Magic: The Gathering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Review – Cowabunga or Cowabummer? – MonsterVine

Simply over a month since we traversed the planes of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor, we’re again in good ‘ol New York Metropolis, however there’s not a Spider-Man in sight! As a substitute, there are ninjas swarming the place, and mutated turtles working rampant. That’s proper, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are the following Universes Past set in Magic the Gathering, and whereas there’s been a little bit of skepticism in direction of the set, we’re right here to let you realize if it’s a success or a cowabummer.

From Lorwyn to the Sewers: TMNT Enters Magic: The Gathering

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set for Magic the Gathering has an admittedly steep hill to climb for its debut. Universes Past fatigue is certainly at its highest ever, and it being the second of three units going down in New York Metropolis in lower than a 12 months isn’t serving to issues both. I personally am an enormous TMNT fan, having grown up watching all of the cartoons and completely sporting out the VHS tape of these dwell-motion movies, however even I used to be a bit hesitant about TMNT getting into the realms of Magic. These goofy turtles simply felt like a step too removed from what I anticipate out of Magic the Gathering. On the core of issues, although, if the playing cards are attention-grabbing and enjoyable to play with, then I’m in, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set did precisely that.

Thoughts you, there’s nonetheless a little bit of New York fatigue right here, because it shares a couple of similarities with the Spider-Man set from final 12 months that I’m certain will proceed with Marvel Tremendous Heroes later this summer time. Fortunately, you may ignore most of these playing cards for those that matter, just like the insane quantity of ninjas added to this set. I used to be launched to Magic the Gathering with the 2004 Champions of Kamigawa set, a set full of monsters from Japanese folklore and ninjas galore, and it’s the place I instantly constructed a love for Magic. So, as you may anticipate, I used to be giddy on the considered with the ability to make a viable trendy ninja deck in Magic once more.

New to the set are the talents Sneak and Disappear, together with the brand new Mutagen token. A variety of this set appears centered on sneaking ninjas onto the sphere and souping them up with mutagen tokens, which add a +1/+1 counter to a creature should you sacrifice it. In the event you’re conversant in the outdated means Ninjutsu, Sneak features basically the identical: when you’ve got an attacking creature that isn’t being blocked, you may pay a lowered mana price to swap that creature out with one out of your hand onto the battlefield. It’s a fantastic mechanic that I’ve at all times liked, as it might put gamers on edge in case your untapped mana was to prep for counterspells, or to whip out a shock Ninjutsu card.

Synergizing with that is Disappear, which is analogous to the outdated Revolt mechanic. When a card with disappear is on the sphere, in the beginning of your finish step, if a card left the battlefield at any level earlier than this throughout your flip, then it’ll set off that card’s means. Rat King, Verminister, for instance, will allow you to create a 1/1 rat token and put a +1/+1 counter on Rat King if its Disappear is triggered. Pair this with Sneak, and you’ll pull off some fast little combos corresponding to attacking with Slash, Reptile Rampager to create a 2/2 mutant token, solely to sneak in Raphael, the Nightwatcher, which then triggers Lord Dregg, Insect Invader in your endstep to create a 1/1/ insect token. That’s two free creature tokens in a single flip, due to using each mechanics collectively.

Is the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set the best one on the earth? In all probability not. But it surely’s a variety of enjoyable and makes me excited to play with its playing cards, which, for me, is all that issues between what makes a set good or unhealthy. Hell, Rat King alone is a should-have for any gamers working rat decks, and I can’t wait to make a ninja commander deck with Darkish Leo and Shredder. (Diego)

The vibes are there for this set. I didn’t understand it was in some way doable to seize the appeal of Saturday morning cartoons right into a TCG. But right here we’re with Magic’s newest collaboration that includes the Ninja Turtles. Whereas trying by all of those playing cards, it’s onerous to not smile and really feel like a bit of child. That is much more obvious should you have been fortunate sufficient to tug a full artwork card. One among my private favorites is Michelangelo, Mutant BFF, and the New Era’s Approach. Not solely do each of those playing cards carry a pleasant punch, however they give the impression of being completely lovable. In the event you’re somebody like me who loves to simply throw decks collectively purely primarily based on aesthetics, you may simply do this with this set, whereas nonetheless making it considerably helpful in-sport.

One other key facet of this collaboration that I particularly loved is that Wizards of the Coast ensured that every one features of the TMNT fandom have been included. In fact, there’s a variety of what you’d anticipate, just like the Turtles, April, and Shredder. However there’s additionally a variety of random characters that I didn’t even learn about, like Excessive-Flying Ace or the Squirrelanoids. Though this shouldn’t come as a shock due to how fashionable it’s, I used to be shocked to see how a lot of The Final Ronin was featured on this set.

