Much Abrew: UB Ninjas (Modern, Magic Online)

[@MineRoyale.]

With all the card draw power this deck has, I think force of negation should be maindeck. Never a lack of cards to discard, and leaving up mana for other counters seems counterintuitive to the flooding strategy.

[@adamdettelbach6863]

Could even play commandeer at a lot of points. Not that it's that much better than FON unless you're stealing a PW against Tron or UWx Control

[@Ritokure]

Force of Despair seems pretty good aswell, despite not having as many pitch targets. Very good against go-wide which Ninjas are soft against and opens up the way for the ground Ninjas to swing and draw. All it needs is more Black for the pitch. Maybe the one-drop Changeling?

[@MTGGoldfish]

Yeah, maybe Force and Commandeer are worth main decking. If we get the Ninjas going we do end up with a lot of extra cards.

[@victorperezurbano9504]

Force of negation would be great in this deck, also Force of despair in the sideboard feels pretty powerful against Hogaak

[@adammiceli7584]

Couldnt agree more. The deck is choked on mana, NOT card advantage.

[@rodrigo1720]

15:05 you could push the fake Rider , remand the push, then push the real to kill both

[@Mekhami]

it made me so angry that he didn't see this line.

[@Nathan-lw3nd]

@@Mekhami Pretty sure he just forgot phantasmal images other ability. Just a casual 2 mana copy with no downside against seth

[@LyricBent]

Dang that's slick

[@juannenna2293]

I was hoping i wasnt the only one yelling at the screen for this

[@sneakhole]

you're a genius

[@timothybensema8901]

It looks like we are trying to play pauper in Modern

[@ArcanaMaxima]

0:42 Ninja aren't a tribe, they're a clan.

[@meatrace]

They're a class.

[@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761]

@@meatrace you're both wrong, it's a way of life

[@meatrace]

@@drakeconsumerofsoulsandche5761 It's a way of DEATH.

[@jancukasu]

They're a job. Shadowbringers will arrive in 2 weeks!! 😎🤩

[@MegaManNetworkOfCourse]

Yeah! Believe it!

[@jazonjalapeno1406]

Seth : "Ok let's play this new deck !" Next week, still Seth: "This new deck is all over the place !" The price of fame :D :D

[@TheIndianaJonas]

@15:05 push the copy to make sacrifice, remand the push, them cast in the real mantis rider and get a draw out of the deal

[@jacobmayer4206]

exactly this

[@LyricBent]

Dang that's slick

[@zombiepvdel9602]

You dont enable revolt with this line

[@MTGGoldfish]

That seems good (although we still need Revolt for the real copy).

[@TheIndianaJonas]

@@MTGGoldfish yeah, but you could played after attack, the same way you did

[@BalamTryba]

these games are so close and interactive, super sweet deck and definitely the kind of game play I would love to keep seeing from modern

[@crovax1375]

I really love your art choice for the Snow Covered Island @4:39! It really brought back some good old memories of opening new packs of Iceage

[@anaphysik]

14:35 I think the correct play that turn was: --play Island --Fatal Push targeting the Image-Rider, but do NOT let the Image's ability resolve yet (because of the Image trigger, you don't need to hold priority for this sequence, but you can if you're scared)--respond with hold-priority sacrifice Mausoleum Wanderer targeting your own Fatal Push --respond to THAT with Remand targeting your own Fatal Push--let the stack resolve: Fatal Push + new card in hand and Image-Rider dies--Fatal Push the Mantis Rider (since Mausoleum Wanderer left the battlefield) (playing the island allows you to leave black mana for this)--then attack with ninja

[@anaphysik]

Ah, actually I forgot about Urborg, ToY. In that case, even if you forget to play the Island first, you're fine (so, frex, you could realize this plan after casting Fatal Push and seeing the Image trigger but before letting it resolve).

[@anaphysik]

15:55 Mistakes upon mistakes, Seth! You should've waited until after blocks. Had they blocked with just Rider, you could've saved your Ninja at no expense.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Yeah, I think I messed that turn up a bit.

[@Fauna_CR]

Why not Changeling Outcast? It's a great enabler for other ninjas, and it also is one.

