Choking Tethers MTG Card
2002-10-07 - Number 74
2014-06-16 - Number 59
2018-03-16 - Number 48
2019-06-14 - Number 44
2019-11-07 - Number 315
2021-08-26 - Number 178
2020-09-26 - Number A25-48
| Card sets | Released in 7 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Cycling |
Text of card
Tap up to four target creatures. Cycling o1o U (o1o U, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.) When you cycle Choking Tethers, you may tap target creature.
Cards like Choking Tethers
Choking Tethers is a utilitarian card that commands a solid presence within Magic: The Gathering’s control strategies. It shares its tap-down mechanic with cards like Frost Breath, which also taps two target creatures. Unlike Frost Breath, Choking Tethers offers more flexibility with its cycling ability, allowing a player to draw a card at the potential cost of tapping just one creature.
Another parallel is found with Blustersquall. While this card can tap down all creatures your opponents control at instant speed, it lacks the cycling option that Choking Tethers provides. On the upside, Blustersquall’s overload cost can lead to a more significant impact in a multiplayer scenario. Similarly, Sleep is a strong comparison due to its ability to tap all of an opponent’s creatures and keep them locked for a turn. However, it doesn’t offer the same granularity or instant-speed interaction Choking Tethers can enable on a single turn.
Each of these cards has its merits in different game situations, but Choking Tethers holds its value by offering players a tactical choice between cycling for a new card or controlling the board, a dual function that can be pivotal in the ebb and flow of a MTG game.
Cards similar to Choking Tethers by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Choking Tethers offers a flexible mechanism for controlling the pace of the game. The ability to potentially tap up to four target creatures can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, while also granting you the opportunity to draw a card with its cycling ability. This dual benefit can lead to an advantage in both tempo and resources.
Resource Acceleration: Although Choking Tethers itself doesn’t accelerate mana resources directly, its cycling ability ensures that your deck remains fluid, helping you draw into your mana sources or other resource acceleration cards more consistently. This keeps the pressure on your opponent while you develop your board state.
Instant Speed: The instant speed of Choking Tethers makes it a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal. It allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves during their turn, potentially tapping creatures that are about to attack or participate in combos, and upsetting their carefully laid plans. This instant reaction can often be the difference between maintaining control of the match or falling behind.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Choking Tethers doesn’t require a discard to be played, it does necessitate having other cards to cycle it, potentially depleting your hand when you may not want to.
Specific Mana Cost: Choking Tethers has a blue mana requirement, which means it fits primarily in blue or blue-heavy decks, potentially limiting its versatility across different strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For tapping up to four creatures, the mana investment is substantial, which may affect your mana efficiency, leading to hesitation in decks that aim to maintain tempo or control early on in the game.
Reasons to Include Choking Tethers in Your Collection
Versatility: Choking Tethers can serve as both a tempo play and a finisher in blue-based decks. Its ability to tap multiple creatures can slow down opponent’s aggression, making it a flexible card for various game states.
Combo Potential: With its cycling ability, Choking Tethers can synergize with strategies that benefit from card cycling or discard mechanics. This can lead to advantageous interactions in decks designed around these themes.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where creature-heavy decks are prevalent, having a card that can disrupt multiple attackers or blockers at once can be crucial for maintaining board control and securing victories. Choking Tethers provides this kind of utility in the current meta.
How to beat
Choking Tethers plays a tactical role in MTG by allowing players to tap up to four target creatures, which can be pivotal during a game. This card is particularly strong in a limited format, where controlling the battlefield is often the key to victory. However, despite its utility, there are strategies to mitigate its effect. For instance, instant-speed untap effects or cards that grant your creatures vigilance can counteract the tapping effect, ensuring your creatures stay ready for action.
An alternative approach is to utilize hexproof or shroud abilities, making it impossible for your opponent to select your creatures as targets. Additionally, having a backup plan for after Choking Tethers has been used, such as cards that benefit from being tapped or ones that can untap your permanents, will help you maintain momentum. Cards such as Seedborn Muse or Murkfiend Liege are perfect examples of this strategy.
Ultimately, while Choking Tethers can be disruptive, it’s a hurdle that can be overcome with the right deck construction and a keen understanding of your opponent’s potential. Knowing when to expect it and having a counter ready is the key to nullifying this control card’s advantage.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Choking Tethers MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Vintage Masters, 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 Choking Tethers and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
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Printings
The Choking Tethers Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2021-08-26. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2002-10-07 | Onslaught | ONS | 74 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | |
| 2 | 2014-06-16 | Vintage Masters | VMA | 59 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | |
| 3 | 2018-03-16 | Masters 25 | A25 | 48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | |
| 4 | 2019-06-14 | Modern Horizons | MH1 | 44 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander | |
| 5 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 315 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | |
| 6 | The List | PLST | A25-48 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Carl Critchlow | ||
| 7 | 2021-08-26 | Jumpstart: Historic Horizons | J21 | 178 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Deruchenko Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Choking Tethers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Choking Tethers card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not. |
| 2008-10-01 | The cycling ability and the triggered ability are separate. If the triggered ability doesn't resolve (due to being countered with Stifle, for example, or if all its targets have become illegal), the cycling ability will still resolve and you'll draw a card. |
| 2008-10-01 | When you cycle this card, first the cycling ability goes on the stack, then the triggered ability goes on the stack on top of it. The triggered ability will resolve before you draw a card from the cycling ability. |
| 2008-10-01 | You can cycle this card even if there are no targets for the triggered ability. That's because the cycling ability itself has no targets. |