<p style="text-align: right;"><i><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade|mkm|352" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESYwFYJrpha8zlDJ361j1dfMq4aGt7a4MGKoZXk-mpQIDubbJmPsWu2QenXKuFpoEZPmoddncW9_-nntszo2p7CHir1AD0504-Dq475cGeb3l9Ky_ndJ1Rf8PyqCzQYzAvR0A-3Q==" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ivan Shavrin</a></span></i></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since we’ve built decks around <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-ninja-typal-with-taeko-the-patient-avalanche" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ninjas</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/building-mutant-typal-with-genghis-frog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mutants</a>, and Teenager isn't a creature type, it's time to build a Turtle deck. </span>Unlike <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/article/happy-turtle-day-red-wings-141801147.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Claude Lemieux</a>, “turtling” here doesn’t mean shying away from a challenge. No, we’re facing this one head-on, like a Blastoise using <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Skull_Bash_(move)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Skull Bash</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander deck tech will attempt to incorporate new cards from <em><a href="https://edhrec.com/sets/tmt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</a> </em>(TMNT) into the paradigm established by their reptilian predecessors and which honors the amazing animals they were inspired by.</span></p>
<h2>Turtle History</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turtles have been present in <em>Magic</em> for quite some time, although both Turtles and Tortoises are grouped together. This means that Turtles in <em>Magic</em> can come from the ocean or the land, increasing the amount of planes that they appear on. Both of these animals are known for their hard shells and longevity, which this deck will embrace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like Mutants before them, Turtles owe a bit to the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Simic_Combine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simic Combine</a> - in this case, their commander. While there are a few Simic-colored Turtles, including <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikey &amp; Don, Party Planners" href="#" target="_blank">a TMNT team-up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also the pride and joy of Turtle Typal, bringing their disparate appearances together through a mechanical reference to the printed toughness of the creatures and the toughness of the animals themselves.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how do we make a toughness-based deck without just being a poor man’s <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcades, the Strategist" href="#" target="_blank">Arcades, the Strategist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>? And how do we win with toughness when power usually rules the day?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Pride of Hull Clade"></div></div>
<h2>What Does <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Do?</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an eye-catching amalgamation of creature types, gaudy stats, and crazy but synergistic abilities. While it is a Crocodile Elk Turtle, the Turtle part is the most prominent in its stats and abilities.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To begin with, it has incredible stats. Two power might not stand out, but 15 toughness absolutely does. And it uses that 15 toughness well, as its activated ability takes away defender from a creature, gives it an extra power, and lets the controller draw cards equal to its toughness, which our Turtles can all make good use of. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">And we can use this ability as many times as we can pay the four mana cost to activate it, so we can have multiple Turtles getting in and drawing cards!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are limiting factors on The Pride, however. It has defender, which its ability can remove, and it has a converted mana cost of 11, albeit with a cost reduction for each point of toughness among creatures we control. This reduction also applies to commander tax, so we should rarely be without our toothy, antlered Turtle.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what do we do with all of those cards? And how do we turn those abilities into wins?</span></p>
<h2>Key Cards for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most Turtles are similar to Walls, in that they have high toughness and low power. Some can flip their power and toughness, like <a href="https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Shell_Smash_(move)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shell Smash</a> in <em>Pokémon</em>, while others reflect their connection to nature developed over their long lives. Even before TMNT, several had humanoid characteristics, like the <a href="https://dnd5e.wikidot.com/lineage:tortle">Tortles</a> in <em>Dungeons and Dragons</em>.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aegis Turtle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Giant Turtle"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">To begin, we look at some vanilla (no ability) creatures, which help to establish the baseline stats for a member of the type. Both creatures have at least four toughness and one or fewer points of power. These stats show the literal toughness of the animal and the generally pacifist nature of the type. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But being passive won’t win battles, so we need some Turtles that can swing.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Calcite Snapper"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bedrock Tortoise"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calcite Snapper" href="#" target="_blank">Calcite Snapper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has similar stats to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Giant Turtle" href="#" target="_blank">Giant Turtle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but it can swap its power and toughness any time we play a land, and it comes with built-in protection.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bedrock Tortoise" href="#" target="_blank">Bedrock Tortoise</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> also has a protection ability, granting hexproof to all creatures we control on our own turn. It's also a beneficiary of <em>Magic</em> ignoring taxonomy and uniting shelled reptiles of the land and sea. The Tortoise also allows our creatures with higher toughness than power to use that stat for combat purposes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ironically, like in Aesop's Fables, this Tortoise helps us to win damage races!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mikey &amp; Don, Party Planners"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Donatello, Rad Scientist"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like with the Mutant deck, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikey &amp; Don, Party Planners" href="#" target="_blank">Mikey &amp; Don, Party Planners</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us cast creatures of our type from the top of the library. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Donatello, Rad Scientist" href="#" target="_blank">Donatello, Rad Scientist</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> gives us a vigilant threat that also stuns up to three opposing creatures, helping our Turtles play offense and defense effectively.