MTG Deck That Forces You To Lose

[@simonsm2228]

"Death is a boolean function" - Magic the Noah, 2023

[@LexaByteNV]

This is how a Black player thinks.

[@pencilwatchesstuff791]

"Die or die not. There is no try." - average monoblack player, probably

[@koenvandiepen7651]

Wel he is not wrong

[@accessyourinnerlight971]

Schrodinger's Box

[@methyod]

@@LexaByteNV wouldn't a black player actually be the only person not thinking this?

[@Videodude810]

I love how with all of his calculations, he's assuming every card in the entire deck will be played when he has 1 life.

[@mdb45424]

There's tons of pay life stuff in black course this deck is vulnerable to burn

[@CyberCross222]

@@mdb45424 it's also vulnerable to fog. Biggest glass cannon strategy I've ever seen

[@mdb45424]

@@CyberCross222 there was the idol was was a biggie but you sac permiments when it got damage

[@thaddeusgenhelm8979]

I mean, he did open up with "This deck is absolute trash. Probably." The fact that most of his math is based on a false premise is basically written on the tin =P

[@dervakommtvonhinten517]

@@mdb45424 tons of burn, tons of removal, tons of counter. this just doesnt work

[@amberhernandez]

A friend of mine hates playing --Modern-- Legacy (life is pain), so he has a "hostage negotiation" deck where his opponent has to save him from himself. It involves a F(irst) T(urn) S(uicide) strategy with Griselbrand, and that's just gorgeous to me.

[@albertoguarnieri5182]

Explain.

[@redriot-unbreakable9476]

you can't just say this without clarifying what it is

[@amberhernandez]

Oh, sorry folks; didn't check back until now! I don't have his entire decklist since it's been a while, but I recall the dream hand for FTS needed at least three Dark Rituals (it's incredibly gimmicky), an Elvish Spirit Guide + Crop Rotation, and a fetchland to bring out a shockland. You could tap the shock when it hit, then sacrifice it to Crop Rotation (using ESG to pay it) for another fetch + shock combo and tap it for enough floating w/three Rituals to cast big G and pay for game. If you didn't get FTS, there were other cards like Street Wraith to pay life + thin out the deck, and even dig up a Griselbrand if you didn't open with one of the four. Loss conditions were your opponent getting rid of your Griselbrands or taking you out first. I will say, he did get counter-decked at one point by someone who donated him a Platinum Emperion, and he didn't talk for the rest of the night, bahahaha!

[@Videodude810]

What does FTS mean in magic?

[@thelastfinale805]

@@amberhernandez yeah what is FTS?

[@isaacrobertson4374]

Lightning bolt could also act as a +3/3 buff on Death’s Shadow for one red mana if used correctly

[@miguelgp8607]

It can also serve as a 3/1 haste, cant be blocked, creature that dies after it attacks

[@imreadydoctor]

Bolt or Giant Growth in a single card!

[@megapussi]

bolt ur opponents face = they take 3 damage bold ur own face = they take 12 damage (cuz all 4 of ur death shadows will hit them)

[@ragglerock2682]

@@megapussi and all 4 death shadows have trample

[@natben6099]

@@megapussi don't joke about that. It really happend to me. I hat 17 life, he had 2 6/6 death shadows, I let them pass, thinking that worse case scenario, I would get bolted, and he bolted himself giving them both +3/+3 and I LOST!!!

[@teamcosmicseeds]

Platinum emperion sez "you cannot sacrifice life, you are not permitted!"

[@tyukan2000]

The only flaw of this deck is that Agadeem's hits only creatures that each have different CMCs and so can only ever get 1 death's shadow back (still a 4 mana 12/12 ain't bad). PS: Shatterskull also don't hit face

[@pencilwatchesstuff791]

No colossal dreadmaws is a bigger flaw tbh.

[@inteventso]

Command dreadhorde would be what I put but I don't follow the set rotation (idk what the rotation even is)

[@ms.aelanwyr.ilaicos]

@@inteventso modern doesn't rotate

[@LexaByteNV]

This is one of the rare times I've agreed with your takes, Noah. A very rare time

[@soysauce1701]

I think the aesthetic of random shit rattling around on Noah's desk as he talks into his Tyler1 microphone is what makes this channel for me.

