Rocksteady, Mutant MarauderRocksteady, Mutant Marauder | Art by Kieran Yanner

Coming from the new (and admittedly polarizing) release that is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) is a new pair of commanders with the partner with mechanic. And while these two aren't really pirates (especially where their respective cards are concerned), they've done a fine double cosplay.

So, landlubbers, let's dive in with Bebop, Skull & CrossbonesBebop, Skull & Crossbones and Rocksteady, Mutant MarauderRocksteady, Mutant Marauder.

The Marauding Duo - Bebop, Skull & CrossbonesBebop, Skull & Crossbones & Rocksteady, Mutant MarauderRocksteady, Mutant Marauder

These Mutants have one thing in common: counters! The +1/+1 counters archetype is typically seen in Selesnya () or Simic () colors, but rarely does it touch on Golgari (). While we've had Golgari options in this archetype before, these two being commanders does come with some advantages.

Typically we see +1/+1 counter decks having a major surplus of green cards, and I expect this deck to be no different. Ideally, we want to be dropping Rocksteady first, so then Bebop can come in with a counter and net us some card draw.

That said, anyone who's seen or played this deck will tell you there's more than meets the eye.

Key Cards for Bebop and Rocksteady

Bolstering the Crew

For any +1/+1 counter deck to tick, we need to dump a bunch of counters on stuff.

Firstly, cards like Master ChefMaster Chef and Loyal GuardianLoyal Guardian are in a perfect spot here: Having one or both of these commanders will make these cards even more effective (though, in the case of the latter, we still only get one trigger. Sorry!). There's also been a number of effects akin to Hardened ScalesHardened Scales, so stockpiling on those won't hurt either.

Of course, there's always doublers like Corpsejack MenaceCorpsejack Menace and Branching EvolutionBranching Evolution, making those creatures into scary threats.

While Rocksteady himself already has trample, we'll be making our other creatures bigger and, chances are, they won't have trample. That's where cards like PridemalkinPridemalkin and Duskshell CrawlerDuskshell Crawler come in, ensuring that they can get through with ease.

It'd also help to protect our creatures, too. Cathedral AcolyteCathedral Acolyte and Innkeeper's TalentInnkeeper's Talent help with that, plus the other ways to give stuff indestructible like Inspiring CallInspiring Call.

Lastly, a few other noteworthy cards are OuroboroidOuroboroid and Kalonian HydraKalonian Hydra, which will get huge very quickly. Thus, they'll have targets painted on their backs. Meanwhile, Forgotten AncientForgotten Ancient will throw counters around our board, making another creature bigger. We could even target Rocksteady to win through commander damage.

Reaping the Benefits

While our main path to victory is pummeling our opponents like we're a bunch of barbarians hearing the lamentations of their loved ones, there's still a good number of payoffs we can use to get some value so we can stay in the game.

Kodama of the West TreeKodama of the West Tree is a good example of this. It not only gives our creatures with counters trample, it also nets us lands when our creatures connect. This way, we can use that mana to cast more expensive cards later on.

On the other hand, just simply putting counters on the likes of Incubation DruidIncubation Druid and Kami of Whispered HopesKami of Whispered Hopes will make their mana abilities that much stronger. We can also simply just do that to recur cards with Evolution WitnessEvolution Witness.

Both modes of Hollowmurk SiegeHollowmurk Siege are great here; either we can get card draw for losing stuff, or we can make a big creature much harder to block. Speaking of card draw, TerrasymbiosisTerrasymbiosis can give us some incremental draw, or give us a massive grip.

Another two cards with identical uses are Warden of the GroveWarden of the Grove and Communal BrewingCommunal Brewing. With the Warden, we can put counters on it, then we can have our creatures get even bigger when they drop in through the endure mechanic. Meanwhile, Communal Brewing will give our opponents a card, but can then let our creatures enter with lots of counters.

Bebop, Skull & Crossbones and Rocksteady, Mutant Marauder Commander Deck List

Plunderin' and Lootin'

While our game plan is obvious, there's a few tricks to help close out games, too.

Firstly, we have something indirectly related to our trampling antics in deathtouch, provided by Basilisk CollarBasilisk Collar. With both keywords, we can simply assign one point of damage per blocker, then let the rest trample over. This is a neat interaction that's killed many players.

Speaking of trample, Sphere GridSphere Grid is another way to give the keyword, but it also grants reach, which is a good way to swat any pesky fliers that try to peck us to death. Going back to the Collar for a moment, if we find ourselves losing a lot of life to Bebop's ability, the lifelink ability will give us that life back, helping us stay in the game.

In the event that an opponent (or opponents) stonewall us, be it blockers or pillowfort effects like Ghostly PrisonGhostly Prison, Essence HarvestEssence Harvest will hit an opponent directly. With a big enough creature, this could outright eliminate someone. It can, in a pinch, also mitigate the lifeloss from Bebop's ability.

All that card draw's good, but we don't want the drawback killing us, too.

Back to the Future

And there we have it. It's been a good run, experimenting with a +1/+1 counter deck that has black in it. At this point, this'll be a wrap for any TMNT-related content from me, so next week will be business as usual. And by business, I mean another precon for me to remaster. The only question that remains is which one? Come back next week, and you'll find out which one I've picked to remodel.