Moving on after the high bar Lorwyn Eclipsed set for Magic: The Gathering opening 2026, the year’s next set has been heavily debated since its announcement. Whether you love or hate Universes Beyond, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles isn’t exactly an IP I thought I’d ever see officially in the game. It’s an interesting choice for sure, and while I’m never one to hate a UB set just for being licensed, this one had me initially concerned. From pizza-laden previews, comic arts, villains and a single commander deck, it was tricky to see where this set might sit for me before diving in.
Gone are the mornings before school when Toasted TV would play TMNT episodes before you’d rush off to school. Now, years later it’s actually hard to believe I’m catching up with the gang. It’s not quite nostalgia, yet something on par with an old friend you’ve not seen in years seeing the Turtles, Splinter and terrifying Shredder back in cardboard form.
The Art of MTG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
As is the way with Universes Beyond sets, we see new art and even some source material style pieces of the original IP creeping in, yet definitely don’t get the TMNT’s iconic New York Setting twisted with Spider-Man from late last year. The latest set feels is a
For MTG’s TMNT set it wouldn’t be fair for just one turtle to be a headliner now, would it? Thankfully, the set does feature Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, all in a fitting black and white styling with gold detailing. Each also features a stamped signature from none other than Kevin Eastman, creator of the TMNT comics. These look superb if you are a die-hard Turtles fan!
Source Material cards have also returned and continue to be a big hit or miss for me, sadly. While I love seeing that actual art creep in, the aesthetic difference can still be so jarring. Also, having pulled the Doubling Season reprint, a card I’ve been after for quite some time it’s an interesting way to reintergrate classic magic staples with a fresh coat of paint.
Being no stranger to hiding in the shadows, the TMNT set also features the new interesting Silhouette Cards. I think these have to be one of my favourite art treatments for how they showcase that minimal aesthetic so well!
Given the Turtles’ rich history across retro gaming, it also wouldn’t be fair not to show of that pixel goodness in the set either! Borderless Pixel Cards are another really interesting treatment featuring detailed pixel art on a minimal background. These are my other favourite treatment and honestly, I’m a little shocked we haven’t seen this style more in other sets.
And where do the Turtle’s live? The Sewers! So, of course there’s a treatment/frame to signify that! The Sewer Frame features a striking colour animated frame style around a cartoon-style artwork. While I love these, I do feel a little underwhelmed here, however. It feels like these could’ve leaned a lot harder into that styling.
Each of the sets full-art lands showcases the Turtles in action! The Rooftop Basic Lands are pretty iconic if you’re looking for some TMNT vibes to add to your land pool.
And if you happen to be on the peckish side, the Pizza basic lands are a comedic spin on your typical land arts. At the very least, these look more edible than some of the set’s other pizza artwork!
MTG TMNT’s Mechanics
Mutagen is the star of the show as a means to buff creatures with 1/1 tokens. Players first earn a Mutagen artifact token that can then be sacrificed for counters.
Sneak allows players to play a card for it’s Sneak cost, only when declaring blockers. It’s a great way to block an opponent suddenly, plus there’s added value in that you can return an opponent’s attacking creature.
Disappear activates at the beginning of your end step if a permanent left the battlefield this turn, giving you an ability like card draw, casting a card from exile, adding counters or even summoning a token.
Alliance allows players to activate an ability whenever another creature the player controls enters. I think aside from Mutagen, Alliance feels the most at home in the set. It’s a great reward for getting creatures out.
Partner – Character Select is the final mechanic I’ll touch on, as prior to this, I’d only come across it in special commander formats. Partner – Character Select allows you to have two commanders if both of them have this ability exact ability and not another variant. Two commanders means players can also use colours from across both commanders as well.
Inside MTG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
(While I did attend a prerelease for this set, I was unable to play due to low attendance.)
Despite there only being one preconstructed commander deck for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set, Turtle Power! certainly covers a lot of ground. I’m not usually one to mess with five-colour decks, so this was an interesting chance to try it out.
Players can choose to run the deck with Heroes in a Half Shell or Leonardo, the Balanced who also lets you add another commander via the partner ability.
Leonardo, the Balance, is my pick to run the deck out the box thanks to his ability to add counters on all other creatures. The Partner ability also lets you pair up with another of the turtles or even April O’Neil, Live on the Scene, who features the same ability.
I found Leonardo and Michelangelo to be the most reliable partner team-up, thanks to the Raid ability allowing him to create food tokens if you’ve attacked, thus triggering Leonardo.
The deck does also feature a very agile mana base, with many cards that let you tap for 1 of 2 colours. This is a lifesaver when you’re looking for value to play specific cards.
I was also shocked by how many legendary creatures are in the deck as well. If you’re after a succinct way to get your TMNT fix, then the commander deck is a great way to collect some really nice cards from across the set.
Heroes in a Half Shell feels okay to run as well, but you’d want to upgrade the deck to include more mutants, ninjas and turtles for that value to have it really get that synergy off with the counter ability. Thankfully, the mana base does a great job running a 5 colour deck, so I never felt overly mana locked.
Final Thoughts
While it definitely isn’t a set for everyone, Magic: The Gathering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles does still hold its own. If you’re after that hit of nostalgia, then this is definitely a set you’ll enjoy, but even for those less into another New York-based set, at least some good reprints are returning. Seeing the art here as well was so strong, even if some of it went right over my head as a lapsed Turtle’s fan. Despite the pushback against the set as a Universes Beyond out of left field, I do feel like there is a fairly cohesive set here under all that noise. The Turtle Power! Commander Precon deck also provides an excellent and varied foray into the set with a lot of tunable elements depending on how you play it.
Magic: The Gathering – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is available now at your local game store or TCG stockist.
NextPlay received Magic: The Gathering Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles products for this review.
