General [TMT] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I hadn't seen this one - from Commander deck, based on the symbol:


Not anything groundbreaking, but I don't think we've had that large a body on a creature with this ability (rather than convoke) before, let alone double strike.
 
I'm glad the card exists (mechanically). I loved Salt Road Packbeast in TDM retail (aside: I just realized why they didn't give the set the code TDS, which is on its face more sensible otherwise) and it's something I was looking to slot into my rather powerful Reject Cube recently. It's a good mechanic for white to have that's on-theme and has a lot of practical uses for communicating the types of decks supported in a limited format like Cube.

A card in a similar vein that got overlooked in the deluge of Final Fantasy cards recently is Cyan, Vengeful Samurai.



I don't think it needed the +1/+1 counter ability, but I guess it makes it feel less empty/gives it slightly more synergies in a Commander deck. I love graveyard mechanics so it's preferable for most of my projects, but it's clear Leonardo's power-level (literally) makes it a more thrilling inclusion into Cubes. That turtle hits like a truck!
 
Yeah Elder Scroll would also be acceptable for me. Good shout!

Someone should make a format called Legacy But Without Universes Beyond and a format called Modern But Without Universes Beyond etc. and watch it have an incredibly growing player base. One day, maybe, perhaps, Wizards would replace Standard with Standard but without Universes Beyond or stop printing them.

Premodern is doing great despite the format’s inherit downside that there is absolutely no rotation and no new cards added ever. Format grows rapidly which means some players find it interesting.

But that is my point exactly. Me and most of us don't want exactly that. I would prefer a format without "Rakdos is a cowboy now", "Sharks on motor cycles" and "Sherlock Holmes party on Ravnica" over a format that forbids Rally at the Hornburg or Hei Bai, Spirit of Balance.

I mean, I would also chose the reality where they only print sets like Ravnica: City of Guilds, Oddyssey, Innistrad, Khans or Shadowmoor. But given what we have to work with, I wouldn't want to exclude all UB per se from my cube or any format I play.
 

Chris Taylor

Contributor
I hadn't seen this one - from Commander deck, based on the symbol:


Not anything groundbreaking, but I don't think we've had that large a body on a creature with this ability (rather than convoke) before, let alone double strike.
Honestly between this and Splinter this set's theme in my eyes is quickly becoming "Oh dear that is ENORMOUS"
I'm not sure its even too big or even problematically big but I'm getting the same kind of reaction from when I saw Agonasaur Rex
 
A card in a similar vein that got overlooked in the deluge of Final Fantasy cards recently is Cyan, Vengeful Samurai.
haha I'd already forgotten about him and he's really sweet too
I'm not sure its even too big or even problematically big but I'm getting the same kind of reaction from when I saw Agonasaur Rex
Yeah, it feels like... definitely far too large to print ten years ago, but simultaneously, you need some kind of nutty Raise the Alarm -> Hop to It draw for it to actually be cheap enough to raise my eyebrows, and you can still chump it (though it's terrifying).

I've heard "rate monster", like, something that's just a really high pile of stats. Not necessarily a Baneslayer because it doesn't have abilities but just like a Gigantosaurus, you know?
 
Honestly between this and Splinter this set's theme in my eyes is quickly becoming "Oh dear that is ENORMOUS"
I'm not sure its even too big or even problematically big but I'm getting the same kind of reaction from when I saw Agonasaur Rex
It's been kind of frustrating for me how unimpressive the big thicc creatures have been. I want my 8/8 for 5 to actually feel impactful, damnit!
 
More leaks, wow.

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Chrome Dome This suits my Cube very well, and helps push this theme in a way that I like for 2 mana.

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Leonardo's Technique seems like a great partner to a lot of the white reanimation we've had going on. Probably the 4th of the best 4, but that may be enough for a Cube as big as mine.

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I just really like the design of this one, I don't think I'd actually play it.
 
I really don't like these cards from an aesthetics point of view but naturally the ninja turtle artifact and discard themes would fit nicely with my cube..