[@azmodanpc]

ASMR - rando shit rattle. The ASMR you didn't know you wanted (or needed)

[@ShredAimlessly92]

As soon as I saw Death’s Shadow I knew where this was going lmao

[@TheLastShadow45]

Fun fact: If you have Platinum Angel and go into negative life Death's Shadow ability turns into +X/+X

[@MountainisFullofDragons]

I just googled it and it says negative life is treated as 0 now

[@egoalter1276]

Fucking lame

[@jacegmn3309]

I like how the lands are more than 50% percent of the cost of this deck

[@Zeequals]

honestly that's not that unusual in magic these days sadly

[@Ubernaught012]

@@Zeequals "these days" the last 10 years I think

[@Zeequals]

@@Ubernaught012 yes I do believe that these days are included in that, good observation

[@Ubernaught012]

@@Zeequals "these days" implies recency.

[@williamdrum9899]

@@Zeequals These days? It's always been like that. Unless you play Tron

[@3xPin]

Is there any evidence that Noah has EVER actually played M:tG?

[@limevolt7618]

His favorite color is green

[@daverapp]

@@limevolt7618 So, no, then.

[@kendallpeebles7481]

@@daverapp He hates blue?

[@blegh277]

@@kendallpeebles7481 idk seems common he does know rakdos tho

[@fafs67]

@@limevolt7618 Yeah, definitely not an MTG player.

[@DawnfireGalinndan]

While Agadeem's Awakening has the good part on the land side where you give your Death's Shadows +3/+3 to play your land, I think Call of the Death-Dweller would be better for actually getting your Shadows back out. Agadeem's Awakening can only ever get 1 Death's Shadow back from the gy at a minimum of costing 3 mana, whereas Call of the Death-Dweller will always cost 3, and will always be able to get you back one or two Death's Shadows. And THEN, you can also distribute a deathtouch counter and a menace counter between them.

[@marcoottina654]

that's actually a solid idea

[@flabberjiggles4825]

Yeah but agadeems let's you use your life as a resource by playing it as an untapped land

[@lustacocas]

The best lesson about mtg I learned was "if your opponent beats you with 1 life left, it's the same as beating you without losing any life at all"

[@key.key.937]

But it IS funny to have over 40/20 life left when winning

[@limontree476]

"Death is a boolean function" Shrodinger has entered the chat

[@palinexo9319]

holy shit. Never seen such a technically "bad looking" presentation actually be THAT GOOD and then also on top be presented in just the perfect way to make the edgy janky style totally play out! Very nice! i have no clue about that game yet i still feel like i understood most of what you explained low key got the idea and had a ton of fun with this content

[@fatkatboy]

I'm glad I found your content. Mtg was overdue for a content creator that wasn't afraid to relentlessly shitpost. If anyone gives you any guff, they're probably just compensating for all their useless white decks. Keep up the good work.

[@OurFantasyLife]

One correction: For Agadeem's Awakening (6:20) you couldn't retrieve two Death's Shadow because they both have the same cost. Each creature you return with Awakening has to have a different mana cost.

[@w4lk4]

There's 4 in the deck tho

[@fawkes6352]

This is like watching someone reinvent the wheel, except the new wheel is an octagon.

[@goodcreeper653mincraft2]

Noah is smart because life is a resource and however much you have left does not matter if you’re still alive. It only matters if it hits zero. Good job Noah you get a cookie. 👍

[@doodlealchemist1257]

"Death is a boolean function" is one of the sickest phrases ever ngl. Im stealing your words once I play dimir.

[@austintomlinson7863]

Notably, you could also try to find cards that remove all of Death's Shadow's abilities if you want the 12/12* without having to lose all the life. *13/13

[@plsdontpokeme3298]

It would be a 13/13 if it had no abilities.

[@hugoyee8857]

Dress Down :)

[@gabzsy4924]

Thank you for spending a minute of my life to explain to me that when you're alive you are not dead and that when you're dead you're not alive while shouting "alright" in my ear every 5 seconds.

