With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out this week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at the villains and now it’s time to check out the heroes! We started looking at the heroes with April and Casey Jones, Splinter, and the Turtles themselves.

Now, we wrap up this break down of the set with a look at the Basic Action Cards.

Here’s the cards included in the set:

Cowabunga – Cost 4 – If you have exactly one character die in the Field Zone, it gets +4A and Overcrush until end of turn. If you have more than one character die in the Field Zone, instead all of your character dice get +1A.

Enraged – Cost 4 – Up to two of your target character dice get +1A and Overcrush until end of turn.

Give Me a Break! – Cost 3 – Target non-[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles] character die can’t block until end of turn. Global: Pay [1 Bolt]. Until end of turn, when a character die is assigned to block, deal it 1 damage.

Heroes in a Half-Shell – Cost 2 – Target character die gets +2A until end of turn. If it is a [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles] character, it also gets +2D.

Lethal Blow – Cost 5 – Move target level 1 character die from the Field Zone to the Prep Area. * Instead, target any character die in the Field Zone. ** Instead, move any target character die to the bag.

Pizza! – Cost 1 – Gain 1 life. You may not use this Basic Action Die if you have 15 or more life. Global: Pay [1 Shield]. Once during your turn, if you have less than 10 life, gain 1 life.

Reckless Abandon – Cost 3 – Deal 1 damage to each character die (including your own). * Instead, deal 1 damage to each player. ** Instead, deal 1 damage to each player and each character die.

Special Delivery – Cost 4 – Draw two dice from your bag and roll them (place them in your Reserve Pool).

Tactical Cover – Cost 3 – Your character dice get +2D. */** Also, target character gets +3D. Global: Pay [1 Shield]. Target character die gets +1D (until end of turn).

Turtle Van – Cost 2 – Continuous: You may send this die to the Used Pile to prevent all damage to target blocking character.

Thoughts:  Much like with the characters, there’s a little something for everyone when it comes to the Basic Action Cards in this set. There’s quite a few different Basic Action Cards here that improve the attack or defense of dice, and that’s a bit common in the Dice Masters world. So, what stands out is the other cards.

Give Me a Break! – Stopping a character die from blocking is interesting, but the global to deal one damage to a blocking character could be interesting. While it may only help once a while, it could be rather helpful.

Lethal Blow – Probably my favorite action in the set. To be able to just move characters from the field zone is amazing and could be a game changer. While you may get hit once, this die alone can shut down a lot of the Team that are out there currently.

Pizza! – I saw it a lot, but there’s not much that allows you to gain life in this game. But, what I think is really interesting in the cost of 1. You’re now going to get 2 energy down the road for the 1 you spent which creates a new venue to quickly purchase costly dice.

Reckless Abandon – Throwing damage around to everyone!? A suicide mechanic like this is rare and if you’re tactic also includes gaining life, it gets even more interesting. Combo this with Pizza! and it can make a difference and becomes really interesting.

Special Delivery – Anything that allows you to draw dice quicker is interesting and very helpful.

Turtle Van – If this stops Overcrush, it’s huge.

Check out the full unboxing video below!

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out this week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at the villains and now it’s time to check out the heroes! We started looking at the heroes with April and Casey Jones, and Splinter and now we’re moving on to the Turtles themselves!

Donatello

Does Machines (cost 4) – Nothing special

Donnie (cost 5) – Turtle Power – While Donatello is active, other Turtle character dice cost 1 less to purchase

The Mad Scientist (cost 5) – Wile Donatello is active, when you field a different Turtle character die, spin that die up one level. If that die is already level 3, instead draw and roll a die (place it in your Reserve Pool)

Die: Level 1 – Cost 1 4A  2D, Level 2 – Cost 1 4A 4D, Level 3 – Cost 2 5A 5D

Leonardo

Leads (cost 4) – Nothing special

Leo (cost 5) Turtle Power – While Leonardo is active, when a different Turtle character die of yours would be KO’d, instead KO a Leonardo die and gain 2 life

Big Brother (cost 6) – While Leonardo is active, other Turtle character dice cost 1 less to purchase

Die: Level 1 – Cost 0 2A 4D, Level 2 – Cost 1 3A 5D, Level 3 – Cost 1 4A 6D

Michelangelo

Party Dude (cost 4) – Nothing special

Mikey (cost 5) – Turtle Power – While Michelangelo is active, other Turtle character dice cost 1 less to purchase

Par-taaaay! (cost 6) – Whenever a different Turtle character die is blocked, spin each Michelangelo character die up one level. For each Michelangelo character die already at level 3, instead KO target blocking character die

Die: Level 1 – Cost 1 4A 2D, Level 2 – Cost 1 5A 4D, Level 3 – Cost 2 6A 4D

Raphael

Cool But Rude (cost 4) – Nothing special

Anger Issues (cost 4) – Whenever a different Turtle character die attacks, deal 1 damage to target character die

Raph (cost 5) – Turtle Power – While Raphael is active, other Turtle character dice cost 1 less to purchase

Die: Level 1 – Cost 0 3A 3D, Level 2 – Cost 1 4A 4D, Level 3 – Cost 2 5A 5D

Thoughts: The Turtles are all about working together and off of each other with their abilities. Each die helps to give a boost to the rest of them. The two abilities that really stand out to me is Michelangelo where you get to spin up a die and if you can’t you’re able to KO a blocking die. The function could do wonders to knock out opponents’ dice. Leo with Turtle Power is also interesting with the ability to gain two life. Since life gaining is not common, this ability I’ve found have become pretty key in some games.

If I were to pick a set of four, I’d choose Donnie, Leo, Par-taaay!, and Anger Issues. The thought from me is Donnie decreases the cost of everyone and the rest become an offensive function with you spinning up Michelangelo, gaining life through Leo and dealing damage with Raphael’s Anger Issues. It fits my style of play and is a bit aggressive in the attack. Buy Donnie early, then get everyone else out cheaper.

In the end, there’s a combo of Turtles that’ll fit everyone’s style of play.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the Basic Action Cards.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at the villains and now it’s time to check out the heroes! We started looking at the heroes with April and Casey Jones, and now we’re moving on to Splinter who has two versions in the set.

Splinter

Hamato Yoshi (cost 5) – When fielded your lightning energy and fist character dice get +1A until end of turn

Father (cost 6) – When fielded, draw a die. If it is lightning energy or fist die you may deal 2 damage to target opposing character die Return it to your bag.

Radical Rat (cost 7) – When fielded target opposing character die can’t block your lightning energy or fist character dice

Thoughts: If you’re focused on Raphael and Michelangelo, this is the Splinter for you to use. The die is level 1 cost 1 5A 4D, level 2 cost 2 6A 5D, and level 3 cost 2 7A 7D. It’s not a cheap die or character so you need to use him pretty strategically. The increase in attack Hamato Yoshi gives doesn’t impress me too much, but the ability to deal two damage just fielding a die or to make characters unblockable, both can be used to great extent, especially the latter. Unfortunately, the high cost will make this a card you don’t see often in games involving just the TMNT set. In constructed I can see Radical Rat being used a lot.

Splinter

Ninja Master (cost 5) – When fielded your Turtle character dice get +2A and +2D until end of turn

Sensei (cost 6) – When fielded, draw a die. If it is a mask or shield die, roll it and place it in your Reserve Pool. Otherwise put it in your Used Pile.

Master Splinter (cost 7) – When fielded, target opposing character die can’t block your mask or shield character dice and your Turtle character dice gain Overcrush this turn

Thoughts: If you’re playing Leonardo or Donatello, this is the Splinter you’ll want to use. The die is level 1 cost 1 4A 5D, level 2 cost 1 4A 7D, and level 3 cost 2 6A 8D. While the die itself is a bit cheaper, it’s also more defensive based on the stats that the other version. Out of the two versions, this is one I like a bit more. All three have their strengths. Ninja Master is really only useful if you’re running with Turtles, but the other two go beyond the set. To not be able to be blocked or gaining Overcrush or gaining a die, both can be very handy. But again, you run into the issue with high cost dice, so each are limited in just using the TMNT set, but I can see both making their way into constructed play.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the Turtles themselves.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at the villains and now it’s time to check out the heroes!

