MG

OH MY FREAKING GOD, IT'S THE NEW TURTLES FROM THE LAST RONIN UNIVERSE????? I was genuinely thinking they might've been too new to get anything in the set, but hey, at least they got represented on an uncommon card! They probably would not all be Green, but need to finish the uncommon technique cycle with one.

4 mana for a sorcery that lets you search your library for up to two basic land cards, put them on the battlefield tapped, then shuffle. You can also sneak it in for 3 mana. Explosive Vegetation that is potentially a bit cheaper at the cost of bouncing a creature. That's always pretty good.

In 60 card formats, this might be too slow, but landfall decks might make use of this. In commander, landfall decks with a slightly aggro slant should probably consider this, it's pretty good. Very nice uncommon to have.

Next up: Rocksteady, Crash Courser!

There he is! Definitely a Green creature, though Black as secondary color, but Bebop got that covered.

6 mana for a 7/7 is above rate, very nice! His abilities are:

Rocksteady can't be blocked by more than one creature. Very nice. Not quite evasion, but you will basically always come out ahead unless they have a deathtouch creature.

Boars you control can't be blocked by more than one creature. Hey wait a minute, he buffs Bebop! ...WAIT.

Forestcycling for 2, so like Jennika, Stockman, Bebop and Zog before him, except for Forests instead of the other basic land types.

I just realized that if you have both Rocksteady and Bebop on the battlefield, they are effectively unblockable. Rocksteady can't be blocked by more than one creature and gives that ability to Bebop, while Bebop has menace so he has to be blocked by more than one creature and he gives that ability to Rocksteady. So can't be blocked by more than 1 creature, but also has to be blocked by 2 or more creatures... unblockable. Very nice Limited combo.

Now to evaluate this card on its own: much better than Bebop in a vacuum. Again, this will usually out muscle the thing that tries to block this and it is above rate for the mana. For 60 card formats, this is still way too slow. For commander... Boar kindred? Maybe. Boars are definitely in Green, but they aren't great. Still, it would work.

Up next: Saced by the Shell!

2 mana for a instant that puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains trample, hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. Also, this spell costs 1 less to cast if you control a Turtle. That's... pretty solid protection, honestly. Even gain a small stat buff from it and temporary trample, so it is also a combat trick. One that can cost 1 mana if you have a turtle in play. Keep in mind that this mana reduction is always active if you control a turtle, not just when you target a turtle with this. So very nice. Use this as protection in both 60 card formats and commander decks. Slightly better in +1/+1 counters.

Up next, another mutant turtle: Venus, Torn Between Worlds!

I love how properly messed up she looked in the art if you look close. Credit to April Prime for her art on this piece! Also, yeah, Green/Blue makes sense. Blue because of her spiritual side and her being a stitched together experiment and Green because she is a bit more about growth and stuff. I will admit, I haven't gotten to her in the comics yet, so that Green justification does feel weak.

5 mana for a 5/5 is perfectly on rate. Her abilities are:

Whenever Venus is dealt damage, put that many +1/+1 counters on her (if she survives). So, theoretically, she could block a 20/20 guy, get saved by Saved by the Shell and then be a 25/25 on when she can attack the next turn. That's... pretty good.

Whenever a creature you control with a counter on it deals combat damage to a player, you may play {B}. If you do, draw a card. Nice, so she can start refilling your hand. Keep in mind that for every creature with a counter on it, you will have to keep paying Blue mana specifically. Still, very nice effect to even just get 2-3 times a turn and draw 2-3 cards with.

Very very solid uncommon. In 60 card formats, probably too slow and she doesn't do much unless you have 6 mana open on the turn you cast her. In commander, she becomes a draw engine for +1/+1 counter decks. Yeah, absolutely slam her in to those or make her the commander of one.

Last up for Green: West Wind Avatar!

Yaguaro! There is the last of the Four Winds. Green does make sense from what I know about them, which admittedly isn't much.

7 mana for a 7/7 is perfectly on rate. His abilities are:

Trample, so he bulldozes over creatures if he has more power than their toughness. Neat.

