Commander Deck Tech: Raphael, Ninja Destroyer

In today's article, we'll go over a Raphael, Ninja Destroyer list that does something I really enjoy in Monored lists: it leans on a very straightforward idea and stretches it until it becomes something more than just a Monored strategy. Instead of a combat/burn list, this commander turns combat into resources. It's very unique.

So, let's see what this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle does best and how it uses self-burn to speed up the game and win fast.

Raphael, Ninja Destroyer brings us a very specific game plan. He needs to be blocked by at least one creature if able, and whenever he takes damage, he creates red mana. This mana stays until the end of the turn, and this ability triggers even if he dies. So, what we want is to put him in combat as much as possible, attacking or blocking, and create resources to keep going until we win.

The result is a Monored list that is more than just an aggro or Voltron strategy. It's much closer to a "combat midrange", a strategy that uses the battlefield as a way to get resources. While many red commanders prefer the board unprotected so they can deal damage easier, Raphael actually wants some resistance. If he takes damage and dies, he'll progress the game plan either way, and you might even be able to put him back in play straight away. If he takes a lot of damage and survives, it's even better.

This list plays a lot of equipment, protection, and combat spells. We want to get something back from everything, including the mana our commander creates, deal commander damage, remove something in combat, or anything else.

Because Raphael creates lots of red mana, this list will lean on a big red game plan as well as some different strategies. It'll transition from Voltron to Group Slug, Group Slug to midrange, and all the way back as we play according to our needs. Furthermore, because this is a Monored list, we won't be able to play the classic green ramp, so instead we'll play mana rocks like Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Ruby Medallion, and Gilded Lotus, nothing too unusual. Nyx Lotus will lean on the red devotion this deck naturally has.

Here's our list:

Punishing the Board

As Raphael needs to be blocked, we'll make each combat as terrible as possible for our opponents. Anger and Archetype of Aggression will be quite helpful because giving a commander like this trample is just incredible. The opponents will block him because they need to and still take damage. On top of it all, you'll get mana in return.

This is not exactly a pillow fort list, but it also uses tax cards and cards that make the opponents quite uncomfortable. They'll have to think twice before targeting you as your commander progresses the game plan. A good example of that is Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs, which makes combat very uncomfortable.

Another important point is evasion. It might seem weird to use cards like Brotherhood Regalia and Rogue's Passage considering this commander wants to be blocked, but it makes sense, we promise. For instance, this is quite helpful when you can't get him to be blocked by the right creature. Evasion will help us set up a specific attack or keep dealing commander damage. It's more of a Voltron move.

Surviving Damage

This is the core of the entire list: ways to use the commander's main keyword. If Raphael has to enter combat, each trade must be unfair for anyone that decides to block him. Darksteel Plate, Mithril Coat, Commander's Plate, and Tyrite Sanctum do the most obvious part: keep the commander alive. However, this commander needs to do more than just survive. He needs to convert damage into mana and make your second main phase a lot stronger than usual.

That's why cards like Arcbond stand out. In any list, it is already valuable as one of the 99 cards, but, in this deck, it does more. The damage the commander takes becomes a second way to invest in your game plan because you can use it to remove multiple targets. Even global removals, like Blasphemous Act and Star of Extinction, follow the same logic as mana engines.

Equipment Base

This deck wants to turn combat into two or three useful effects, and equipment cards are the best ways to do that because they aren't easily lost like auras. Umezawa's Jitte, besides fitting the theme, is simply excellent in any commander that wants to deal damage regularly. Jitte will help you manage small creatures, deal more damage whenever you need to, and also protect the commander in aggressive pods.

Blazing Sunsteel turns damage taken into damage dealt, which is great for a commander that wants to be blocked and that creates mana when it does. This damage goes to other creatures and can even end up directly on an opponent's face. Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar will scale this even further in an almost beautiful way. And just imagine what Basilisk Collar can do in this strategy.

Meteoric Mace, Mjölnir, Storm Hammer, Hard-Won Jitte, and Tarrian's Soulcleaver also make a lot of sense in this equipment game plan. Not every equipment card in this list needs to be a huge threat on its own. They can be helpful in their own way and make Raphael a better attacker or make him survive for a little longer and evolve after each combat. This part of the deck will be great to "snowball" the game bit by bit.

Heroes in a Half-Shell

When I explore UB commanders and build lists for them, I always try to add some cards from their own set that fit their themes. So this deck plays many cards from the TMNT set itself, and they're actually not fillers. They all interact with Raphael pretty well.

Cool but Rude, for instance, it's not just the way the opening theme described Raphael. It's also a great loot engine that gives you something whenever you attack. Throughout the game, it becomes a way to deal damage, as well as a Gamble when you get to its last level. Raphael's Technique brings Sneak. You can cast it for an alternative cost during the blocking step, so it's almost like a Wheel of Fortune.

I also added many Raphael versions to this list. Raphael, Tough Turtle and Slash, Reptile Rampager are two versions of Impact Tremors. They both deal damage to opponents directly when creatures enter play, for instance. Raphael, Tag Team Tough is another aggressive body that works really well with combat damage.

Win Conditions

The shortest answer to the question "How does this deck win the game?" is that it wins when you get to set up an attack that was already great and the mana Raphael creates makes it even better. There is not just a single way to do that, however.

The first way to win is the most straightforward one: dealing commander damage attack after attack or after a great attack. You can equip Raphael, give him trample, and multiply damage with Torbran, Thane of Red Fell, Fiery Emancipation, or Twinflame Tyrant, which are great ways to force the board to deal with your main attacker in the worst way possible. This will force them to lose creatures and life points and also makes things a lot harder for those that aren't blocking Raphael.

The second way to win is with cards like Crackle with Power, which is perfect in any red list that can create a lot of mana at once. You can also add damage in less obvious ways, like Fanatic of Mogis, Pain for All, Sunspine Lynx, and even cards like Disrupt Decorum, which makes this more of a Group Slug strategy. You'll deal damage bit by bit and buy time as you profit from other players' combats.

Raphael, Ninja Destroyer is my favorite commander in this set. It's not personally my favorite turtle out of the four, but I was still really happy to use this fella in my Monored collection.

My second idea was to build a very crazy Voltron that takes advantage of Lure effects, like Nemesis Mask, to clear the enemy board, but I was quite satisfied with the list above.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!