Overview:

This Satoru Umezawa deck leverages ninjutsu to cheat massive threats like Archon of Cruelty and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur into play, using evasive 1-drops (e.g., Mist-Cloaked Herald, Slither Blade) as unblockable enablers. Satoru acts as the linchpin, granting all creatures in hand ninjutsu {2}{U}{B} and providing card selection on activation. Secondary win conditions include Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow triggers for burn damage and value engines like Ingenious Infiltrator for card draw. The deck balances aggressive tempo with high-impact, game-ending creatures.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (Turns 1-3): Deploy unblockable creatures (Tormented Soul, Gingerbrute), mana rocks (Sol Ring, Dimir Signet), or card selection (Ponder, Brainstorm).
2. Ninjutsu Payload (Turns 4+): Attack with an unblocked creature, then swap it for a ninjutsu threat like Fallen Shinobi or Archon of Cruelty. Use Silver-Fur Master to reduce ninjutsu costs.
3. Value & Win Conditions:
   • Combat Damage: Swing with massive threats (e.g., Lord of the Void, Sepulchral Primordial).
   • Yuriko Triggers: Stack the top deck with high-CMC cards (e.g., Jin-Gitaxias) using Brainstorm or Scroll Rack effects (though Scroll Rack isn’t in the list).
   • Recurring Value: Reanimate opponents’ creatures via Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni or Sepulchral Primordial.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with at least 1-2 evasive creatures (e.g., Changeling Outcast, Ornithopter).
• Prioritize ramp (Arcane Signet, Sol Ring) or protection (Lightning Greaves).
• Avoid hands without early unblockable creatures or mana issues.

Key Tips:

• Use Cunning Evasion to bounce ninjas post-combat for reuse.
• Protect Satoru with Swiftfoot Boots or Siren Stormtamer.
• Thousand-Faced Shadow can clone high-value attackers for exponential damage.
• Toxic Deluge clears blockers while preserving your evasive creatures.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Commander Dependency: Removing Satoru repeatedly cripples the ninjutsu engine.
• Board Wipes: Lacks mass recursion; rebuilding after a wipe is slow.
• Anti-Evasion Tech: Propaganda, Silent Arbiter, or Crawlspace nullify the unblockable strategy.

Moderate

• Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace disrupts Ink-Eyes and Sheoldred, Whispering One.
• Torpor Orb Effects: Shut down ETB triggers from key creatures like Archon of Cruelty.
• Hand Disruption: Thoughtseize/Duress can strip ninjutsu enablers or payoffs.

Minor

• Artifact Removal: Targets mana rocks but doesn’t cripple the core strategy.
• Fliers: Limited answers to opposing airborne threats beyond Pongify.

Most Important Cards:

• Satoru Umezawa (Enables ninjutsu for all creatures)
• Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow (Burn damage and card advantage)
• Archon of Cruelty (Recurring drain/sacrifice effect)
• Ingenious Infiltrator (Card draw engine)
• Silver-Fur Master (Cost reduction for ninjutsu)
• Fallen Shinobi (Steal opponents’ spells)
• Rune-Scarred Demon (Tutor on a stick)
• Cunning Evasion (Protection and ninja recursion)
• Lightning Greaves (Protects Satoru and key creatures)
• Toxic Deluge (Board wipe that preserves your evasive creatures)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 6/10
Can deploy game-ending threats as early as Turn 4-5 with optimal draws but requires setup (evasive creature + Satoru).

Resilience: 5/10
Moderate protection (greaves, counterspells) but struggles against repeated removal or stax.

Consistency: 7/10
High density of evasive enablers and tutors (Rune-Scarred Demon, Dimir Infiltrator) ensure key pieces are accessible.

Interaction: 6/10
Runs targeted removal (Go for the Throat, Feed the Swarm) and counterspells (Counterspell, An Offer You Can’t Refuse) but lacks stack dominance.

Rating Justification:

This deck consistently threatens wins via combat or Yuriko triggers by Turns 6-8 but falters against disruption targeting Satoru or evasive creatures. Its speed aligns with the "Focused" tier, while resilience limitations prevent higher optimization.

Power level: 6.0 - 6.5