<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by </span></i><a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CGOSSAN%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>GOSSAN</em></a></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ninjas combine two of my favorite things in Magic: typal strategies and bouncing permanents. Since their formalization as a creature type in the original <em>Kamigawa </em>block, Ninjas have lurked in the shadows of playability.</span></p>
<h2>Ninjas In <em>Magic</em></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Their signature ability, ninjutsu, allows the controller to pay a cost in order to sneak them into play, bouncing one of their unblocked attacking creatures.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Birds of Paradise"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ornithopter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Umezawa&#039;s Jitte"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In their Standard heyday, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Birds of Paradise" href="#" target="_blank">Birds of Paradise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornithopter" href="#" target="_blank">Ornithopter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> served as cheap disguises for the Ninjas to throw off, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trygon Predator" href="#" target="_blank">Trygon Predator</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Umezawa&#039;s Jitte" href="#" target="_blank">Umezawa&#039;s Jitte</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> adding to the Ninjas’ combat damage triggering abilities. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Monoblue tempo Ninjas have had their moments in both Modern and Pauper, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ninja of the Deep Hours" href="#" target="_blank">Ninja of the Deep Hours</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> allowing the deck to play like the old-school "Forbidian" deck.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ninja of the Deep Hours"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forbid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ophidian"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbidian is a portmanteau of the cards <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forbid" href="#" target="_blank">Forbid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ophidian" href="#" target="_blank">Ophidian</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which allows the player to abuse the buyback ability of Forbid to discard the cards drawn for turn and for connecting with Ophidian to effectively blank the top of the opponent’s deck.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the most enduring themes of <em>Naruto</em>, perhaps the most internationally-famous Ninja story, is the concept of applying the lessons of the past to the changing present. The Ninja War Arc at the end showed this beautifully by having the living Ninja literally and figuratively facing their dug-up past on the battlefield. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our task today is similar: to build a Ninja Commander deck using elements of what made them popular in different formats and applying them to a new format using a recent <em>Jumpstart</em> commander: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the best aspects of <em>Jumpstart</em> commanders is that they tend to be focused designs that don’t need a lot of help. Taeko has decent stats, as a 4/5 for four. It enters tapped, however, which is a flavorful nod to its secondary typing as a Turtle, but a pretty big downside. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It does have two triggered abilities, however, one of which doesn’t require it to attack. And when it does attack, it makes its presence known.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both of Taeko’s triggered abilities work with the ninjutsu ability. With Ninjas coming and going from the battlefield, it makes sense for us to gain value out of part of it, and Taeko notes their going with a scry and a +1/+1 counter. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Taeko attacks, it can make a target attacking creature unblockable until end of turn for <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-ub" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>, which also adds black to the commander's color identity. But, as a fan of the old-school and a player since <em>Kamigawa</em>, why would I ignore those that came before, including a Commander precon?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Higure, the Still Wind"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Satoru Umezawa"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To explain, I need to go on a bit of a tangent. My heart goes out to the fans of the Quebec Nordiques, who had to watch the subject of their hard work and years of suffering moved to Colorado and rebranded as the Avalanche. Similarly, those who waited through the mono-blue era of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Higure, the Still Wind" href="#" target="_blank">Higure, the Still Wind</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> finally saw black added with both the Game-Changing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow" href="#" target="_blank">Yuriko, the Tiger&#039;s Shadow</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satoru Umezawa" href="#" target="_blank">Satoru Umezawa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but neither are really Ninja commanders. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just when the type finally got some powerful commanders, they abandoned the archetype.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yuriko is pretty much the only Ninja in Yuriko decks, as the rest is populated by high mana value cards, evasive creatures, and top-deck manipulation. Satoru is similar, except instead of flipping the high mana value off of the top, it’s about cheating high mana values into play. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both are exciting, but neither commands Ninjas well. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vela the Night-Clad"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I can even remember a time when Ninjas were desperate enough to turn to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vela the Night-Clad" href="#" target="_blank">Vela the Night-Clad</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but, at long last, Ninjas have a commander that enables and capitalizes off of ninjutsu, just not a familiar face. Still, for those Ninja enthusiasts who have been patient through the years, we finally have a commander they can be proud of. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’m not going to pull punches, though; a commander deck helmed by a Ninja that doesn’t reflect the lore of Kamigawa feels like the Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup after moving from Quebec.</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Taeko is a key facilitator for Ninjas, providing support at various stages. In order to make the most of ninjutsu, the Ninja deck needs cheap, evasive threats to bounce: cards that trigger on combat damage; and ways to protect our board. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unlike <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Satoru Umezawa" href="#" target="_blank">Satoru Umezawa</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we’re using real Ninjas, not giving cards in our hand ninjutsu. As a result, we need as many of our Ninjas to have ninjutsu as possible.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Phantom Ninja"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like Satoru, we're going to use creatures to facilitate ninjutsu activations, but we aren’t substituting Ninjas; we’re substituting evasive threats. Taeko can turn Ninjas that are out into <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phantom Ninja" href="#" target="_blank">Phantom Ninja</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>s so we have unblocked attackers to return. We're still running those types of creatures, but we can reduce the amount and add more Ninjas because our commander can make our Ninjas evasive.