I find these cards interesting:
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This is a really cool card for green with an effect that we're much more likely to see on blue cards. It's also elegant in that the X makes X artifact tokens that double as +1/+1 counters and free sacrifice triggers. I hate intruducing another (bad) artifact token into my cube but the synergies with clue, blood, food might be too good to pass up.

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I don't even know what I'm looking at (are those golf clubs..?) but this is basically a red cranial plating, something I might be interested in.

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4 mana is a bit expensive for the ping effect but it's not capped per turn and triggers for each card. I kinda like it (from a design perspective). None of the levels are flavor text. Screenshot_20260117_103607.jpg
I can't read the mana cost on this one but my guess is 3 or 4? It might be too slow/finicky but in general I like this. It's a bit like mix between Throne of Geth and Culling Dais, narrow cards I've considered in the past.

Mechanically the set looks cool and I also have the feeling the power level is higher than lorwyn eclipsed, increasing the number of designs that fit into my cube from that perspective. I'm not looking forward to making universes within versions..

This does make me a bit sad though. I would have loved to include more cards from new Lorwyn but the mechanics were not great fits for my cube (vivid, 5 typal archetypes, blight (though I like that one!)). I would have loved to get my hands on some cool uncommon/rare evoke cards, the mythics unfortunately look a bit weak to me but maybe I'm undervaluing the (hard to use) flexibility. Also they're only true hybrids in lower power environments as one mode alone is not good enough in off color decks (in my cube).
 
Screenshot 2026-01-16 at 00-12-13 A friend of mine found this in his pre-release kit of Lorwyn...jpg
I'm a sucker for Ninjutsu so I might be overvaluing this, but this looks like a fun card! Reminds me a lot of Archpriest of Shadows, but can be a lot more explosive the turn it comes down. Hitting your opponent's graveyard is interesting, and synergies well with Black playing a lot of discard and removal. The 4MV mode is nice if you have nothing to do that turn; First strike makes for a solid blocker, but you'll want to sneak this in most of the time. There's also a dream to be lived here with the new Twilight Diviner.

For me it might take the place of Orochi Soul-Reaver, which has a better floor but a lower ceiling. As ninja tribal gets more support though I'll likely just end up running both!

View attachment 11040 - Madame Null, Power Broker

I just really like the design of this one, I don't think I'd actually play it.
I will let this card absolutely murder me every time I play it. I can't resist saying no to that effect.

I find these cards interesting:
View attachment 11041 - Mutagen Man, Living Ooze
This is a really cool card for green with an effect that we're much more likely to see on blue cards. It's also elegant in that the X makes X artifact tokens that double as +1/+1 counters and free sacrifice triggers. I hate intruducing another (bad) artifact token into my cube but the synergies with clue, blood, food might be too good to pass up.
Goes nutty with Forensic Gadgeteer, since you can start sacrificing everything for free. Mutagen tokens look cool and I hope we get enough reasonable cards to support them. Splinter is another good one at least.

I also like hydra's with these 2 mana buyout modes if need be, ala The Goose Mother. Makes hitting them off a Shardless Agent feel a lot less worse.
 
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Casey Jones, Vigilante seems very fun.
Agreed! Makes me think of Carnage Interpreter’s downside. This one can be blinked more easily and you can just sacrifice her before your upkeep.


I find these cards interesting:
Screenshot_20260117_103115.jpg
This looks great. Mutagen tokens seem better than Map tokens IMO because of complexity reasons. Having artifacts to sacrifice rather than putting the counters straight up is pretty big since you can stockpile them and trigger cards like Ozolith, Shattered Spire multiple times.

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Extra rat text aside (which will probably be relevant sometimes ), this provides a steady stream of tokens and a growing threat. Seems super easy to trigger with a fetch on turn 2.

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This is my kind of GY hate. One problematic card a turn so the GY strategy still has a chance. It comes with a nice upside making a huge amount of Mutagen tokens alongside Stonecoil Serpent and friends. Leave the battlefield is very open ended so drafters can trigger it however they want. It also gives you staying power in the face of removal.
Huge fan except for the turtles…
 
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