MTG - Build A Modern Living End Deck for Magic: The Gathering!

[@Volvary]

One thing you forgot to mention about sideboard options: Do not, I repeat, do NOT put anything with CMC 2 or less in your deck or sideboard or you might fizzle your cascades by hitting something else than Living End.

[@Wildkarrde2484]

unless you absolutely want to hit it? Not sure what exactly, but I could see a world where you try to hit your two mana answer.

[@Volvary]

I could see it work with stuff like Ethersworn canonist against storm or similar responses that hoses a deck completely. Other than that, keep to the 2+ spells

[@Asp7000]

This channel is by farrrr the best mtg channel on KZbin. Your explanations are soo clear and I can understand everything you are saying

[@ecfbem]

Wraith is pronounced ray-th not wrath, the i is important professor.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

+Evan Curran (Slaking1337) Pffffft.

[@justinbowman1342]

+Tolarian Community College Your supposed to be an English professor.

[@ecfbem]

Tolarian Community College lol just kidding, great vids keep up the awesome content :)

[@moiseman]

+Justin Bowman You're*

[@justinbowman1342]

moiseman I never said I was an English professor.

[@TheJoshRaines]

Living End is one of my favorite decks to play! Sooooo much fun lol.

[@Twineandribbon]

This is one of my favorite decks I haven't actually played myself in modern. Thanks for covering it. Great video

[@TheHMinnow]

This is actually the modern deck that I've already built and am playing. It's very fun to play and honestly does not often feel or play like a combo deck. Sure, every once in a while you get a combo start, but is a deck about evolving your game plan.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

+TheHMinnow I couldn't agree more. What struck me as so awesome about this deck when I first started playing it was how important it is to plan out each and every move. Again, it really reminds me of chess: if I do this, then my opponent does that....THEN I move here....

[@TheHMinnow]

Tolarian Community College​ Exactly how I see it. It also has a sideboard that can evolve really well with the meta. Slaughter Games is great for combo heavy metagames. Jund Charm or Anger of the Gods are options with faster creature heavy meta's.

[@tiehunterog]

+TheHMinnow I love my Living Twin deck. Living End + Spinter Twin combos work surprisingly well, and having an answer to one often precludes having an answer to the other.

[@gamefortress333]

+tiehunterog living twin is amazing, played against lsv when he was piloting that deck on mtgo

[@tiehunterog]

+Game Fortress I love playing the deck. LSV's video made me aware of it, and I bought into if when it was cheap (before exarch spikes, after MMA2 when fullminators were down). Love how versatile the deck can be.

[@BizillionAtoms]

wow that moving deathrite

[@OutnumberedStudios]

Finally an explanation on how this deck works. Ty professor great vids as always.

[@huntergottlieb3943]

I just made this deck after going through all of your modern videos, spending upwards of 45 hours on MTG goldfish and the internet, and going through just about every decklist available for modern. Thank you so much for showcasing this wonderful deck, I wouldn't have bothered to mess with a tri-color deck otherwise. Thanks again professor! You made this process a whole lot easier and more fun.

[@Reflectanon]

Great editing this episode. The poem at the beginning and the animated flame on the Fulminator Mage was a great touch! Thanks for making this video, I was thinking about building this deck myself anyways. I've been running a variant of your budget burn deck and it's working out pretty well!

[@slow_goon73]

As a noob to Magic, I must say that your approach to Magic is so refreshingly laidback. I LOVE zombies and creating tokens and such, but I'm not sure how to do that effectively in Pauper :(

[@jonc3519]

+The Grumpy Soothsayer (TheGrumpySoothsayer) Do they have to be zombie tokens? If not, check this out: www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pauper-midnight-presence-21673#online

[@irishbug4744]

I really liked how you used the trailer animations during your transitions :) Your videos have always been very well put together and this one, I thought, had some of the best editing yet!

[@jabbernaut52733]

Krosan Grip is uncounterable artifact/enchantment hate that avoids cascade.

[@davideranieri5553]

Jared B. It's uncounterable, but only hits artifact-enchantment. Beast Within clips everything, and the beast is not very relevant since Living End will kill it anyway.

[@clitorispunchmallet563]

Lol Fulminator Mage is now $40 each instead of $20

[@clitorispunchmallet563]

+Toversnol EU funnily enough it just got reprinted in 2015 I was going to build this deck but i put together Scapeshift instead.