[@nickevans8476]

Christian Reinagel this

[@MrMarclax]

Cause it generates no value? All the 1 drops in the list are evasive just like the changeling, but they also generate value as sudo spell pierce or chompblocker. The changeling cant even chomp. Also, think of what to remove from the current lis.

[@Fauna_CR]

@@MrMarclax You'd cut the 2 Pteramanders. Most of the time they're just 1/1 flyers. There just isn't a consistent method of putting spells in the graveyard in this deck other than just casting them fairly, which is to slow. Plus, at that point where you could pump Pteramander, you're taking a turn off of activating your man lands, which can't really be afforded at that point. As per the argument with "not generating value", it does. If you have an Ingenious Infiltrator out, it guarentees that you draw a card off of it. Otherwise, it also is a guarenteed method of getting your ninjas on the field unlike the flyers which can be fairly easily stopped. Also, if you're at the point in the game where you need to be chump blocking with your flyers, you've pretty much lost.

[@MrMarclax]

@@Fauna_CR a 1-1 flyer on turn 1 usualy is enough to guarantee our ninjas on the board. Also, our deck is so slow that I think our 1 drops must be able to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, but that's just me. Like, in the first game against human, if one of our 1 drop couldnt chomp, we would've lost.

[@gutao2v]

I feel like it’s at least worth the test. Seems pretty better than Pteramander most of the time, with the exception of needing to chump block sometimes. Great idea!

[@TheSLATEcleaner]

Notes: Read the article. After seeing these matches, 2x Judge's Familiar and 2x Pteromander should 100% be 4x Faerie Seer. The card is just too good at deck manipulation in conjunction with Ninjas and would let your 1 drops get value off being returned unlike the current suite where none of the ten get etb value. At 14:50 you could Fatal Push target fake Mantis Rider (killing it with Illusion trigger), Sacrifice Mausoleum Wanderer targeting Fatal Push to trigger Revolt, hold priority Remand your own Fatal Push, then play Island and fatal push other Mantis Rider since Urborg lets it tap for black. The way the game went from there, you were the favorite after making that play, especially since it would free up your second Fatal Push for Reflector Mage to blow them out after they bounced your Mutavault. That line would've also drawn an additional card and dealt an additional damage (do that line before combat to hit with Ninja instead of just chump attacking Wanderer). Great deck. You played it pretty well too, dude. Really complicated lines so the result was well-earned.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Thanks!

[@bjarkov12]

59:32, with Galvanic Blast on the stack, Snapcaster Mage into push to put them off metalcraft, take 2 then cast familiar. Having 3 life and a blocker vs blinkmoth and no metalcraft is a lot safer than 1 life and a blocker

[@searat9814]

I've been waiting for this ever since new ninjas where announced.

[@MrYandman22]

Super cool plays in this vid! Nice work, Seth!

[@Charroshi]

Game 3 of the match vs Affinity was super sweet. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

[@matthewworden6095]

That first game against Affinity is why I have a love/hate relationship with Fatal Push. I once played Affinity against UB Faeries and my opponent drew all four pushes and flashbacked one with Snapcaster.

[@markbrewster6828]

@14:52 you can play fatal push holding priority remanding then pushing to kill both mantis rider! I so wish you would have come up with that play! :D (haha I was ninja'd much earlier)

[@alfredvonfleisch]

I ran a mono blue version of this years ago using Ronin Warclub, Sage Owl and Ornithopter on top of a few more jank ninjas.

[@MWorl91]

I think against Hogaak you burned all 3 Surgicals too quickly

[@tomjackal5708]

yeah wtf was the bloodghast surgical?? like vengevine when they have 2 about to come back? sweet bridge, at any time, for any reason? YES a single random fucking bloodghast they couldn't even get back until next turn??????

[@sethb3090]

@@tomjackal5708 I feel like if he could have saved the last one and hit a Hogaak, that would have been GG, and probably his best odds of winning that game. Plus that would have achieved the meta-win of making the opponent play a Hogaak-less, Bridge-less, Vine-less version of Hogaak BridgeVine.

[@daweisguy454]

Given the dead of winters in the side, I wonder if this deck wants some number of prismatic vistas to fetch the snow lands. That seems better than the flooded strands to me.

