Splinter Radical Rat decklist: MTG finally has a ninja Commander who doesn’t stink
Ninjas have been part of Magic: The Gathering since 2005’s Kamigawa block, which introduced the ninjutsu ability—a mechanic allowing creatures to sneak past enemy defenses by replacing unblocked attackers in combat. While the game expanded its ninja offerings significantly in 2022 with Neon Dynasty’s cyberpunk-reimagined return to Kamigawa, the game has notably lacked a compelling ninja-themed Commander card until now.
Commander is Magic’s popular 100-card singleton casual format where each deck revolves around a legendary creature that serves as its focal point. Despite two decades of ninja cards and their strong thematic appeal, no ninja creature has emerged as an ideal Commander choice—until the revelation of Splinter, Radical Rat from Magic’s latest Universes Beyond crossover set.
This new card appears to be the first truly viable ninja Commander, filling a significant gap in Magic’s card pool. For players interested in building around the ninja archetype, Splinter, Radical Rat finally provides a legendary creature worthy of leading a dedicated deck, potentially making ninja-focused Commander strategies both more competitive and appealing. The card represents a landmark moment for the ninja archetype in Commander, which has remained underrepresented despite its mechanical identity and cool factor.
The Universes Beyond series continues Magic’s tradition of integrating intellectual property from outside sources into the game’s universe, and this particular card demonstrates the crossover’s value to niche player communities.