Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Rat Ninja
Abilities Ninjutsu
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Ink-Eyes offers card advantage by reanimating creatures from graveyards directly to the field.
  2. Instant speed ninjutsu provides surprise interactions, broadening strategic options.
  3. Its combination of theft and reanimation abilities ensures sustained board presence.

Text of card

Ninjutsu (, Return an unblocked attacker you control to hand: Put this card into play from your hand tapped and attacking.) Whenever Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni deals combat damage to a player, you may put target creature card from that player's graveyard into play under your control. : Regenerate Ink-Eyes.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, stands out in MTG for its potential to disrupt opponents’ strategies while building your board presence. With its ninjutsu ability, get ready to surprise your opponents by sneaking it into play and simultaneously regaining creatures from any graveyard, steadily increasing your resources while draining theirs.

Resource Acceleration: Recruiting creatures from your adversaries is Ink-Eyes’ expertise. Not only does each successful attack with this elusive being net you a new ally from the opponent’s graveyard, but it also adds to your array of creatures, accelerating your resource pool without expending additional cards from your hand.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Ink-Eyes’ ninjutsu ability is a game-changer, allowing for interaction at instant speed. Whether it’s during a block or after an unblocked attacker has been declared, Ink-Eyes can slip onto the battlefield with precision timing, serving as both an unexpected blocker or attacker, ready to reclaim yet another piece from the graveyard’s puzzle.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deck strategies that revolve around Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni often hinge on setting up the graveyard, which requires you to actively discard your own cards or make your opponent do so. This can backfire if you end up depleting valuable hand resources without a way to capitalize on the graveyard setup.

Specific Mana Cost: Ink-Eyes demands a specific mix of colors for its casting, one black mana and five of any other colors. This can be challenging in multicolor decks where maintaining the right mana base is critical, possibly leading to situations where you have Ink-Eyes in hand but can’t cast it due to color constraints.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The total cost of six mana, especially with one being a set black mana, is on the higher side when you consider the pace of most games. Some decks might find that faster options or those that provide immediate impact are more cost-effective than waiting to draw into enough resources to play Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Ink-Eyes Servant of Oni card can seamlessly adapt to a wide range of deck styles, particularly those focused on control or reanimator strategies. Its ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard offers a multifaceted approach to gameplay.

Combo Potential: Ink-Eyes’ unique ability to reanimate creatures by dealing combat damage to a player gives it substantial synergy with cards that increase its evasiveness or provide protection. This allows for potential game-changing plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to disrupt opponent strategies by stealing creatures from their graveyard, Ink-Eyes retains relevance, especially in a meta that heavily relies on creature-based decks. It can act as a powerful tool for gaining advantage and tipping the scales in your favor.


How to beat

Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni presents a unique challenge on the battlefield with its combination of abilities. A master of subtlety and surprise, this ninja offers more than just stealthy attacks. It can reanimate creatures from your opponent’s graveyard, turning their resources against them. However, despite its strengths, overcoming this card is possible with strategic plays and deck preparations.

One effective approach is to limit the targets for its reanimation ability by employing graveyard hate strategies. Cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Scavenging Ooze can keep graveyards clear and negate Ink-Eyes’ secondary ability. Board control tools also prove valuable. Sweepers, spot removal, and especially exile effects render the ninja harmless before it can deal any damage or resurrect fallen creatures. Denying combat damage, through effects like Ghostly Prison, can restrict its opportunities to trigger ninjutsu, keeping it from slipping through your defenses.

By emphasizing vigilant graveyard management and assertive board control, you can mitigate the impact of Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, ensuring that this powerful creature doesn’t dominate the game. Adaptation and preparedness are key and with the right approach, any foe, no matter how shadowy, can be defeated.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive into the shadowy realm of MTG with Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, a formidable ninja that can outmaneuver opponents and turn their strength against them. As you uncover the various aspects of using this card, consider how it fits within your deck’s strategy. Does the graveyard manipulation, combo potential, and sheer surprise of ninjutsu elevate your game? Whether you enjoy control, reanimation tactics, or simply the thrill of cunning gameplay, Ink-Eyes has much to offer. Explore further with us, refine your strategy, and perhaps add this stealthy servant to your arsenal for your next encounter across the table.


Cards like Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni

The allure of stealth and surprise is embodied in Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, a notable ninja creature card from MTG. Its ability to seize control of opponents’ creatures post-combat resonates with the mechanics of other theft-themed cards in the game. The card bears a certain resemblance to Gonti, Lord of Luxury, who also pilfers cards from other players. While Ink-Eyes reanimates creatures directly onto the battlefield, Gonti provides a more subtle form of thievery, exiling cards and giving you the opportunity to cast them yourself.

Analogous in function to Ink-Eyes, we have Silent-Blade Oni, which introduces added layers of interaction. This demon ninja allows for the casting of cards from opponents’ hands without paying their mana costs, once it deals combat damage. Although Silent-Blade Oni has a higher mana value than Ink-Eyes, it extends its influence beyond what’s on the battlefield to the potentials in an opponent’s hand.

Ultimately, Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni, stands prominently amongst cards with similar capabilities. Its synergy of direct creature reanimation combined with ninjutsu presents a potent force, offering players a unique advantage that blends aggressive strategies with control elements.

Gonti, Lord of Luxury - MTG Card versions
Silent-Blade Oni - MTG Card versions
Gonti, Lord of Luxury - Kaladesh Promos (PKLD)
Silent-Blade Oni - Planechase 2012 (PC2)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Betrayers of Kamigawa, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2005-02-04 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 320132003normalblackRon Spears
22005-02-04Betrayers of KamigawaBOK 712003normalblackWayne Reynolds
32012-06-01Planechase 2012PC2 332003normalblackWayne Reynolds
42013-08-23From the Vault: TwentyV13 132003normalblackWayne Reynolds
52016-11-25Planechase AnthologyPCA 332015normalblackWayne Reynolds
62019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 332015normalblackJungShan
72020-09-26The ListPLST BOK-712003normalblackWayne Reynolds

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2005-02-01 If, during the combat damage step, a creature is destroyed during combat and Ink-Eyes also deals combat damage to a player, the destroyed creature can be a legal target for Ink-Eyes’s ability.

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