Wizards of the Coast release the same products in most Magic sets. But occasionally, they surprise players with a brand-new product. That’s the case with TMNT set, which features Turtle Team-Up.
Below, you’ll be able to find everything about it. (Including whether it’s an amazing product or something to avoid.) But first, let’s start with answering a key question:
What is Turtle Team-Up?
Turtle Team-Up is a self-contained co-op Magic variant for 2-4 players.
As with other co-op games, the players work together as a team and try to defeat 11 enemy bosses. The enemy plays by its own set of rules. (You don’t need to designate one player as the opposition.)
The game still follows the basic Magic rules. That’s why four 60-card decks are included. Speaking of which, let’s check what exactly you’ll find in the box.
Turtle Team-Up Contents
Each Turtle Team-Up box contains the following:
- 4 decks (with 60 cards each)
- 1 enemy deck (including 11 bosses)
- 17 event cards
- 4 Play boosters
The Four 60-Card Decks
These decks are at a kitchen table power level. That means more casual and fun than competitive and optimized. While these are meant to be used against the enemies, you can also use them to battle against one another.
You could play 1 vs 1 or even do a multiplayer, 4-player free-for-all variant instead. That gives you additional replayability once you beat the bosses a couple of times.
Enemy Deck & Event Cards
This won’t be regular Magic cards. Instead they are game pieces that allow you to play this co-op game mode. You can expect some of the most iconic villains from Ninja Turtles to appear here.
Play Boosters
Four TMNT Play boosters are also included. You can use these to further augment included decks, or simply to crack them for fun. If you’re lucky, you might even pull a chase rare or mythic from it.
This shouldn’t be the main draw to this product. If you’re mainly interested in boosters, you should opt for Play booster box or Bundle instead, as they give you more boosters per dollar spent.
So, that’s about the contents. Are they good enough that you should actually buy this product?
Is Turtle Team-Up Worth Buying?
The answer to this question heavily depends on the price. The MSRP for Turtle Team-Up is $49.99, which is fairly moderate as far as Magic products go. You are getting four Play boosters with MSRP of $6.99 per booster.
This means you’re essentially paying 22 bucks for the four decks and everything you need to unlock this co-op game mode. If you’re interested in that, the Turtle Team-Up becomes a really solid buy.
If you need some further arguments, here are a few pros and cons of this product.
Pros
- No backstabbing, no deals. Just playing some Magic together and trying to win as a group.
- It’s self-contained, so you don’t need any additional products to upgrade it. You can just use it as a regular board game. (But with MTG game play.)
- If you’re teaching someone the game, this can be a nice tool to do so in a casual setting.
- Fans of TMNT will particularly enjoy these, as all cards you’re getting are set within that universe.
- Just want to get a bunch of casual decks? This product is great for that, as it’s hard to beat the offer of four decks, and four Play boosters for fifty bucks.
Cons
- If you’re a more competitive crowd, you might miss the player vs player experience.
- The most dominant player might take control of the game, essentially making decisions for other players. This makes the game less fun for others. If you can’t dial back, you should probably play a different game mode.
- For players who aren’t particularly fond of Ninja Turtles, you should probably avoid this product. (Unless you really enjoy the game mode.)
- If you want to collect valuable cards, you should opt for a different product or just buy singles. The ones included here probably won’t be worth that much.
Final Verdict
All things considered, Turtle Team-Up is a good product. It’s fairly priced, you get a lot of cards from it, and is a complete game with a cool twist to MTG game play. Best for TMNT fans, but even if you’re indifferent about the franchise, you might still enjoy it.
Want to know more about this set? Check TMNT spoilers here. Furthermore, if you’re a fan of Commander, you don’t want to miss the new five-color precon, called Turtle Power!
Until next time, have fun slinging spells and casting the fancy new Turtles.