Splinter, Radical Rat

Gameplan

Assemble a crew of Ninjas, use cheap evasive attackers to ninjutsu in bigger threats, and double every Ninja's combat-damage trigger to snowball card draw, removal, and value. Splinter's own ability guarantees unblockable bodies to keep the ninjutsu engine and triggers flowing every turn.

Key Cards

• Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow — Her doubled top-of-library reveal trigger drains huge life totals and refills your hand off ninjutsu.
• Ingenious Infiltrator — Doubled, each connecting Ninja draws two cards, snowballing your hand instantly.
• Higure, the Still Wind — Makes Ninjas unblockable and tutors Ninjas on connect, doubled to fetch two.
• Fallen Shinobi — A doubled attack trigger steals and casts twice as many cards from opponents' libraries.
• Satoru Umezawa — Grants ninjutsu to your whole hand, letting any big creature sneak in to abuse Splinter.
• Thousand-Faced Shadow — Cheap evasive enabler that bounces and re-triggers, replaying itself to keep ninjutsu online.

Upgrade Path

Add efficient cheap evasive enablers (Mistblade Shinobi, Changeling Outcast, Smoke Shroud) so ninjutsu always has a target, and lean into top-deck manipulation (Sensei's Divining Top, Brainstorm, Scroll Rack) to weaponize Yuriko's doubled trigger. Tighten the mana base with fast lands and signets, add protection like Heroic Intervention and Lightning Greaves, and include flexible interaction (Cyclonic Rift, Swords to Plowshares, counterspells) to defend your commander-reliant engine.