Splinter, Radical RatSplinter, Radical Rat | Art by Manuel Castañón

We've had Ninjas in Magic for a long time, and it would be a lie to say that they haven't had multiple lead commanders for almost as long. While original Kamigawa block didn't quite have much in the way of Ninja leaders, we can see that Magic has come a long way in designing legendary creatures that more than make up for that lack.

Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow is by far the most popular, but she has abilities that honestly allow for her to solo games without Ninjas. Satoru UmezawaSatoru Umezawa makes everyone into a Ninja, but does that really give you that Ninja wish fulfillment?

It took until the the release of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set to finally introduce what a true Ninja deck needed! More Ninjas and Ninja accessories, and a Roaming ThroneRoaming Throne in the command zone! Introducing:

Key Cards for Splinter, Radical RatSplinter, Radical Rat

Splinter, Radical RatSplinter, Radical Rat wants three things more than anything else: Ninjas, Ninjas, and more Ninjas. What you do with those Ninjas is up to you and we'll go through all that, but its nice to be able to focus most of our energy on specifically one creature type.

So lets break down the different kinds of cards any Commander deck would want and the Ninjas that will bring them to the table!

Early-Game Creatures With Evasion

Now the early game in this deck doesn't quite involve too many Ninjas, as we know their whole game plan is about costing less to ninjutsu and sneak them in, they don't often have a mana value (mv) of one or two. So the early game is very much about getting evasive creatures in play to start setting up the rest of the entire game.

We have a lot of options here in all honesty, and you can kind of change that based on your pod. Yet the overall strategy is creatures you can bounce back to hand and recast in the same turn.

Flying:

• OrnithopterOrnithopter
• Baleful StrixBaleful Strix
• Smoke ShroudSmoke Shroud

Unblockable:

• Slither BladeSlither Blade
• Silent HallcreeperSilent Hallcreeper
• Changeling OutcastChangeling Outcast

Menace:

• Splinter, Hamato YoshiSplinter, Hamato Yoshi
• Satoru, the InfiltratorSatoru, the Infiltrator
• Nashi, Searcher in the DarkNashi, Searcher in the Dark

Ninjas With Card Draw

Next up are Ninjas that keep us with a full grip so that we will have more Ninja options to choose from while also holding spells that can remove the threats that need removing: Ingenious InfiltratorIngenious Infiltrator, Ninja of the Deep HoursNinja of the Deep Hours, and Moon-Circuit HackerMoon-Circuit Hacker.

Note that we could have cards like Bident of ThassaBident of Thassa and Enduring CuriosityEnduring Curiosity since we are all about creatures hitting, but they aren't Ninjas and most of our choices will trigger twice so its not the worst trade-off.

Ninjas With Removal Effects

Ninjas are Assassins historically, and they will do the same thing here in MTG in a myriad of ways. Some will be direct removal on entering, some will be based on combat damage, and the rest will be combat tricks. Yet each will trigger twice when our commander is in play!

Combat Damage:

• Throat SlitterThroat Slitter
• Dokuchi SilencerDokuchi Silencer
• Mistblade ShinobiMistblade Shinobi

Enters the Battlefield:

• Moonsnare SpecialistMoonsnare Specialist
• Turncoat KunoichiTurncoat Kunoichi

Combat Tricks:

• Shredder, UnrelentingShredder, Unrelenting
• Nezumi ProwlerNezumi Prowler
• Azra SmokeshaperAzra Smokeshaper

Unique Value

There are a lot of one-of Ninjas that provide extremely unique abilities that aren't repeated on any other Ninja card and each of them are, as long as we're playing our cards right, guaranteed to trigger at least once twice a game (our opponents will block forever after they see them).

Splinter allows for white () into the Ninja party, which is kind of a big deal with Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, the OG Ninja queen. The go-wide Ninja plan that Endless Foot AssaultEndless Foot Assault and The Last Ronin's TechniqueThe Last Ronin's Technique now allow for will knock out players in one hit thanks to Splinter doubling Yuriko's triggers.

We also get Akroma's WillAkroma's Will to give double strike plus a round of protection and unlockablity that Dimir () never had.

Thousand-Faced ShadowThousand-Faced Shadow and Mist-Syndicate NagaMist-Syndicate Naga make clones of our attacking Ninjas, helping us get around that pesky singleton rule in Commander.

Silent-Blade OniSilent-Blade Oni, Orochi Soul-ReaverOrochi Soul-Reaver, and Fallen ShinobiFallen Shinobi mess with stealing cards directly from our opponents hands or decks and sometimes casting them for free.

New Cards from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for Ninja Decks

These unique tools from older in-universe sets will keep you feeling like your commander deck is rather rooted in the Magic IP, and if that matters to you, you can kinda keep things this way for that visual cohesion. But TMNT has a very convincing argument for adding the new sneak ninjas from both the set and the precon to truly charge up your sneaky typal deck.

Karai, Future of the FootKarai, Future of the Foot, Ninja TeenNinja Teen, and Shark Shredder, Killer CloneShark Shredder, Killer Clone all deal with the graveyard in pretty fun ways. Resurrection with Ninjas is not new, and these could either replace or complement Ink-Eyes, Servant of OniInk-Eyes, Servant of Oni if you want to engage with that on top of your typal strategies.

Donatello, Gadget MasterDonatello, Gadget Mastercan be a little bit of a ramp tool for us, so your mileage may vary, but Dream BeaversDream Beavers and Endless Foot AssaultEndless Foot Assault are both absolute must-haves in this new Ninja paradise.

Rounding out the last couple additions to a fully armed and operational Ninja deck, Shredder's TechniqueShredder's Technique might just be a full on new staple to take enchantments as well as Splinter's TechniqueSplinter's Technique being something that every player will now need to fear.

Dark Leo & ShredderDark Leo & Shredder are honestly the new real addition to Ninjas as a whole, because we not only get a deathtouch lord that make our creatures remain unblocked, we also get to just sever in half opponents' life totals to much more manageable levels.

With this, our breakdown on what the new and improved Esper Ninjas look like, take a look at the deck list down below and tell me what you think! Hopefully this helped you look at TMNT in a new light for all the sick treats you'll get to terrorize your playgroup with!

Splinter, Radical Rat Commander Deck List