Chorus of the Tides MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Siren |
| Abilities | Flying,Heroic,Scry |
| Released | 2014-02-07 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Born of the Gods |
| Set code | BNG |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 33 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Steve Prescott |
Key Takeaways
- Scrying ability of Chorus of the Tides enhances deck control, letting players filter and improve card draws.
- Its flying trait offers tactical advantages in combat, both offensively and defensively.
- Despite its versatility, the card’s mana cost and lack of instant speed pose usage considerations.
Text of card
Flying Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Chorus of the Tides, scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chorus of the Tides offers a unique boon by potentially providing a card advantage. When played at the right moment, its ability to scry before drawing a card allows for better deck manipulation. Such an effect is beneficial in filtering unwanted cards from the top of your deck, ensuring you draw into more impactful cards during the later stages of the game.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to resource acceleration, Chorus of the Tides can help to smoothen your mana curve. By allowing scry before your draw, it indirectly accelerates your ability to reach vital land drops or key spells, which can be critical in maintaining the tempo against your opponent.
Instant Speed: Although Chorus of the Tides doesn’t act at instant speed, its flying ability confers a strategic advantage. It enables surprise blocks against non-flying creatures and provides a reliable form of aerial attack. This flexibility can catch an opponent off guard, compounding its value during combat phases.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: When you play Chorus of the Tides, it doesn’t have an inherent discard mechanic. However, it may not synergize well with decks focused on retaining a full hand of cards, potentially clashing with strategies that require maximizing card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires a combination of both generic and blue mana for casting, which could be restrictive for multicolored decks not focused on blue. It might not be the best fit for a deck that is not able to consistently provide the necessary blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an investment of four mana, including two blue, Chorus of the Tides comes at a steeper cost compared to other creatures in its mana range. Players might find more efficient creatures or impactful spells for the same or lesser amount of mana, which could make including it in a deck less appealing.
Reasons to Include Chorus of the Tides in Your Collection
Versatility: Chorus of the Tides is flexible enough to slide into various deck builds. With flying, this card offers a reliable way to apply pressure from the air or block opposing creatures.
Combo Potential: It features the heroic mechanic, which allows you to trigger effects each time you target it with a spell. This opens up synergistic opportunities in decks that aim to exploit spellcasting and abilities.
Meta-Relevance: The card’s ability to interact with numerous strategies means it can adapt to evolving metagames. It might not be a mainstay in every deck type, but its niche role in specific metas where flying creatures thrive makes it a worthy inclusion for a well-rounded collection.
How to Beat
Chorus of the Tides presents itself as an intriguing challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. Flying is a powerful ability, granting this card a significant advantage by soaring over ground-based defenses. Its secondary ability, bestowing a scry upon resurgence, furthers its strategic value, allowing for deck maneuverability.
However, conquering this card isn’t a herculean task. Removal spells that can target creatures in the air, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can readily dispatch Chorus of the Tides, abruptly halting its aerial menace. Cards with Reach, giving defenders the ability to block flying creatures, like Arborback Stomper, can also provide a stout defense. Ensnaring spells that prevent creatures from attacking or blocking, like Pacifism, effectively neutralize the threat without needing to remove it from the board.
Overall, implementing a mix of removal and control strategies is key to overcoming the multifaceted challenge posed by Chorus of the Tides. By preparing your deck with these responses, you ensure that the enchanting call of these tides doesn’t sway the tide of battle against your favor.
Cards like Chorus of the Tides
Chorus of the Tides stands as an intriguing option within the selection of blue flying creatures in Magic the Gathering, finding its place among cards like Welkin Tern and Wind Drake. Much like Chorus of the Tides, Welkin Tern is endowed with flying, but it takes flight for a lower mana cost with the caveat that it can only block creatures with flying. Wind Drake presents a balanced compromise, offering a steady 2/2 creature with flying for just one extra mana over Welkin Tern, yet without the restrictions on blocking.
Exploring further, we encounter Tower Drake, which bears a resemblance to Chorus of the Tides with its power to adjust its toughness through its activated ability. However, Tower Drake’s initial stats are slightly more modest, inherently influencing the dynamics of strategic plays. Nimble Obstructionist is another comparable creature that not only has flying but also packs a cycling ability, allowing players to replace it if a situational counter is more beneficial during a pivotal moment in the game.
Although Chorus of the Tides may not be the most economical choice mana-wise, its strength lies in its versatility, particularly with its heroic ability which adds another layer of strategy. These comparisons help players gauge the adaptability and potential of Chorus of the Tides among its peers in the realm of blue flyers.
Cards similar to Chorus of the Tides by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chorus of the Tides MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods, 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 Chorus of the Tides and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chorus of the Tides has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Chorus of the Tides card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-15 | Heroic abilities will resolve before the spell that caused them to trigger. |
| 2013-09-15 | Heroic abilities will trigger only once per spell, even if that spell targets the creature with the heroic ability multiple times. |
| 2013-09-15 | Heroic abilities won’t trigger when a copy of a spell is created on the stack or when a spell’s targets are changed to include a creature with a heroic ability. |
| 2013-09-15 | Scry appears on some spells and abilities with one or more targets. If all of the spell or ability’s targets are illegal when it tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t scry. |
| 2013-09-15 | When you scry, you may put all the cards you look at back on top of your library, you may put all of those cards on the bottom of your library, or you may put some of those cards on top and the rest of them on the bottom. |
| 2013-09-15 | You choose how to order cards returned to your library after scrying no matter where you put them. |
| 2013-09-15 | You perform the actions stated on a card in sequence. For some spells and abilities, that means you’ll scry last. For others, that means you’ll scry and then perform other actions. |
