Wizards of the Coast is fully committed to the idea of collaborating with other universes that are not from Magic: The Gathering, whether we like it or not. Out of seven game collections this year, four are of this kind, called Universe Beyond, and we must accept that it is the new normal. Not only because we cannot change it, but also because some of those collections look very fun.
This is the case of the upcoming collection promised to us by Wizards of the Coast. Because after we went to New York at the end of last year to meet Spider-Man, his allies, and his villains, we are now returning to the Big Apple for some very different characters. Because they are turtles, they are ninjas, they are teenagers, they are mutants, and they really like pizza. And they are going to show you that even if it doesn’t seem like it, they fit into Magic: The Gathering just as much as a dragon, a wizard, or a troll.
The Ninja Turtles want to impose themselves in Magic
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collection will give us a glimpse into the entire history of these characters through a selection of cards that aims to showcase both memorable characters and moments that all fans remember, as well as some that only the most hardcore fans will recall. With basic art treatments closer to the latest iterations in the comics and animated series of the characters, there are different artworks for those who have a favorite era. If you like the original Ninja Turtles or the 90s animated series, don’t worry: you’ll find them in this collection. However, we can’t guarantee that they will be as easy to find as the others.
As for the game mechanics, we have several and very varied ones. Only one new mechanic, but beloved and hated mechanics from Magic players are returning. Something that practically guarantees that the collection will be a great success among competitive players. And almost all of them are easy to predict considering the characters’ stories.
One of the mechanics that returns is the artifact affinity. With at least one creature that explicitly has this mechanic, which allows us to pay one less mana for it for each artifact we have, this is one of the major themes of the collection. Artifacts matter. The collection is full of artifacts and cards that place great importance on the number of artifacts you have on the battlefield and their status, making them even more prominent in the games.
Especially because several cards include mutagens. Tokens that, if we pay one mana, allow us to put a +1/+1 counter on any creature at instant speed. A very powerful effect that we should not overlook.
The new mechanic, which is old, is Stealth. Basically an evolution of Ninjutsu, it allows you to pay an alternative cost to play a creature by bouncing a creature that is not being blocked during the attack turn. Why Stealth and not Ninjutsu, if they work the same? Because they do not work exactly the same. Ninjutsu can be applied at any time from when it is declared that the creature is not blocked until the combat ends, while Stealth can only be applied at the moment when blockers have already been declared and the creature has not been blocked. Being a slightly reduced version in power of this old mechanic.
If we add to that the essential Commander decks, which will allow us to take control of the Turtles, Master Splinter, and even the sinister Shredder, the collection is exactly everything that fans of the franchise could dream of. A true celebration of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. One that you will still have to wait for: the collection will be released on March 6th. But, seeing what they have prepared, the wait is sure to be worth it.