[@TheOliver353]

Back down to $20

[@jjrosales1996]

Damn he was at $20 he’s so cheap now

[@emyron1843]

$0.84 now sucka! Go 2021... yuh know... save the global pandemic and all...

[@TravisWizard]

love this deck! nice breakdown

[@bakirovcina7206]

Amazing as always Professor! It would be awesome if You could, in the near future, do a video about a deck I have been interested in for a while, a budget modern UR Delver with Young Pyromanacer. I would be very very thankful. Thank you for getting me into Magic and all the amazing videos!

[@taylorc80]

I love this style of deck tech. So much better than just talking over the cards like most ppl do on mtgo

[@HoweYouDrewin]

I don't know what it is exactly, but your deck techs are the best out there. Keep it up!

[@Sorran87]

Really glad to see this deck getting some attention, especially after its presence in the top 16 and even the top 8 at worlds. After making a few changes, I've had a lot of success at my local game store utilizing the Splinter Twin combo in here. Trying to respond to one side of the deck often leaves them vulnerable to the other. A very powerful and often overlooked deck. Just goes to show you don't have to spend a thousand dollars to do well in Modern.

[@keatonkuuuun]

A great sideboard option I found against decks that mull to get rest in piece is kalitas. easily a turn 3 play, and if they have a large creature base, his ability actually stacks when living ends ability hits so you get a bunch of zombies out of the living end even with RIP on the field. Not to mention his lifelink and 4 toughness causing issues.

[@agelessdisintegrated]

I play the living twin version, since i like attacking on more angles - but a card i really like is the forbidden orchard. It is a budget(ish) land that fixes all of your lands and it makes it easier to go off with demonic dread. So in a way you make its disadvantage into an advantage :) Love these videoes proffessor.

[@CypressPunk34]

I always enjoy your break downs of modern decks. Had I a stable income I would definitely get into Modern. Thanks again for a great deck tech Professor!

[@Cerialeater01]

I look forward to one day hearing the words "many wizards of the coast employees ask the question 'is it worth it to allow the professor of tolarian community college to reveal a spoiler for.....'"

[@medler2047]

I've been seriously thinking about getting into modern cause the cards change a lot less often than standard. This kind of deck is right up my alley. Has great board interaction AND you can play your stuff if need be.

[@CPD0123a]

I saw this at my local shop with avalanche riders instead of fulminator mage. (or it might have been in addition to them) Looked cool to me and it was a style of deck that I had never heard of then. Didn't realize it was actually a thing. Seemed to work pretty well and it was rather cool.

[@poohbear4821]

Your vids are getting so much better, must be the patreon

[@ArielPronouncedREL]

It is also important to note that with Ricochet Trap, it does not have to target the blue spell, even if you cast it for its alternate cost. For example, my opponent was at 3 life, I was at 6. He cast Lightning Bolt, which brought me down to 3, then Snapcaster to flash it back. I exiled a SSG to Ricochet Trap the Bolt to his face for lethal.

[@niallmorrison3097]

Tremendous, I haven't went up against a deck like this yet and I think it would be pretty fun. It's also handy that I have the mana base pretty much and a few of the other cards too. Cheers again dude

[@arenkai]

My favorite deck from my favorite MTG channel, is this Chritmas already ? :D

[@TheNutCase657]

Dredgevine next please, Professor! :) Just played my 2nd event with it earlier tonight, and you wouldn't believe how much fun it is to play. Surprisingly interactive too

[@gwidao123]

Professor, you really really should make a norin the wary deck review! It's just such a fun and unusual deck, and there are so many new cards that make the list, i've been getting top 4's at my store all the time lately with impact tremors, lightning berserker and abbot of keral keep added to it! Even the grixis control players are getting so frustrated against it it's just fun to look at their faces.

[@Sheriff_K]

Ever since Travis Woo slapped Splinter Twin into a Living End Deck, and LSV tried it out, more and more people seem to be using "Living Twin;" someone even placed like Top 3 in a 70 player Modern Tournament with it..

[@patrickferullo4961]

This was a really great video about Living End!