Up today first, we’re looking at April and Casey Jones!

April

Channel 6 Reporter (cost 2) – Ally. When fielded, give another target Sidekick or Turtle character die +1A until end of turn.

Part of the Family (cost 2) – Ally. When fielded, give another target Sidekick or Turtle character die +1D until end of turn.

Ninja in Training (cost 3) – Ally. When fielded, draw a die. If it is a Sidekick or Turtle die, roll it and add it to your Reserve Pool.

Thoughts: While it’s nice to boost stats, April isn’t the most useful of characters when it comes to abilities. The die itself is good though and its cheap fielding cost could make it worth it. At level 1, the cost is 0 with 1A 1D, level 2 the cost is 0 with 1A 3D, and level 3 the cost is 0 with 1A 5D. That level 3 is pretty decent for a 2 cost die that costs nothing to field. As a die to soak up attacks and damage, it could come in handy. I just see other die that would be more helpful or interesting in competitive play especially.

Casey Jones

Pain 101 (cost 2) – If your life total is less than 15, and Casey Jones blocks or is blocked by a Sidekick or Villain, gain 1 life.

Mutant Hunter (cost 2) – When Casey Jones attacks, you may choose any number of target Sidekicks or Villain dice to block Casey Jones character dice in any arrangement you choose.

Lunatic Vigilante (cost 3) – Casey Jones can’t be blocked by Sidekicks and Villain character dice.

Thoughts: I’m liking this card. At level 1 cost is 0 with 2A 2D, at level 2 cost is 1 with 3A 3D, and at level 3 the cost is 2 with 4A 3D. Where I think it’s helpful is its abilities. To be able to gain life or decide blockers, both can be helpful and game winning. The blockers especially could be a game winning ability (I know I could have used it this weekend for instance). Not being blocked though, we see this ability a bunch and with better spins to them. Batgirl: Stealth Bat for instance does similar with slightly different stats and cheaper fielding. Overall though, another solid addition to the set and Dice Masters game.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at Splinter.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at Baxter Stockman, Mousers, Foot Ninja, Fugitoid, Bebop and Rocksteady!

Up today are the brains behind the operation Shredder and Krang!

Shredder

Oroku Saki (cost 6) – While Shredder is active, each player loses 1 life at the start of their turn.

Old Rival (cost 7) – When Shredder deals combat damage to Turtle character die, your opponent loses 3 life.

Foot… Join Me (cost 8) – When fielded, move all Villain dice from your Used Pile to your Prep Area.

Thoughts: Shredder is a beast in cost and die. At level 1 his cost to field is 1 with 4A and 4D, level 2 costs is 1 with 6A 6D, and level 3 is cost 2 8A 8D. That’s a hell of a die for very little to field. It’s the purchasing that’s a bit out of hand. The TMNT set doesn’t have much to speed fielding up, so you’re relying on Basic Action Die. I doubt we’ll see much of the cost 8 version in that play. Though, in constructed and tournaments, I could see Oroku Saki and Foot… Join Me coming into play. While they might be expensive to purchase, each has abilities that are huge. The lost 1 life with Oroku Saki may skirt abilities that prevent damage from a source, since it doesn’t say it’s damage (ruling please!) and to be able to move villains like that could be interesting as well. Expect both see experimentation, though may not catch on heavily just due to cost of purchase.

Krang

Technodrome Commander (cost 6) – Regenerate

Ruler of Dimension X (cost 6) – While Krang is active, if one of your other Villain character dice attacks, and is unblocked, reroll them after damage is dealt. If they land on a character face, place them in your Prep Area instead of the used pile.

Ultrom Warlord (cost 7) – When fielded, move all Sidekick dice from your opponent’s Used Pile and Prep Area to their bag.