[@xinlou6707]

As someone who wanted to get into magic. Be it in the Magic Arena game on PC or with my friend who wanted to join finances to buy some cards/decks , you convinced me that green big unga bunga monsters is the most fun and best thank you for this now we compete who will use the green deck when we meet to play for funs :)

[@SirDoge7]

"Either you're alive or you're not alive." Counterpoint: Schödinger's cat

[@FaceD0wnDagon]

Aw, I thought we're were gonna be building an Ad Nauseam OHKO deck like the good old days. Oh well. For context, in Alara/Zendikar standard, Death's Shadow, Ad Nauseam, Lightning Bolt, Devastating Summons and Goblin Bushwhacker were all in standard at the same time. You could easily make a deck that won the game on the spot if you cast Ad Nauseam and survived until untap. Sure, casting a 5 mana spell that lost you a ton of life and hoping to wait until next turn to win was not always reliable, but it was fun, and you could still play it as a normal-ish aggro deck until that point.

[@rogelioaornelas9310]

You’re just trying to make black creatures into green ones and I respect it

[@articerile]

Death's Shadow of Mortality Because sometimes Lightning Bolting yourself is the better play.

[@youknowwhoelselikesthisvid8040]

Nice video! As for the Thud/Fling strategy I played around with a pure red modern deck that was a token based deck that fuelled my Thunder-Thrash Elder since it had Devour 3, and then I'd eat most of my goblins save for a few other creatures. Infernal Plunge fuelled a lot of combos because of its low cost for a Dark Ritual-tier boost of mana. (BTW it would've been a total abuse of Altar of Dementia)

[@Yetinokles]

Thank you, I have 4 blood mires sitting in my binder for years and finally know where to use them

[@HendrikdeSmidt]

I love how he somehow recreated the original primordial version of a multi-format top tier all star deck and still managed to forget that TBR exists

[@moshimeshowu747]

What is TBR? I'm new to magic

[@HendrikdeSmidt]

@@moshimeshowu747Temur Battle Rage

[@mueezadam8438]

The total exuberance with which red arrows are used gives me life

[@daylearmstrong4447]

This is a lot like the already existing deck grixis death's shadow, which isn't super popular ATM but some of the principles in it are the same. With three colors you have 8 shock lands and can run 7-8 fetch lands, plus as you pointed out thoughseize. The deck also runs format staples like expressive iteration, ragavan etc. There is also a meme deck Seth (better known as saffron olive) made called "12 shadow" basically a mono black that combos your health down for this big meaty bois

[@gerojtaylorxk4894]

I'm afraid of myself... I'm a YGO player but love this MTG videos...

[@Redpanda9791]

Noah you are my spirit animal. Thank you for existing. 🙂

[@Samagachi]

Combine death’s shadow with platinum angel to make it even stronger

[@AnIndividual]

Oh dearie me, the gremlin in my walls is back with more knowledge.

[@carlbutcher2268]

I feel like I'm missing a joke here but this was a tier 1 Modern deck back when I played (and I don't think Sulphurous Springs was modern-legal at the time). Like, it wasn't quite exactly the same, but very close.

[@ruttokyrpa3472]

Can you do a video about bridge construction?

[@craney6034]

Yes

[@CamperCarl00]

Some changes: - I would run only one Pulse of the Forge. Use the added deck slot to put in another Expedite, in fact, if possible, find a way to put in 4 copies of expedite. - Expedite is significantly better than Crash Through, especially since you already have 4 copies of Ancestral Anger - Use Fling instead of Thud. For an additional colorless mana, you can respond to any removal, as well as simply win the game in most cases. There are certain phases, like the end of battle phase, where a creature may still be damaged, allowing for cheeky removal. Or, more critically, if someone tries to steal your creature, you can respond with Fling, wasting them a card and them getting damage as well. - Agadeem's Awakening would only return a single Death's Shadow, but if you cast it for 5, you can also get a Shadow of Mortality. - Shatterskull Smashing cannot target a player. Still worth running for the land side though. You could probably get away with fewer expensive lands and put in some basic. Also, you can usually trick your opponent into swinging into an empty board before they know what your deck is. Imagine they reduce you to like 3 life by tapping out, you play Death's Shadow, Expedite it, and then Fling it as the battle phase ends. Vexing Devil might even be perfect for this, because, just like you, your opponent is probably willing to pay 4 life to stop it. This can put them in range of this combo even sooner.

[@KringusKrang]

Death is a boolean function is the funniest line I've heard oml

[@Tletna]

I couldn't tell if this were humor, seriousness, satire, or insane but genius ravings.

