Overview:

This Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow deck employs a ninjutsu-focused strategy to trigger multiple damage-based card advantage engines while draining opponents. It leverages low-cost evasive creatures to enable ninja attacks, using Yuriko's triggered ability and ninja synergies to generate value. While lacking infinite combos, it aims to win through cumulative combat damage and high-CMC reveals from the topdeck.

Primer:

Core Strategy: Deploy 1-mana evasive creatures (e.g., Changeling Outcast, Slither Blade) to enable early ninjutsu triggers. Use Yuriko's damage triggers and ninja synergies to draw into high-impact cards (e.g., Shadow of Mortality, Sword Coast Serpent) for life drain while maintaining tempo with bounce/counter interaction. Key lines involve:

• T1: Evasive creature
• T2: Ninjutsu in Yuriko or Moon-Circuit Hacker for early triggers
• Midgame: Deploy value ninjas like Prosperous Thief (Treasure generation) and Fallen Shinobi (card theft)
• Late Game: Close with accumulated damage from Yuriko triggers and cloned threats via Thousand-Faced Shadow

Mulligan Priorities:

• 2-3 lands including color sources
• At least 1 evasive 1-drop creature
• Ninja enabler or protection spell Reject hands without early evasive creatures or color fixing.

Key Tips

• Sequence ninjutsu during declare blockers step to maximize surprise factor
• Use March of Swirling Mist as both protection and evasion enabler
• Prioritize ninjas with card selection (Silver Raven, Faerie Seer) to set up Yuriko triggers
• Leverage Satoru Umezawa to cheat high-CMC creatures from hand

Avoid Traps

• Overextending ninjas into board wipes without protection
• Keeping high-CMC cards in hand that could be better cast via Yuriko reveals
• Wasting bounce spells on non-critical threats

Weaknesses:

Critical:

• No graveyard recursion for key creatures
• Relies on maintaining 2+ creatures for ninjutsu chains
• Limited protection against mass removal (only March of Swirling Mist as board wipe protection)

Moderate:

• Vulnerable to flying/reach blockers
• Minimal lifegain for stabilization
• Limited tutor density for key ninjas

Minor:

• Basic-heavy manabase weak to nonbasic hate
• Some high-CMC cards (e.g., Wash Out) risk being dead draws

Most Important Cards:

• Ingenious Infiltrator
• Satoru Umezawa
• Thousand-Faced Shadow
• Dig Through Time
• Changeling Outcast
• Slither Blade
• Talisman of Dominance
• Prosperous Thief
• Moon-Circuit Hacker
• Arcane Signet

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10

• Can start draining life T2 with Yuriko
• No fast infinite combos, but 15+ evasive 1-drops enable early pressure
• High-CMC reveals (avg ~4 MV) provide meaningful damage by T5-6

Resilience: 5/10

• 8 counterspells protect key plays
• Limited recursion (only Smoke Shroud for ninja recursion)
• Fold to 2+ targeted removals on Yuriko

Consistency: 7/10

• 18 evasive creatures enable ninjutsu
• 10+ cantrips/filter effects (Brainstorm, Lim-Dûl's Vault)
• Lacks tutors for specific ninjas beyond Satoru

Interaction: 6/10

• 8 targeted removal spells (Murderous Cut, Far // Away)
• 6 counterspells including Counterspell/Miscast
• Limited stax/hate pieces

Rating Justification:

This deck sits between Optimized Casual (5.0) and High-Power Casual (5.5) on the rubric. It exceeds precon-level decks through focused ninja synergies and efficient interaction but lacks:

• The fast combo potential of 6.0+ decks
• Redundancy for key pieces
• Premium mana base/free interaction However, its ability to pressure life totals from T2 onward and refill via Yuriko triggers exceeds typical casual builds. The 15+ evasive creatures provide above-average consistency for its strategy.

Power level: 5.0 - 5.5