the deck btw, but I don't think the blue is worth it.

[@Constant_Threat]

"The value, it's so overwhelming!"

[@ODIRGO]

maybe because i don't know how lantern plays. But I want to know why seth didn't attack with the eternalized champion. just to try to win by battle.

[@ODIRGO]

nvm, y just saw the bridge

[@youngthinker1]

Why didn't Seth use siege rhino to kill the opponent in game one?

[@Lukester44]

could Seth have legends ruled the island journey to eternity against merfolk?

[@MTGGoldfish]

Yeah, I think that works.

[@cluelesswonder912]

I was thinking the same thing. Spreading Seas didn't change Journey from being legendary.

[@codyluna7065]

Journey sakura, sack before blocks, legend out the island, get a land, block the merfolk, and start reanimating. Scooped too early.

[@nooneatall5612]

damn, you gave lantern control a taste of their own medicine

[@CLtrackStar4]

37:47 Why weren't you pressuring Elspeth with Mulldrifter? I'm literally pulling my hair out here! You can't just let her create Soldiers to infinity! 2 Turns of Exalted Mulldrifter attacks would off Elspeth and finally solidify you the game. Also, where's that Orzhov Pontiff in your SB? You had lots of troubles with 1/1 Tokens in this series haha.

[@brianokafor9748]

40:47 Seth's laughter is so obnoxious 😂😂😂

[@allisonminerly6000]

18:20 Mulldrifter becomes Thought-Knot Seer

[@NinjaDaemen]

The spice must flow

[@phreakerfighter4950]

Elesh Norn seems pretty good on sideboard

[@seandun7083]

Could try a lock version with mindlash sliver. Eldritch evolution also seems like it could be good with journey.

[@carter9449]

Or that rat that makes them put the card back on top so they don't even get to see different cards, that's a little harder though because it doesn't sac itself

[@seandun7083]

Yeah. Maybe mimic vats for more consistency and some sac outlets (evolutionary leap or viscera Seer)

[@MTGGoldfish]

Eldritch Evolution was sooo close to making it in, but I couldn't figure out what creatures to cut.

[@kartoffelnpommesgut]

Sweet deck

[@Stalkingninja1]

when he didn't kill the elspeth to attack with sun titan to get a ghost quarter made my head hurt