[@lanielas]

As a living end player I would like to point out Avalanche Riders is a understandable budget alternative to fulminator mage although the fulminators are far superior. Also interesting note, the card featured during the graveyard hate section (Grafdigger's Cage) doesn't work against living end so don't worry about that particular graveyard hate card.

[@darkyaska]

I just played mine at FMN and went undefeated. Fun to play when everyone at the shop plays elves and other creature base decks.

[@averypaez4540]

Living End is very interesting. Love the video Prof!

[@theTropots82]

Just a worth while note, while talking about hate at 8:45 he mentions Rest In Piece and shows an image of Grafdigger's Cage. Due to Living End first exiling the creatures in each graveyard then putting them in play Grafdigger's Cage does not actually effect the combo at all.

[@LocardowsmanTV]

some time ago, I met someone who had a kataki's war wage and a stony silence in the SB and (against tron and robots) switched them for the living ends, cascading into those...

[@davideranieri5553]

One on my favourite videos, got me to build and love this amazing deck! I would like to know what's the piece of poetry (?) used at the beginning of the video, it's fascinating.

[@kenboben39]

I love living end as a deck. I play with the splinter twin combo in mine, though.

[@dsmaug]

I believe that the budget alternative to fulminator mage is avalanche riders. Yes it's 4 CMC but it has echo, and it is less colour intensive...

[@JokeKillerSummon]

I really enjoy your Modern Deck Techs. Would really like to see more of them in the future since Modern is my favorite format. Is there a possibility to play something like Hatebears in a budget way?

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

+JokeKillerSummon Absolutely! Stay tuned!

[@roosterchains]

+Tolarian Community College Budget hatebears is probably one of the most powerful buget decks. Even though I have aether vials I often sideboard them out after game 1. I always seems to draw one really late or have 3 on the board.

[@YuioEa]

Have you seen the budget cascade - restore balance deck? mtggoldfish brewed it as a 5 color budget deck but i run a 4-color superfriends variant. I'd love to see a video you make deck teching it or brewing a more personalized version of either the budget version, upgrade version, or both. You can get pretty creative with it due to the typical staple cards that cost less than 3 mana being unavailable.

[@PandaJohn71]

I actually had a chance to play against a Living End deck at one of my LGS's Modern FNM. I defeated it in three games. First game went to me, cause he cascaded into a Living End when I had a Siege Rhino in the graveyard and an Anafenza, the Foremost on the field. Second game was his due to effiecent cycling and cascading. He got back about 5 creatures which had power enough to kill me and I had nothing in my graveyard to mitigate the damage and didn't draw into a creature to save me. Third game, I got rid of the only cascade card he drew into that game with a Sin Collector.

[@nickcoucke8915]

Thanks professor! Been waiting for this one for a while 😝

[@TruKnightmare]

I like how you discuss the long game if the opponent has a Rest in Peace.... while you have the artwork for Grafdigger's Cage in the background. Someone is going to think the Cage stops Living End and they're going to be very upset lol

[@gavcanflip]

Loved that Deathrite Shaman animation

[@AndroidJdm]

A budget standard sphinx tutelage mill deck would be awesome for the next video, but maybe would be best to wait until Battle For Zendikar is released to do so?

[@Mcmiller421]

forbidden orchard is a must in this build it produces any color of mana and produces a target for your cascade spells if you do not currently have one

[@Mcmiller421]

+Saucy Taco i dont think you get what im saying here it produces and color of mana which is great for a multi colored deck and makes a creature so you can target it with your spells that cause cascade

[@Mcmiller421]

+Saucy Taco what makes it not necessary? its a perfect fit that causes no downside only ups.

[@Mcmiller421]

the extra creature is destroyed upon resoultion of a living end tho so it basically is pointless on their side

[@fabriziobiocerezini]

I need more MTG videos from you professor!!!!!!! I guess we all do!!

[@90spepe]

Great video prof! Been thinking about making this deck for a while now. Just those 4 fulminator mages.... That's going to cost me some serious ca$h!

[@limnigel789]

+peponcio herrera or u can run avalanche riders as another alternatiive option...kinda does the same thing as fulminator mage but it can swing for 2 the moment u play it :)

[@Serrovin]

interesting, would like to see a commander variant to this, though it just sounds like a dredge style deck in that format, pitch your library to the grave and recur everything for swarm

[@davideranieri5553]

Exe Calibur There's a similar thing, a cycling tribal deck called "A Bycicle Built for Two". It plays more like the Amonkhet Standard New Perspectives defk, but it also runs Living Death as wincon

[@TheMystcast]

[@ELuna3693]

So Happy I built living end before grixis control started picking up black cliffs up they used to be 3 or 4 dollars.

