Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge| Art by Eric Deschamps | Slash, Reptile RampagerSlash, Reptile Rampager | Art by Andrew Mar

Magic's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles set will introduce a plethora of new turtle-bound legendary creatures to the game, with one of particular interest to red mages who enjoy stacking up tons of creatures on the battlefield: Slash, Reptile RampagerSlash, Reptile Rampager.

Of course, there’s already a notable commander option that plays a similar role with an identical line of text (related to dealing two damage to each opponent when a creature enters under your control), the God enchantment creature dating all the way back to 2013’s Theros: Purphoros, God of the ForgePurphoros, God of the Forge.

But while Slash might be the shiny new toy on the scene, does it do the job better than the God of going wide in red? Read on to explore the pros and cons of each, as well as which one is the better option for your next Commander deck.

Purphoros Vs. Slash

The main goal of playing either a Slash or Purphoros deck is piling up as many creatures on your side of the battlefield as quickly as possible in order to ShockShock the table for two damage per body entering.

As such, token generation is wonderful fuel for either card. ETB loops can also be effective strategies. There are also plenty of combo options involving either of these cards, like this beauty involving the Izzet-colored () The Locust GodThe Locust God:

Mana Cost

First off: Mana cost. Slash already comes in with a huge handicap of costing one more mana than Purphoros ( vs. ). While Commander games usually take a few turns to get going as players set up their game plan, ramp mana, or play various mana rocks, that one-mana difference may end up being the deciding factor between playing the original pinging God or the new Turtle pinger.

"Are You a God?"

Seeing as Purphoros is a God, it boasts the indestructible keyword, which gives it built-in protection that Slash simply can’t compete with. Furthermore, the enchantment creature does not become a creature (a 7/6 creature, no less) until your devotion to red is five or more.

While that might sound like a drawback, in actuality it can serve as another layer of protection, as there are far more ways to remove creatures than there are ways to remove enchantments – especially in the Commander format.

On the other hand, Slash is simply a Mutant Berserker Turtle (admittedly, an amazing creature type line) with no kind of evasion/protection – meaning that it does, indeed, die to Doom BladeDoom Blade.

Despite that, because the TMNT set is jammed full of Turtles and Mutants (as the name might slightly imply), Slash gains myriad synergies with various other reptiles found in that set and other sets throughout Magic’s history.

Pumping Creatures Vs. Making Creatures

The main difference between the two creatures, of course, is their abilities – beyond the identical pinging text. While Purphoros delivers a +1/+0 boost to all of your creatures for a fairly pricey , Slash actually aids your primary game plan by producing a 2/2 Mutant creature token whenever you attack with it.

But does that single triggered ability outweigh all of the pros that Purphoros delivers? Honestly, probably not.

While delivering a 2/2 body each attack isn’t nothing, the entirety of your deck will be geared towards getting as many bodies onto the battlefield as quickly as possible – making that line of text only slightly more impactful than amusing flavor text.

Also, the built-in protection of Purphoros's indestructibility means it can only get hit by exile effects or Edict-style spells (Sheoldred's EdictSheoldred's Edict, Chainer's EdictChainer's Edict, Innocent BloodInnocent Blood, etc.) – something that Slash absolutely can’t claim to contain.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a theme deck leader, Slash can certainly be a fun one, but as the leader of a mono-red “pinging/burn” Commander deck, Purphoros, God of the Forge should remain the number one option.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Slash wouldn’t be a beloved part of the 99 alongside other notable pinging triggers based on creatures entering, such as Warleader's CallWarleader's Call, Weftstalker ArdentWeftstalker Ardent, Molten GatekeeperMolten Gatekeeper, Shocking SharpshooterShocking Sharpshooter, Agate InstigatorAgate Instigator, alongside classics like Impact TremorsImpact Tremors and PandemoniumPandemonium.

Choosing Purphoros, God of the Forge

While both Slash and Purphoros would slot nicely into the 99 of any number of token-producing “go-wide” decks, such as Naya () builds with Baylen, the HaymakerBaylen, the Haymaker, Jetmir, Nexus of RevelsJetmir, Nexus of Revels, or Jinnie Fay, Jetmir's SecondJinnie Fay, Jetmir's Second leading the charge, your decision of choosing Purphoros over Slash as your commander should revolve around the choices below.

Quick Decision Check

Are you playing in a more casual pod?

Is your deck more combo-oriented or combat-oriented?

Does your pod lack exile effects, edicts, and exiling board wipes?

If the answer to all three is “yes,” Purphoros is likely your best bet.

Because Purphoros is an iconic creature and generally pricey to obtain (average value around $26 across all printings), veteran Commander and cEDH players are more likely to know – and fear – Purphoros in a more competitive environment. Casual players might be more likely to simply be having a good time, meaning that you might be able to chain together tons of creatures out of nowhere for the win.

If you’re hoping to attack with your commander to aid your strategy, Purphoros is likely not the right choice for your deck. Sure, its activated ability can win the game out of nowhere, but one of the main boons of playing Purphoros is that you can immediately gain the ETB static effect with little chance of it being removed, due to indestructibility and the devotion clause.

Purphoros has a lot going for it, and it’s clearly held up as one of the preeminent threats in Commander due to its lofty price point and thunderously powerful effect.

But when is Slash the better option?

Choosing Slash, Reptile Rampager

Much like selecting Purphoros has its benefits, you must ask yourself the following questions before deciding to move forward with Slash in your Commander deck.

Quick Decision Check

Does your pod play heavy exile effects, edict effects, or enchantment board wipes?

Do you expect your commander to survive until your first combat step?

Are you playing a themed Turtle/Mutant deck?

Slash works well as part of a shell (pun intended) that revolves around chaining together combat steps so you can abuse the Turtle’s attack trigger, which automatically pings all your foes for two.

Though Purphoros boasts superior staying power, that attack trigger is juicy, and it’s worth building around in the right environment and right deck – such as a more casual setting in which players are simply enjoying the game or testing out theme decks (like one built solely around Turtles or Mutants).

Preferred Decks

While both of these legends perform admirably in the commander slot, they also slide perfectly into other shells, such as:

Krenko, Mob BossKrenko, Mob Boss – arguably the best mono-red mass token creator (as well as the best Goblin card for Commander), if you run Krenko as your commander, it makes perfect sense to include either Purphoros or Slash in your 99 (or both, if you have space).

Norin the WaryNorin the Wary – the constant flickering from Norin means that you’ll always be pinging your foes for two damage a turn while playing Purphoros and/or Slash.

Rocco, Cabaretti CatererRocco, Cabaretti Caterer – for more budget builds, this uncommon commander tutors up either Slash or Purphoros to ensure you won’t be without your pinging engine for too long. Also, Naya colors are brilliant when it comes to delivering tons of bodies to the battlefield on your side.

So, Which Card Is Better?

Ultimately, the decision is yours, but Purphoros is a time-honored token strategy enabler with impressive stats and multiple layers of built-in protection. While Slash might be a neat card to build around for a Turtle or Mutant theme deck, the God from Theros is still the preferred option, either as the leader of a mono-red ETB pinging deck, or as part of the 99.

But, hey, if you have room, why not throw them both in? It’s always good to have duplicative effects when playing Commander. Beyond that, you’ll be hitting your foes for four damage per ETB – not bad at all!

Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

No matter whether you’re choosing Purphoros or Slash (or both), make sure you’ve got plenty of disposable bodies or tokens cluttering up the battlefield, as not only do they help fuel both creatures’ triggered abilities, they will also threaten your foes as part of go-wide strategies.

Either way, you’re in for a good time… and your opponents are not.