General [TMT] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

[shamizy]

I'm likely out on anything that references a Mutagen token since it's going to be a set specific token and not evergreen like Clues or Treasures, but there are a number of cool designs I'm interested in trying out from what we've seen:

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These could all just be Magic cards; there isn't enough turtle stuff present to really turn me off to them art or flavor-wise.

I think the expansion of artifact synergies is going to be huge in my environment with some of these additions as U/R Artifacts is a deck archetype I've been finetuning for the last decade or so. Being able to turn trinkets and smaller tokens into legit win-conditions via Ravenous Robots and Technodrome is going to introduce new dimensions to it. Might be enough of a critical mass here with these new guys alongside Arcbound Ravager and Steel Overseer to bring back a card like Master of Etherium.

Rat King, Verminister is just a really clean design in any double-fetch environment and being able to go into a T2 fetch then cast it as a 2/2 + a 1/1 body is pretty nice in the early game. Makes me want to look into more edict effects to break symmetry.

I'm not so sure if Casey Jones, Vigilante will have much staying power but I can never ignore the ability to just burst draw 3 fresh cards that might get you the burn spells necessary to close out a game. Doing an impression of Goblin Lore gives some additional support to any discard/madness synergies ala Hollow One or Vengevine decks (both of which I recently turned into Duplicate Voucher options in my cube!). Kinda goes crazy with Monument to Endurance.

 

[MilesOfficial]

I think the expansion of artifact synergies is going to be huge in my environment with some of these additions as U/R Artifacts is a deck archetype I've been finetuning for the last decade or so. Being able to turn trinkets and smaller tokens into legit win-conditions via Ravenous Robots and Technodrome is going to introduce new dimensions to it. Might be enough of a critical mass here with these new guys alongside Arcbound Ravager and Steel Overseer to bring back a card like Master of Etherium.

That's so funny, that you say this because I just last month moved a copy of Master of Etherium into my on-deck binder.

I've seen that Nettlecyst is falling out of favor in some vintage Cubes, but it's only been going up in my estimation as I've done more trinket nonsense in the wake of Stridehangar Automaton, and so I think we really may be bringing one of my Cube's founding 3-drops back from 2012 into the list again.

Iron Spider, Stark Upgrade helped firm up Steel Overseer's place in Cube, which had been tenuous beforehand. I run nearly as many artifact cards as I do cards in each of the five colors, which I've felt is too much, but it's also given me freedom to run significantly more

I'd been trying out Aloy, Savior of Meridian lately and it wasn't until Wistfulness was printed that I felt any kind of silliness for the card, but I think I may keep Aloy around as well anyways. There really are enough artifact creatures these days, particularly with the incidental ones we've gotten lately like:



So yeah, Ravenous Robots, Technodrome, and Chrome Dome are making me pretty stoked about artifact aggro being a color-ambivalent deck that I can truly support.

(yes I know not all of those are terribly recent but this turtle set is really getting me excited ok??)

 

[Nanonox]

This is putting me in a bind! I feel at a crossroads where I probably should pick between artifacts or instants/sorceries. Having both Young Pyromancer and the Robots seems like overkill because they each require a certain density of cheap spells to cast to maximize their output.

It has been frustrating drafting a Young Pyro and getting the wrong end of the interaction, with cards like Pyrite Spellbomb, Chainsaw and Legion Extruder. It's going to be the same experience with Ravenous Robots getting Abrade and Firebolt.

I run a host of token makers that don't care what I cast (Third Path Iconoclast, Saheeli, Sublime Artificer, Monastery Mentor, Geralf, the Fleshwright and Toph, Hardheaded Teacher) so maybe I could tough it out a little longer.

I think I'm going to make the switch to the Robots for a few reasons.

1. Artifact matter cards are often all about critical mass. Not only is this an artifact, it also makes artifacts allowing you to pop off.
2. Compared to artifacts, actual instant/sorcery matters is down to very few cards, some of them very narrow (Dreadhorde Arcanist for example), that would also get replaced, freeing some slots.

What will you folks do? Run one or the other? Both?

 

[shamizy]

It has been frustrating drafting a Young Pyro and getting the wrong end of the interaction, with cards like Pyrite Spellbomb, Chainsaw and Legion Extruder. It's going to be the same experience with Ravenous Robots getting Abrade and Firebolt.