[@SeraphimKnight]

I've seen a deck which combines Living End with Scapeshift. It's an interesting combination and a good way to throw your opponents off. They sideboard in graveyard hate? Just Valakut 'em out.

[@obeycelestia]

Very nice! Love Living End!

[@azraelswrd]

Thanks for the vid. I was wondering how to best use that card. Gave me some cool ideas. =)

[@mysticalpotato447]

I though about building this deck. Although it seems worse, Im getting RG Scapeshift instead. Great video Professor x)

[@JumpyDan]

+Mystical Potato Why not both? www.channelfireball.com/articles/66-card-scapeshift-living-end/

[@mysticalpotato447]

Yeah exactly! Twoo is awesome. I though about it but Im going to start by gruul scapeshift and upgrade it to temur. I think I like control (Im a fairly new player) and this way I can get some UR staples and go from there. Although that Travis brew (and even the ones with gifts and stuff) are pretty cool. And thank you for taking the time to try and help a somewhat new player making decisions, youre awesome! ^^

[@wc541]

I haven't played long enough to play a deck like this. It looks fun to play though.

[@yaboyjard]

Rewatching this now and boy has the power creep really changed this deck rip spirit guide

[@LolzDizaper]

Professor can you do an Ad Nauseam Deck Tech?The combo may seem confusing but it's actually easy once you learn.You just need 2 cards in hand to win,Ad Nauseam and Angel's Grace. It can go off as soon as turn 3.

[@huntergottlieb3943]

I just won with this deck in the greatest way possible. I had a beast within in my hand, and my opponent had cast Sacrificial Pact with two sources of black on the board. I cycled street wraith down to 4, with his board having 6 power, to draw into my last beast within. I just laughed for 30 seconds straight, best feeling in a card game.

[@MitchHirami]

+Tolarian Community College thanks for the great and interresting video, seems to be a fun deck! :-)Did you made a video about a Black/Blue control or Ashiok control deck? Or can you recommend me a good video, a deck tech or something?

[@karimhodzic6795]

You could also try Avalanche Rider instead of fulminator mage, or both.

[@Oddip]

you have the best magic channel I know :D

[@brianmcgoldrick9529]

loved that intro!

[@voodoohealen2672]

Love the opening

[@DaRkPlUm]

This deck makes me wanna get into modern D:

[@joleighfoster9620]

I would love to see you do a review of the Commander Arsenal to see if it's worth the almost $400.00 cost

[@larryjohnson2971]

Correct me if I'm wrong but wouldn't deadshot minotaur's ability fizzle when living end brings him back because your opponents flyer that's coming in wouldn't be a valid target. Is the difference when vs as "enter the battle field effects"? professor said that he would hit a flyer coming from opponents graveyard in the video.

[@McMacMastaMan]

two steps backwards and one step towards death means that you are not going to die ever?

[@Yakkosprite]

I think it is a figure for talking about decay and advancing towards death only but I get what you mean xD

[@tucatucz]

Hello! Congratulations for the vid! Professor, it this deck viable competitively? Can I go to some events and make a good case out of it?

[@gganticgary]

Ill pick, nantuko husk, gravecrawler, diregraf cptn, rooftop storm combo zombie deck anyday over this. But thats just me! ;)

[@DoreoC]

Professor! What would you add if a lot of the meta involves Merfolk players? I thought Choke might be good!

[@galactuskev]

man when i bought into living end, living was five bucks, i have also used beast within late game on of my own lands for a blocker and a 3/3 attacker

[@decameter]

I always thought living end was cute. There's a little too much thinking in it for me as I'm more of a brute force kind of person, but that's why I play Tin Man All-Star Band.

[@Mannfr3d]

Some guy in an SCG tournament mentioned "gifts ungiven" during a deck tech. The card itself looks wonderful, I wonder if you could highlight a deck that uses that card?

