Shao Ninja Undertow

Deck

Shao Ninja Undertow

Prerelease

I use Koma to find Ninjas while keeping Ratter's removal and Sōryū reset plan.

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• Hydromancy Gate
• 1Black Cat, Koma4
• 1Off-Duty Shinobi4
• 1Rei3
• 1Sundering Strike
• 1The Wandering Angler2
• 2Benzai the Merchant3
• 2Foamback Crab2
• 2Mirage Frog4
• 2Tenshin4
• 3Backstreet Ratter2
• 3Fumiko
• 3Lotus of the Mizuryuu4
• 3Stalking Assassin2
• 4Mizuryuu's Torrent3
• 4Phantom Shinobi4
• 5Mizuki3
• 6Pulled Under2
• 8Sōryū no Rin2

Game plan

1. Early turns

   I start with Koma, Off-Duty Shinobi or Rei. Koma checks my top 5 for a Ninja: I take Off-Duty for another cheap body, or Phantom when my early turns are covered.

2. Middle turns

   I trade with my small bodies and use Lotus or Torrent to clear the Garden. Backstreet Ratter waits in the Alley for its end-of-turn exchange. Pulled Under handles a single opposing Garden entity costing up to 7.

3. Closing

   I clear an attack for Phantom's Charge. Sōryū is my late reset, but I have no Itto to find it. Before discarding my hand, I count what each player gets back.

Mulligan

I keep Koma, Off-Duty Shinobi and Mirage Frog with discard fuel. I send back hands packed with expensive removal; a Koma search cannot promise the missing early play.

Key cards

• 

  Koma has eight Ninja targets: four Off-Duty Shinobi and four Phantom Shinobi. Koma is a Cat and Apprentice, so it cannot find another Koma.

• 

  Off-Duty is a 1-cost 1/2. I use that second health for early trades while keeping removal for more important threats.

• 

  Phantom attacks immediately and resists damage and destroy effects. Combat, bounce and displacement can still answer it.

• 

  I can sacrifice Alley Ratter at my turn's end to draw, untap 1 IKZ and bounce an opposing Garden entity costing 2 or less.

• 

  Sōryū discards my hand, then returns every other Garden entity. Ratter in my Alley stays there through the reset.

Tips

• Koma, Off-Duty and Phantom all have Gate Power 0. Hydromancy Gate refunds no IKZ when I portal them.
• I share Ratter Deluge's slower removal plan, but lose Itto's searches for Mirage Frog, Ratter and Sōryū. I plan with what I actually drew.
• Koma can miss. My small bodies struggle against large Taunt entities, so I save Pulled Under for those blockers.