I run a host of token makers that don't care what I cast (Third Path Iconoclast, Saheeli, Sublime Artificer, Monastery Mentor, Geralf, the Fleshwright and Toph, Hardheaded Teacher) so maybe I could tough it out a little longer.

I think I'm going to make the switch to the Robots for a few reasons.

1. Artifact matter cards are often all about critical mass. Not only is this an artifact, it also makes artifacts allowing you to pop off.
2. Compared to artifacts, actual instant/sorcery matters is down to very few cards, some of them very narrow (Dreadhorde Arcanist for example), that would also get replaced, freeing some slots.

What will you folks do? Run one or the other? Both?

I actually cut Young Pyromancer a while back which was hard due to nostalgia, but the limitations to instants and sorceries just became more of an issue over time. It's really difficult to hit that critical mass in a draft format unless you absolutely get the nuts like you could in Constructed because the lack of relevant board presence hurts too much. It's something I tried to make work years ago, but a spellslinger U/R deck is just very difficult to make work in this kind of format. U/R Artifacts has had a lot more bleed across options throughout that have created way more satisfying builds for me in the last few years.

We've also had so many less restrictive token makers over the years which has really changed the criteria for being able to compete at a higher power level. Like back in the day Goblin Rabblemaster was a brand new axis to attack on and in the decade since we get a variant like every other set. So many cards just generate additional bodies nowadays with minimal restrictions. If you can't back YP with cheap removal and spells then you run into roadblocks way more often nowadays.

I've been playing Searslicer Goblin in YPs place because it just read cleaner and had simpler play patterns, but this new artifact option will likely supplant it unless I find something else to cut.

 

[MilesOfficial]

What will you folks do? Run one or the other? Both?

I took Young Pyromancer out for a while and it felt fine, but I put him back in because the ability to generate tokens nearly every turn in red for 2 mana (sometimes multiple in one turn!) felt like something my Cube really wanted to have. But with Searslicer Goblin as @shamizy mentioned, Cori-Steel Cutter, and even more recently, Ellie, Brick Master, I feel like Young P's time is finally up. It's like you said: artifacts is much more supportive and demanding of reaching a critical mass of the card type. I think he'll be my swap for Ravenous Robots.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

I took Young Pyromancer out for a while and it felt fine, but I put him back in because the ability to generate tokens nearly every turn in red for 2 mana (sometimes multiple in one turn!) felt like something my Cube really wanted to have. But with Searslicer Goblin as @shamizy mentioned, Cori-Steel Cutter, and even more recently, Ellie, Brick Master, I feel like Young P's time is finally up. It's like you said: artifacts is much more supportive and demanding of reaching a critical mass of the card type. I think he'll be my swap for Ravenous Robots.

Wow, Ravenous Robots really is just Young Pyromancer for Artifacts, isn't it?

I guess that's one more thing to put in the Ninja Turtles Review!
(Sidenote: I am surprised the Ninja Turtles set is cool enough to warrant a review episode).

 

[Seeker]

Wow, Ravenous Robots really is just Young Pyromancer for Artifacts, isn't it?

they don't make one ever for years and then Pinnacle Emissary -> Ravenous Robots in a year flat

 

[TrainmasterGT]

they don't make one ever for years and then Pinnacle Emissary -> Ravenous Robots in a year flat

Yeah it's wild!

I like how Emmisary makes fliers, I feel like that fact makes playing both of these cards a lot more appealing for some Cubes.

 

[ravnic]

I predict that I will add 1-2 instants/sorceries/artifacts with sneak and ignore the rest of this set for the well-being of my cube. Just give me something simple, like a Catalog with Sneak or such.

Huh, turns out I get a Divination with sneak. But this time, I'd really have to proxy a universes within version.

 

[MilesOfficial]

I am very hopeful (and expectant) that the non-showcase version will be more pallatable.

Interesting to see so few additional leaks from this set considering how we got the rare sheet spoiled by WotC themselves a month ago. Prerelease is this weekend! It's going to be a short spoiler season.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

I really want to see a version of this with the actual artist instead of the turtle lol.

 

[ravnic]

I really want to see a version of this with the actual artist instead of the turtle lol.