When he enters or attacks, you may sacrifice a token or a land. If you do, you gain 3 life. So... all tokens (and lands) become foods for "free." That's pretty solid.

At the beginning of your end step, if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn, draw a card. So he slowly starts refilling your hand. Neat.

Very neat uncommon. No chance in 60 card formats, 7 mana is too much for what is at most 3 life and a card draw on the turn he comes down, assuming he doesn't get shot before he gets the chance to enter. For commander... again, if disappear decks become a thing. Though, I suppose, this can work with Black/Green sacrifice decks. Just have to be more aggressive with it, since this isn't a free sacrifice outlet. Also, keep yourself loaded up on tokens to sacrifice.

Let's get to multicolor and... man, Mousers are Red and buzz bots are Blue... that still both- we're talking about Baxter Stockman, huh?

We sure are. Yeah, this man would be Blue/Red. Blue because of his intellect and scientific prowess. Red because he's also the most random man alive sometimes and is genuinely passionate about what he does, even though money is quite important to him.

5 mana for 3/3 is quite below rate and in that awkward break point. His abilities are:

When he enters, create a 1/1 colorless Robot artifact creature token. So he's 5 mana for 4/4 stats instead, which is already a lot better.

At the beginning of combat on your turn, target artifact creature gets +3/+0 and gains first strike and vigilance until end of turn. Wait, so he's actually 5 mana for 7/4 stats. That's... really good, especially since the artifact creature he buffs attacks first and doesn't tap because it attacked. That's actually crazy good.

Incredibly good uncommon. Might even see 60 card format play in more artifact creature heavy decks, since this does a lot if it doesn't get removed before you can go to combat (or counterspelled outright). In commander... yeah, absolutely for artifact creature heavy decks. Use him either in the 99 or as the commander for such a deck.

Next up: Brilliance Unleashed! ...Oh god, we're stroking Baxter's ego some more.

6 mana for a sorcery that lets you choose one or both:

Brilliance Unleashed deals 5 damage to target creature. So above breakpoint damage based removal. Nice.

Choose artifact card in your graveyard. Return it to the battlefield if it's an artifact creature card. Otherwise, return it to the battlefield and it's a 3/3 Robot artifact creature with flying. So you get to recur an artifact and potentially make it a creature if it wasn't one already. Nice.

Never ever cast this for just one of the modes. Even together you are probably overpaying for this effect, but at least there is an argument to be made then, since this doesn't care about mana value for whatever you bring back. If you only use one of the modes, this is extremely inefficient at both jobs. This will not see play in 60 card formats due to how expensive it is and in commander, it has to strike that niche of being removal and recursion. Maybe in artifact heavy decks, but I think you have better cards. The fact that this isn't an instant is also way worse.

Go ninja, Go Ninja Go!

Yes, this card is genuinely called Go Ninja Go. It's amazing.

2 mana for a sorcery that lets you choose one or both:

Exile target creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control. Red/White blink is becoming a thing? That's cool. Good ability with ETB effects on creatures.

Go Ninja Go deals damage equal to the greatest power among creatures you control to target creature an opponent controls. Less handy, I would've ideally had this be equal to the amount of creatures you control, since this weirdly wants you to go tall instead of wide like the Red/White Limited archetype wants you to go.

Still, for 2 mana, neither mode is bad. 2 mana removal is not bad and 2 mana blink is not bad. Put together, you get quite efficient blink and removal. 60 card formats might actually use this for both the blink and the removal stapled together. For commander, similar story for Red/White blink decks... of which there aren't many.

Up next: Ice Cream Kitty!

Another 2012 pull. Great!

2 mana for a 1/3 is perfectly on rate. Its abilities are:

2 mana and sacrifice another creature or token: draw a card. Activate only as a sorcery. A draw engine as long as you can feed the kitty creatures and/or tokens. Not a super efficient draw engine, but that's a common for ya.

2 mana, tap this creature and sacrifice this creature: you gain 3 life. Standard food effect.