[@gozol9646]

Meanwhile the 2 cent Shock that's in my hand:

[@BouncingTribbles]

I have fond memories of death battles. Both players able to deal some damage and heal some damage. Both players going below zero multiple turns in a row could feel epic as long as it didn't happen to often

[@ComDenox]

"Death is a boolean function" Funnily enough, if you code "if (life)" where life is a number, any computer would interpret life as false if it's 0 and true if it's greater than 0. So that joke is surprisingly accurate.

[@justaregularguy7982]

It would be actually a really nice video watching you playing with that deck!

[@icespectre5982]

I would recommend satyr fire dancer since it copies dmg dealt to face to a target creature which is nice tbf. Casting lightning bolt to face and then copying that very dmg to kill a creature that could be in your way is pretty handy. I just forget if its still legal of not.

[@Kwevin6659]

I've had a friend burning inquiry turn 1, he hit every land I had before I even had a turn. 10/10 deck just for the inquiry, wins every time

[@rodolfocastro6405]

Don’t forget that you can cast lightning bolt to damage yourself! This deck strategy is brilliant!

[@Timberwolfee]

I feel like a "Life of Pi = still alive" joke at 0:32 would have ended my life.

[@Oxygen1004]

I'm in love with how this video is made, it's so bad it's good

[@ssj458goku]

Just a yugioh player passing through who happened to have this appear in their feed and was reminded of a certain archetype from the thumbnail This is quite reminiscent of the Dinomorphia (or Dinomorbious as it is famously known as) archetype whos titular monster, a self harming dinosaur-themed super sentai lady, comes with an insane 4000 attack stat-line (for reference, you start with 8000 lifepoints) but loses atk equal to your lifepoints. She can also chop your life points in half to copy the effect of a trap card you have already used, which will often be to protect yourself from damage or even summon another of herself. So as you can imagine, archetype is all about paying your life points to activate effects and such in order to pump your boss as high as possible while keeping your opponent from breathing on, and killing, you with your 1 lifepoint.

[@xDanKaix]

I really want to see this deck played

[@JaredJuetten]

I've witnessed a fever dream presented to me in PowerPoint format...

[@kamerondonaldson5976]

every extra point of life is a buffer between being alive and being not alive.

[@thatothermainprotagonist4956]

I have one question, what if your command has all six colors..... where was that color combo in the friendship tier list?

[@samtricks1966]

This deck is amazing. I’m inspired

[@GoddamnAnge]

Willow the wisp and hatred. 2000s had scourge block, great tribal themes

[@inteventso]

I love and hate how great this deck sounds. I want it

[@__-be1gk]

I love how you can turn any pile of jank into a thousand dollar deck just by having a good manabase

[@jarethebear]

PLEASE DONT FORGET ABOUT Phyrexian Processor (4 colorless: As Phyrexian Processor enters the battlefield, pay any amount of life. 4, Tap: Create an X/X black Phyrexian Minion creature token, where X is the life paid as Phyrexian Processor entered the battlefield.

[@Samagachi]

Phyrexian processor looks pretty good by itself imo

[@VeilofDeathMTG]

I played Grixis Death Shadow in Modern Recently...so I see you like my shadow ;)

[@edschramm6757]

"or you'll have to play against it" I heard you like Gutshot

[@canceledlogic7656]

The irony is that the beginning of this video is actually good advice

[@lametown2269]

You totally had me on board as a budget shadow list until burning inquiry

[@baroquerookbr3214]

My dude low key just put pulse of the forge in a deck in 2023. I'm here.

[@TheGoMetal]

Message of the Video: YOU ARE ALIIIIVE!!!

[@trith72]

ME: "Ok i got to one life let's do this you are tapped out!" OP: " I would like to cast Gutshot" ME: "....well shit".

[@mshumai]

"Death is a boolean function..." Easy for you to say -Schrödinger's cat, probably.

[@fridge5713]

0:22 commander explained in a nutshell

[@Anew522]

Love the idea. Working on a commander deck of this rn

[@dudono1744]

Dinomorphia : MTG edition For those who don't know, Dinomorphia is a deck in yugioh that wants as little life as possible.

