Lessons from LifeLessons from Life Art by Kevin Sidharta | The Last Ronin's TechniqueThe Last Ronin's Technique Art by Adam Volker | Dream BeaversDream Beavers Art by Alix Branwyn | Go Ninja GoGo Ninja Go Art by Patrick Gañas 

Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Bulk Up, where I cover the most radical commons and uncommons from Magic's latest sets! Whether you're a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) fan or not, I think you'll find that this set still has some totally tubular cards that might just find a home in your favorite decks.

My name is Tyler 'Savesya' Bucks, follow me as I shine a spotlight on the cards that usually get overlooked when people are opening up their booster packs.

White

Lita, Little Orphan Amphibian

Blink players have been getting a lot of powerful tools lately, and Lita, Little Orphan AmphibianLita, Little Orphan Amphibian is another great addition to those decks. Each of her abilities are useful as the game goes on, smoothing out your draws, adding some Food to your board, and even making Lita a bigger threat over time.

(See Brago, King EternalBrago, King Eternal as a possible commander pairing.)

The Last Ronin's Technique

Creating three tokens for four mana is pretty on-rate for that kind of effect, but The Last Ronin's TechniqueThe Last Ronin's Technique offers another layer to the mix. Sneaking this in for only two mana makes for a powerful play, especially since those tokens hit the battlefield tapped and attacking, making this extra strong in the right deck.

(See Zurgo StormrenderZurgo Stormrender as a possible commander pairing.)

Leonardo, Big Brother

Now, this common legend might not look too impressive, but imagine this scenario. You're playing a Token deck where you swing out with a wide board, and a few small attackers are left unblocked; that's where Leonardo, Big BrotherLeonardo, Big Brother comes in. Trade out a token for this creature, and deal a lot more damage than your opponent was expecting.

(See Jetmir, Nexus of RevelsJetmir, Nexus of Revels as a possible commander pairing.)

Blue

Donatello's Technique

Three-mana spells that draw you two cards are pretty common, but Donatello's TechniqueDonatello's Technique's sneak cost is a nice twist on things, helping it land in a few different archetypes out there.

Whether you're building a board of evasive creatures, wanting to reuse enter the battlefield effects, or just casting a lot of instants and sorceries, this card will make for some great plays in the right deck.

(See Talrand, Sky SummonerTalrand, Sky Summoner as a possible commander pairing.)

Ray Fillet, Man Ray

One of the most popular themes to build around in Commander is decks centered on the +1/+1 counter strategy, and Ray Fillet, Man RayRay Fillet, Man Ray will fit right into a lot of those 99s. Usually, those lists make a wealth of counters, which you can cash in to draw a card in a pinch.

Plus, if you need to add more counters to the board, that Mutagen token can help with that too.

(See The Wise MothmanThe Wise Mothman as a possible commander pairing.)

Fugitive Droid

A cheap evasive creature like Fugitive DroidFugitive Droid is going to be very useful for all the new Ninja decks that'll be entering the format, since it helps enable sneak and ninjutsu plays so well. Plus, if you keep it on the board, having the ability to hold up one blue to indicate to the table that they should point their removal elsewhere will help you protect your game plan in the long run.

(See Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight as a possible commander pairing.)

Black

Shredder's Technique

In recent years, we've gotten spells like Withering TormentWithering Torment and Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm to assist black with handling enchantment removal. Now Shredder's TechniqueShredder's Technique can be added to that list. Including it in a deck that's filled with evasive creatures lets you cast this for that reduced cost, making it a very cheap way to deal with two troublesome permanent types.

(See Gonti, Canny AcquisitorGonti, Canny Acquisitor as a possible commander pairing.)

Dream Beavers

Magic has come a long way, both mechanically as well as thematically. This creature having flying, draining the table, and scrying you one, all while being named Dream BeaversDream Beavers, is a wild combo. This is a great one drop in lifegain decks, triggering your board, while also sculpting the top of your library.