[@MTGGoldfish]

It might, we do like finding out basics.

[@trewilliams383]

I might have jammed Bitterblossom and gone with Mistbind Clique with the ninja plan. Locking down all your opponents' lands seems like a clear path to wins. Might be worth playing.

[@alexwhite3540]

I have that list. Mistbind perfroms well Using bittersblossom with cabal therapists as a ninjutsu enabler works well

[@mitchellmatis2173]

Don't get me wrong, it's a sweet deck. But when I click on UB Ninjas, I kinda expected more than 8 ninjas total...

[@kalceus7856]

Ninjas bypassing reflector mage and meddling mage lockouts feels GREAT (and feels on theme that they can sneak in anyway)

[@MTGGoldfish]

Ninjas= too sneaky for Humans confirmed.

[@RiskyBiscuit]

I have to admit I wasn't expecting Ninjas to be as good as they were. Cool stuff.

[@vitorvanderleidealmeidafon7697]

4 ornithopters would be great for this deck. Turn 1 discard spell + ornithopter. Turn 2 ninja, get back ornithopter, plays ornithopter again. Turn 3 you can already do another ninjitsu. Great mix of disruption and card draw.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Hmm, it would be good for ninjitsu purposes, although other than that it doesn't do much.

[@vitorvanderleidealmeidafon7697]

MTGGoldfish it’s more for the turn 1 discard. And with it you can “curve” ninjas and use some other nice options like the new Naga, the new 5/4 ninja, etc. Also, Changeling Outcast is a ninja and can draw you a card.

[@Diotialate]

59:00 Ten cards and no lands. That's why they call him Saffron "Hearthstone" Olive.

[@hugeheadliang]

Wow I skipped m2g3 seeing that you drew triple surgical, and then found out your opponent actually won thru all that? Man this deck is powerful

[@lumensmith2001]

I was actually messing around with a ninja brew like this. The biggest difference is that I had faerie miscreant and faerie seer because I could recast them for value. (Edit: it doesn’t have the snow stuff and mutavault, but other than those and the one drop difference, the list is nearly identical.)

[@thekitchenchikens]

Milton Smith pretty in love with faerie seer myself for mono blue tempo

[@lumensmith2001]

thekitchenchikens yeah, I have always loved scry. My second deck I ever made ran 8 scry lands.

[@MegaTigger3]

Plays a ninja deck, only plays 8 ninjas in the 75. Though I am kidding I was hoping for one or two more ninja cards.

[@theparagonal]

Fallen Shinobi seems capable, even just because it has 5 power. Mist-syndicate Naga has to be good somewhere...

[@MegaTigger3]

Throat slitter for removal Skullsnatcher for gy hate The mist syndicate to go wide Moon blade to go wide as well Plus what he used Then the enablers be something like Tormented soul The changeling tormented soul Ornithopter Plus some that he used like Wanderer Familiar

[@TehSeksyManz]

@@MegaTigger3 I like the idea of Ornithopter. Good thinking!!

[@newtpondskipper]

@@TehSeksyManz that's what they used in the first running out of ninjas. Was weird to not see it here.

[@CSDragon]

Oh cool, it's the Standard Mono-Blue Curious Obsession deck in Modern

[@Krossfyre]

On steroids!

[@bakyra4683]

14:40 game 1 you could have fatalpushed the mantis illusion while holding priority and remanding your own fatal push, right? :D

[@jamesevans6332]

One card you're definitely missing out on is Changeling Outcast. It comes down on turn 1, it's unblockable and it's a Changeling so it counts as a Ninja

[@daltonmekis]

At 14:50 why attack with wanderer into the mantis riders? Like you don’t need revolt to kill the phantasmal image bc it will sac as soon as it is targeted

[@anergyboy2192]

Magic Online bugged and wouldn't let him cast Fatal Push without Revolt on the Image.

[@dragaunas]

No seth this is not a ninja tribal deck

[@Borkybaby]

Felt this wouldn’t be a proper video without hearing this: GO NINJA, GO NINJA GO!!!