[@JumpyDan]

+Mannfr3d Living end everything! www.channelfireball.com/videos/channel-twoo-modern-90-card-living-end-gifts/

[@diegoscar6591]

+Mannfr3d thing is, there are at least 3 decks which run gifts ungiven: UW tron esper gifts 4c gifts each deck is very different, the last deck is almost different from builder to builder. so there's no one and only gifts deck :) key to the card is deck building and remembering the gift piles.

[@mrbutr]

yeah the quality is fantastic

[@ecolvill]

I really regret not grabbing the pieces I needed for this deck when they were much cheaper - namely the Fulminators, Living Ends, and fast lands. Still, as far as modern decks go it's not badly priced. It used to be a lower grade ghetto budget deck, but it's really come into its own. Cool. And yes, as someone with an M.A. in English, I kind of cringed with the "Wrath" part. Wraith = "Ray-th" my friend, "Ray-th" ;) But good job on macabre. In one video I saw someone pronounce it "Ma-cab-ray" I physically cringed.

[@Zronium]

using grafdigger's cage art for the graveyard hate might be a little misleading, as sadly grafdigger's cage doesn't actually work with living end as the creatures come in from exile

[@EHayami]

thanks for giving me idea to modify my spider spawning deck

[@davew1489]

I really have no idea about what decks are in modern now a days. Is there anything around the old mirodin card tooth and nail? I remember that being fun way back when with going Tooth and nail into kiki jiki and dark steel colossus

[@barnesboitano]

WHOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!!! Your the best, Professor.

[@mateuszzielinski7280]

"In the end, Living End is a living deck" :D

[@darrenplaysminecraft]

hey Tolarian you should make a blue black zombie modern deck that uses mostly cards from Innistrad and Dark Ascension

[@acavan]

Hey Professor, with Almond Cat now out are there any plans to update this deck? Archfiend or Ifnir, Horror of the Broken Lands, and Desert Ceradon all seem like strong inclusions over the spiders or Deadshot Minotaurs.

[@bamzing1]

Nice video professor, did you review StarCityGames' Double Matte sleeves?

[@749zen]

"...going off early isn't always the best strategy..." Oh myyyy

[@MrRancid1988]

I know this is for modern, but boy oh boy I wish there were some more budget alternatives that still make it an effective deck.

[@andreamiragoli731]

you said that a budget manabase is possible. Do you mean that could you use also painland, checkland or the new land of bfz? could you give an example of a budget manabase please?

[@jackero1]

Having played MTG for a while, I wondered if certain decks in the known standard meta could transform into a reasonable modern deck, fiscal constraints being the main reason... E.g. , what can I do with Sultai Reanimator or Temur Ascendancy to evolve it into modern, with paying an arm, a leg, and a few other body parts? Kind regards

[@amonsantos3668]

Prof, is it worth it to put the Amonkhet Cycling lands in this deck (specifically the B/R one)? How about the Kaladesh Fast Lands (the B/G one)?

[@TheRealSpellstar]

hilarious how Living End was supposed to be a fixed version of Living Death, but the 0 CMC ended up making it more broken

[@brennonr]

I love my living end deck. My wife gave me the gift cards needed to buy the full version for my fortieth birthday!

[@davideranieri5553]

One thing's always puzzled me Professor, did you write the opening poem yourself? Did you adapt a pre-existing one? Either way, could you elaborate on its literary meaning? Thank you

[@lukebirkett8610]

I'd love to see a grixis control deck :D

[@samholden5758]

Why do people always pick the graveyard hate card that does nothing against living end for their background picture when talking about living end? :)

[@matthewsamaan4596]

I have never attended a pre-release event before or an FNM. At my local store the Pre-Release costs $45 entry for the "Battle for Zendikar" set and $10 for FNM. Are these prices worth it?

[@MrRalsho]

Rest in peace not piece, btw amazing video! :D How to play AGAINST it?

[@Cerialeater01]

Cast remand or delay on living end

[@mal3k1th]

either go bigger, go faster, mess with their manabase, or pack some ssweepers of your own

[@ethannissim3588]

Beast Within should be used, and some decks can run Wispmare out of the board.

[@MrRalsho]

So you can cast a counter on the living end? Even with cascade?

[@Cerialeater01]

yes coz you "cast" it, the cascade finds it and says you can cast it

[@dragonofthesky9999]

what about any room in the deck for a decently big end game beater? i feel there is something out there thats endgame enough with a discard that could be put in here.