Art by Manuel Castañón
Saved commander deck
Splinter, Radical Rat
Use type-changing effects to grant the Ninja creature type to non-Ninja creatures with powerful attack, combat damage, and triggered abilities, allowing Splinter to double those triggers for massive value.
Prompt: Build a Commander deck around Splinter, Radical Rat. Do NOT make it traditional Ninja tribal. The core plan is to play strong non-Ninja creatures with powerful triggered abilities, then use type-changing effects to turn them into Ninjas so Splinter makes those abilities trigger an additional time. Prioritize cards like Maskwood Nexus, Arcane Adaptation, Leyline of Transformation, Xenograft, Mirror Entity, Shields of Velis Vel, Runed Stalactite, and similar effects. Focus on evasive creatures and repeatable triggers from attacking, dealing combat damage to players, drawing cards, gaining +1/+1 counters, stealing value, creating tokens, or generating other strong advantages. Rogues are welcome only if they fit this plan. Keep the deck synergistic, budget-friendly, and avoid expensive staples unless essential. Favor synergy over generic goodstuff, and include enough protection, ramp, draw, removal, and lands for a functional Commander deck.
Commander
1 cards
Splinter, Radical Rat
{1}{W/B}{W/B}Legendary Creature — Mutant Ninja Rat
Chosen commander for the requested strategy.
Ramp
10 cards
Card Draw
9 cards
Bident of Thassa
{2}{U}{U}Legendary Enchantment Artifact
rewards combat damage with card draw
Coastal Piracy
{2}{U}{U}Enchantment
draws cards when evasive creatures deal combat damage
Reconnaissance Mission
{2}{U}{U}Enchantment
repeatable card draw on combat hit with cycling option
Removal
10 cards
Go for the Throat
{1}{B}Instant
cheap instant speed non-artifact creature removal
Hero's Downfall
{1}{B}{B}Instant
versatile removal for creatures or planeswalkers
Threats/Wincons
22 cards
Grim Hireling
{3}{B}Creature — Tiefling Rogue
doubled Ninja combat damage triggers generate massive Treasure tokens
Thief of Sanity
{1}{U}{B}Creature — Specter
doubled hit triggers let you exile and cast twice as many opponent cards
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
{1}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Praetor
grants combat damage card draw and provides splashy discard ability
Shadowmage Infiltrator
{1}{U}{B}Creature — Human Wizard
evasive fear attacker that draws cards on combat damage
Rankle, Master of Pranks
{2}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Faerie Rogue
flying threat with versatile combat damage triggers
Baleful Strix
{U}{B}Artifact Creature — Bird
cheap evasive deathtouch creature that cantrips
Fallen Shinobi
{3}{U}{B}Creature — Zombie Ninja
native Ninja with explosive combat damage triggers
Satoru Umezawa
{1}{U}{B}Legendary Creature — Human Ninja
grants ninjutsu to creatures and provides dig triggers
Gonti, Lord of Luxury
{2}{B}{B}Legendary Creature — Aetherborn Rogue
deathtouch threat that steals opponent cards
Aether Channeler
{2}{U}Creature — Human Wizard
versatile utility ETB creature with flying
Dreamstealer
{2}{B}Creature — Human Wizard
menace creature whose combat damage triggers force opponent discard
Hypnotic Specter
{1}{B}{B}Creature — Specter
classic flying threat that forces random discard on hit
Brainstealer Dragon
{5}{B}{B}Creature — Dragon Horror
end step trigger exiles and drains opponents when played
Nighthawk Scavenger
{1}{B}{B}Creature — Vampire Rogue
flying lifelink deathtouch threat with scaling power
Dauthi Voidwalker
{B}{B}Creature — Dauthi Rogue
shadow evasion threat that steals exiled opponent cards
Oona's Blackguard
{1}{B}Creature — Faerie Rogue
buffs rogue/changeling creatures and adds discard on combat hit
Changeling Outcast
{B}Creature — Shapeshifter
unblockable 1-drop that inherently counts as a Ninja
Universal Automaton
{1}Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter
cheap 1-drop changeling to kickstart triggers early
Mothdust Changeling
{U}Creature — Shapeshifter
cheap changeling that can gain flying
Graveshifter
{3}{B}Creature — Shapeshifter
changeling ETB that recurs key creature cards from graveyard
Mindleech Mass
{5}{U}{B}{B}Creature — Horror
massive combat damage trigger to cast spells from opponent hand for free
Dimir Cutpurse
{1}{U}{B}Creature — Spirit
combat damage forces discard and draws a card
Utility
10 cards
Arcane Adaptation
{2}{U}Enchantment
cheap enchantment granting Ninja type to all creatures
Xenograft
{4}{U}Enchantment
makes all controlled creatures Ninjas on the battlefield
Leyline of Transformation
{2}{U}{U}Enchantment
can start on field to turn creatures into Ninjas instantly
Wings of Velis Vel
{1}{U}Kindred Instant — Shapeshifter
turns a creature into all creature types with evasion
Amoeboid Changeling
{1}{U}Creature — Shapeshifter
tap ability to grant a creature all creature types
Runed Stalactite
{1}Artifact — Equipment
cheap equipment giving equipped creature all creature types
Mistform Mask
{1}{U}Enchantment — Aura
repeatable aura to change creature type to Ninja
Imagecrafter
{U}Creature — Human Wizard
cheap creature tap ability to change creature types