That was my first idea too, but it would be weird for that spell to have sneak

 

[MilesOfficial]

First proper day of spoilers! Nothing too crazy or exciting. I think I'm actually going to enjoy this set for retail limited based on the cards I'm seeing, but goodness some of the alt arts are absolutely ugly. I'd like to see another mutagen generator I like or two to help justify their inclusion in my Cube, though!


Karai, Future of the Foot

My favorite card spoiled today? I like the repeatable grave-digging and the one-time reanimate at a reasonable cost (plus a 3/3!). I don't think she's quite at the power level I'm looking for in my Cube, but she's not that far off, and I like her design enough that I'd be happy to be proven wrong.



Arcade Cabinet

I might have considered this card...were it not an arcade cabinet. Man, this pushes my buttons more than I expected (and much more than most things in this set).



Spicy Oatmeal Pizza

They made a pizza delivery dude that tutors for a food at 1G (or puts a token in play if you fail to find) and I kind of like it. If there are a bunch of things like this, I honestly wouldn't hate cubing with this card, though I'm deeply doubtful we'll get there.



Shredder's Technique

I like the instants and sorceries they've been doing with Sneak in this set. I don't think I want it still, but 1 mana to kill any creature or enchantment is pretty incredible, and sneaking is often going to feel like an upside in the scheme of the game.



April O'Neil, Human Element

Kind of crazy that she's not limited to once per turn, particularly because she triggers off any player casting one of those spell types. Neat card.

 

[ravnic]

I might proxy a version of this that has no turtles in the art, token type line or set symbol. Sneak spells are pretty cool.

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Spicy Oatmeal Pizza

They made a pizza delivery dude that tutors for a food at 1G (or puts a token in play if you fail to find) and I kind of like it. If there are a bunch of things like this, I honestly wouldn't hate cubing with this card, though I'm deeply doubtful we'll get there.

The best part of Universes Beyond is the food.

 

[LadyMapi]

They made a pizza delivery dude that tutors for a food at 1G (or puts a token in play if you fail to find) and I kind of like it. If there are a bunch of things like this, I honestly wouldn't hate cubing with this card, though I'm deeply doubtful we'll get there.

, for reference.

We actually have a surprising range of non-trinket food at a range of power levels to tutor for:



I'm honestly a little surprised that we got a red Food card before a blue Food card.

 

[MilesOfficial]

Oh hell yeah



I love my new Gala Greeters. Very happy for more repeatable food generation in white at just 2mv, and on an otherwise respectable creature. I still prefer Astrid Peth, but this will make a fine addition to my list and makes the artifact aggro cards in white all the more appealing.



If not for the flavor/aesthetics, I would like this a lot more than something like Ravenous Chupacabra. The complexity is worth it for the interesting gameplay it enables, I like the artifact typing, and if you're running the pizza delivery guy, you can tutor for this. Still, I think I'm good without a pizza mutant in my Cube.



This is a very cool card.



I like this version of this effect. The pricing is a little high, but getting around legendaries actually matters a lot in my Cube. Worth further consideration.



Fire // Ice who? Seems pretty good, and worthy of an Izzet slot if you so desire. I don't like having some split cards with fuse and some without, but this one seems interesting enough to maybe overcome that hangup.



It's like a Hangarback Walker for 4, but instead of paying mana and tapping it to add counters, you can just attack and double it. Robots are worse than thokters though. I feel like Hangarback has been falling out of favor, and I've been playing it less aggressively myself. It reminds me of Giggling Skitterspike as a colorless 4-drop that is kind of whatever unless you invest in it further, but then it becomes too good. it's a neat design, if nothing else.



If this said what a Mutagen token was, it'd probably be a shoe-in. Still, a likely contender. Plays great with Securitron Squadron, and supports trinkets, artifact aggro, historic, +1/+1 counters, etc. Not bad for such an ugly card.




I'd be too embarrassed to run it but it's a perfectly serviceable Cube card.

 

[Nanonox]

Oh hell yeah

I have zero energy to look at the spoilers myself, but really appreciate you taking the dive and bringing us the cool cards. Thanks!