Not a terrible common. The draw is inefficient enough, but still, can come in clutch and even be handy if you need a mana sink. Sucks that it is only at sorcery speed though, but it probably would've been too good at instant speed on a common. 60 card formats don't care about this thing, it is a big mana sink for mediocre gain. In commander, maybe in your Food decks, but even then, you probably have better ways to draw cards.

Up next, Karai's Technique!

So this isn't part of the uncommon technique cycle, but rather is part of the uncommon 2 color spells. Most of them say "choose one or both," but Lessons from Life is also part of that cycle for example. Just to make that clear.

3 mana for a sorcery that lets you choose one or both. Also, this can be snuck in for 2 mana:

Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn. So a combat trick or a way to push damage. Nice.

Target creature gets -3/03 until end of turn. So another combat trick or removal. Nice.

For 2 mana, this is kind of crazy. Even for 3 mana, it is not bad, but a lot more telegraphed by nature of being a sorcery speed spell. For 2 mana though, very good. Again, this might see 60 card format play to push damage and/or remove something. Very flexible spell. For commander, might see play in some Ninja decks that pop up because of this deck. Otherwise, maybe in aggressive White/Black decks that have a good amount of ETBs to work with so they don't mind bouncing something back in hand for this.

Up next: The Neutrinos!

Sweet, space elves. Yeah, they would absolutely be Red/White. They are loyal and orderly, but also chaotic and in need for freedom with them rebelling against Krang and the utroms in comic book.

4 mana for a 2/4 is slightly behind rate, but not terribly so. Their abilities are:

Flying, so harder to block. Nice.

Whenever another creature you control enters, they get +1/+0 until end of turn. Okay, so they will get a little (or a lot) bigger to hit for more damage. Nice.

Whenever they attack, exile up to one target creature you own, then return it to the battlefield under your control tapped and attacking. Aggressive blink? That's... new. Also gives any creature you might cast psuedo haste and allows their ETB to trigger twice and have The Neutrinos gain from it themselves twice as well. Very cool!

A completely unique card to MTG... on an uncommon. That's so sick. 60 card formats probably won't use this, since this archetype doesn't exist yet. Aggro could maybe use this, but it doesn't do anything on the turn it comes down. For commander... we're talking about unexplored territory. Use this with creatures that have good ETB effects and also don't mind getting in for damage, like April O'Neil, Kunoichi Trainnee or Sally Pride, Lioness Leader. Keep ind mind with Sally, if you attack with her together with The Neutrinos and blink her with the ability, she will lose her counters. However, she will make more tokens. Also, even wilder: this can bring back stolen creatures of yours, since it asks for creatures you own, not control. Absolutely wild card.

Next up: Nobody!

Angel made it to the set! And as the only creature in the set with the hero subtype :P Blue I don't see as much in her, but Red is a perfect fit.

3 mana for a 3/2 is a bit behind rate. Her ability is that when she enters, return up to one target artifact you control to its owner's hand. Scry 1. So you bounce an artifact back to hand, presumably to recast it and get the enters effect again and then have a bit of card selection. Neat? Oh, and this could potentially save you from bad artifacts your opponents have gifted you. That's not in the set, but it is possible.

I don't see any place for this card. 60 card formats do not care unless the bouncing ends up bouncing something very powerful back to hand to retrigger it. Commander... similar story, but artifacts are at least more doable in there.

Let's get to Pizza Face, Gastromancer!

Pizza Face is a wild pull, especially since this appearance is at least partially based on the original toy in 1990... but that version of Pizza Face never appeared in a show and his first show appearance was in 2012 where he looks significantly different. Regardless, I guess Black/Green makes sense.

5 mana for a 2/4 is definitely behind rate. His abilities are:

When he enters, create a Food token. Okay, he makes another food. Neat.

At the beginning of your end step, if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn, put three +1/+1 counters on up to one other target artifact or creature. If it isn't a creature, it becomes a 0/0 Mutant creature in addition to its other types. So he can buff up your creatures or make your artifacts into creatures. This does actually make him a 5/7 of stats if a permanent left the battlefield the turn you cast him, which is above rate!

10 mana, tapping him and sacrificing him: You gain 15 life. I wish the rate on this was better, but for the equivalent of 5 food tokens worth of mana, you also get 5 food tokens worth of life by sacrificing him. It's not bad, but a huge mana sink nonetheless.

Overall, pretty good. That last ability is a little troll if you have no way to reduce it, but the rest is solid. You won't see this show up in 60 card formats though. Too many hoops to jump through to be a bit above rate and have 5/7 stats spread across 2 things and a Food token. For commander, he can fit in Black/Green food decks or as the chef (commander) of his own food deck. Animate your Foods to become creatures, while keeping yourself topped off with life from sacrificing the Foods.

Up next: Punk Frogs!

Yeah, Green/Blue makes sense if Genghis Frog is also that.

5 mana for a 4/5 is slightly behind rate and their ability is ward 3, so your opponents have to pay 3 mana to target them with a spell or ability. Okay.

I don't have much to say about this, this is basically a vanilla creature. You won't see this anywhere unless mutant kindred decks in commander are insanely starving for something to fill in a slot with, which... they shouldn't after this set.

Let's see some Putrid Pals!

Muckman and Joe Eyeball! Let's gooooooooo!

4 mana for a 3/3 is a bit behind rate. Their abilities are:

Deathtouch, so this will take something with it. Together with the decent stats, this is an annoying thing to attack or block into.

This creature enters with two +1/+1 counters on it if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn. So, if something died under your control, they are actually a 5/5. That's already a lot better and makes them even worse to attack or block into.

Actually a solid common for Limited. 60 card format play would have to be desperate for a 3/3 deathtoucher for this to ever be relevant, so no. For commander... also still no. This isn't doing much aside from be a little annoying early game.

Last up for Multicolor: Tainted Treats!

3 mana for an instant that destroys target artifact or creature. If its mana value was 4 or less, create a Food token. Straight up better Putrefy. Sure, Putrefy disallowed regeneration, but there hasn't been any relevant regenerating creature in years.

This is pretty good. 3 mana for flexible removal and potentially getting an extra token out of it. Might see some 60 card format play, but not hugely. For commander, straight up replaces Putrefy as a removal spell or at least compliments it. Yeah, really good.

Up next, 2 artifacts to go: Omni-Cheese Pizza!

That's a lot of cheese for a single pizza!

2 mana for an artifact that reads:

When this artifact enters, draw a card. So it cantrips itself, neato.

1 mana, tap this artifact and sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color. Not bad if you need to filter mana for something specific, but not good either.

2 mana, tap this artifact and sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life. Standard food effect.

This is only really useful for artifact decks that need artifacts on the field. Otherwise, potentially blinking this with Don & Leo, Problem Solvers together with another thing that draws you cards isn't irrelevant. But aside from that, this won't see play anywhere.

Last artifact for the post: Turtle Blimp!

5 mana for a 3/4 vehicle is definitely quite behind rate. Its abilities are:

Flying, so harder to block. Nice.

When this Vehicle enters, create a 2/2 red Mutant creature token. That... makes this barely on rate, but even still behind rate for vehicles (they tend to be above rate, since you are giving up a 1 or more creatures to crew it and attack with it.)

Crew 2. So the mutant you create with this can crew it. Neat.

This... kind of sucks, not gonna lie. I don't think any deck runs this outside of Limited. Maybe you might see this show up in commander, but there are better flying Vehicles out there.

Last for this post, something a little different: all 5 of the common dual colored lands (Dimension X, Foot Headquarters, Illegitimate Business, Mutant Town, TCRI Building)!

The reason I just stick them together is that they are the exact same card 5 times, just producing different mana colors. Also, this is a dual land we've seen in the past: gain lands. These gain you 1 life when they come into play. They enter tapped.

You will mainly use this in Limited for color fixing. You might also use these in your first commander deck for the same thing if you don't have better lands. Aside from that, not much else to use these for. 60 card formats have way stronger lands to use over these. I will say that the White/Black one might be useful in lifegain strategies for commander. That might be a genuine reason to use that one in particular.