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This is part two of Frank Goes Over the Turtle Cards. If you missed part one, be sure to check it out!
There were only 31 total TMNT cards that have been previewed so far - many of which aren't exactly "cards," so much as part of what seems like a mini-game - so there's not a ton to go over, but we can still find some interesting gems, and it's a good starting point to get an idea of how the set might shape up. You know how it goes!
As I mentioned last time, some of the cards are from TMT, which I believe is the regular Turtle set, and some are from TMC, which is the Turtle Commander set.
So let's begin!
Splinter, the Mentor
I have no idea if this card is any good, but it's a mythic, and it's Splinter, so...maybe? A two-mana 2/2 with menace is...fine? When he dies you do get an artifact, so that's something, and whenever any other creature you control dies you get Mutagen tokens for those too. Could definitely add up or prove to be an engine of some kind, and with partner, you could easily partner with another creature that really takes advantage of this ability.
Super Shredder
Super Shredder seems like a card a lot of people are really excited about, but I guess I'm just not seeing it? As a 1/1 for two mana, it takes a lot of work to really get this guy going. I guess we have to ask what the bare minimum of permanents is that need to leave the battlefield before he's a good deal, and I think it's probably two? If we can get a 3/3 with menace for two mana out of this, I think I can get behind that, but that doesn't seem like the easiest thing to do before he just gets nuked. Maybe I'm way off?
Casey Jones, Jury-Rig Justiciar
I absolutely loved Casey Jones when I was a kid. There was this really weird fixation on characters with hockey masks in the 80's and 90's - Jason Vorhees of Friday the 13th, Casey Jones, the Mighty Ducks - and they all seemed to be really well-received.
As a 2/1 Red creature with haste for two mana, that's just your standard red creature, which is great. But he also has this Augur of Bolas-esque ability, letting you look at some number of cards from your library to find an artifact. I'm actually really glad Casey doesn't just find equipment, because that would make sense with him brandishing a hockey stick. Finding any artifact really pushes this a bit farther ahead, especially with so many good artifacts in formats like Commander or Vintage Cube or even Legacy.
Raphael's Technique
Now this card is fascinating. For those that don't know, Wheel of Fortune is a $300 card on a good day, and this is basically a Wheel of Fortune when it's at its best. However there are a couple of caveats.
The first is that you need an unblocked creature in order to get that good Wheel of Fortune casting cost; otherwise, you're Wheel of Fortuning for six mana. That being said, this is an instant, so being able to refill your entire hand at the end of the opponent's turn, possibly when they're tapped out, even at six mana can a pretty big upside. Another detail is that this is a "may" ability. While it may seem like giving the opponent the choice to not draw seven new cards is good, if they do decline to draw, there's going to be a very good reason for that. So yeah, any card that gives your opponent a choice is typically worse than a card that declines to give them that same choice.
All that being said, this card still seems awesome.
Michelangelo, the Heart
This Michaelangelo might be the best turtle we've seen yet. A two-mana creature that puts a counter on any of your creatures if you attack with anything, and also gives you a food token? Triggering this every turn is insane, and will add up extremely quickly. Unfortunately it's in the Commander set, so we won't be seeing this guy in formats like Standard or Pioneer at any point, but it's an absolutely fantastic addition to the Vintage Cube, especially with any sort of +1/+1 counter theme in Green.
Bebop & Rocksteady
As someone who loves Bebop & Rocksteady, I love seeing their first spoiled card being a good one. I mostly base this on how close they are to Rotting Regisaur, which has not only seen a good amount of play, but has also played roles in decks that want discard outlets. As a 7/5 for three mana, these guys are shockingly close in stats. I think Bebop & Rocksteady come out a bit ahead though, in that they don't force you to discard a card every turn, they can be played in Green decks as well as Black, and you can also sacrifice a permanent if you don't want to discard any of your cards.
Ultimately, this feels like a bit of an upgrade to an already great card.
There are so many other characters from TMNT that I'm looking forward to seeing, including the Rat King, Baxter Stockman, Mondo Gecko, Slash, Miyamoto Usagi... I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones I'm excited about off the top of my head. I also can't wait to see regular Shredder and Krang in his robot body. I think if nothing else, I hope the set has a better reception than Spider-Man did.
Thanks for reading and I'll catch ya next time!
Frank Lepore
