Few creature types are as resonant, flavorful, or just plain cool as ninjas. Even though there have only been a few sets featuring ninjas, they have a unique playstyle that many players love. Ninjutsu is such a popular MTG mechanic not just because of its flavor, but also because it adds an element of trickery and bluffing to the game.
Ninjutsu is one of the few MTG mechanics that only works when the card is in your hand. If you have any unblocked attacking creatures, you can use the ninjutsu ability of a creature in your hand. When you do, return one of your unblocked creatures to your hand and place the ninjutsu creature on the battlefield tapped and attacking. The timing of this mechanic lets you bluff what you have in your hand, and it can be difficult for your opponents to play around.
Sneaking your ninjas into combat is a ton of fun, but you might have some questions about this unusual ability. You might also be wondering how to build a whole deck around this tribe. If you want to learn the secrets of the shinobi, then let’s slip into the shadows and get started!
| Pros | Cons |
| Lets you bluff | Returns a creature to hand |
| Difficult to play around |
Table of Contents:
- What is MTG ninjutsu?
- How does MTG ninjutsu work?
- Best MTG ninjutsu commanders
- Best MTG ninjutsu creatures
- End Step
What Is MTG Ninjutsu?
Ninjutsu is an activated ability that appears on creature cards. You can only activate it during combat after your opponent has declared blockers, and only if you control an unblocked attacking creature. This is because returning one of your unblocked creatures to your hand is part of the ninjutsu cost, so you have to do that to put a ninjutsu ability on the stack.
When the ability resolves, the ninjutsu creature will enter the battlefield tapped and attacking. It’ll be attacking the same player as the creature you returned to your hand was, and your opponent won’t have a chance to block it. This is useful because most ninjutsu creatures have abilities that trigger when they deal combat damage to players.
How Does MTG Ninjutsu Work?
Out of all the abilities in MTG, Ninjutsu has some of the most specific rules. You need the right timing and
When Can You Use Ninjutsu in MTG?
Returning an unblocked attacker to your hand is part of ninjutsu’s cost, so you can only activate it during specific times. You only control unblocked creatures during combat after your opponent declares their blocks.
RELATED: MTG Blocking: How It Works
You’ll usually use ninjutsu before damage is assigned, but you could also use it during the end of combat step. During this step, you would still have unblocked creatures even though they’ve already dealt combat damage.
You can also respond to an opponent’s spell or ability with ninjutsu. If they try to cast Lightning Bolt on one of your unblocked creatures before damage, you can use ninjutsu to return that creature to hand. That Lightning Bolt would no longer have a legal target, and you’d still have an attacking creature.
How Many Times Can You Use Ninjutsu in MTG?
As long as you have enough mana, you can use all the ninjutsu abilities you have in your hand. Since ninjutsu creatures come into play unblocked, you could return a ninjutsu creature to pay for the cost of another ninjutsu ability! I’m not sure why you’d do that, but maybe you just want a new way to win with infinite mana and Impact Tremors.
Is Ninjutsu an Activated Ability?
Yes! To activate a ninjutsu ability, you have to pay its cost (listed next the word ninjutsu on the card), reveal the card, and return an unblocked attacker to your hand. Then, the ability will go on the stack.
Can You Counter Ninjutsu?
Yes! There are some cards like Disallow or Stifle that can counter activated abilities.
Remember: returning an unblocked creature is part of this ability’s cost. If that ability gets countered, the creature will stay in its owner’s hand.
Best MTG Ninjutsu Commanders
Now that you know how Ninjutsu works, let’s go over how we can build a whole deck around it. Some MTG commanders are built around ninjutsu, but you can make something really special by straying from the norm.
Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
Yuriko is the most popular ninjutsu commander around, and for good reason. She’s cheap, has a powerful effect, and wants you to play lots of ninjas. Her commander ninjutsu also lets you get around commander tax, so she’ll never cost too much.
RELATED: Commander Tax: How It Works and What It Does
Her biggest quirk is that her ability requires you to jump through some hoops. You’ll want expensive spells so she deals more damage, and you’ll also want top deck manipulation to make sure you hit those spells. How you meet these needs is up to you, but there are plenty of creative solutions out there.
Split cards have the mana value of both halves combined, so they work well with Yuriko’s ability. You could also run expensive MDFCs, but just use them as land drops. In both of these cases, you can run cards with high mana values without having a bunch of expensive cards stuck in your hand.
Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow is an iconic commander, and she’s still the strongest option for a ninja tribal deck. Still, there are other decks that can get a lot out of this keyword.
Satoru Umezawa
Even though Satoru Umezawa wants you to use ninjutsu, he doesn’t actually care about ninjas. In fact, you could build a strong deck around this commander without any other ninjas.
Satoru gives all of your creatures ninjutsu, but most ninjutsu costs are cheaper than four mana. His ability also only triggers once each turn, so unlike Yuriko, he doesn’t care if you play lots of ninjas.
The coolest part about Satoru Umezawa is that he lets you sneak in any creature, not just ninjas. You could fill your deck with eldrazi, demons, sphinxes, or any other big creature. Cheating the mana cost for these beaters will give you a huge advantage, and Satoru’s ability will let you dig for even more of them.
Cazur, Ruthless Stalker & Ukkima, Stalking Shadow
The last two commanders obviously cared about ninjutsu. Even though Cazur and Ukkima don’t reference the keyword itself, they both care about having unblocked creatures. Cazur gives your creatures +1/+1 counters for hitting players, and Ukkima itself is unblockable. If you want a more unusual ninjutsu deck, these two are definitely worth taking a look at.
You’ll always have access to Ukkima, so you don’t have to worry as much about cheap, evasive creatures. Ukkima shouldn’t be your only unblockable creature, though. Paying three to recast it over and over can be more of a burden than it’s worth.
With those slots, though, I’d add cards that care about counters. Cazur already gives your creatures +1/+1 counters, and Ukkima does more work with more power. Proliferate will likely do wonders in this deck, especially with Biting-Palm Ninja and Kappa Tech-Wrecker.
Running these two also gives you access to green. There are only a few green ninjas worth running, but don’t let that discourage you. Green provides some powerful tools that blue and black can struggle with, like land-based ramp and removal for artifacts and enchantments.
This pair might not come to mind when you think about ninjutsu decks, but you could put together a truly unique build if you lean into what makes Cazur and Ukkima shine.
Best MTG Ninjutsu Creatures
Ninjas aren’t the most common creature type in Magic, but they’ve still got some fantastic cards to try out. Most of these will still perform well outside of a ninja tribal deck, so you should consider them if you want to add some new tricks to your favorite deck.
#8: Ingenious Infiltrator
In ninja tribal decks, you’ll have a hard time finding a better way to draw cards than Ingenious Infiltrator. This archetype is usually built around sneaking your ninjas past blockers, so this card rewards you for sticking with your gameplan.
On its own, you’ll likely only draw one or two cards off of it. When combined with other ninjas, though, it can keep your hand full throughout the whole game.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheap ninjutsu | Low impact by itself |
| Works well with many ninjas |
Recommended Formats: Commander, Legacy
#7: Mist-Syndicate Naga
Mist-Syndicate Naga can snowball a game in your favor. A 3/1 isn’t impressive on its own, but getting another, then two more, and so on can give you an insurmountable
[Mist-Syndicate Naga[/c] can make the most out of your ninja synergies. Cards like Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow and Ingenious Infiltrator are excellent with a wide
RELATED: MTG Mutate: How It Works
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong saboteur effect | Low toughness |
Recommended Formats: Commander
#6: Silent-Blade Oni
If you’re only considering a card’s ceiling, Silent-Blade Oni should be higher on this list. Stealing an opponent’s best card and casting it for free is a fantastic effect. Combine that with looking at their hand and a 6/5 body, and you’ve got one of the best ninjas ever printed.
The only reason this demon isn’t higher on the list is its mana cost. Even if you use its ninjutsu ability, it costs six mana. That’s a lot to pay, especially since you also have to return a creature to your hand. Its ability is strong enough to justify the cost, but I can’t put it any higher on the list.
| Pros | Cons |
| High stats | Expensive |
| Strong saboteur effect |
Recommended Formats: Commander
#5: Higure, the Still Wind
Higure, the Still Wind is one of the best cards in a ninja tribal deck. Not only can you tutor for whichever ninja you need, but you can also make them unblockable. That second ability can let you get more triggers from your best ninja’s saboteur effects, or it can let you use ninjutsu abilities from your hand.
Despite all of his strengths, Higure is still a narrow card. He really only works in ninja tribal decks, and there are plenty of other ninjas that can stand on their own.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong abilities | Expensive |
| Narrow |
Recommended Formats: Commander
#4: Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion
The most recent addition to this list is Nashi, Moon Sage’s Scion. Nashi lets you cast an opponent’s spell for free, and he also gives you a choice. If you’re playing EDH, you’ll typically get to see three cards and cast whichever one works the best in your situation.
Having to pay life for this effect is a minimal cost the first time. If you’re able to hit with Nashi again and again, though, you might have to manage your life total a bit. That could mean keeping some creatures back to block, or it could mean running some lifegain cards. Throatseeker could be worth running in a ninja deck anyway, and it definitely helps cover Nashi’s weakness.
| Pros | Cons |
| Strong saboteur effect | Costs you life |
Recommended Formats: Commander, Historic, Standard
#3: Sakashima’s Student
Clone effects are strong, but they’re situational. Unless you run lots of creatures you want to copy, they’re dependant on what your opponents are playing. For four mana, they can be risky to run in a deck that’s not built around them. For just two mana, though, you’ll almost always find a creature that’s worth copying.
Sakashima’s Student doesn’t have to copy a bomb to be worth playing. In fact, you could just copy a solid utility creature and get your mana’s worth. Of course, this card can also be your own Avenger of Zendikar or Sun Titan. Either way, there will be few
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheap ninjutsu | Relies on other strong creatures |
| Clone effect |
Recommended Formats: Commander
#2: Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni is another expensive ninja, but it’s worth every mana you spend on it. I’ve mentioned other ninjas that let you take your opponents’ cards, but Ink-Eyes gives you the most choice.
Since Ink-Eyes steals a creature from an opponent’s graveyard, you can go after the player with the best option. Considering how popular graveyard strategies are in EDH, there’s a good chance at least one player has something worth stealing.
| Pros | Cons |
| High stats | Expensive |
| Strong abilities |
Recommended Formats: Commander
#1: Fallen Shinobi
Fallen Shinobi is my pick for the best ninja in Magic. It has a lot of the strengths of other ninjas: it lets you steal cards and it has great stats. What pushes Fallen Shinobi to the top of the list, though, is that it has the best version of this ability.
Not only do you get two cards instead of one, you also get to play lands with its ability. That might not seem like a big deal, but hitting your land drops is really important in Commander. You also don’t have to pay mana or life to get these cards. Fallen Shinobi is really the ideal ninja, and it can give you a ton of value whether or not you build around the tribe.
| Pros | Cons |
| High stats | Expensive |
| Strong saboteur effect |
Recommended Formats: Commander
End Step
You now know all the secrets of ninjutsu in MTG. Whether you want to build your own clan of ninjas, or just interested in adding some tricks to one of your decks, I hope you’ve found what you’re looking for.