With all of the totally different phases this deck showcases Shredder in, it might be a slap within the face to Wizards of the Coast if I didn’t make a deck centered round him. The solely factor I can’t determine is that if I ought to go along with Oroku Saki, Shredder Rising, or Shredder, Unrelenting as my commander for this deck.

However that’s the fantastic thing about this set, there’s a variety of totally different playstyles and commanders you may make with it. One other factor that stood out to me was the combo playing cards with all of the turtles. In the event you have been undecided on the right way to decide, generally that call was a bit simpler as a result of there was already a card that included two of your favourite characters. Personally, I really feel that having stuff like that built-in into the set makes it extraordinarily simple for newcomers to select up the pastime and luxuriate in it. (Luis)

A Surprisingly Robust Precon Proper Out of the Field

Turtle Energy is the singular precon included on this set, and from first impressions, I used to be nervous it was going to be making an attempt to do too many issues, contemplating it’s a 5 shade deck with a staggering seven commanders. You’ve clearly acquired all 4 turtles, however Splinter and April additionally perform as potential commanders together with the 5 shade Heroes in a Half Shell that options all of the turtles in a single card. Most of those, aside from Heroes in a Half Shell, additionally function the power Associate, which lets you have two commanders as a substitute of 1; clearly indicating that they need you to combo two playing cards collectively. With seven commanders, it’s comprehensible that this deck may give the impression of not figuring out what it desires, however fairly the other; each card on this deck is concentrated completely on making tokens or creating +1/+1 counters.

Leonardo, the Steadiness, seems like the cardboard the deck desires you to have as its major commander. It’s 4 mana for a 3/3 that allows you to put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you management everytime you create a token that flip. Contemplating the truth that half the deck is making tokens, you’re going to be triggering this a LOT. And if that wasn’t sufficient, should you handle to have all 5 mana colours obtainable, you may activate its different means, which grants your entire creatures menace, trample, and lifelink until the top of the flip. Leonardo seems like the cardboard that will get the engine working, whereas your secondary commander is the gas. What’s (in my view) most likely essentially the most synergistic accomplice commander with Leonardo is Michelangelo, the Coronary heart. He’s a two mana 2/1 with trample with the Raid (the Fridge) means: this states that should you attacked this flip, throughout your second major part, you’ll be capable to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature and make a meals token, instantly triggering Leonardo to place extra counters out.

The deck is ripe with moments like this, like with Huge Mom Mouser that enters with two +1/+1 counters on it, that double each time it assaults, and when it dies, nevertheless many counters it had on it’s what number of token creatures you may create. Or should you’re enjoying in an enormous commander group, Limitless Foot Assault is a superb enchantment that makes it so everytime you assault, you’ll create a 1/1 ninja token for every opponent.

One notably nasty sport had me as Leonardo, my major commander, and Raphael, the Muscle, because the secondary. True to his character, Raphael makes it in order that every time creatures with counters assault, they double their harm. I additionally had Irma, Half-Time Mutant, on the sphere, who can copy one other card that’s out, which occurred to be Leonardo. This meant that anytime I triggered Leonardo’s means to place a +1/+1 counter on every thing anytime a token entered, if Irma was a replica of him this flip, then she would do the identical. This snowballed fairly shortly, and once I finally swung with my creatures, as a result of I had Raphael out as properly and everybody had stacks of counters on them, I dealt practically 50 harm to my opponent.

I’m actually tremendous impressed with how properly Turtle Energy performs proper out of the field. If I needed to ding it for something, it’d be that there aren’t actually many low-cost playing cards to play, and that there are a small handful of playing cards you could possibly most likely reduce like Krang, the All-Highly effective. It’s a “egocentric” card that solely places a counter on itself, not like many of the different playing cards within the deck that share within the wealth. These are nitpicks, although, a deck I had a blast enjoying with that I wasn’t anticipating to like as a lot as I did. (Diego)

I like Precon decks for one cause and one cause solely. It removes a variety of the work in relation to crafting a deck. It’s already there and able to go proper out of the field. What’s nice about this one is that there’s a lot selection round it, too. Admittedly, I wasn’t too certain how an all-shade deck would work, however lo and behold, it does and performs surprisingly properly.

The one factor that I actually did take pleasure in about this deck, although, was the variability surrounding it. On high of the deck’s meant commander that options the entire turtles, it has one legendary creature card for every one, and even Grasp Splinter. That is vital to say as a result of it feels nearly as should you’re given a handful of half-constructed decks in a single. So should you’re somebody who desires to get a variety of bang on your buck, you may simply purchase this commander deck and a handful of packs and make one thing completely new with every thing you might have. (Luis)

Introducing Turtle Staff-Up: Magic’s New Co-Op Mode

Magic the Gathering isn’t any stranger to co-op codecs, what with codecs like Archenemy current the place three gamers play towards a “villain” participant who will get to make use of a secondary “scheme” deck with highly effective modifiers to the sport. The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set is trying so as to add one other model of co-op sport to Magic, with the introduction of Turtle Staff-Up, with the spin being that it’s two-4 gamers vs a “boss” deck that performs itself.