Thoughts: Like Shredder Krang is expensive so may be hard to field with just the TMNT set. At level 1 he has 3A 7D for cost 1, level 2 is 4A 8D for cost 1, and level 3 is 5A 9D for cost 2. Like Shredder he’s a beast when it comes to the die as well. The one I like the least is Technodrome Commander with just Regenerate. He’d be good as just a defensive blocker for teams hitting you with high attacks and overcrush. The potential 9D will soften the blow. The one I do like is Ruler of Dimension X. For the same cost you can do some neat tricks. Particularly I’m liking using this with Shredder to have him attack, be unblocked and then hopefully you roll a face to get him in the Prep Area and then bring more villains in. The combo could be impressive and irritating for opponents.

While both characters and dice have potential, lets face it, they’re expensive to purchase. There’s definitely use for both but playing with just the TMNT set it’ll be hard to get them out there. Instead, expect to see either in constructed, and even then on a limited basis.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the April O’Neil and Casey Jones.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at Baxter Stockman, Mousers, Foot Ninja, and Fugitoid. Up next is Bebop and Rocksteady!

Bebop

Troublesome (cost 4) – While Rocksteady is active, Bebop gets +2A and +2D

Mutant Warthog (cost 5) – When fielded, if Rocksteady is active, deal 1 damage to target player.

Pighead (cost 6) – While Rocksteady is active, you may reroll your Bebop dice any time it shows an energy face during your Roll and Reroll step.

Thoughts: With a die that’s 0 cost at level one with 2A 4D, 1 cost at level two with 3A and 6D, and two cost at level three with 4A and 7D, the dice for Bebop is pretty solid but the purchasing is a little high if you’re just using the TMNT set. There’s not really anything within to burn through dice to allow purchasing of more expensive dice, so you’ll need to rely on basic action dice to fill that need. As a whole, I doubt we’ll see Bebop played much without Rocksteady and out of the three I’d probably lean more towards Troublesome if you’re using Rocksteady. The idea of a 6A 9D for 4 purchase and 2 fielding is really nice.

Rocksteady

Rough and Tumble (cost 4) – While Bebop is active, Rocksteady gains +2A and +2D

Armed and Dangerous (cost 4) – While Bebop is active, Rocksteady gains Overcrush and takes no damage from blocking character dice (this includes Sidekicks)

Mutant Rhino (cost 5) – When fielded, if Bebop is active, KO target opposing level 1 character.

Thoughts: With the Bebop/Rocksteady combo, I really like Armed and Dangerous and Mutant Rhino for Rocksteady. At level one he has 3A 3D, level two is 5A 3D, and level three is 6A 4D. The idea of him gaining Overcrush and not taking damage from blocking dice is kind of awesome. The ability to knock out level 1 character is also a fantastic ability.

Really when it comes to these two, you’re not going to use one without the other and both I could see making it into tournament play, definitely fun casual, but I don’t see either making a huge impact.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the Shredder and Krang.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

We’ve looked at Baxter Stockman and Mousers and up next are the villains the Foot Ninja and Fugitoud.

Foot Ninja

Shredder’s Army (cost 2) – Swarm

Ninja Syndicate (cost 3) – Ally, Foot Ninja get +1A and +1D for each other Sidekick in the field zone

Robotic Ninja Warriors (cost 3) – Ally, while Foot Ninja is active, your other Sidekick dice get +1A when blocking (doesn’t give itself this).

Thoughts: With a die that’s 0 cost with 1A 1D at level 1, 0 cost with 2A and 1D at level 2, and 1 cost with 2A and 2D at level 3, the Foot Ninja is a character and die I’m intrigued by. With swam decks popular I can see Ninja Syndicate and Shredder’s Army finding their way into a lot of decks out there. The cost 2 swam is a bit more than a Kobold, but the stats do get better with level 2 adding a bit and the Ninja Syndicate could work well in a Bard team. I can see both of these cards easily making their way into regular play. The cost 3 Robotic Ninja Warriors isn’t one I’d necessarily like as I think you’ll potentially get more out of Ninja Syndicate with its “for each Sidekick” wording. 3 other Sidekick and you’re looking at a die with 4A 4D minimum at 0 cost or 5A 5D for a cost of 1.