 

[ravnic]

Wow, this set is really worse than spiderman

 

[TrainmasterGT]

Wow, this set is really worse than spiderman

I kinda feel the opposite about this, Spider-Man not only had no cool or interesting mechanical designs, but it also had nothing flavorfully interesting if you didn't like Spider-Man comics. This set actually has a number of cool designs, including a ton of stuff which isn't explicitly turtle-themed. I don't much care for the Ninja Turtles themselves, but a lot of these other Mutants, Ninjas and spacefaring Dinosaurs actually seem pretty interesting.

 

[LadyMapi]

Hey WotC, why make a power-crept Urban Evolution when you could've made it draw two and cost ? Then we wouldn't "need" the land to enter tapped, and my longtime desire for a nice smooth progression would be finally sated.

(Also it should've been a Lesson. For shame, WotC!)



There's probably something gross you can do with this? It seems like a card you can do gross stuff with.

 

[alvoi]

There's probably something gross you can do with this? It seems like a card you can do gross stuff with.

Oh, if only it said "creature or artifact"!

 

[TrainmasterGT]

(Also it should've been a Lesson. For shame, WotC!)

 

[MilesOfficial]

I have zero energy to look at the spoilers myself, but really appreciate you taking the dive and bringing us the cool cards. Thanks!

I have an illness that I cannot help myself but obsess over spoilers, even during periods where I haven't been playing the game (like Alara -> Worldwide). Happy to be of service.

Wow, this set is really worse than spiderman

It's actually just the other half of Spider-Man. It also is a small set with five archetypes set in NYC with crazy animal-themed superheroes, and it has an enemy-colored focus. Mechanics work well together, like web-slinging and sneak or Mutagens and modified. You could (and theoretically should) just play them together as a single set.

That said, I agree with Train that this set is a bit better than Spider-Man. It seems much more thought-out and refined in its designs, and I like how so many of the non-turtle cards are working hard to look and feel like Magic cards. I understand why people are so angry about the pizza spam (not the Spam pizza...yet) but I just kind of roll my eyes at it and move on. Speaking of which:



I might end up playing this one?? I love a good combat trick, and +2/+2 and untapping for a single G is about the lowest floor I can tolerate. But it needs an upside, and boy howdy, this one has one. It's an artifact! Not only that, but it's a food. I am unreasonably irritated that they call it a guac pizza when all I see are slices of avocado but I guess that's not actually my biggest issue with the card anyways.





Mechanized Ninja Cavalry is an inspired hybrid design. Great glue card for a lot of environments, and works well with the MH2 artifact aggro subtheme like Arcbound Shikari.




The two-headed giant/multiplayer style text on some of these is distracting, but I think a few of them are more than good enough for 1v1 play. Mikey & Mona, Mutant Sitters is a flexible Eternal Witness variant. Losing the ability to get non-creature-non-lands is mostly made up for by the ability to also buff your stuff if it comes down early with +1/+1 counters, as well as a second toughness and and easier mana cost. And if you're me, it's also legendary! How many times have we had E-Wit stuck in our hands because we were waiting for the right moment to play it to maximize the card?

I don't think many will make that swap, but I think the technology is there, and it's certainly good enough.




I honestly prefer this to Toby, Beastie Befriender. Getting two 2/2s for 3 is pretty good (and the other card stays that way, unlike with something like Arahbo, the First Fang). There are also plenty of board states where putting a +1/+1 counter on every other creature you control is going to feel awesome, especially if you support counters as a subtheme or have a Michelangelo, Weirdness to 11 variant running around.




This is a neat cycle of artifacts you can flash in for 1. I like Cryogen Relic, and it's played in a surprising amount of powered Cubes, and this is generally worse but has applications where it could be better.



EDIT: I almost forgot the Servo Schematic 2.0! Five mana is a lot, but the ability to have a built-in out on this effect is incredibly helpful. It makes a lot of artifacts and has a lot of things entering and leaving the battlefield. Neat for many environments.



Edit 2: I had pulled this one aside and forgot to post about it! Casey Jones, Asphalt Hooligan is clearly more of a multiplayer card (and a fun one at that), but I still think it's a novel design that's worth sharing here. Very funny card. I love doubling power also.

 

[ravnic]

Oh no, Mechanized Ninja Cavalry is a perfect addition for my cube