Ninjutsu

Neon Dynasty Design Origins

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.

Auras Commander Decks Equipment Ninja Ninjas Ninjitsu Ninjutsu Sagas Samurais Vehicles Vision Design

Commander Suspend Query

Yuriko got commander ninjutsu, so when or if for commander suspend?

That’s your first go to after commander ninjustsu?

Commander Ninjutsu Suspend

Ninjutsu Design Choices

Why is ninjutsu an ability and not an alternate casting cost

It was made long ago and the design technology was different.

Casting Cost Ninjutsu

Commander Augment Idea

If/when “Commander Augment” like commander ninjutsu but for augment instead.

For legendary Hosts?

Commander If/When Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu Ability Challenges

Could the rules find a way to handle a ninjutsu-like ability where everything attached to or targeting the returned creature will also be targeting the replacement creature once it arrives?

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty explored this exact thing and it has a lot of rules issues.

Creatures Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Ninjutsu Rules

Iconic Mechanics Variation

Hey Mark! I saw a comment noting how Dinosaurs didn’t have Enrage in LCI, and made me remember an answer you gave about Werewolves being too tied to a mechanic to be printed without it…What’s been the reaction to other creature types being printed without their iconic mechanic? For example, Ninjas without Ninjutsu in NEO.

In the vision design handoff for Neon Dynasty, the Ninjas didn’t have Ninjutsu specifically because I thought there was a lot of other interesting trope space to explore mechanically. I’m not against Werewolves conveying their lycanthropy in a different mechanical means, but my assumption is all the Werewolves from that set would probably treat it similarly. It’s just a high bar.

Card Printing Creatures Dinosaur Enrage Enrage Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Mechanics Ninjas Ninjutsu The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Vision Design

Mechanics influencing Setting

Has an added mechanic ever influenced the setting of a plane? (For example, you put Ninjutsu in the set for gameplay so you add Ninjas to the plane.)

That happened more in the early days when mechanics were selected before the creative was locked in. Nowadays, we tend to create them in conjunction, so we don’t tend to add mechanics that don’t already have a natural home.

Game Play Mechanics Ninjas Ninjutsu

Most Called Judging Questions

Home from Judging Prerelease. Got to say, the single card with the most Judge calls was Planar Incision, followed by Satoru Umezawa. Lots of calls on ninjutsu and the TDFC Sagas, too. Does the team at WotC keep track of this sort of stuff?

We do.

Ninjutsu Planar Incision Prerelease Sagas Satoru Umezawa Sealed Format Wizards of the Coast

Running Kaito Brawl Tactics

Just from the play on Arena (Running Kaito Brawl), huge thumbs up for the Ninjas with "only once" Ninjutsu payoffs. While it seems like an unfortunate drawback, it allows for a "level up moment" when you ninjutsu one back to hand, then use it's own Ninjutsu again to get the once-only trigger.

: )

Brawl Brawl Humor Level Up Magic Arena Ninjas Ninjutsu Your Hand

Origin of Blue-Black Limited Archetype

What was the Blue-Black limited archetype before Ninjutsu was brought from the commander set into the main set? Was it just generically artifacts, with no specific flavor?

It was still Ninjas.

Artifacts Commander Flavor Limited Ninjas Ninjutsu

Question about Ninjitsu Effects

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.

Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Keywords Ninja Ninjas Ninjitsu Ninjutsu Rogue

Warriors/Ninjas Keywording Approach

If you were designing Kamigawa again (and not just redoing everything), would you make samurai as warriors/ninjas as rogues with the Bushido/ninjutsu keywords? Or do those creature types carry enough weight to justify being separate, even though Magic doesn't usually make culturally unique "job" types? (I.e. no Hoplites in Theros, no conquistadors in Ixalan)

I’m a big believer in the power of words to excite.

Bushido Creatures Ixalan Keywords Ninjas Ninjutsu Rogue Samurais Theros Warrior

Possible Reuse of Bushido or Ninjutsu

Would it be possible for something like bushido or ninjutsu to be used again in another plane with a different name and flavor?

It’s possible.

Bushido Flavor Ninjutsu

Companion Errata Explanation

Wasn't the change to companion functional errata? Or does it not count since it's the reminder text that was changed instead of the rules text? Could the same be done for Commander Ninjutsu to cost 2 extra each time?

Companion was 100% functional errata. We just felt we didn’t have a choice but to fix it because it was causing so many problems in so many formats.

Commander Companion Errata Functional Errata Ninjutsu Rules

Kamigawa's Future Keyword Mechanics

Now that Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty has been announced, where would you put all the original block's keyword mechanics on the Storm Scale for this set? Those mechanics being: Bushido, Soulshift, Splice, Ninjutsu (My Favorite), Offering, Channel, Sweep, and Epic.

I’m not saying nothing is returning, but be aware that the greatest weakness of original Kamigawa was it’s mechanical components. As I’ve talked about on this blog many times (reinforced from feedback from many of you), a return is not leaning heavily on the named keywords/ability words of the original visit.

Ability Words Blogatog / Tumblr Bushido Epic Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty Keywords Mechanics Ninjutsu Offering Soulshift Splice Storm Scale Sweep

White Ninjutsu Possibility

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.

Creatures Ninjitsu Ninjutsu White

Expanding Ninja WUBRG Tribe

Could you see Ninjas being a WUBRG tribe? Each color has effects that work well with a Ninja flavor, and barring the Ninjutsu keyword, you can also push Flash in the tribe to reflect its sneakiness. Obviously UB would still be the top Ninja color pair, but I think Ninjas in RGW could work too.

I can see red and green ninjas, but white ninjas seem like an odd fit.

Colors Flash Flavor Green Keywords Naya (R/G/W) Ninja Ninjas Ninjutsu Red See Red White

More Ninjas with Ninjutsu?

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.

If/When Ninjas Ninjitsu Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu Color Identity

What colors can do Ninjutsu? Is it something that any color can do, but blue and black fit thematically and it stuck?

So far it’s been attached to ninjas and ninjas, again so far, have been blue and black.

Black Blue Colors Ninjas Ninjutsu

Ninjas and Samurai

Ok so question unrelated to ELD. You have said before not all ninja's have to be from Kamigawa, and reasoned that ninja's could be found on several planes. You have said before bushido would only came back with a different name as its to flavory tied to kamigawa. Ninja/Ninjutsu is extremely flavory tied to the japanese plane of Kamigawa, as is Bushido/Samurai. What makes Samurai any different? They both seem equal to me and I wouldn't mind seeing either on more plans.

Bushido can show up in any plane where that concept makes sense, not just Kamigawa. Ninjas can show up on any plane where they make sense, also not just Kamigawa. The latter is probably doable on more worlds, but not by a huge amount.

Bushido Japan Kamigawa Ninjas Ninjutsu Planes Samurais