[@jjohansen86]

20:44 I think this was a major punt by opponent, it let you Ninjutsu again, at which point he should have known that he was giving you lethal. Bouncing a ninja can easily make it so you just get more damage in.

[@aidanobrien6338]

1:00:00, should have snap-remanded the galvanic blast. they were tapped out, could have nabbed it with the inquisition

[@carter9449]

Sad that there's none of the fun new ninja, just the one that's actually good

[@MultiTaz333]

All of them are good

[@stephenhousman6975]

14:45 You can fatal push the image rider even though it won't kill it. It has the sac clause if it is ever targeted. First match against bridgevine I think you let off trap too soon. 1 bridge isn't worth it and once 2 are in you can exile them before they can even get the zombies.

[@CSDragon]

14:40 you right clicked and said "only target 2 cmc or less" when trying to target the image. You can still target it casting normally, and it will die to the Illusion effect

[@turnipy88]

15:00 fun fact, Seth, you can always Fatal Push to kill Phantasmal Image by targeting it.

[@MTGGoldfish]

I think there's more value in killing the non-Phantasmal Image version, but you are right.

[@BoshiYoshi]

I hope we can see an Against the Odds Ninja tribal deck sometime. This felt more like a UB tempo/control deck with a couple of Ninjas thrown in than an actual Ninja deck.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Maybe we could play a more Ninja-y version of the deck. I think the two-mana ninjitsu Ninjas are the best ones though.

[@BoshiYoshi]

Yeah, that's why I was suggesting one for Against the Odds, since it will probably be worse (but more fun!) than this deck. I understand why you went this route with the deck, I just think when most of us saw the video title, we were expecting a deck more like the deck your last opponent was using. :)

[@adrienneladd8375]

I would have replaced the last remand with force to maybe counter a vial on turn one. For game 1

[@Eyari3]

nice, my favorite tribe!! and it does very well in modern, maybe you must try skullnatcher and mistblade shinobi vs graveyard decks

[@Nrdyco]

So question... around 0:59:00 you had the chance to counter the blast/bounce the Thopter. Why was it better to take the hit? I'm confused as to why Seth just wouldn't do that?

[@MTGGoldfish]

The problem with counter + bounce on the Thopter is that if our opponent draws something like Galvanic Blast or Arcbound Ravager we just die on our opponent's next turn.

[@Nrdyco]

@@MTGGoldfish but you were countering a glavanic blast. Wouldnt putting you at 1 be worse? (I only ask bc i wanna get betrer at modern and want to learn better strats) Also thanks for responding to my questions!

[@ianmcabee8036]

Games start 5:23

[@netanelaker4437]

Should have one Fallen Shinobi for value :(

[@kyubi78]

And to add some closing speed which would help in modern.

[@alexstef6965]

got excited, then saw list has no fallen shinobi...then got sad:(

[@czairkolmoslink5952]

This doesn't feel like a true nunja deck with only two ninjas :/

[@offthewalls1203]

Dang, saw the deck art on Twitter and thought there was some kind of unblockable turtle. Nice list, Seth.

[@chestnutpuck]

Maybe they'll print Yuriko into modern in MH2. I think it's appropriately powered and would be sweet for the archetype.

[@Cr33p3rCr33p]

WHY YOU NO FALLEN SHINOBI

[@justharry2190]

way too expensive

[@Cr33p3rCr33p]

Alot of good draw triggers and it seemed he was curving out pretty good, i think Fallen Shinobi have been ideal. Shinobi would be a nice finisher to draw into and add some much needed power punching through, which i thought was lacking. I would have cut the Pteramanders

[@parttimecomix]

Joe Mack I gotta agree. It may be slow but his trigger can be devastating. Plus that’s just fun 😆

[@Destabalization]

IKR shinobi just wins

[@adammiceli7584]

I've done a lot of testing with the type of deck. Definitely missing changeling outcast and force of negation/disrupting shoal effects. Also I think that cards like faerie seer and spellstutter Sprite can be considered

[@adammiceli7584]

Also secluded glen in the land slot as changeling outcast, and the faeries allow it to come in untapped most of the time

[@varegvalance5143]

What do you think about combine ninja and fearies. Spellstutter and other fearie for 1 will be good with ninja. Also if you draw a lot maybe main deck Force of negation and the blue shoal.

