I’ve always liked the Ninjutsu ability. Could never figure out a competitive deck with NEO’s ninjas. I’m sure I’ll give this one a try.
The problem is that we are currently a bit short on Dimir two-drops that you’d want to curve into this. Deep-Cavern Bat isn’t a great option because you don’t want to have to give back the card you took with it. Skullcap Snail and Unscrupulous Agent have ETBs that are ripe for repeating, but no evasion, and you’re probably not going to be thrilled when you draw just them and not Kaito. Faerie Dreamthief and Spyglass Siren are fine one-drop fliers, but their abilities aren’t hugely impactful.
Spiteful Hexmage is an interesting possibility – when you replay it, you could give its curse to Kaito and it would fall off on your opponent’s turn.
I like the idea of using Darkstar Augur with this guy. You have evasion built in, the card replaces itself with the triggered ability, and you can generate more bodies with offspring.
With commander I love using ninjas for commanders with etb effects. One of my favorites to play at the moment is Massacre Girl with ninjas. She clears the board on entering, has menace to get around the thinned board, and when you need to open people up again you bounce her with a ninja.
Massacre Girl with ninjas
That sounds like the kind of deck I would enjoy.
It is a lot of fun.
I tend run ninjas for repeat etb, vehicles for her to crew the turn she hits the board, a small sweet of returning creatures from graveyard to hand cards, and some cards that care about controlling one creature like Deadly Wanderings and Homicidal Seclusion.
It felt very on brand for neon dynasty. My latest version of the deck introduced attractions
Okay, maybe something like this…
9 Swamp
4 Island
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Underground River
2 Restless Reef
1 Drannith Ruins
4 Spyglass Siren
4 Mockingbird
4 Skullcap Snail
4 Unscrupulous Agent
4 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares
3 Enduring Curiosity
4 Ashnod’s Intervention
2 Not Dead After All
3 Cut Down
2 Bitter Triumph
2 Go for the ThroatAshnod’s Intervention/Not Dead After All can help make it okay to attack with your 1/1s. Mockingbird can be just a 1/1 flyer on turn 1, and later it can copy your Snails or Agents. Kaito and Enduring Curiosity generate card advantage. I don’t know… it feels like this deck needs things to go just right. But I’ll probably still try it.
Could you use Not Dead After All with Kaio to drop him to 0 loyalty with his third ability, immediately bounce him back on board to get an emblem, and at end of turn drain from the role dropping off of him?
You sure could! I don’t know how long it will take but I feel like I need to see it happen at least once.