(See Dina, Soul SteeperDina, Soul Steeper as a possible commander pairing.)

Splinter, Hamato Yoshi

While this legend may only be geared towards Ninja decks, Splinter, Hamato YoshiSplinter, Hamato Yoshi is still a nice lord that you'll probably want to set aside if you're interested in building around a commander from this set. Sneaking in for one mana, and buffing your board out of nowhere, could be just what you need to help push through some key points of extra damage.

(See Yuriko, the Tiger's ShadowYuriko, the Tiger's Shadow as a possible commander pairing, or any Ninja legend.)

Red

Raphael, Most Attitude

As time goes on, the cast from exile archetype gets stronger and stronger. Raphael, Most AttitudeRaphael, Most Attitude fits right in with a lot of those lists, since he tucks away a stack of cards when creatures hit your board, that you get to cast whenever he attacks.

Keep an eye out for this uncommon legend, especially if you have an aggressive deck looking for more card advantage.

(See Rocco, Street ChefRocco, Street Chef as a possible commander pairing.)

Hard-Won Jitte

Double strike is an incredibly powerful keyword that a lot of commanders would love to have, and Hard-Won JitteHard-Won Jitte is a cheap option for passing it along. If you have a red deck that runs FireshriekerFireshrieker, then you should throw this in there as well. The fact that this is one mana cheaper is huge, since you could be getting this down and equipped a whole turn earlier, driving damage through faster.

(See Alexios, Deimos of KosmosAlexios, Deimos of Kosmos as a possible commander pairing.)

Raphael, Tough Turtle

We already have several cards that give you a similar effect to what Raphael, Tough TurtleRaphael, Tough Turtle brings to the table. However, decks that usually want this kind of pinging in their lists, want a lot of it! Even though this doesn't hit all your opponents at once (like Impact TremorsImpact Tremors) it can still be helpful for sending damage towards the archenemy, bringing in some favor from the rest of the table.

(See Torbran, Thane of Red FellTorbran, Thane of Red Fell as a possible commander pairing.)

Wingnut, Bat on the Belfry

If you have a deck that's looking to go wide with aggressive attacks, then Wingnut, Bat on the BelfryWingnut, Bat on the Belfry is a nice two-drop that should join your ranks. The more creatures you add to the board, the more keywords this gains, which sets you up for an even punchier combat when Wingnut buffs your board.

(See Isshin, Two Heavens as OneIsshin, Two Heavens as One as a possible commander pairing.)

Green

New Generation's Technique

Green land ramp has always been a pretty clogged roster, which is why it's important to find the spells that synergize best with your strategy. New Generation's TechniqueNew Generation's Technique having the ability to be cast at instant speed when you sneak it out means that you could be triggering landfall twice, before combat damage is dealt.

(See Choco, Seeker of ParadiseChoco, Seeker of Paradise as a possible commander pairing.)

Courier of Comestibles

When you combine the new Food cards entering the format in TMNT with the cards that have already been printed, there're 24 tasty options that Courier of ComestiblesCourier of Comestibles can deliver to your hand. That effect will only get better as more Food cards are printed.

Side note: the type Food is an artifact subtype, not a creature subtype. So, while it would be cool to have this search up your Chomping ChangelingChomping Changeling, that unfortunately won't work here.

(See Ygra, Eater of AllYgra, Eater of All as a possible commander pairing.)

Michelangelo, Mutant BFF

As previously stated, counter-based decks are very popular, and Michelangelo, Mutant BFFMichelangelo, Mutant BFF is a great include in those lists. If you have a deck that's looking to attack with some big, modified creatures, or just a commander that incidentally gets counters, this will make it tricky for your opponents to block.

On top of that, creating those Mutagen tokens will give you something to use your unspent mana on during your turn.

(See Korvold, Fae-Cursed KingKorvold, Fae-Cursed King as a possible commander pairing.)

