Want these upgrades without breaking the bank? Click HERE to pick up our Satoru Umezawa Commander Starter Pack.

Magic: The Gathering’s Commander format has taken the world by storm with its blend of multiplayer chaos, unique deck-building strategies, and iconic commanders. One such commander, Satoru Umezawa, brings a fascinating ninjutsu twist into the format, letting you sneak massive, game-changing creatures onto the battlefield. However, officially obtaining such powerful cards comes with some pretty steep price increases, which makes proxies all the more attractive to newcomers and veterans alike who only want a taste of such powerful cards without the attached price tag.

The following is a detailed rundown of a 10-card Magic: The Gathering proxy package, with Satoru Umezawa as commander, joined by a few of the most synergistic, powerful, and iconic creatures that will fit into his playstyle like a glove.

Satoru Umezawa

Satoru Umezawa certainly allows for all creatures to have the ninjutsu ability in your hand. With its strong effect in such a powerful card, you’ll be able to swap in some of the most terrifying creatures in the game at a fraction of the mana cost. Satoru Umezawa’s alternate art is not only a great centerpiece for an aesthetically pleasing deck but also a pass key to one of the unique ways to play high-cost creature. Because of his ability, you will be able to sidestep the high costs of your creatures and build explosive plays that can shake the entire table.

2. Toxrill, the Corrosive

Toxrill, the Corrosive is probably one of the most hazardous critters to ever exist in the format of Commander. This slug horror passively takes away opponents’ creature strength by placing -1/-1 counters at each end step on all creatures you don’t control. Satoru Umezawa can unleash Toxrill to ninjutsu onto the battlefield, catching opponents off guard and decimating their creature base in record time. The official version from Toxrill is pretty pricey, so a proxy of it lets you try its synergies with Satoru without investing much in the beginning.

3. Archon of Cruelty

Archon of Cruelty is part of most reanimator and control lists due to his incredibly oppressive enter-the-battlefield and attack triggers that give an abruptly heavy beating to the opponent: creature sacrifice, card discard, life loss on their side, card draw, life gain on your side. Flash Archon of Cruelty onto the battlefield with Ninjutsu, disrupting your opponents’ board presence while gaining huge advantages for yourself. Since the official price of it is highly pricey, a proxy is an affordable way to play this powerhouse.

4. Void Winnower

Void Winnower is unique in that opponents can’t play even mana cost spells with it on the field, and it can turn off half of their cards. Satoru’s ninjutsu brings in the Void Winnower unexpectedly, cleaving off key pieces of your opponent’s strategy. This creature is very effective in multiplayer, but its high mana cost is rather prohibitive for some decks. With a proxy, you are able to test the power of Void Winnower without the high cost to your deck.

5. Blightsteel Colossus

Packed with trample, infect, and indestructible, this is one of those cards that opponents fear greatly. A single hit from this huge artifact creature can be lethal. In fact, outside of some higher-end combos, it’s arguably the most terrifying creature in all of Commander. Where ninjutsu allows you to circumvent this card’s huge mana cost, with Blightsteel Colossus in your hand, Satoru can be a real game-ender. The official version is pretty expensive since it sees such a high demand, but having a proxy keeps the price of adding this finisher into your deck pretty reasonable.

6. Lord of the Void

This flying demon exiles the top seven cards of an opponent’s library whenever it deals combat damage to a player, and allows you to put a creature from those exiled cards onto the battlefield under your control. You’ll be able to bring out Lord of the Void well before your opponents expect you to with Ninjutsu, allowing you to gain control of the board with their creatures. Prying open so many doors, versatility is the word of the day with Lord of the Void, who can make an impact in many a Satoru build.

7. Archfiend of Despair

Archfiend of Despair will be a great addition to direct damage/control decks, doubling the damage dealt to opponents while they cannot gain life. This could prove quite lethal for an opponent when Satoru can ninja in Archfiend of Despair on their end step, setting up a lethal from your next turn. The official version is pretty pricey, but it has enough synergy with Satoru that a proxy will definitely be worth testing in your deck.

8. Rune-Scarred Demon

Rune-Scarred Demon is a flying 6/6 with a Demonic Tutor effect, which lets you find any card you might be searching for. This flexibility makes it an excellent ninja target that will help enable you to tutor up crucial pieces of your strategy. The official price of the card is not through the roof, but proxies remain a more budget-friendly option for Commander players needing access to its tutoring power.

9. Nezahal, Primal Tide

Nezahal, Primal Tide has card draw with the added benefit of near-immunity to removal via its self-exiling ability. It’s just one tough draw engine, keeps your hand full, and dodges removal when it has to. Having a cost-saving option to get Nezahal onto the battlefield through ninjutsu adds flexibility to your deck, with a lower official price that makes him one of the more affordable cards in this bundle.

10. Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant

Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant is easily one of the most disrupting cards to hit the format-hard counter to an opponent’s spell once each turn and copy your spells. This Phyrexian Praetor really hits from out of nowhere thanks to Ninjutsu. An opponent isn’t ready for it, and you get to immediately establish board dominance. While he is not as pricey as some other highly sought-after Commander staples, proxies do remain a budget-friendly alternative for those looking to experience the oppressive power of Jin-Gitaxias.

Why a Proxy Bundle?

Proxies are a great way to get into Commander without having to commit to buying cards for your deck that may be hard to acquire. With proxies, you can try out cards and strategies and test the various power cards like Blightsteel Colossus or Archfiend of Despair in your Satoru Umezawa deck before actually purchasing the cards.

Conclusion

This 10-card Commander starter bundle, headlined by Satoru Umezawa as your commander, is an affordable jump into the powerful play of ninjutsu and high-cost creatures. Proxies provide a budget-friendly means to experience the synergy, playability, and devastating power these cards bring to the Commander format. Whether you’re a new player building your first deck or a seasoned Commander fan looking for new strategies to try out, this bundle brings iconic threats to your table without a prohibitive price tag.

Do you want these upgrades without breaking the bank? Click HERE to pick up our Endless Punishment Precon Proxy Upgrade Pack.