Satoru Umezawa Commander: Salt-Free Deck Building Guide

by Kenji Nakamura 56 views

Hey guys! Today, we're diving deep into the shadowy world of Satoru Umezawa and how to build a killer Commander deck around him without relying on those salty, stax-heavy strategies that can make games drag on forever. We're talking about a fun, interactive, and powerful deck that will have your opponents on the edge of their seats, wondering what you'll pull out of the shadows next.

Why Satoru Umezawa?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's talk about why Satoru Umezawa is such a compelling commander. For just three mana (one blue and two black), you get a 3/3 Human Ninja with a game-changing ability: “Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to a player, you may put a creature card with mana value 4 or greater from your hand onto the battlefield.” This ability is insane for a few key reasons:

  • Cheating on Mana Costs: This is the big one. Satoru lets you bypass the hefty mana costs of your biggest, baddest creatures and slam them onto the battlefield for free. Think Eldrazi Titans, huge dragons, and other game-ending threats. This allows you to deploy powerful threats much earlier than you normally would, giving you a significant advantage over your opponents.
  • Surprise Factor: The “from your hand” clause is crucial. Your opponents won't see these threats coming until they're already hitting the board. This element of surprise can completely throw off their plans and leave them scrambling to react. You can hold back your haymakers until the perfect moment, creating devastating turns that swing the game in your favor.
  • Ninja Synergy: Satoru is a Ninja, and that archetype is all about sneaky attacks and evasiveness. He naturally lends himself to a strategy that utilizes Ninjutsu and other evasive creatures to ensure your damage gets through. This means you'll be playing a deck that's both proactive and reactive, capable of adapting to different board states.

In essence, Satoru Umezawa is a commander that promotes explosive plays, calculated risks, and a whole lot of fun. He’s a master of deception, allowing you to set up incredible sequences and overwhelm your opponents with a flurry of unexpected threats. Building a deck around him is like crafting a thrilling heist movie, with you as the mastermind pulling all the strings.

Core Strategy: Evasion and Big Dudes

The core strategy of a salt-free Satoru Umezawa deck revolves around two key elements: evasion and big creatures. We need ways to consistently get creatures through to deal combat damage, and we need creatures with high mana value to cheat onto the battlefield. Let's break down these elements in more detail.

Evasion is Key

The most important part of this strategy is ensuring that our creatures can actually connect with opponents. After all, Satoru’s ability only triggers when a creature you control deals combat damage. We can't rely on our opponents simply letting our creatures through; we need to force the issue. Here are some of the key evasion strategies we'll be utilizing:

  • Ninjas: Ninjas are the bread and butter of this deck. They're evasive, often have powerful on-hit effects, and synergize perfectly with Satoru’s ability. The Ninjutsu ability allows us to return an unblocked attacker to our hand and replace it with a Ninja from our hand, triggering Satoru’s ability if the Ninja deals combat damage. Cards like Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow, Higure, the Still Wind, and Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni are absolute all-stars in this category. Yuriko, in particular, can deal significant damage to opponents just by revealing the top card of your library, while Higure can make other Ninjas unblockable, ensuring they get through.
  • Unblockable Creatures: Creatures with built-in unblockable abilities are another fantastic way to ensure combat damage gets through. Think cards like Changeling Outcast, Mist-Cloaked Herald, and Tormented Soul. These low-cost creatures can slip under blockers and trigger Satoru’s ability early and often. Even a simple one-mana unblockable creature can become a huge threat when combined with Satoru’s ability.
  • Evasion Enablers: Beyond Ninjas and unblockable creatures, we can also use spells and abilities to make our creatures unblockable or difficult to block. Cards like Whispersilk Cloak and Rogue's Passage provide repeatable evasion, while spells like Distortion Strike and Artful Dodge can create temporary windows of opportunity. These cards add an extra layer of consistency to our strategy, ensuring we can always find a way to connect with our opponents.

Big, Game-Ending Threats

Once we've established our evasion strategy, we need to populate our deck with high-impact creatures that we want to cheat onto the battlefield. These are the haymakers that will swing the game in our favor. When selecting these creatures, we're looking for cards that provide immediate value, disrupt our opponents, or close out the game quickly. Here are some examples of the kinds of creatures we want:

  • Eldrazi Titans: These behemoths are the classic choice for cheat-into-play strategies. Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, and Emrakul, the Promised End are all capable of single-handedly winning games. Their massive stats, powerful abilities (like annihilator and cast triggers), and resistance to removal make them incredibly difficult to deal with. Ulamog, for instance, exiles two permanents when it’s cast and is indestructible, making it a nightmare for opponents to face.
  • Massive Dragons: Dragons are another fantastic option for this strategy. Creatures like Terror of the Peaks, Ancient Silver Dragon, and Ancient Copper Dragon can generate massive value the moment they hit the battlefield. Terror of the Peaks, for example, deals damage to any target whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, turning your board presence into direct damage. These dragons can quickly overwhelm your opponents with both their combat prowess and their powerful triggered abilities.
  • Disruptive Creatures: Sometimes, the best way to win is to disrupt your opponents' plans. Creatures like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, and Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger can cripple your opponents' strategies and give you a significant advantage. Sheoldred punishes opponents for drawing cards, Jin-Gitaxias limits their hand size, and Vorinclex doubles your mana while halving theirs. These creatures can lock down the board and pave the way for your victory.

By combining evasive creatures with these game-ending threats, we create a deck that can quickly and efficiently overwhelm our opponents. The element of surprise that Satoru provides makes this strategy even more potent, as our opponents will never know what's coming next.

Deckbuilding Considerations: Beyond the Core

So, we've covered the core strategy, but building a truly effective Satoru Umezawa deck requires more than just evasion and big creatures. We need to consider other factors like mana ramp, card draw, interaction, and the mana curve. Let's dive into these considerations.

Mana Ramp: Fueling the Fire

While Satoru Umezawa lets us cheat on mana costs, we still need to be able to cast our evasive creatures and Ninjas early in the game. This is where mana ramp comes in. We need to accelerate our mana production so we can get Satoru out quickly and start deploying our threats. Here are some of the ramp options we might consider:

  • Mana Rocks: Artifacts like Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Dimir Signet, and Talisman of Dominance are staples in Commander for a reason. They provide consistent mana acceleration and help us cast our spells on curve. These artifacts are especially important in a two-color deck like Dimir, where we need to ensure we have access to both blue and black mana.
  • Rituals: Spells like Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, and High Tide provide a burst of mana that can allow for explosive turns. These rituals are particularly effective when we want to cast Satoru early or deploy multiple threats in a single turn. Dark Ritual, in particular, is a classic black mana ritual that provides a quick burst of mana for just one black mana.
  • Creature-Based Ramp: While not as common in Dimir decks, creatures like Solemn Simulacrum and Burnished Hart can also provide mana ramp. Solemn Simulacrum fetches a basic land when it enters the battlefield and draws a card when it dies, providing both mana acceleration and card advantage. Burnished Hart sacrifices itself to fetch two basic lands, making it a reliable ramp option in the mid-game.

Card Draw: Keeping the Hand Full

Card draw is essential in any Commander deck, and Satoru Umezawa is no exception. We need to consistently draw cards to ensure we have both evasive creatures and big threats in hand to deploy. A hand full of options is a powerful hand. Here are some of the card draw options we might consider:

  • Instants and Sorceries: Spells like Ponder, Preordain, Brainstorm, and Mystical Tutor provide efficient card selection, allowing us to dig through our deck for the cards we need. These spells are particularly useful in the early game, when we're looking for mana ramp and evasive creatures. Brainstorm, in particular, is a powerful card selection tool that lets you draw three cards and then put two cards from your hand on top of your library.
  • Creature-Based Draw: Creatures like Baleful Strix, Mulldrifter, and Graveborn Muse provide card draw attached to a body. Baleful Strix draws a card when it enters the battlefield and can deter attackers with its deathtouch ability. Mulldrifter can be cast for its evoke cost to draw two cards and then be sacrificed, or it can be cast for its full cost to provide a flying body as well. Graveborn Muse draws cards based on the number of creatures you control, rewarding you for having a wide board.
  • Enchantments: Enchantments like Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora can provide consistent card draw over the course of the game. Rhystic Study taxes our opponents for casting spells, forcing them to pay an additional mana or let us draw a card. Mystic Remora is an early-game powerhouse that draws us cards whenever our opponents cast noncreature spells.

Interaction: Navigating the Battlefield

No Commander deck is complete without interaction. We need ways to deal with our opponents' threats, protect our own creatures, and disrupt their plans. In Dimir, we have access to some of the best interaction spells in the game. Here are some examples:

  • Counterspells: Counterspells like Counterspell, Arcane Denial, Swan Song, and Cyclonic Rift can prevent our opponents from resolving their key spells. Counterspell is a classic two-mana counterspell that can stop almost any spell. Arcane Denial counters a spell and draws each player two cards, making it a more political option. Swan Song counters a spell and gives the caster a 2/2 Bird token, but it’s an efficient one-mana counterspell.
  • Removal: Spells like Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, Terminate, and Toxic Deluge allow us to remove problematic creatures. Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile are efficient single-target removal spells that exile a creature. Terminate is a two-mana removal spell that can destroy any creature. Toxic Deluge is a board wipe that can clear the board for a small life payment.
  • Board Wipes: Board wipes like Cyclonic Rift, Damnation, and Toxic Deluge can reset the board when things get out of hand. Cyclonic Rift is a blue instant that can bounce all nonland permanents our opponents control, giving us a huge tempo advantage. Damnation is a black sorcery that destroys all creatures, providing a clean reset. Toxic Deluge, as mentioned earlier, is a board wipe that can clear the board for a small life payment.

Mana Curve: The Balancing Act

Finally, we need to consider our mana curve. We want to ensure we have a healthy mix of low-cost and high-cost cards so we can play something every turn. A good mana curve will help us avoid mana screw or mana flood and ensure we're always making progress. Aim for a curve that peaks in the 3-5 mana range, with a few high-cost threats to cheat into play. This will allow you to deploy your evasive creatures early, ramp into Satoru, and then unleash your big threats in the mid-to-late game.

Example Decklist: A Starting Point

Okay, so we've talked about the theory, now let's get to the real fun: building a decklist! This is just an example, of course, and you can customize it to your heart's content, but it should give you a solid starting point. This decklist aims to balance the core strategy of evasion and big threats with the necessary ramp, draw, and interaction to succeed in a variety of Commander games. Remember to adjust this list based on your own collection, budget, and playstyle.

(Note: I can't provide a complete, hyperlinked decklist within this format. However, I can give you a breakdown of the card categories and some key examples.)

Commander:

  • Satoru Umezawa

Creatures (Evasion):

  • Changeling Outcast
  • Mist-Cloaked Herald
  • Tormented Soul
  • Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
  • Higure, the Still Wind
  • Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
  • Baleful Strix

Creatures (Big Threats):

  • Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
  • Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
  • Emrakul, the Promised End
  • Terror of the Peaks
  • Ancient Silver Dragon
  • Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
  • Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur

Mana Ramp:

  • Sol Ring
  • Arcane Signet
  • Dimir Signet
  • Talisman of Dominance
  • Dark Ritual

Card Draw:

  • Ponder
  • Preordain
  • Brainstorm
  • Mystical Tutor
  • Rhystic Study
  • Mystic Remora

Interaction:

  • Counterspell
  • Arcane Denial
  • Swords to Plowshares
  • Terminate
  • Cyclonic Rift
  • Toxic Deluge

Lands:

  • A mix of dual lands, fetch lands, and basic lands to ensure consistent mana.

Tips and Tricks: Mastering the Shadows

Now that we have a decklist in mind, let's talk about some tips and tricks for piloting this deck effectively. Satoru Umezawa is a powerful commander, but he requires careful planning and execution to truly shine. Here are some things to keep in mind:

  • Prioritize Evasion: Your first priority should always be establishing a board presence with evasive creatures. These creatures are the key to triggering Satoru’s ability and getting your big threats onto the battlefield. Don't be afraid to play your unblockable creatures early, even if you don't have a big threat in hand yet. They can still chip away at your opponents' life totals and force them to make unfavorable blocks.
  • Plan Your Turns: Satoru Umezawa rewards careful planning. Think about what creatures you want to cheat into play and when the best time to do it is. Consider your opponents' potential responses and try to play around them. For example, if you suspect an opponent has a counterspell, you might want to wait until you have mana to cast a counterspell of your own or bait out their counterspell with a less important threat first.
  • Be Patient: Don't feel pressured to deploy your big threats as soon as you draw them. Sometimes it's better to wait for the perfect moment, when your opponents are tapped out or have used their removal spells. Holding back your threats can also create an element of surprise, making your attacks even more devastating.
  • Embrace the Bluff: Satoru Umezawa is a master of deception, and you should use that to your advantage. Sometimes, the threat of what you could do is more powerful than what you actually do. Bluffing with an empty hand or feinting an attack can force your opponents to make mistakes. This is a mental game, guys, so embrace the mind games!
  • Adapt to Your Meta: Finally, remember to adapt your deck and playstyle to your local meta. If your playgroup is full of aggressive decks, you might need to include more removal and blockers. If your playgroup is full of control decks, you might need to focus on card advantage and ways to protect your threats. The best Commander decks are those that can adapt to any situation.

Conclusion: Embrace the Ninja Within

Building a salt-free Satoru Umezawa deck is a rewarding experience. It's a deck that's both powerful and fun to play, offering explosive turns, strategic decision-making, and a whole lot of sneaky ninja action. By focusing on evasion, big threats, and the right support cards, you can build a deck that will consistently surprise and overwhelm your opponents. So, embrace the shadows, master the art of Ninjutsu, and unleash the power of Satoru Umezawa!