Overview

Sneak Attack is a Rogue tribal deck that wins by connecting. Anowon, the Ruin Thief gives your other Rogues +1/+1, and whenever one or more Rogues you control deal combat damage to a player, that player mills a card for each 1 damage dealt to them. If they mill at least one creature card this way, you draw a card.

The 99 cards are 30 creatures, 13 artifacts, one enchantment, 8 instants, 9 sorceries and 38 lands. Most of the creatures are Rogues, including evasive ones such as Invisible Stalker, Slither Blade, Triton Shorestalker and Marang River Prowler, and flyers such as Faerie Vandal, Nightveil Sprite and Latchkey Faerie. Prowl cards such as Enigma Thief, Stinkdrinker Bandit and Notorious Throng reward a Rogue connecting before you cast them.

Key Cards

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Whirler Rogue
Token Maker · Evasion
A 2/2 for {2}{U}{U}. When it enters, you create two 1/1 colorless Thopter artifact creature tokens with flying, and by tapping two untapped artifacts you control you can make a target creature unblockable this turn. It makes Thopters and then gets any Rogue through.
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Notion Thief
Disruption · Card Draw
A 3/1 for {2}{U}{B}. It has flash, and if an opponent would draw a card except the first one they draw in each of their draw steps, they skip that draw and you draw a card instead. It punishes opposing card draw.
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Oona's Blackguard
Counters · Discard
A 1/1 for {1}{B}. It has flying, and each other Rogue you control enters with an additional +1/+1 counter. Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
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Enigma Thief
Tempo · Flying
A 5/5 for {5}{U}{U}. It has flying and prowl, and when it enters for each opponent you return up to one target nonland permanent that player controls to its owner's hand. It is cheaper after a Rogue connects.

Playing the Deck

The early game is about cheap evasive creatures and mana. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Dimir Signet, Dimir Keyrune and Mind Stone ramp you, and Invisible Stalker, Slither Blade, Triton Shorestalker, Changeling Outcast and Merfolk Windrobber start hitting for Anowon's triggers. Frogtosser Banneret makes your Rogues cheaper.

The middle of the game is about connecting every turn. Soaring Thought-Thief, Sure-Footed Infiltrator, Whirler Rogue and Rogue's Passage make creatures hard to block, Oona's Blackguard and Stinkdrinker Bandit make attackers bigger, and Sygg, River Cutthroat draws cards when opponents lose life and Zulaport Cutthroat drains whenever a creature you control dies. Notion Thief and Fact or Fiction keep your hand full.

The late game is about reanimating and a reset. Consuming Aberration grows with your opponents' graveyards, Endless Obedience, Extract from Darkness, Rise from the Grave and Sepulchral Primordial take creatures from graveyards, and Oona, Queen of the Fae turns spare mana into Faerie Rogue tokens. Necromantic Selection and In Garruk's Wake clear the board when needed.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: The deck has a great number of evasive attackers, so it keeps up damage and mill pressure even against bigger creatures. It also has plenty of interaction and card advantage, including Murder, Price of Fame, Silumgar's Command, Soul Manipulation, and Aetherize.

Weaknesses: Most of the Rogues are small, so a sweeper or a few blockers with flying and reach can slow the deck, and Anowon is the obvious removal target. Several of the payoffs need a Rogue to connect first, so stopping the attackers stops the deck.

Want to improve it? See the Sneak Attack upgrade guide: twelve swaps with the data behind each one.

Verdict
Sneak Attack is a clear and fun tribal deck that rewards sneaking in small hits. It is a good choice for players who like evasive creatures, mill and a lot of small tricks.

Want to see what a fully optimised Anowon, the Ruin Thief build looks like? Try the Oracle.

✦ Build with The Oracle

Frequently Asked Questions

What cards are in the Sneak Attack decklist?
The Sneak Attack precon is a 100-card Commander deck led by Anowon. The full Sneak Attack decklist, with every card, current prices and a button to copy the list into your deck builder, is on this page.

When was Sneak Attack released?
Sneak Attack was released on September 25, 2020 as part of Zendikar Rising Commander.

Who is the commander of Sneak Attack?
Sneak Attack is led by Anowon, the Ruin Thief, a Dimir (U/B) legendary creature.

How many creatures are in Sneak Attack?
The 99 cards besides Anowon, the Ruin Thief include 30 creatures.

How many lands does Sneak Attack have?
Sneak Attack has 38 lands in the 99 cards besides Anowon, the Ruin Thief, including basic lands.

Full Decklist

All 100 cards from the out-of-the-box Sneak Attack precon, with current prices. Click any card to expand it.

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