Taeko, the Patient Avalanche

Gameplan

Taeko is a Ninjutsu and blink commander who grows every time your creatures leave play without dying—bounce, blink, and ninjutsu all trigger her scry and +1/+1 counter. You deploy cheap evasive attackers, swap them for ninjas during combat, and use Taeko's own unblockable ability to guarantee combat damage triggers. Over time she snowballs into a large unblockable threat while your library smooths out via repeated scry.

Key Cards

• Ingenious Infiltrator — Draws a card for each ninja that deals combat damage, snowballing alongside Taeko's counters.
• Fallen Shinobi — Premier ninja payoff that steals cards off the top of opponents' libraries when it connects.
• Higure, the Still Wind — Tutors ninjas and grants unblockable, doubling down on Taeko's evasion plan.
• Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow — Massive ninjutsu payoff and bounce engine that pairs perfectly in the same colors.
• Brago, King Eternal — Repeatable blink that triggers Taeko's leave-the-battlefield ability multiple times if it connects.
• Ghostly Flicker — Flickers two creatures for two instant triggers, scrying and growing Taeko at instant speed.

Upgrade Path

Add more ninjas and cheap evasive enablers (Mistblade Shinobi, Silver-Fur Master, Changeling Outcast) plus efficient bounce like Cloudstone Curio and Equilibrium for repeatable triggers. Tighten the manabase with fast lands and rocks (Fellwar Stone, Arcane Signet) so the tapped enter hurts less, and include protection like Heroic Intervention and counterspells to survive wraths. Push the ceiling with cost reducers and extra-combat effects (Aqueous Form targets, Distortion Strike) to make Taeko and your ninjas reliably unblockable.