Magic x TMNT: First Impressions from the Revealed Cards

We haven't even gotten to Avatar yet, and Magic: The Gathering has already begun previews for the second set of 2026: hyperlink (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), better known in Brazil as As Tartarugas Ninja — a set that is also part of the partnership between Wizards of the Coast and Nickelodeon, and which will also be the first of four collaborations next year.

While we still lack an overview of what competitive formats will look like in March 2026, some of the revealed cards have caught our attention for their potential in more stable environments like Modern and for their individual power levels.

In this article, we present our first impressions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cards revealed during New York Comic-Con.

Leonardo, Sewer Samurai may be a bit expensive for the archetypes it could fit into, and Sneak seems like a relevant alternative cost, but it's also unattractive for archetypes with Guide of Souls and other creatures with power or toughness of one or less.

Turtles Forever could be interesting in Pioneer as a way to fetch distinct legends with Web-Slinging to close combos with Relic of Legends and/or to find answer creatures for troublesome situations. Potentially one of the strongest cards revealed so far.

Krang, Master Mind is the strongest card revealed at NYCC. I don't understand why its creature type doesn't include Villain or Alien, but the combination of Affinity with an ETB that benefits players who empty their hand by playing multiple artifacts puts it in a prime spot in future Metagame.

A potential staple for Modern, a potential enabler for Affinity-based decks for Pioneer, and might see play in Legacy and Timeless.

I've seen some people comparing Super Shredder to Tarmogoyf, and the only thing the two cards have in common is that they seem unreliable in 2025/2026 Magic. Super Shredder can appear in Sacrifice lists and, yes, benefits from the use of Fetch Lands in Modern and Legacy, but the card seems like such a poor topdeck card with no immediate value that I can't imagine it as a staple in formats where these lands are legal.

Raphael's Technique doesn't seem as interesting outside of Commander as it also allows the opponent to generate card advantage and/or replenish resources, but the Sneak design is one that deserves attention since it adds even more layers of complexity to combat, despite the mechanic being, like Web-Slinging, a variant of Ninjutsu/Freerunning with extra steps.

I can imagine a deck with Bebop & Rocksteady and Super Shredder emerging if Avatar, Lorwyn, or even TMNT offer cards that benefit their controller if sacrificed. Even without it, Rotting Regisaur saw play for some time in Standard, so it's possible the new legendary duo could achieve the same result.

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!