Stilljutsu - UB Ninja Still

[scaryrawr]

After playing in a few pauper tournaments, I've really fallen for ninjas...

Should be be Stilljutsu, Stillnobi, Still Silence???

After looking at common shells, it hit me the best shell (IMHO) for a serious ninja deck would be the UB Standstill list... also, ninjas so far have only been printed in blue and black.

This is my first attempt at a deck like this, and I hope to actually get good with it and tune it.

I kind of want to run Silent-blade Oni main in place of Ink-Eyes or Higure. Being non-legendary it avoids Karakas and his ability is pretty awesome if you get a hit. Another big thing is he pitches to Force of Will as odd as that sounds. I think the list would probably be better if Higure and Ink-Eyes were taken out for a 4th Snapcaster and Vendilion Clique, but that just doesn't sound as fun. Higure can actually be crazy helpful since it can guarantee ninjas getting through, and Ink-Eyes having regenerate can actually come up at times when trading with Tarmogoyfs or Batterskulls..

The awesome thing with this list is the fact you get to buy back your Spellstutter Sprites and Snapcaster Mages.

Our main board is a pretty standard with the exception of ninjas thrown in. One of our big draw engines is Ninja of the Deep Hours which we can actually get out even with a Standstill in play. The Ninjutsu mechanic can get pretty crazy if you shortcut things since it can only be activated after the declare blockers phase, and before moving on to the second main. That means if an opponent tries to Lightning Bolt one of your creatures mid combat, it's really important to be in a spot where you really know if you can ninja that creature out or not. Other nifty tricks are that Maze of Ith does not stop a creature from attacking (it just prevents the damage and untaps it), which means you can still ninja that creature back out, and if you have enough mana, ninja it back in.

Main
16 Creatures

4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Ninja of the Deep Hours
3 Mistblade Shinobi
1 Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
1 Higure, the Still Wind


17 Sorcery/Instants

4 Brainstorm
4 Fatal Push
4 Force of Will
1 Spell Pierce
1 Spell Snare
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Counterspell


4 Artifacts/Enchantments

1 Umezawa's Jitte
3 Standstill


23 Lands

1 Creeping Tar Pit
4 Mishra's Factory
3 Wasteland
3 Underground Sea
2 Swamp
3 Island
4 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Flooded Strand


15 Side Board

2 Flusterstorm
3 Skullsnatcher
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Sakashima's Student
1 Pithing Needle
1 Silent-blade Oni
2 Throat Slitter
1 Invasive Surgery


The side board is a little odd right now, and then packed with some powerful side board technology, the non ninja cards are actually pretty serious side board tech. The Ninja's are there for utility and to apply more pressure on the opponent. Skullsnatcher is definitely useful against graveyard based strategies, the downside is he can only trigger during your turn. Sakashima's Student I think is a very cheap and efficient clone, which is useful against some of the bigger threats out there. Throat Slitter is extra creature removal.

[Jayfranck]

My 2 cents:
Pretty sure u want to play some number of baleful strix, I would cut all ninjas but deep hour (they feel a little underwhelming) now if u want to play a 1 drop I'll choose the faerie miscreant or the evergreen DRS but not sure if some discard, like thoughtseize, would just be better.

U definitely want mutavoult for spellscutter as well.

Hope this helps.

[Doishy]

I like the inclusion of mistblade Shinobi as it can clear away an opponents chance to race you even under standstill. I am not actually sure you need any of the more expensive Ninjas. Standstill is a grindy strategy and it might be better to dedicate those slots to more permission?

[scaryrawr]

I like the inclusion of mistblade Shinobi as it can clear away an opponents chance to race you even under standstill. I am not actually sure you need any of the more expensive Ninjas. Standstill is a grindy strategy and it might be better to dedicate those slots to more permission?

They were actually thrown in originally as a joke (my friends said if I build the deck I have to run Ink-Eyes), but Ink-Eyes has been a really good heavy hitter late game, I do agree more permission would probably be better, I was thinking in the form of the 4th snapcaster though through the flash back? or is that too greedy? I was thinking if I remove those 2, I should up the snapcaster and add vendilion clique, but it might be better to add another counterspell and spell pierce?

I really like the Mistblade bounce their last guy, jam standstill interaction lol.

My 2 cents:
Pretty sure u want to play some number of baleful strix, I would cut all ninjas but deep hour (they feel a little underwhelming) now if u want to play a 1 drop I'll choose the faerie miscreant or the evergreen DRS but not sure if some discard, like thoughtseize, would just be better.

U definitely want mutavoult for spellscutter as well.

Hope this helps.

Thanks! I've definitely been considering Thoughtseize and Baleful Strix, Faerie Miscreant I feel doesn't do enough on its own. I feel I want at least 8 ninjas though, Mistblade being a 1/1 is what I think makes it underwhelming, but the bounce effect I think is very impactful, also being able to cheaply buy back spellstutter sprite early game gets so much more value out of the sprite.

I'll definitely try out Mutavault, I like the thought of being able to have it animate itself and flash spellstutter sprite for a stronger early game.

Thanks for the suggestions!

[kombatkiwi]

The realization that the Silent Blade Oni trigger pops your own standstill has killed my boner for this deck
I think that playing a couple of Ninjas in a more normal standstill deck is possibly fine but if you are attacking unblocked with factory/snap under a standstill aren't you already winning anyway?

[scaryrawr]

The realization that the Silent Blade Oni trigger pops your own standstill has killed my boner for this deck
I think that playing a couple of Ninjas in a more normal standstill deck is possibly fine but if you are attacking unblocked with factory/snap under a standstill aren't you already winning anyway?

Silent-Blade Oni is a may trigger, so you only really break standstill with it if you want to.

Also, yes... Turns out standstill is pretty good without ninjas, the goal of this is to have the ninjas though.

[PirateKing]

I don't get the buyback part. Is the assumption that Mistblade Shinobi lets you return your own creatures to your hand? Because it's only the person you dealt combat damage to, which should never be to yourself.

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

After playing in a few pauper tournaments, I've really fallen for ninjas...

Should be be Stilljutsu, Stillnobi, Still Silence???

Shadow Tiger Hidden Oni

[scaryrawr]

Shadow Tiger Hidden Oni

Shadow Tiger Oni Blade?

[FourDogsinaHorseSuit]

Shadow Tiger Oni Blade?

Shadow Tiger Serving Oni