[@c.jhamblin5759]

Can someone please explain the difference between much abrew and against the odds

[@MTGGoldfish]

Much Abrew is normally the most popular of our deck techs for the week (although sometimes it ends up being something I feel like playing, either because we've already played the deck tech decks or because there were no deck techs for spoiler season). Against the Odds there's a poll each week and the deck is built around the winning card.

[@SeanteBrown]

Seth...come on fam. I waited SOOOOOO long to watch you play some ninjas...and you only had 2 types?!!? And one was the old one?!!? 😭 no fallen shinobi?!!? No throat seeker? Mistblade shinobi woulda been bonkers in this deck. Throat slitter a no too?!!? Yuriko couldn’t get in on this?!!? Moonblade. Mistblade. Silent blade. PICK A BLADE!!! 😭😭😭 you broke my heart man. It’s gonna be another 10 years before I get another ninja deck outta y’all 😞...breakin my heart, fam.

[@PerhapsOOTMM]

Great thumbnail; actually laughed out loud

[@filipwestling1549]

Watching this in the end of 2023: "If this deck becomes a thing we can put in four laylines of the void".

[@88predy]

Seth, this is not a tribal deck! This just simply using ninjutsu as a draw engine. It's not like you put 8 ninjas in the deck and presto, there is a tribal.

[@youmanex]

Actualy Ingenious Infiltrator is some kind of a lord for ninja and as long has you have a syenergie around a "tribe" that make it a tribal deck

[@Aronia55]

The deck is build around ninjas...

[@88predy]

@@Aronia55 remove those few ninjas and you have 3/4 of the generic UB control/midrange deck.

[@redstonepro5412]

@@88predy no, you would never just randomly play mausoleum wanderers Ninjas specificly need buildaround for ninjizu, and that is just not possible with ninjas If you count the enablers too you have 18 tribal cards Thats enough

[@WheelDragon]

15:19 why didn't you snap push the ornithopter? That would have taken them off of metalcraft and you were going to snap push it anyway

[@shwift8789]

This. Is all I’ve ever wanted

[@MemoryLaneWizard]

Wizards looked at Modern manabases and thought: "These are not expensive enough! If only we could get rid of basic lands...(!) But of course, Snow basics!"

[@jackmuaddib3745]

I would like to see if ornithopters could work in this deck!

[@DarkThomy]

Hmm... I have a weird question : when a ravland arrives on the battlefield, can you tap it for mana in response to its own trigger effect (the ask you to pay 2 life) ?

[@Abrie]

No, because it enters tapped unless you pay two life, so it's only untapped if you have paid life already

[@Xaincryosis]

Vs the Bridgevine deck you said were a tiny bit unlucky and your opponent was lucky not to have milled a Hogaak. Lol how lucky were you to have 3 surgical extractions?

[@ShiningSpear]

Is there a good way to budgetify this? I don't have the cash to drop on a set of Surgicals and Snapcasters.

[@gooob7548]

I feel like you could have sacrificed Familiar to exile Bridge from Below a few times. I don’t know if it would have saved you but I do think that’s worth a 1/1 flyer. Also if someone targets your attacking creature with a spell you can ninjitsu it to save it, no matter what point in the attack phase it is as long as it is not being blocked.

[@WolfgangCloud]

Games Start at 5:44 !!!

[@ZorrosRage]

How do you feel about bitterblossom and spellstutter sprite on this list

[@ryanpeters3812]

With this much card draw, you should be able to slot in 2 go for the throat specific for Hogaak and gurmag. Might be good enough to replace dismember, though that's more meta dependent. There were a few things I didn't like, but understand why they are there. Remand and cryptic seemed...slow (more cryptic than remand). Snag allowed for this deck to be a tad more aggro, which is where I feel it needs to be. You tend to be a tad more controlling which is why you seemed to play this a tad faster than a midrange, but with the feel of midrange value for sure. Still, congrats on the deck and wins, and hope you go far with it.

[@MTGGoldfish]

Yeah, with Hogaak running around it might be worth changing up the removal a bit.

[@electrochori5084]

Needs more Faerie Seers... Perhaps some spellstutter sprites to go along.

[@oaomcg]

I like Faerie Seer as a 1 drop, way more than Pteramander. If i'm going to be bouncing and replaying my 1 drop over and over, why not get some ETBs with it?

[@Janshevik]

yay even my card is there!

[@cloudyskiesnow]

That thumbnail looks like a prediction about the future of Magic. TMNT incoming.

[@NickBase]

Changeling outcast, faerie seer?

[@ppmagic9841]

1:11:50 why not ninjutsu? was perfect :(

[@Firebird4Life]

@49:45 Much Abrew about Vacuuming

[@Galva94a]

What is exactly the purpose of damping sphere against bridgevine?

[@Destabalization]

Pietro Galvagni they cast hogaak like 20 times a turn when they combo

[@garmatey3816]

If you had bounced ornithopter wouldn't the galvanic blast have only hit you for 2?

[@varegvalance5143]

And the thopther will be discarded with inquisition on the stack

[@Kechlivecek]

An Ornithopter is probably too cute, right? Though it would allow you to leave up mana on T1 and replay it immediatly on T2.

[@kristofferhorst8694]

Wheres the Fallen Shinobi?

[@newtpondskipper]

Leyline of the void would be so nice...

[@michaelconnolly1678]

I would love to see fallen shinobi!

[@edoardocarlesi9615]

After one match: "Ninjas is better than Humans"

[@MTGGoldfish]

I mean, we did beat them ;)

[@garmatey3816]

Could you not have pushed the phantasmal mantas rider and then remanded your push and the phantasmal mantas rider still dies?

[@FnordKyuss]

Seth's carpool is so frustrating! I want 4x everything lol

[@dizzik3723]

Video starts at 5:42

[@arsenicwolf2009]

Against Hogaak why didn't you tap the team and bounce Hogaak? They can't recast and you can swing in and draw more.

[@netanelaker4437]

You can kill the Mirror Image that was Mantis Rider with the un-revolted Fatal Push - the card can target any creature... Should have target the Mirror Image, Remand the Fatal Push and then Fatal Push the other Mantis Rider (after he killed your ninja).

[@DonovanPresents]

I still think you should have sideboarded damping sphere to that affinity deck. That's just my opinion...

[@MTGGoldfish]

Hmm, maybe it's worth it. I think the problem is the big turn for Affinity is often turn one where they play a bunch of free stuff and fast mana, so in a lot of games by the time Damping Sphere comes down the damage is already done.

[@petrsevcik5044]

Play one Ink-Eyes in sideboard as graveyard hate :D

[@World_Reaper]

To be honest, I didn't read all of the comments, but did anyone consider unblockable creatures as an alternative to "just flying" creatuers. Just like that merfolk-creatures?

[@Hanmacx]

No Changeling Outcast? :(

[@adrienneladd8375]

With the modern meta I might even have 2-3 surgical in main board

[@truetbird1730]

Exactly, with the amount of gy decks running around, hate in the main seems needed

[@MTGGoldfish]

Yeah, Surgicals and Leylines have been sneaking into main decks lately.

[@tornadojoe87]

i snagged every ninja card for my yuriko deck on release :)

[@MTGGoldfish]

Good plan.

[@Luteloots]

Doesn't want remand against humans. Has trouble with Aether Vial. Doesn't even consider Force of Negation or Ceremonious Rejection instead in it's place. They might be blank most of the game but just countering vial could be very good and better than effectively paying 2 mana to cycle remand. Similarly killing the effectively blank meddling mage on infiltrator rather than Noble when they were seemingly stuck on one land seemed like a mistake imo.

[@wreagin1]

Seth why no faerie seer?

[@nickstrain8376]

No unblockable changeling?

[@ErroneousClique]

Modern Horizons AND Ninjas? Cant go wrong! XD

[@TheVampire989]

Here's an idea! U/B Unblockable Cipher! Actually try this out, it seems pretty fun! ^.^

[@Destabalization]

TheVampire989 this is not a good idea

[@TheVampire989]

@@Destabalization Um..... any reasons why...?