While TMNT was largely panned for its dissonant aesthetics, the set did include some very playable cards, especially for Commander. Despite portraying a pretty niche character from the show, The Neutrinos very much ranks among these, offering an unusual Boros-aligned Elf for MTG. Whether you want to swing in for Voltron wins or pull off infinite combat combos, this rebellious trio has you covered.
The Neutrinos MTG
The big draw for The Neutrinos is definitely its second ability, which provides a fairly unique take on a blink effect. Every swing lets you blink a creature and have it come back attacking, which avoids any awkward tempo loss. This is ideal with high-impact bombs like Anticausal Vestige, as well as utility pieces like Loran of the Third Path.
One notable aspect of this ability is that it’s a blink effect that returns the target to play under your control, not its owner’s control. This means it lets you permanently steal creatures with cards like Act of Treason and Loki’s Scepter while using Reconnaissance to keep them safe.
By itself, this ability is potent enough to build a deck around, but you can take it even further with attack trigger doublers like Firebender Ascension. Extra combat step cards, like Genji Glove and Seize the Day, are similarly good, letting you net multiple blinks per turn. Throw in the likes of Panharmonicon, and you can generate an absurd amount of value with this ability alone.
While the blink ability is the highlight here, The Neutrinos’ Alliance ability can be pretty deadly in its own right. Racking up power with every creature that enters is fantastic alongside mass token generators like Sally Pride, Lioness Leader, and doublers like Mondrak, Glory Dominus. Add in Double Strike from something like Embercleave, and a single combination like this can land you quick commander damage knockouts.
Here Comes The Beatdown
The Neutrinos also enable a solid range of combos, including an infinite combat steps line with Aurelia, the Warleader. Since blinking Aurelia will get around its “for the first time each turn” clause, you can keep taking combat steps infinitely.
Alternatively, you can net infinite enters triggers with the help of Kirol, Attentive First-Year and Midnight Guard. By copying The Neutrinos’ blink ability with Kirol, you can blink Kirol itself, untapping Midnight Guard to keep the loop going. This will let you win on the spot with something like Impact Tremors, or build up an infinitely large Neutrinos for a post-combat Chandra’s Ignition victory.
Despite all of its applications, both fair and unfair, The Neutrinos isn’t particularly popular as an MTG Commander. According to EDHREC data, just 441 players run the card at the helm, in fact. While being a recent uncommon may explain this to an extent, this is still an incredibly low statistic for a card of this caliber.
On the bright side, this low rarity and lack of popularity means The Neutrinos is incredibly cheap to pick up right now. Near-mint base copies can be found on TCGplayer for as little as $0.05, with foils not far ahead at $0.15. At these prices, the card is an absolute bargain, and a fantastic foundation for a budget Boros Blink deck.
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