Ninjitsu

Neon Dynasty Design Origins

New 09 May 2024 Asked by jirachibi2550 9 Comments

So you've said before that Neon Dynasty started, correct me if im wrong, without Ninjitsu or Samurai and more of a focus on Auras and Sagas vs Vehicles and Equipment, with Ninja and Samurai being the commander decks. How far along did those come? I've heard people say Isshin and Satoru were the precon face commanders and were put into the set instead? Is that true? :)


Ninjutsu wasn’t in the vision design handoff with plans of it being a focus of a Ninja Commander deck, but that’s the only thing you stated that I actually said.

Haste Fact Surprise

New 06 Sep 2023 Asked by prole-my-tariat 42 Comments

Hey Mark! My partners birthday is this month and I wanted to surprise them with a magic fact in their card. They currently Goro Goro and Satoru and they really like haste and ninjitsu. Any fun facts you have would be much appreciated! Thank you and have a beautiful day!


Before haste got an official name, R&D called it celerity. (I think it was an ability in Vampire: The Eternal Struggle.) Happy Birthday!

Kamigawa Draft Themes

New 07 Aug 2022 Asked by fourcolourcommander 43 Comments

Hi Mark! One of the reasons I think Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty's draft set was so successful was because there was a major mechanical theme (artifacts vs enchantments) as well as various minor mechanical themes (Samurai, Ninjitsu, Channel, Vehicles, Modified, etc.), allowing for a lot of overlap and synergistic permutations in the draft environment, which appears to be an improvement on just 10 themes for each colour pair. Do you plan to implement this major-minor theme design in the future?


Almost all sets have themes beyond the ten two-color pairs.

Unexpected Love for Kamigawa

New 12 Feb 2022 Asked by clarknes 44 Comments

I just finished my Kamigawa pre release, and I am shocked. I really was lukewarm on this set when it was announced and didn’t care much during most of the previews. Once I saw it come together and got to play it though, it is phenomenal. The art is amazing, and the pre release was one of the best ones I’ve ever been to. The place was packed (as much as Covid safely allowed). I drafted an esper deck around ninjas and ninjitsu really did change how I played so much of it. I don’t love the sagas for constricted but they were really fun to ninjitsu back and get to reuse, and the way I thought about removal and combat is so fresh and different. I really didn’t expect to like this set, but it may be one of my favorites in a while. I think I want more sci-fi planes? At least ones with a bright aesthetic.


I think you’ll like Infinity then. : )Glad you enjoyed Neon Dynasty so much.

Question about Ninjitsu Effects

New 03 Feb 2022 Asked by mangofisher74 34 Comments

I have been excited about making a rogue ninja deck since MH. NEO cards that say things like “ninjitsu costs 1 less” for example effect zareth the trickster since he has ninjitsu but isn’t keyworded? Thanks


It can only affect things with the ninjutsu keyword.

NIC Card Thousand Faced Shadow

New 02 Feb 2022 Asked by anyguy 39 Comments

Rules Question about the NEO card Thousand Faced Shadow. Their ETB basically triggers if you used the Ninjitsu ability, but why is it written out describing what happens when you Ninjitsu instead of referencing the keyword?FYI its text is: "When Thousand-Faced Shadow enters the battlefield from your hand, if it’s attacking, create a token that’s a copy of another target attacking creature. The token enters the battlefield tapped and attacking." I was think of something like " When ~ enters the battlefield, if its Ninjitsu cost was paid, create a token..."
I know it's not 100% the same since you could trigger the ability in other ways, such as with Ilharg. Or was it intended to work with the few cards that do that instead of the IMHO easier to read text referencing the set mechanic? Or am I missing something entirely, in that case please let me know.
As always thanks for the opportunity to ask questions.


If we don’t use the word, it usually means we couldn’t (templatewise). We aim to make things as easily understandable as possible.

Sets with Grouped Abilities

New 27 Nov 2021 Asked by nothingbutland-blog 27 Comments

A set about time effects could draw from Suspend, Phasing, Exert and Vanishing while a set of mystery/suprise could use Morph, Dash, Ninjitsu. Will we ever see a Standars set with grouped focused abilites and keywords?


Tine Spiral *was* a set built around time mechanics, so yes, we do that.

Possibility of Last Strike Ninjitsu

New 31 Oct 2021 Asked by emeraldninjaiv 34 Comments

Can I get a maybe on a last strike ninjitsu?


In Unfinity? Maybe. : )

Ninjitsu's Storm Scale Position

New 05 Jul 2021 Asked by arubberduckie 26 Comments

Hey Mark! I was wondering where Ninjitsu was on the Storm Scale. I think last time it was a 5 (3-4 years back) As an avid Ninja player it is by far my favorite mechanic!


Ninjitsu is a 7. It’s relatively popular, but requires a very specific flavor.

White Ninjutsu Possibility

New 15 May 2021 Asked by observemenow 29 Comments

Since white can bounce its own creatures, would ninjutsu make Sense in white?


Ninjitsu isn’t so much about bounce as it is transformation. Less of a white thing.

Commander Product Viability

New 21 Dec 2020 Asked by paladin8000 37 Comments

Mark, a commander product based on a non-revisited plane, being on plan or tribal mechanics, could it not be good enough to be viable? (Example: Commander Kamigawa; Deck Samurai or Bushido, Ninja or Ninjitsu, Spirit or Soulshift and Orochis Token)


It depends on how many new cards the deck has and whether enough cards pre-exist to make sense with that theme in the right colors for the deck. There are also larger questions about the product line as a whole.

Reflavouring Possibility for Ninjitsu

New 02 Sep 2020 Asked by pureferret 31 Comments

Do you think if it was reflavoured that ninjitsu could be a deciduous mechanic (for UB)?


I don’t think it’s generally useful enough to be deciduous.

Favorite Mechanics or Cards

New 23 May 2020 Asked by glintfang-nezumi 136 Comments

I feel like a lot of people who say you’ve only done bad for the game don’t realize you’re probably behind some of their favorite mechanics or cards too. For a change of pace, can you list some beloved mechanics or cards you’re responsible for?


Here are the Magic mechanics I’ve had a hand in creating: Absorb, Addendum, Affinity, Aftermath, Aura Swap, Battle Cry, Bolster, Champion, Changeling, Cipher, Companion, Contraptions, Crew (Vehicles), Dash, Deathtouch, Delve, Dredge, Embalm, Energy, Entwine, Evoke, Exert, Exploit, Fabricate, Fateful Hour, Fateseal, Ferocious, Flashback, Flip, Forecast, Fortify, Frenzy, Gotcha, Graft, Gravestorm, Heroic, Hexproof, Host/Augment, Hybrid Mana, Imprint, Infect, Intimidate, Kicker, Landfall, Lifelink, Living Weapon, Madness, Manifest, Mentor, Modular, Monstrosity, Morbid, Morph, Multikicker, Mutate, Ninjitsu, Phyrexian Mana, Poisonous, Populate, Proliferate, Prowl, Raid, Rally, Reach, Recover, Reinforce, Retrace, Ripple, Shroud, Soulbond, Splice, Split Cards, Split Second, Suspend, Transfigure, Transform, Typecycling, Undying, Unearth, Vanishing and Wither.

Ninja Imprisonment Query

New 30 Apr 2020 Asked by kerning-pete 27 Comments

If someone used ninjitsu to stealthily imprison people for their crimes, would they be white ninjas? Does ninjitsu necessarily involve assassination?


Ninjas aren’t known for imprisoning people.

Ninjas Without Ninjitsu Abilities

New 01 Apr 2020 Asked by ascan7 43 Comments

ninjas without ninjitsu... what would be their mechanical identity, then?


They could act like ninjas.

More Ninjas with Ninjutsu?

New 01 Apr 2020 Asked by mois113 48 Comments

If or When: More Ninjas with Ninjutsu?


More when than if. For what it’s worth though, I want to see more ninjas without ninjitsu.

Mary O'Kill's Ability

New 22 Aug 2019 Asked by emrylurkeroftheloch 30 Comments

Isn't Mary O'Kill's ability just an alternative form of Ninjitsu? Ninjitsu has more text to change how it works, so it can't be used as protection, but it seems very similar!


“Switch” doesn’t just swap them. The new creature is treated as if it was the old creature meaning it takes on all qualities of it on the battlefield (liked tapped or attacking). I’m not sure black border can do that.

Good Mechanics Bad Set

New 29 Jul 2019 Asked by maddieandherboobs 63 Comments

What would you say is the best example of a good mechanic from a bad set? Does anything from Homelands, Kamigawa or Prophecy hold up?


Ninjitsu from Betrayers of Kamigawa is a good mechanic.

Ninja Attack Triggers

New 02 Jun 2019 Asked by zanmor 48 Comments

I'd like to request some ninjas with attacks triggers. Full ninja deck that swings in with a ninja then ninjutsus it into another, different ninja!


We have a lot with saboteur triggers (aka triggers upon combat damage to another player). That’s better than attack triggers because Ninjitsu happens after attack triggers would trigger.

Ninja Color Variance

New 29 May 2019 Asked by chrislkimball 35 Comments

Mark, you have mentioned that ninjas can come from different planes, but can ninjas come from different colors? Can ninjas exist without ninjutsu if sufficiently ninja-y enough?


There are Ninjas in Modern Horizons without ninjitsu. They just to feel Ninja-y enough.


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