Multicolor

Tainted Treats

Kicking things off for our multicolor section is Tainted TreatsTainted Treats, an updated version of PutrefyPutrefy. Three mana to answer two different pesky permanent types is still good in today's meta, especially when you pair that with creating a Food token if you need to hit something smaller.

(See Camellia, the SeedmiserCamellia, the Seedmiser as a possible commander pairing.)

Go Ninja Go

Here's a card that'll be very impactful in a lot of decks out there. Go Ninja GoGo Ninja Go allows you to re-trigger an entering ability, while also helping one of your big creatures deal damage to one of your opponent's threats. Blending blink and removal for this cheap of a cost could turn a game in your favor in the right deck.

(See Pantlaza, Sun-FavoredPantlaza, Sun-Favored as a possible commander pairing.)

Lessons from Life

Next, we have another upgrade on a few older cards. Lessons from LifeLessons from Life is a cross between Urban EvolutionUrban Evolution and HarmonizeHarmonize, which will make for another great option for decks that are looking to fill up their hand while flooding the board with lands.

(See The Wandering MinstrelThe Wandering Minstrel as a possible commander pairing.)

Ice Cream Kitty

While Ice Cream KittyIce Cream Kitty might seem like it will only find a home in Food-based decks, the fact that you could pay two mana to sacrifice any token to draw a card, gives this some flexibility. Of course, it fits perfectly in with other Food cards, since it basically turns any of those tokens into Clues when this Cat's in play.

(See the partner pair of Frodo, Adventurous HobbitFrodo, Adventurous Hobbit & Sam, Loyal AttendantSam, Loyal Attendant as a possible home for this card; specifically, note how Sam lowers the cost of Ice Cream KittyIce Cream Kitty's sacrifice ability.)

Legends for the 99

Karai, Future of the Foot

Here's a card that can make for some truly impactful turns, since you can recur any creature with Karai, Future of the FootKarai, Future of the Foot's sneak ability from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you have a deck that's centered around filling up its bin, then you should be searching for this uncommon legend while opening packs from this set.

(See Kamiz, Obscura OculusKamiz, Obscura Oculus as a possible commander pairing.)

Pizza Face, Gastromancer

We've talked about a lot of great cards for Food decks so far today, and Pizza Face, GastromancerPizza Face, Gastromancer can now be added to that list. Animating your Food tokens is a way to add more creatures to your board, which will help you keep up with the rest of the table.

Plus, don't overlook the fact that you could possibly gain fifteen life with this Mutant.

(See Gyome, Master ChefGyome, Master Chef as a possible commander pairing.)

The Neutrinos

Here's a legend that carries a pretty interesting effect. When The NeutrinosThe Neutrinos attacks, it blinks one of your creatures and brings it right back attacking one of your opponents. That can make for some pretty explosive plays when you get to retrigger an enters effect and send a creature right into combat.

(See Winota, Joiner of ForcesWinota, Joiner of Forces as a possible commander pairing.)

Lands

Turtle Lair

If you're looking to build a commander from this set, there's a good chance that it's either a Ninja or a Turtle. So, be sure to set aside a Turtle LairTurtle Lair or two when you're ripping packs. It helps with color fixing, as well as assisting some of your key creatures with attacking freely through an opponent's defenses.

(See The Pride of Hull CladeThe Pride of Hull Clade as a possible commander pairing.)

Escape Tunnel

While this isn't a new card, Escape TunnelEscape Tunnel is a useful land in a lot of decks. So if you've been looking to stockpile some of these, now's your chance!

The Wrap Up on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Well, there you have it, the best commons and uncommons from the TMNT set! I hope this list helped shine a spotlight on the often-overlooked cards in our packs, that way we can all build more effectively from our bulk.

If you're looking for more budget content from me, you can find it right here on EDHREC as well as on my YouTube channel The Pillow Fort, where I'm covering a lot of the fun commanders from this set right now.