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But what are we doing with all this toughness?</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Twisted Image"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sight of the Scalelords"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Twisted Image" href="#" target="_blank">Twisted Image</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us turn any Turtle into a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Calcite Snapper" href="#" target="_blank">Calcite Snapper</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, even our commander. Combat tricks might have minimal use in Commander, but this one slots into our strategy well and draws a card. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sight of the Scalelords" href="#" target="_blank">Sight of the Scalelords</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, meanwhile, is an anthem (mass pump effect) for our scaly reptilians. It gives all of our creatures with four or more toughness, which is most of them, +2/+2 and vigilance, which can easily swing games.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Last March of the Ents"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Majestic Genesis"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Both <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Last March of the Ents" href="#" target="_blank">Last March of the Ents</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Majestic Genesis" href="#" target="_blank">Majestic Genesis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> dig deep into our deck and put a bunch of permanents on the board. One cares about high converted mana cost, while the other cares about high toughness. Good thing our commander has both!</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Colossal Skyturtle"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kappa Tech-Wrecker"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Whenever possible, we want to do the jobs a deck requires with Turtles, in order to sneak more members of the type in. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Colossal Skyturtle" href="#" target="_blank">Colossal Skyturtle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a flying threat that can also be a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Regrowth" href="#" target="_blank">Regrowth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Unsummon" href="#" target="_blank">Unsummon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kappa Tech-Wrecker" href="#" target="_blank">Kappa Tech-Wrecker</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a nasty deathtouching attacker that can also be a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Naturalize" href="#" target="_blank">Naturalize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> when needed. Both happen to be Turtles with decent toughness.</span></p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Access Tunnel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Secret Tunnel"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the downsides to our commander is that it doesn’t help us connect with our creatures. We can make blocking unsavory, but we can struggle to connect with creatures for that sweet, sweet card draw. That's why we take to the tunnels: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Access Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Access Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Secret Tunnel" href="#" target="_blank">Secret Tunnel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One cares about low power, which we can swap after getting the unblockability, the other cares about having multiple creatures that share a type, which shouldn’t be too hard for us.</span></p>
<h2>How Does This <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Pride of Hull Clade" href="#" target="_blank">The Pride of Hull Clade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> Commander Deck Win?</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Assault Formation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Reverse the Polarity"></div></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Winning with this deck is relatively straightforward: We want to take opponents out through combat with large creatures. Unfortunately, our creatures aren’t large in the game-ending way…unless we do some work. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Assault Formation" href="#" target="_blank">Assault Formation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets us use our toughness instead of power and gives us a mana sink (repeatable activated ability) and mass pump effect. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Reverse the Polarity" href="#" target="_blank">Reverse the Polarity</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a much more unexpected and hilarious way to win, as it operates like <a href="https://yugipedia.com/wiki/Shield_%26_Sword" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sword and Shield</a> in <em>YuGiOh!</em>, making our army huge and shrinking unprepared opponents.</span></p>
<h2>The Pride of Hull Clade Commander Deck List</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="The Pride of Hull Clade Commander Deck Tech" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="&nbsp;
[Commander]
*1 The Pride of Hull Clade
[/Commander]
&nbsp;
[Creatures]
*1 Aegis Turtle
*1 Ambling Stormshell
*1 Ancient Adamantoise
*1 Angler Turtle
*1 Armored Whirl Turtle
*1 Bedrock Tortoise
*1 Blossoming Tortoise
*1 Calcite Snapper
*1 Charix, the Raging Isle
*1 Cold-Water Snapper
*1 Colossal Skyturtle
*1 Daring Thunder-Thief
*1 Donatello, Rad Scientist
*1 Donatello, the Brains
*1 Donnie &amp; April, Adorkable Duo
*1 Dragon Turtle
*1 Fecund Greenshell
*1 Giant Tortoise
*1 Giant Turtle
*1 Hexbane Tortoise
*1 Horned Turtle
*1 Kappa Cannoneer
*1 Kappa Tech-Wrecker
*1 Meandering Towershell
*1 Mikey &amp; Don, Party Planners
*1 Mistford River Turtle
*1 Phantasmal Shieldback
*1 Quandrix Cultivator
*1 Riptide Turtle
*1 Sailors&#039; Bane
*1 Scuttlegator
*1 Snapping Voidcraw
*1 Steelbane Hydra
*1 Thunderous Snapper
*1 Ticket Tortoise
*1 Tidepool Turtle
*1 Turtle-Duck
*1 Turtle-Seals
*1 Vintara Snapper
*1 Wormfang Turtle
[/Creatures]
&nbsp;
[Enchantments]
*1 Assault Formation
*1 Sight of the Scalelords
*1 Treefolk Umbra
[/Enchantments]
&nbsp;
[Instants]
*1 Aetherize
*1 Beast Within
*1 Choose Your Weapon
*1 Counterspell
*1 Momentous Fall
*1 Negate
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Reverse the Polarity
*1 Tifa&#039;s Limit Break
*1 Tower Defense
*1 Twisted Image
[/Instants]
&nbsp;
[Sorceries]
*1 Energy Tap
*1 Last March of the Ents
*1 Majestic Genesis
*1 Traverse Eternity
[/Sorceries]
&nbsp;
[Lands]
*1 Access Tunnel
*1 Alchemist&#039;s Refuge
*1 Cactus Preserve
*1 Castle Garenbrig
*1 Cavern of Souls
*1 Command Tower
*15 Forest
*15 Island
*1 Path of Ancestry
*1 Reliquary Tower
*1 Rogue&#039;s Passage
*1 Secret Tunnel
[/Lands]
&nbsp;"></span></div></span></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turtles have been around for a while, but haven’t received a lot of support. Even with the influx of Mutant Ninja Turtles, the through lines and synergies still need to be provided by the players, as Turtles are still under-supported.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But how would <em>you</em> build Turtles? And how does this compare to Wall decks?</span></p>


turtle typal

Building Turtle Typal with The Pride of Hull Clade