Turtle
| Turtle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Creature Type | |
| (Subtype for creature/kindred cards) | |
| Statistics |
36 cards
as of Murders at Karlov Manor 44.4%  5.6%  2.8%  30.6%  2.8%  11.1%  2.8% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Turtle" | |
Turtle is a blue/green creature type used for any reptile, either aquatic or terrestrial, with the trunk enclosed in a shell consisting of a dorsal carapace and a ventral plastron. A terrestrial turtle is also known as a tortoise. They appear on many planes, with designs emphasizing their shell's toughness.
History
The first creature card to bear the subtype Turtle was Giant Turtle in Legends, though Giant Tortoise from Arabian Nights was later issued errata in the Grand Creature Type Update to retroactively become a Turtle as well.
Commander Legends introduced the first turtle-folk with Archelos, Lagoon Mystic.[1]
Kappa
Kappa (KAHP-pah)[2] were mysterious, turtle-shelled creature that lived in rivers. Known for their maliciousness, they had lived on Kamigawa, but were thought to have gone extinct. Little is known about them, but kappa resembled a cross between a goblin and a turtle. The Shell of the Last Kappa was a relic of considerable magical power and was kept at some location in a shrine.
At some point, they returned as a species, as they are present in Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty.
Notable Turtles
Trivia
- Chimeric Idol can become a 3/3 artifact Turtle.
- Turtleshell Changeling is not a Turtle according to its subtype field, despite its card name and artwork; but, as it possesses the Changeling ability, it is a Turtle.
- Wormfang Turtle is the only Nightmare Turtle Beast.
- Kappa are inspired by the yokai of the same name of Japanese mythology. Their most distinctive characteristic, aside from their shell, is their water-filled recess in their head which, if depleted, will paralyze the creature. It can be seen on Kappa Tech-Wrecker.
- Yidaro, Wandering Monster is inspired by Gamera, a rival kaiju franchise to Godzilla.
- Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Baldur's Gate both feature a Dragon Turtle (Sailor's Bane).
Gallery
-
The Shell of the Last Kappa. Art by David Martin.
-
A Turtle-folk from Arcavios.
References
- ↑ a b Ari Zirulnik and Ethan Fleischer (October 30, 2020). "Archelos, Lagoon Mystic". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Magic Arcana (September 14, 2004). "A Kamigawa Glossary, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
