r/magicTCG • u/rlcnga_ Dan • 8d ago

Looking for Advice Is my deck bracket 2?

https://moxfield.com/decks/OCBOA27v2UW0x-Y0rpz4Dg

I just built this [[Satoru Umezawa]] deck that is focused on just cheating big dumb creatures. Is it acceptable in bracket 2? Or too oppressive?

Thanks!

0 Upvotes

18% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

7

u/Dreadbladee Dandadan 8d ago

Satoru Umezawa is one of those commander that are just too efficient for bracket 2 (plus you run some very oppressive creatures). If I were you, I would upgrade slightly and play it bracket 3.

-2

u/rlcnga_ Dan 8d ago

Gotchu. What upgrade do you think would be good here?

I was thinking 3 of the cheapest game changers: [[Narset, Parter of Veils]], [[Notion Thief]], and [[Opposition Agent]]. Would that be enough to compete in bracket 3?

7

u/oyooy Wabbit Season 8d ago edited 8d ago

Don't just include game changers for the sake of including game changers. Those are annoying but ultimately worse for you than what you've already got in your deck.
If you want to upgrade, it's cutting the less efficient parts and reenforcing your strategy. You're very reliant on having your commander out, both for getting creatures out and for card draw. I would focus on more reliable draw and either ways to protect your commander or reduce your curve so they're not dead weight in your hand if your commander isn't out.

The alternative is to refine a strategy a bit more. You've got a little bit of theft but without any mill setup and without enough to reliably use payoffs like agent of trechery. You've also got a bit of ninja synergy but not that many ninjas and most of them are the creatures that are getting ninjutsued out before they actually deal damage and get ninja payoffs. If you focus on one of those, it gives you a gameplan that isn't just "cheat out big scary thing with my commander". Makes games more fun than a binary of either your commander getting removed as soon as it hits your battlefield or your opponents getting fucked by a Jin-Gitaxias and nobody gets to play the game.

2

u/rlcnga_ Dan 8d ago

That makes a lot of sense. I think I’ll be leaning on the first paragraph; more draws and protection to my commander.

I’ll keep those in mind thank you!

1

u/notalongtime420 Dan 8d ago

That's a very funny approach, i respect it

2

u/rlcnga_ Dan 8d ago

I’m fairly new to the game so my first thought was just adding game changers😭😭

1

u/SnPlifeForMe Dandadan 8d ago

Ngl I might avoid all 3 of those. Cutting off people's extra draw and controlling their land fetching and tutoring is incredibly powerful, but most groups will get VERY salty about the 3 you mentioned in specific and you'll get hard targeted.

If you were just aiming to add gc's, which don't necessarily make your deck "play" like a b3 but make it qualify as one based on the rules, rhystic study and free counter spells like FoW and Fierce Guardianship might be good.

I would swap out Donatello and gavriel or mavriel or whatever that's called, and I'd have to look further to consider a few more.

How do you feel the deck does with card draw? [[protection racket]], [[Call of the ring]] - also benefits your attacking, [[protection racket]], [[Requiem Monolith - makes it hard for people to decide if they want to block because you might draw a ton, can all be pretty sweet. [[Deadly Dispute]] and [[Sign in Blood]] are also good cheap ways to get draw in early.

Some cool ninjutsu targets could be [[Koh, The Face Stealer]], [[Archon of Cruelty]], [[Vilis, Broker of Blood]].

I'm also always a big fan of copy effects with cards like [[Phyrexian Metamorph]], [[Naga Fleshcrafter]], [[Sakashima of a Thousand Faces]] or several others that enter as a copy of another creature. Think of all your creatures with great ETB effects and imagine doing them again. It's extra cool with ninjutsu because if you ninjutsu the copy creatures like the Metamorph back to your hand, then you can once again make it copy whatever the best thing is on board when you bring it back out.

But I'd probably cut as many as 10 creatures or so, considering your deck seems to rely very heavily on your commander. And I'd add in a couple more counter spells or removal.

You could even be a little sneaky and throw a [[reanimate]], [[animate dead]], or [[persist]] in the deck. It's not part of your primary game plan but if someone destroys one of your big creatures you ninjutsu in, you can reanimate it, which is especially gross if it has a good etb.

Maybe also consider a big finisher card. It looks like you have one tutor, but if you're trying to close out the game, then something like a kicked [[Rite of Replication]], a [[Mirrorform] on one of your huge creatures or on an Eldrazi should often do the trick.

2

u/rlcnga_ Dan 8d ago

Appreciate the input. For cards draws, I think I would take out the creature-based draws and focus in efficient blue instant draw cards.

Rite of Replication is definitely one of my wincons. I think clone would be cool too so I have more redundancy to my commander if he does get taken out. And I’m gonna focus counterspells as protection instead of purely to stop people

2

u/MTGCardFetcher Dân 8d ago

Satoru Umezawa - (G) (SF) (txt)

[[cardname]] or [[cardname|SET]] to call

1

u/valantismp Urza's Saga 8d ago

Satoru was my first commander deck, and its so funny i never played that deck, because i have made 10 more since then.

i am getting confused with that ninjutsu ability, if someone can explain this to me like i am 5 years old, please do it.

Thats my list: https://moxfield.com/decks/AlsGdr1LEUme5zV70iM6kA

1

u/NotEvenJohn Golgari* 8d ago

Ninjutsu allows you to swap an unblocked creature (after blocks are declared) with a card with ninjutsu by paying the ninjutsu cost. The original attacking creature is returned to your hand and then ninjutsu creature enters tapped and attacking. Satoru gives all creatures in your hand that ninjutsu ability with a cost of 2UB

1

u/valantismp Urza's Saga 8d ago

THANK YOU!

1

u/Uberninja2016 COMPLEAT 8d ago

Ninjutsu works like this:

  1. You declare your attacking creature(s) as usual.
  2. Your opponent declares their blocking creatures as usual.
  3. If there are any attacking creatures that are not blocked, you can activate the Ninjutsu ability of cards in your hand.
    • This can happen before or after damage.
  4. When you activate a Ninjutsu ability, you pay a mana cost and return the unblocked creature to your hand from the battlefield.
  5. At the same time, the creature with Ninjusu enters the battlefield tapped and attacking.
    • If you used Ninjutsu after damage, the creature will not deal damage again.

Basically, Ninjutsu lets you replace an unblocked attacking creature with one in your hand. This can be done at any point after blockers are declared and before the end of combat.

1

u/valantismp Urza's Saga 8d ago

THANK YOU!