Once you open the field, you’ll be greeted with a handful of cardboard life tracks, amusingly within the form of turtle shells, a boss life counter, a booster pack, and 5 decks. A type of is the boss deck that will get cut up right into a pile for boss playing cards and a pile for “occasions”. The different 4 are 60-card normal decks themed round every of the 4 ninja turtles. All of them function playing cards from each the usual set and the commander deck, however there are a handful of playing cards unique to this bundle. Every deck features (largely) the identical, with an emphasis on creating tokens and +1/+1 counters; they only differ in very minimal methods, and every contains a single card of your turtle because the kind of “face” card of the deck. So Mikey has a landfall means, whereas Leo has double strike and could be introduced in cheaper should you meet some necessities.

So the way in which the sport features is, after you’ve chosen which turtle deck every participant goes to make use of, you assign a participant to be answerable for the boss deck. There are eleven bosses to play towards and nearly thirty occasion playing cards for the bosses to play. Turtle Staff-Up is then performed in three phases, the place you’ll first play a single boss from that pile, and that boss will assault the participant’s shared life whole when you attempt to defend and defeat them to maneuver on to the following part. On a boss’s flip, they’ll draw from the occasion deck and play two playing cards, which is able to resolve one after the other. One is likely to be a easy creature, like Foot Disciple, a 3/3 that may’t block. Creatures the boss controls at all times assault. Different occasion playing cards function results that should be resolved instantly. This may be one thing like Slash’s Smash, a devastating card that destroys all turtle playing cards on the sphere, or Krang’s Stratagem, the place (as a staff) you all must discard a complete of two playing cards. It’s playing cards like this the place the cooperative play actually comes into impact, as you’re free to share your hand along with your teammates so you may strategize towards the bosses.

It’s a easy course of that’s made troublesome by the modifiers the boss playing cards convey. You might need to cope with Baxter, Exzzperimental Zzientist that makes all Foot Disciple creatures the boss controls have flying; or you might need to cope with Rat King, the Chaosbringer, who offers all ninjas the boss controls deathtouch. Mix that with Karai, Shadow Warrior, whose modifier states that anytime a participant’s creature dies, they lose one life, and the boss can set themselves up for a nasty combo. When you’ve overwhelmed the primary part, you’ll transfer on to the following, the place you’ll combat towards two bosses as a substitute of 1, and within the third part, you’ll face off towards three. This randomization of what boss combos you get is what’s going to gas the replay worth of this sport, as a result of with eleven boss playing cards, there’s a very good quantity of selection to have right here.

What I particularly love about this bundle is that it’s maybe one of the simplest ways I’ve seen to show somebody to play Magic: The Gathering. With the ability to cooperatively work along with your good friend who’s new to the sport and talk about with them how their playing cards work, or how your playing cards may have an effect on theirs, is easy on this tremendous informal format. I particularly love how communication is wholly inspired; so if a devastating occasion card will get performed, you may cease to debate what you every have in your palms to greatest counter it. They even embrace really helpful modifiers to assist ramp up the sport’s problem should you’re discovering it a bit too simple, and in addition encourage you to customise the turtle decks with different playing cards from the set. Most of my buddies are longtime Magic veterans, however this was a enjoyable technique to nonetheless play Magic in a extra informal format after we’re not within the temper for lengthy commander video games. I solely hope Wizards sees the potential on this format and expands it in future units. Sadly, Turtles Staff-Up is fairly strictly restricted to the TMNT set, however I’d like to see a future model of this sport that options characters from the mainline Magic units that may be performed with any normal deck you construct.

The Remaining Phrase
I’ll be trustworthy, I already got here into this set with New York fatigue after the middling Spider-Man set and a right away eyebrow raised on the concept of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles being a Magic the Gathering set, however the extra I performed with these rattling lovable turtles, the extra they gained me over. Disappear and Sneak are nice new talents, as is the brand new mutagen token. The commander deck is a blast to play with, and Turtle Staff-Up is a enjoyable spin on the format. For a Universes Past set that I do know many individuals had low expectations for, I feel this one goes to shock a variety of you with how properly executed it’s. (Diego)

Is that this the strongest set? No. Is that this the weakest set? Additionally no. But it surely’s one of many funnest to come back out of the Universe Past run. Just like the Spider-Man run, it did a very good job at capturing a beloved IP in its purest kind. On high of that, there’s a variety of creativity that went into this set, and I’m trying ahead to my calendar clearing up so I can craft up a couple of decks themed round a few of my Turtles and villains. (Luis)