Turtle

Turtle
Creature Type
(Subtype for creature/tribal cards)
Statistics	29 cards 51.7% 6.9% 3.4% 20.7% 13.8% 3.4% as of Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
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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.

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.

Kappa

The Shell of the Last Kappa

Kappa were mysterious, water-dwelling creatures that once had lived on Kamigawa, but have since become extinct. Little is known about them, but kappa resembled a cross between a goblin and a turtle, and probably looked similar to their relatives, the Akki (though they are typed as turtles instead of goblins). 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 have returned as a species, since they are present in Neon Dynasty.

Notable Turtles

Arcavios

• Wallader, a turtlefolk mail delivery.

Innistrad

• Gorex, an undead turtle.

Ikoria

• Yidaro, a giant dinosaur turtle.

Unknown

• Archelos — A turtlefolk shaman who has lived a very long time. He spends much of his time meditating in his shell, spreading his considerable magic across the marsh he calls home.

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 mysterious, goblin-like, water-dwelling turtle folk that live on the plane of Kamigawa. They were once thought extinct before/during the Kami War.
• 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.