commander · Anowon, the Ruin Thief
Sneak Attack (ZNC).
A Dimir rogues and mill deck led by Anowon, the Ruin Thief, attack with unblocked rogues, mill opponents, draw cards for every creature milled, and steal victories from graveyards full of enemy threats.
The Commanders
Sneak Attack is a Dimir Commander deck built around the Zendikar Rising rogue tribal theme. The engine is elegant: attack with unblocked rogues, mill each opponent, and draw cards for every creature milled. The deck wins by accumulating card advantage faster than opponents can recover, while assembling a mill win condition on the side.
Anowon, the Ruin Thief costs {2}{U}{B} and is a 2/3 Vampire Rogue. His ability triggers whenever a Rogue you control deals combat damage to a player: that player mills cards equal to the Rogue's power, and if any creature cards were milled, you draw a card. In a four-player game, three opponents means three mill triggers and three potential draw triggers every turn. Anowon scales the card advantage with the number of opponents still at the table, making him uniquely powerful in Commander versus 1v1.
Key Cards
Zareth San, the Trickster
The deck's biggest individual threat. Zareth San costs {4}{U}{B} normally, but his ninjutsu ability lets you return an unblocked attacking rogue to your hand and put him into play attacking for just {2}{U}{B}. When Zareth San deals combat damage, you return any permanent card from any opponent's graveyard to the battlefield under your control. Pair Zareth with Anowon milling opponents, and you're regularly stealing their best threats. He represents the full synergy loop: attack with a small rogue, ninjutsu in Zareth, deal damage, steal the best card from the graveyard you just milled.
Whispersteel Dagger
Graveyard theft as a repeatable equipment. Whenever the equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, you can cast a creature card from that player's graveyard this turn without paying its mana cost. The Dagger requires milling opponents first, which is exactly what Anowon does every combat. Once opponents have a graveyard, Whispersteel turns every attack into a free creature. The Dagger pays for itself on the first activation against any opponent running efficient threats.
Thieves' Guild Enforcer
A one-mana flash creature that mills opponents and grows with the strategy. When it enters or attacks, each opponent mills two cards. Whenever an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard, Thieves' Guild Enforcer gets +2/+1. It comes down at instant speed on turn one and starts the mill clock immediately. In the mid game, once graveyards are stocked, this tiny creature becomes a 3/2 that enables the rest of the deck's theft effects. It's the best one-drop in the 75.
Phenax, God of Deception
The deck's alternative win condition. Phenax gives each creature you control the ability to tap and mill a player for cards equal to its toughness. In a deck full of unblockable rogues with high toughness, Phenax converts your untapped creatures into a massive mill engine on every opponent's end step. He's especially brutal after a Spectral Sailor or Invisible Stalker swings in unblocked, since those creatures can attack and still tap for Phenax damage. Phenax closes games faster than Anowon when opponents start interacting with combat.
Drown in the Loch
Two-mana instant that counters or destroys based on the number of cards in target player's graveyard. Early in the game it's a conditional removal spell. By turn five, with Anowon triggering each combat, opponents have so many cards milled that Drown in the Loch counters any spell or destroys any creature for just {U}{B}. It's one of the best pieces of interaction in the 75 because the deck's strategy fuels it for free: just by playing your game, you make your removal better.
How to Play
Lead with one-mana rogues like Thieves' Guild Enforcer and Changeling Outcast to start attacking on turn two. Get Anowon down on turn three or four and immediately start attacking all three opponents. Spread attacks across multiple players rather than focusing one down, since Anowon's draw trigger fires for each opponent you hit. Mid game, deploy Zareth San via ninjutsu to steal whatever threatening permanents opponents are milling. Win by drawing so many cards you leave the rest of the table behind on resources, then push through the final points of damage with an unblockable army or close with Phenax as a straight mill finisher.
