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Alive Beneath Cherry Blossoms

Commander / EDH Aggro Casual Ninja Ninjutsu Primer UB (Dimir) Unblockable Value Engine

Azielle

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Land - Multi (15)

Legion I (5)

Resource I (5)

Response II (5)

Land - Utility (2)

Clan (7)

Advantage I (5)

Advantage III (5)

Legion III (5)

Response I (5)

Land - Basic (20)

Commander (1)

Commander: Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow

Advantage II (5)

Legion II (5)

Resource II (5)

Response III (5)

Once upon a time I watched my love die.

Resuscitating her was an epoch outside of time. I lived an eternity that morning in three desperate minutes. No More Room in Hell was my first EDH-OCD passion project — see Ovid reference, below. On a deeply personal level necromancy will always be my most important accomplishment.

I am occasionally, when I’m not laying on the deck with my dogs writing overtly personal EDH primers, a laboratory scientist. tatyova-pod-a-tale-of-two-love-stories-primer-1 has a Darwinism theme because of my ardour for evolutionary biology.

I developed a passion for EDH by developing EDH with passion. Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow is my truest self portrait with respect to this microcosm. I explored ten thousand card choices, and discovered my truest self in the process.

This game has never been a competitive outlet for me. In my younger years I was a competitive martial artist; competition is kicking someone in the face or being kicked in the face. I like the edge competition gives me, though I don’t particularly like being on edge.

I like EDH when it makes me not want to kick people in their face. Also, I like not being kicked in my face. Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow’s always-in-for-two-during-combat ability allows me to unlock both of these achievements. The deck shrugs off most hate, stax, and other negativity, and allows for a relaxed experience at any gaming table.

There’s something truly zen and beautiful about being able to lean into a fair strategy completely without being blown out for it.

This list’s manifesto: refreshingly simple, competitively tuned. I’ve left out all the left-field combos, and extra turns degeneracy often found in more competitive Yuriko lists, in favour of an honest turns strategy Turn small evasive creatures like Invisible Stalker sideways, turn them into ninjas, turn those ninjas evasive with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, and then turn everything into evasive ninjas with Arcane Adaptation.

There are a plethora of tutors and Scroll Rack effects, along with a full compliment of fetch lands, to maximize Yuriko’s damage output by setting your library to produce a ninja with a heavy cost. Ninjas, as our only curve toppers, keep the deck blazingly fast and aggressive; the average CMC when factoring in alternate casting costs is under 1.5.

If you prefer being an oppressive try-hard, and destroying your opponents on turn three or four, I invite you to read any of my other deck primers. While Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow may have been an exercise in finding inner peace at a gaming table, I’m still the kid that grew up beating people bloody for fun. Most of my decks were built by this violently competitive inner child. Be forewarned.

If it please you, a taste of my most unconscionable deck primers:

Also, If you prefer being an oppressive try-hard, I commend you for choosing to be evil somewhere else. Every Pod that I’ve flipped Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow into has been a positive and rewarding experience. Yuriko asks only that I enjoy the game; she does all the face kicking for me.

Beyond balancing and tuning stats to produce numerically delicious graphs (28 x <= 1 CMC, 21 x 2 CMC, 14 x >=3 CMC, etc.,) I have my decks built into functionally and aesthetically balanced five card blocks, such that each block forms multiple mirrored patterns, while adhering to strict functionality and thematic principles within both its mirrored grouping, and the deck as a whole.

It's difficult to describe accurately, or display using this site's interface, but each deck is a functional piece of art, as beautiful to behold as it is true to purpose.

Though I own my decks in paper, I rarely if ever actually play in group. I simply like the challenge of theory-crafting something perfect, numerically, functionally, and aesthetically.

I hope that my OCD outlet provides your playgroup some entertainment.

For you, and forever,

j.

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91% Casual

Competitive

Revision 18 See all

(2 years ago)

+1 Battlefly Swarm main
+1 Everflowing Chalice main
-1 Faerie Dreamthief main
-1 Jeweled Lotus main
-1 Vampire Cutthroat main
+1 Will-o'-the-Wisp main