Horned Turtle MTG Card
1997-05-01 - Number 57s
1997-05-01 - Number 57
1997-10-14 - Number 67
1999-04-21 - Number 74
2001-04-11 - Number 80
2001-04-11 - Number 80★
2003-07-28 - Number 83
2003-07-28 - Number 83★
2005-07-29 - Number 81★
2005-07-29 - Number 81
2009-07-17 - Number 55
2015-05-06 - Number 53
| Card sets | Released in 12 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Turtle |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Cards like Horned Turtle
The Horned Turtle, a classic card from the Magic: The Gathering universe, stands out with its formidable defense for a three mana cost creature. When comparing Horned Turtle to its peers in the realm of defensive creatures, we observe that the Snapping Drake, though costing one more mana, serves a dual role by providing both an offensive and defensive front with its flying ability. This combination often makes it a more versatile pick in most MTG decks.
Looking towards Omenspeaker, this card offers a different advantage. On casting, it allows you to scry, not only adding a solid defending body to the field but also fine-tuning your next draws. While the Horned Turtle offers more toughness, Omenspeaker’s ability potentially aids in drawing the right card at a crucial moment. Wall of Frost is another creature that parallels the turtle’s defensive focus but scales up the deterrent factor by freezing any attackers, thus preventing their untap during the opponent’s next untap step.
In summary, Horned Turtle might not be the flashiest creature in MTG, but it carves its niche as a reliable blocker. Still, when juxtaposed with some of its contemporaries, the added functionalities of these cards can sway a player’s choice depending on their overall strategy and deck synergy.
Cards similar to Horned Turtle by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: While the Horned Turtle may not directly grant card advantage, its durability in early game defensive positions can preserve other valuable cards in your hand. This enables a sustained presence on the battlefield, ultimately favoring your card economy.
Resource Acceleration: This card itself doesn’t accelerate resources; however, its modest casting cost allows for a smooth curve in deck building. By occupying the three-mana slot, it ensures you can efficiently allocate resources each turn.
Instant Speed: Though Horned Turtle is a creature and not an instant, deploying it at the ideal moment, such as post-combat during your main phase, can be a strategic move. This ensures you keep mana open for actual instant speed interactions, maintaining the element of surprise against your opponent.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Players looking to incorporate the Horned Turtle into their deck will not need to concern themselves with a discard requirement, as this card does not impose such a condition upon casting.
Specific Mana Cost: The Horned Turtle demands a specific mana alignment of one blue and two generic mana. This cost predicates its inclusion in decks that can reliably produce blue mana, potentially restricting its versatility across various deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: A three mana investment for a 2/4 body may not be the most efficient use of resources, especially when other creatures in the MTG universe might provide greater value or impactful abilities for the same or lesser cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Horned Turtle, with its formidable defense for a low mana cost, offers a reliable blocking option in limited formats or casual decks, making it a flexible addition to strengthen your defensive line early on.
Combo Potential: While not inherently combo-driven, the Horned Turtle’s resilience can be a useful asset in strategies aimed at setting up a fortified board state, biding time to assemble game-winning interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where aggressive, low-cost creatures dominate, Horned Turtle can serve as an inexpensive method to disrupt early board aggression, helping to maintain balance against swift offensive strategies.
How to beat
Overcoming a Horned Turtle in Magic: The Gathering requires a strategy that acknowledges its central role as a defensive creature. With a sizable toughness of 4, the Horned Turtle serves as a reliable blocker, stalling opposing creatures and deterring attacks, particularly in the early to mid-game phase. It’s crucial, therefore, to employ removal spells that can bypass its robust defense, or better yet, look to spells that require the opponent to sacrifice a creature, as these are unaffected by toughness.
Alternatively, exploiting the Turtle’s lack of high power, cards with effects that trigger upon dealing damage to a player can slip past the Turtle’s guard. Efficient flyers or creatures with unblockable attributes, for instance, can often circumvent the Turtle’s defensive position. Enchantment auras or equipment that grant your creatures trample will also allow excess damage to roll over this low-power blocker, ensuring your attacks maintain their potency.
While the Horned Turtle may appear as a daunting wall to overcome, a considered combination of evasion, removal, and overpowering force can turn the tides in your favor, allowing you to transcend its defense and carry on paving your path to victory in Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Horned Turtle MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Portal, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Horned Turtle and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Horned Turtle Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by 4 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 57s | 1997 | Normal | Black | 王玉群 | |
| 2 | 1997-05-01 | Portal | POR | 57 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Adrian Smith | |
| 3 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 67 | 1997 | Normal | Black | DiTerlizzi | |
| 4 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 74 | 1997 | Normal | White | DiTerlizzi | |
| 5 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 80 | 1997 | Normal | White | Edward P. Beard, Jr. | |
| 6 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 80★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Edward P. Beard, Jr. | |
| 7 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 83 | 2003 | Normal | White | DiTerlizzi | |
| 8 | 2003-07-28 | Eighth Edition | 8ED | 83★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | DiTerlizzi | |
| 9 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 81★ | 2003 | Normal | Black | DiTerlizzi | |
| 10 | 2005-07-29 | Ninth Edition | 9ED | 81 | 2003 | Normal | White | DiTerlizzi | |
| 11 | 2009-07-17 | Magic 2010 | M10 | 55 | 2003 | Normal | Black | DiTerlizzi | |
| 12 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 53 | 2015 | Normal | Black | DiTerlizzi |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Horned Turtle has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |