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Average CMC
Cost
Salt Score
Overview:
This Satoru Umezawa deck focuses on cheating massive threats like Blightsteel Colossus and It That Betrays into play via ninjutsu, leveraging unblockable creatures for surprise lethal. It combines evasive enablers, high-impact ninjas, and top-tier interaction to pressure opponents while maintaining card advantage engines.
Primer:
Core Strategy: Deploy evasive 1-drops (Ornithopter, Changeling Outcast) to enable ninjutsu for game-ending threats as early as T4. The deck operates in three phases:
- Early Setup: Ramp with artifacts (Sol Ring, Chrome Mox) and establish unblockable attackers. Protect Satoru with Lightning Greaves and free counterspells.
- Midgame Value: Use mid-cost ninjas (Fallen Shinobi, Silent-Blade Oni) to generate card advantage while threatening lethal with Satoru's ninjutsu discount.
- Finishers: Cheat in Blightsteel Colossus (T4 kill with infect) or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger for immediate board impact. Backup plans include Consecrated Sphinx/Rhystic Study value or Toxrill, the Corrosive stax.
Mulligan Priorities:
- Keep hands with 2-3 lands, an evasive creature, and Satoru enablers (ramp/protection).
- Prioritize T1-T2 unblockables (e.g., Tormented Soul + Sol Ring).
- Reject hands without early attackers or interaction.
Key Tips:
- Ninjutsu timing: Cast Satoru only when you can immediately activate ninjutsu to dodge removal.
- Protect critical turns: Save Fierce Guardianship/Swan Song for countering Satoru removal or board wipes.
- Leverage clones: Phyrexian Metamorph copies opposing threats if your finishers are answered.
Weaknesses:
Critical
- Fold to repeated commander removal (no redundancy for Satoru's ninjutsu-granting ability)
- Dies to Cursed Totem/Drannith Magistrate shutting off ninjutsu
Moderate
- Slow recovery from board wipes (limited recursion beyond Reanimate)
- Relies on combat damage for primary wincon (weak to fog effects)
Minor
- Some mana constraints for U/B-heavy ninjutsu costs
Most Important Cards:
- Blightsteel Colossus
- Demonic Tutor
- Vampiric Tutor
- Consecrated Sphinx
- Rhystic Study
- Fierce Guardianship
- It That Betrays
- Phyrexian Metamorph
- Lightning Greaves
- Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Attribute Ratings:
Speed: 7/10
Theoretical T4 kill via Blightsteel, but requires perfect setup (unblockable + Satoru + ninjutsu mana).
Resilience: 5/10
Moderate protection (5 free/low-cost counters) but collapses if Satoru is removed 3+ times.
Consistency: 6/10
10 evasive creatures + 6 tutors enable threats, but lacks redundancy for Satoru's ability.
Interaction: 7/10
Efficient counters/removal (Deadly Rollick, Swan Song) but light on board wipes.
Rating Justification:
This deck sits between optimized casual and focused competitive due to explosive T4 potential but fragility to disruption. While lacking cEDH-level fast mana/deterministic combos, it outpaces mid-power tables with threat density.
Power level: 5.5 - 6.5
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