Overview:

This Dimir deck leverages Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow as its central engine and primary win condition. The strategy revolves around deploying evasive, low-power creatures (e.g., Changeling Outcast, Mist-Cloaked Herald) to enable Ninjutsu, cheating high-mana-value Ninjas onto the battlefield to trigger Yuriko's damage/life-loss ability repeatedly. Key themes include top-deck manipulation (e.g., Brainstorm, Ponder) to ensure high-impact reveals, Ninja tribal synergies, and evasive combat. Satoru Umezawa acts as a critical "hidden commander," enabling Ninjutsu for non-Ninja creatures and providing card selection. The deck aims to win through cumulative Yuriko triggers, combat damage from buffed Ninjas, and occasional value theft from Ninja abilities.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Play evasive 1-drops (e.g., Changeling Outcast, Gingerbrute) or utility creatures (e.g., Faerie Seer). Cast ramp (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet) or top-deck manipulation (Ponder, Portent). Prioritize establishing an unblockable attacker.
2. Commander Deployment (Turns 2-4): Ninjutsu Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow using an unblocked attacker. Immediately trigger her ability to reveal a high-cost card (e.g., Devastation Tide, Silent-Blade Oni) and drain opponents.
3. Ninja Swarm & Triggers (Turns 3-6): Ninjutsu impactful Ninjas like Fallen Shinobi (steal spells), Ingenious Infiltrator (draw), or Prosperous Thief (Treasure generation). Use Arcane Adaptation to make all creatures Ninjas. Stack the top deck with high-CMC cards using Brainstorm, Telling Time, or Halimar Depths to maximize Yuriko triggers.
4. Win Condition Execution (Turns 5-8):
   • Yuriko Triggers: Chain multiple Ninja attacks to drain the table rapidly. Use Satoru Umezawa to Ninjutsu high-CMC non-Ninjas (e.g., Silent-Blade Oni) for explosive damage.
   • Combat: Overwhelm with buffed Ninjas (e.g., via Silver-Fur Master) or unblockable threats. Leverage Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive to ensure damage connects.
   • Value/Theft: Steal opponents' resources via Fallen Shinobi, Silent-Blade Oni, or Biting-Palm Ninja.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with ≥2 lands (including UB sources), ≥1 evasive creature (e.g., Changeling Outcast), and ≥1 enabler (ramp, Ninja, or top-deck manipulation).
• Prioritize hands containing Yuriko, an unblockable creature, or Satoru Umezawa.
• Avoid hands lacking early plays, Ninjutsu enablers, or color fixing.

Key Tips:

• Top-Deck Manipulation: Use instant-speed draw (Brainstorm) before Yuriko triggers to ensure high-CMC reveals. Save Dig Through Time/Treasure Cruise for critical turns.
• Protection & Recursion: Ninjutsu returns creatures to hand, dodging removal. Use Cunning Evasion for additional protection. Recur key spells with Commit // Memory or Connive // Concoct.
• Interaction Timing: Deploy counterspells (Counterspell, Negate) defensively to protect Yuriko or disrupt game-winning plays. Use removal (Price of Fame, Murderous Cut) on key stax pieces or blockers.
• Satoru Umezawa: Prioritize cheating in high-impact creatures like Silent-Blade Oni for double triggers (Yuriko + Oni's ability).

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Board Wipes: Mass removal (e.g., Wrath of God) cripples the evasive creature base and Ninja board, stalling the engine.
• Anti-Activation Stax: Cursed Totem/Linvala, Keeper of Silence disable Ninjutsu, rendering the strategy inert.
• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts delve spells (Treasure Cruise), recursion (Connive // Concoct), and theft (Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni).

Moderate

• Flying/Reach Blockers: Decks with numerous flyers or reach creatures can block key Ninjas, reducing trigger consistency.
• Rule of Law Effects: Limit multiple Ninjutsu activations per turn, slowing the engine.
• Tax Effects: Thalia, Guardian of Thraben increases Ninjutsu costs, delaying critical plays.

Minor

• Spot Removal: Targeted removal on Yuriko or Satoru is manageable due to Ninjutsu's inherent protection (return to hand) and recast potential.
• Artifact/Enchantment Removal: Losing Arcane Adaptation or mana rocks is inconvenient but not game-ending.

Most Important Cards:

• Satoru Umezawa (Enables Ninjutsu for any creature, top-deck manipulation)
• Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow (Primary win condition engine)
• Arcane Adaptation (Makes all creatures Ninjas, maximizing triggers)
• Changeling Outcast (Ideal unblockable enabler)
• Brainstorm (Critical top-deck manipulation for Yuriko triggers)
• Ingenious Infiltrator (Card draw engine on Ninja damage)
• Fallen Shinobi (High-impact Ninja, steals opponents' spells)
• Prosperous Thief (Generates Treasure for mana acceleration)
• Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive (Ensures unblockability for key creatures)
• Sol Ring (Mana acceleration for early setup)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 7/10

• Capable of T4-5 wins with perfect draws (e.g., T1 evasive creature → T2 Yuriko → T3 high-CMC Ninja + top-deck setup), but typically threatens lethal via cumulative triggers/combat by T6-7.

Resilience: 6/10

• Ninjutsu inherently dodges removal by returning creatures to hand, and the deck has counterspells/recursion. However, it folds to board wipes or stax that disable Ninjutsu, with limited recovery tools.

Consistency: 7/10

• High density of evasive creatures (12+), Ninjas (20+), and top-deck manipulation ensures reliable access to the engine. Tutors are limited (e.g., Dimir Infiltrator), but redundancy in key roles compensates.

Interaction: 5/10

• Runs efficient counterspells (Counterspell, Negate), targeted removal (Price of Fame, Murderous Cut), and bounce (Consign // Oblivion), but lacks board wipes beyond Devastation Tide and has minimal graveyard interaction.

Rating Justification:

This deck excels in speed and consistency, leveraging Ninjutsu to threaten T5-7 wins through repeated Yuriko triggers and combat, aligning with the "Focused Competitive" tier (T5-6 win). However, its vulnerability to board wipes and stax reduces resilience, preventing higher optimization.

Power level: 6.5 - 7.0