Riptide Turtle MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Turtle
Abilities Defender, Flash
Power 0
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Riptide Turtle excels as a defender, using its abilities to maintain a player’s hand size while fortifying defenses.
  2. Its low cost aids in resource allocation, allowing for greater mana distribution to other early game strategies.
  3. With Flash, Riptide Turtle can be deployed unexpectedly, offering strategic control over the game’s pace.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash Defender

"As the storm waves crushed my sailors, I cried out to Thassa. The next time I saw them, hard shells encased them, and they swam away to safety." —Siona, captain of the *Pyleas*


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Riptide Turtle’s Defender ability synergizes well with cards seeking to defend while you build up a substantial hand size. While it may not draw cards directly, the turtle ensures your fortifications stay solid as you look for card draw mechanisms.

Resource Acceleration: Although the turtle doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense, its low-cost presence on the battlefield allows players to allocate more of their mana resources to other crucial spells and strategies in the early stages of the game.

Instant Speed: Riptide Turtle’s Flash capability offers a strategic advantage, enabling you to deploy it unexpectedly as a blocker. This utility allows you to better control the pace of the game by responding immediately to threats during your opponent’s turn without compromising your board state.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing the Riptide Turtle demands strategic hand management as it does not directly contribute to card advantage. Its defensive capabilities are balanced by a potential loss of resources, making it less appealing when you are striving to maintain card count in your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailor-made for blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks, the Riptide Turtle’s mana cost can cause a hiccup in mana bases that are not aligned with blue mana sources. This can restrict its inclusion to decks that can consistently provide blue mana at the necessary time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that might be on the higher side for its defensive stats, the Riptide Turtle may not be the most mana-efficient choice in a deck slot. For the cost, players may expect a creature that could provide a greater impact on the board state or be equipped with more versatile abilities.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Riptide Turtle’s flash ability allows it to be a surprise blocker on the battlefield, making it adaptable to various situations. It’s a fine inclusion in any blue-focused deck, particularly one that values high-toughness creatures.

Combo Potential: Its defensive characteristics pair well with cards that capitalize on creatures with high toughness, allowing for interesting defensive combos or synergy with abilities like Arcades, the Strategist’s.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where aggressive strategies are prevalent, Riptide Turtle serves as an excellent low-cost defender. Its presence can deter attacks and shift the tide of a game by discouraging early aggressive plays from opponents.


How to beat

Riptide Turtle is a unique creature card in Magic: The Gathering, posing a challenge for players with its defensive prowess. Bearing high toughness for its low cost, this turtle shines in thwarting attacks, especially from aggressive early game creatures. Understanding the turtle’s role as a reliable blocker is key to formulating a strategy against it.

To effectively overcome this aquatic wall, one might consider using removal spells that can bypass its solid defense, like Murder or Doom Blade, which aren’t hindered by toughness. Additionally, cards that can nullify the turtle’s abilities or tap it without having to engage in combat are also effective. Enchantment options such as Pacifism or Claustrophobia can sideline the turtle without having to deal with its defense. Cards that grant your creature unblockable status, like Rogue’s Passage, can also circumvent the need to confront Riptide Turtle head-on.

In essence, while the Riptide Turtle may seem like a small obstacle, it represents a tactical blockade that requires a thoughtful approach. However, with the right tools at your disposal, its defensive shell can be cracked, allowing you to maintain the tempo and continue your path to victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Underestimating the defenses in MTG can be the turning point in any duel, and Riptide Turtle exemplifies stalwart protection. This aquatic guardian is more than just a simple blocker; it’s a tactical asset for any blue strategist’s arsenal. With its low-cost, high-toughness profile, and instant-speed surprise, the Riptide Turtle safeguards diligent planners and disrupts hasty attackers. It’s a card that rewards patience and forethought. Incorporating Riptide Turtle into your collection can alter the ebb and flow of the battlefield, making each match a game of wits and reaction. Keen on reinforcing your defenses? Dive into strategic depth with us and discover how Riptide Turtle can bolster your game plan.


Cards like Riptide Turtle

Riptide Turtle takes on a unique role within Magic: The Gathering as a defensive sea creature. This card sports a solid defensive stance akin to cards like Wall of Runes. Both of these cards provide excellent early game defense but differ in secondary abilities, with Wall of Runes offering a scry upon entering the battlefield, something the turtle lacks. Nonetheless, Riptide Turtle compensates with its higher toughness.

Comparatively, Murmuring Phantasm is another card that offers a similar theme of defense but with an even higher toughness. It lacks the flash ability that allows Riptide Turtle to surprise attackers or block when least expected. Meanwhile, Fortress Crab is another creature with a comparable purpose in decks that focus on delaying the opponent, though again, without the versatility of flash.

Each of these cards, including Riptide Turtle, caters to a strategy that prioritizes stalling the opponent and setting up for the late game. The Turtle, with its aggressive defensive stats and flash ability, claims its own niche, demonstrating that in the realm of defensive creatures, it’s an invaluable addition for players who enjoy reactive and control-oriented gameplay.

Wall of Runes - MTG Card versions
Murmuring Phantasm - MTG Card versions
Fortress Crab - MTG Card versions
Wall of Runes - War of the Spark (WAR)
Murmuring Phantasm - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Fortress Crab - Innistrad (ISD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Riptide Turtle MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Riptide Turtle and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Riptide Turtle Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-01-24 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Brian Valeza.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-01-24Theros Beyond DeathTHB 612015normalblackBrian Valeza
22022-07-07Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's GateHBG 9102015normalblackBrian Valeza

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Riptide Turtle has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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