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Throat Slitter"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the more important elements of Taeko is that, like Yuriko, it can win the game on its own. Taeko grows as we bounce our creatures, and its evasion-granting ability can include itself. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a result, we can out-tempo the table for the majority of the game before making like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Throat Slitter" href="#" target="_blank">Throat Slitter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and commander damaging a player out of seemingly nowhere!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mistblade Shinobi"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Coastal Piracy"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of the tempo beats come from the combat damage triggers, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mistblade Shinobi" href="#" target="_blank">Mistblade Shinobi</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>’s board control ability. We can supplement this with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Coastal Piracy" href="#" target="_blank">Coastal Piracy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects to work with the evasive creatures, all the while generating card advantage. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All of these pieces need to be balanced together, however, which can feel like a juggling act. </span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Arcane Denial"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Glen Elendra Archmage"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While our commander can facilitate this, we need counterspells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcane Denial" href="#" target="_blank">Arcane Denial</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to protect our fragile board. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Glen Elendra Archmage" href="#" target="_blank">Glen Elendra Archmage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a particularly impactful synergy, as we can reset the counter from persist by bouncing it with ninjutsu. Just be careful; like Forbidian, it can be seen as a soft lock.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rogue&#039;s Passage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Access Tunnel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Creeping Tar Pit"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Our nonbasic lands provide some subtle support for ninjutsu, with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rogue&#039;s Passage" href="#" target="_blank">Rogue&#039;s Passage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Access Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Access Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> sneaking our creatures through and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Creeping Tar Pit" href="#" target="_blank">Creeping Tar Pit</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Faerie Conclave" href="#" target="_blank">Faerie Conclave</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> animating into creatures to sneak through. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latter two can also provide a beating after a wrath effect, meaning that, sometimes, we might actually want to let the board get wiped through our permission.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We aim to drop quick, evasive threats, trigger off of dealing combat damage, and drop our Ninjas into play. We can protect our board, but we use our aggression to facilitate our board control.</span></p>
<h2><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche" href="#" target="_blank">Taeko, the Patient Avalanche</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Taeko, the Patient Avalanche Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 Taeko, the Patient Avalanche
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Baleful Strix
*1 Biting-Palm Ninja
*1 Covert Technician
*1 Dimir Infiltrator
*1 Dokuchi Silencer
*1 Elegy Acolyte
*1 Enduring Curiosity
*1 Faerie Seer
*1 Fallen Shinobi
*1 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
*1 Glen Elendra Archmage
*1 Grim Hireling
*1 Higure, the Still Wind
*1 Ingenious Infiltrator
*1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
*1 Invisible Stalker
*1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
*1 Mist-Syndicate Naga
*1 Mistblade Shinobi
*1 Moon-Circuit Hacker
*1 Moonblade Shinobi
*1 Moonsnare Specialist
*1 Nashi, Moon Sage&#039;s Scion
*1 Nezumi Prowler
*1 Ninja of the Deep Hours
*1 Ornithopter
*1 Orochi Soul-Reaver
*1 Phantom Ninja
*1 Prosperous Thief
*1 Sakashima&#039;s Student
*1 Satoru Umezawa
*1 Satoru, the Infiltrator
*1 Silent-Blade Oni
*1 Silver-Fur Master
*1 Skullsnatcher
*1 Slither Blade
*1 Starwinder
*1 Thousand-Faced Shadow
*1 Throat Slitter
*1 Throatseeker
*1 Tormented Soul
*1 Triton Shorestalker
*1 Walker of Secret Ways
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Planeswalkers]
*1 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
*1 Kaito, Cunning Infiltrator
[/Planeswalkers]
&nbsp;
[Artifacts]
*1 Bident of Thassa
*1 The Indomitable
[/Artifacts]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Coastal Piracy
*1 Impostor Syndrome
*1 Reconnaissance Mission
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 An Offer You Can&#039;t Refuse
*1 Arcane Denial
*1 Counterspell
*1 Countersquall
*1 Negate
*1 Stubborn Denial
*1 Swan Song
*1 Unwind
*1 Withering Boon
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Arch of Orazca
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*1 Creeping Tar Pit
*1 Faerie Conclave
*15 Island
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Phyrexian Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*15 Swamp
*1 War Room
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ninjas have been lurking in the shadows of playability for years, but, while commanders have broken out, the creature type has stayed out of the limelight. But that tends to be where they like it, just waiting to strike unsuspecting opponents. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After all…one of the favorite phrases among Commander players is “I’m not the threat!”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">How would you build Ninjas? And do you think we captured their sneakiness? Let us know in the comments.</span></p>
<h3>More Typal:</h3>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="F0uogfJuh4"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-insect-commander-deck-with-aatchik-emerald-radian/">Building an Insect Commander Deck with Aatchik, Emerald Radian</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building an Insect Commander Deck with Aatchik, Emerald Radian&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-insect-commander-deck-with-aatchik-emerald-radian/embed/#?secret=oTmU5VeoQo#?secret=F0uogfJuh4" data-secret="F0uogfJuh4" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
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<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building Spirit Typal With Millicent, Restless Revenant&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-spirit-typal-with-millicent-restless-revenant/embed/#?secret=qnhFftL3h8#?secret=lWwmPMKv1L" data-secret="lWwmPMKv1L" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>
<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="FSDWibXtFY"><p><a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-assassin-deck-with-lydia-frye/">Building an Assassin Deck with Lydia Frye</a></p></blockquote>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; visibility: hidden;" title="&#8220;Building an Assassin Deck with Lydia Frye&#8221; &#8212; EDHREC" src="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-an-assassin-deck-with-lydia-frye/embed/#?secret=bWqRfWc928#?secret=FSDWibXtFY" data-secret="FSDWibXtFY" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p>


ninja commander

Building Ninja Typal With Taeko, the Patient Avalanche