Fugitoid

Professor Honeycutt (cost 3) – Nothing special

Neutrino Scientist (cost 4) – While Fugitoid is active, other Villain and Turtle character dice can’t attack unless their owner pays 1 to ignore this effect until end of turn

High Tech Body (cost 4) – While Fugitoid is active other Villain and Turtle character dice get -1A

Thoughts: Fugitoid is the character I think will find moderate play in constructed. While the character could be interesting if you see a lot of villains played in your area, or if you’re just playing from the TMNT set, this isn’t one I can see as a must have card that’s one you build a deck around or must have. At it’s lowest level the die will cost 1 to field with 3A and 1D, level 2 is 1 cost with 4A and 2D, and level 3 is 1 cost with 5A 3D. The low cost of 3 is an interesting character to use with those stats and gets out a decent attack relatively quickly, but as a whole I think there’s better options that are cheaper and more flexible.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the Bebop and Rocksteady.

With the next Dice Masters set from Wizkids, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Dice Masters, out next week, I’m going over individual cards to give my thoughts on the various characters and cards within.

Up first, we’re starting with the villains, Baxter Stockman and Mousers!

Though there’s been many versions of Baxter Stockman, the thing that’s important to know is that he’s the creator of the Mousers, the robot eating machines created to destroy rats and have become a regular nuisance for the Turtles and Splinter.

And with their history, it felt right to lump these two characters together, especially since they impact each other.

Baxter Stockman

Evil Scientist (cost 4) – When fielded you get to move all Mousers dice from your Used Pile to Prep Area.

Mutagenic Researcher (cost 5) – While he’s active, all Mousers dice gets +2A and are free to field.

Fly Guy (cost 5) – When fielded, you may purchase a Mousers die for 1 and immediately roll it.

Thoughts: Lets start with the die. At level 1 it’s 0 cost to field and 2A 3D and level 3 it’s 1 cost for 4A 5D. That’s solid stats for really cheap fielding. But, the draw back is the cost of 4 and 5 for the character. To be able to get 5 energy might not be the easiest with just this set with lacking access to popular ways to purchase quickly. So, you’ll have to use Action Dice to get this character out if you’re just using this set. Otherwise, the character is solid for his dice and combination with Mousers who become a great buy with him.

For me, which version to choose depends on what type of team and style you’re playing. Being able to move Mousers from the Used area to Prep area could be great with a Torch pinging team. Then again, to be able to field them for free and +2A could be great with a Bard team too.

It really comes down, this is a character to use if you’re also using Mousers. Though I like the cost of the die itself, the combo is what makes him stand out.

Mousers

Spare Parts (cost 2) – Mousers get +1A and +1D while another player has an active character with a “When fielded” ability

Rat Eradicator (cost 3) – When Mousers block or are blocked by a character with a “When fielded” ability, roll that die. If it’s energy, move it to the Prep Area, otherwise leave it on the rolled face.

Metal Teeth (cost 3) – When fielded, KO another target character die with a “When fielded” ability unless its owner pays 2 life.

Thoughts: Mousers are a beefed up Sidekick in some ways. At level 1 it’s 0 cost with 2A and 2D. At level 3, it’s 3A and 3D for 1 cost. That’s not too bad, and depending on the Baxter Stockman chosen, the cost may not matter.

Out of the three, I like the ability to KO a character with a “When fielded” ability and out of the three, that’s the one I plan on playing with for a bit. Rat Eradicator seems like it’d be interesting, but it all depends if you see a lot of people attacking with characters featuring “When fielded.” The 2 cost Spare Parts potentially gives you a 6A 3D character when paired with Baxter Stockman: Mutagenic Researcher. I think we’ll see that combination early on when the set is released.

Check out the full unboxing video below, and join me tomorrow when I take a look at the Foot Ninja and Fugitoid!