Splinter Nin
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 9 | 18 COMMENTS | 6070 VIEWS | IN 5 FOLDERS
Improving Threat Quality —May 20, 2015
Removed: AEthersnipe, Conquering Manticore, & Stuffy Doll - These cards each preform very different roles, but the common theme among them is that they require too much to be effective. AEthersnipe is expensive and slow, and much worse than Venser, Shaper Savant. Although the deck loves this effect, the cost just can’t be justified. Conquering Manitcore is a big, flying body, which the deck is light on (probably explains why I've been reluctant to cut it), but the ability isn't abusable here, and the hidden added cost to sacrifice a stolen creature prices this card out of reasonable levels. Stuffy Doll affects only one opponent and because the deck is relatively creature dense, it’s on the cusp of being too much work for Nin to bother with. In situations where I’m looking to use Nin and I already have Stuffy Doll, it’s great, but I always feel bad using a turn to cast this. It just isn't what this deck wants to do with five mana.
Added: Batterskull, Spellskite, & Magus of the Moon - These are some of the most efficient threats in the format, and each one can warp the game in different ways. Magus of the Moon is a massive off-switch that tends not to hurt this deck too much. I’m shifting the manabase toward basic islands to facilitate this card, and because it’s a creature (as opposed to Blood Moon) one island is all that is needed for Nin to remove this guy. Spellskite is sort of comparable to Wall of Omens, except instead of drawing a single card, it turns off all targeted spells and abilities, which is sorta worth two mana in my opinion. At worst, this guy eats a bit of spot removal, helping to clear the path for this deck’s other threats and signal a player’s intention to play some other powerful targeted spell or ability. Batterskull is an uncommon choice for Nin decks, I think, but it fits in perfectly. It’s a good sized body that is difficult to remove. It can play defense and offense, gaining life both ways, it’s a body that can be played again and again, or even equipped to make one of the deck’s other tiny creatures more threatening, it’s not cold to Wrath of God, and even Nin wouldn't mind trading a germ token for a new grip of cards. All of these cards are just more impactful and more efficient than the cards they’re replacing.