[@rosem325]

And then has a couple dozen “sorry you aren’t allowed to kill me” to protect them for far too long despite anything being lethal because half the traps prevent burn half prevent battle. Making fighting then really annoying if you can’t put up a few Omni negates for the traps

[@dudono1744]

@@rosem325 ofc they gonna protect whatever life they have left, but yeah it's still way too long

[@scotkov5356]

I had a deck back in the day I called it my hate deck! The deck could win in 3 or 4 turns if you had the right cards! Deck focused using Hatred and a cheap monster that had some kind of walk ability! Pi$$ people off but was fun! Fog would stop you cold!

[@purplefilth6157]

I never once played Magic, but this logic definitely reminds me of my Play to Win rush warlock in Hearthstone.

[@Bonefinger]

Agadeem can only get creatures with different mana cost. so it can't bring back 2 death'S shadow, and shatterskull can'T do 4 damage to the face for 4 mana , not sure how you read those cards ahah

[@pencilwatchesstuff791]

Hey the poor guy can't afford new glasses having to pay for both college and his cultivator colossus addiction.

[@jedstanaland2897]

You might be able to create a two negatives make a positive situation with your life total by using platinum angel and the kirin and the other items that allow you to get below zero life. There is also a black card that automatically sets your life to zero the next thing is that there is only one card that that actually sets your life to negative through some shenanigans. All of these things are in black and red and Artifact except for the kirin.

[@Asteri_agalriarept]

Death Shadow has a ruling from 2020 stating that negative life is considered 0 life for the purposes of this ability. Otherwise, Shadow would be extremely busted

[@XxjazzperxX]

Pro tip: if you proxy the cards you don't need to sell your soul and family to get a fun deck.

[@RazorDevil1]

you had me going till the lands, jfc

[@danielcorrigan6998]

Please consider adding some arrows to highlight the features of lighting bolt. A little lost here.

[@xboxhunter8295]

5:30 pov: you forgot about frantic serch which is 3 mana makes you draw 3 and untap 3 lands

[@ms.aelanwyr.ilaicos]

Ask anyone who's cast Necropotence, Ad Nauseum, or Yawgmoth's Bargain: the only life point that matters is the last one.

[@TURBOCOW9000]

Malakir rebirth might be a good option

[@---uc8sx]

Death is a boolean function is totally another name for Death Note in another universe

[@sourwitch2340]

3:33 to any target? so do you choose yourself with it to get closer to death's shadow or is that not a valid choice?

[@mdb45424]

Here's a fun deck design. Build a deck around treacherous link. Here's a hint shining meteor to the players face hitting at turn 5

[@betamite]

6:42 Shatterskull doesnt hit face, only creatures and planeswalkers

[@memedaddy3095]

Yep, gonna print this one off. I love gambling with life. Also to get a win with this would make my day.

[@Retroloft556]

I'm rolling with Scourge of the Skyclave as well as DS and Temur Battle Rage to finish in Historic.

[@jonasgajdosikas1125]

at 6:19, you can't get 2 death's shadaows because thay have the same CMC; but for 5 you could get the deaths shadow and the shadow of mortality back

[@kosm866]

"Neeeeowwww" XD that got me

[@ulyssesthedm]

This deck actually looks glorious lol

[@yuvalsela4482]

noah, im curious about your thoughts on Mill

[@mutantcube1737]

It's not even that bad. A few tweaks and some higher budget swaps, and it becomes a pretty good deck

[@martianinvaderr]

Volcano hellion! Deal as much damage as you want and buff your shadows by the same amount!

[@griffin6539]

Me: *Casts lightning bolt turn 1 Opponent: "So I am at 17 now?" Me: "Yes, but actually no."

[@julianlastname5730]

I feel like a deaths shadow prowess deck could actually work. Take out the creatures that aren’t deaths shadow, put in 4 monastery swiftspear, 4 soulscar mage, and this might actually be pretty good

[@williamdrum9899]

There's also Mutagenic Growth which pumps your Shadow for +2/+2 but you can pay 2 life to cast it for free which gives it +4/+4, two of which doesn't go away at end of turn!

[@cheftony2383]

Bolt= 1 mana +3/+3 to death shadow stonks

[@iuploadclips851]

Zephyr spirit: am I a joke to you?

[@nogard0497]

Love this deck idea!