Ghitu Chronicler MTG Card
2018-04-27 - Number 125
2020-09-26 - Number DOM-125
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Wizard |
| Abilities | Kicker |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Recasting spells using Ghitu Chronicler’s ability offers strategic depth and mana savings in the long run.
- Flexibility at the cost of high mana investment makes it a tactical, albeit slower, choice for decks.
- Despite limitations, it provides combo potential and meta-relevance, especially in control-heavy games.
Text of card
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) When Ghitu Chronicler enters the battlefield, if it was kicked, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.
"What fire forged, fire remembers."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Ghitu Chronicler’s kicker ability lends a strategic edge by bringing back an instant or sorcery from your graveyard to your hand, ensuring a sustained flow of resources and options throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, the Chronicler’s aptitude for retrieving key spells effectively saves mana in the long run, as it negates the need to include numerous copies of the same spell in your deck.
Instant Speed: Although Ghitu Chronicler does not operate at instant speed itself, the spells it can potentially retrieve and the flexibility provided by its kicker ability can set you up for powerful plays at crucial moments, keeping opponents on their toes.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Ghitu Chronicler offers a spell retrieval ability, it requires a significant payment to evoke its kicker cost. This can lead to a tough decision, especially when your hand is scarce and the choices for discarding are limited.
Specific Mana Cost: Ghitu Chronicler demands a precise mana composition, specifically red, for casting and activating the kicker ability. This can make the card a complicated fit in multicolored decks that might struggle to generate the necessary mana on demand.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial casting cost and an additional kicker cost, Ghitu Chronicler’s total mana investment can be steep compared to other cards that can recur spells from the graveyard. This makes it potentially less appealing in faster games where mana efficiency is key.
Reasons to Include Ghitu Chronicler in Your Collection
Versatility: The Ghitu Chronicler is a flexible addition to any deck that utilizes spells. It allows players to retrieve key instant or sorcery cards from the graveyard, providing a second chance at using powerful effects.
Combo Potential: As a wizard, the Chronicler can synergize with spells that benefit from having more wizards in play or those that draw on casting or copying instant and sorcery spells for dynamic plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame heavy with control decks or where games go long, recurring critical spells with Ghitu Chronicler’s “kicker” ability can swing the balance in your favor, giving it a meaningful place in the competitive scene.
How to beat Ghitu Chronicler
Ghitu Chronicler stands out as a utility creature in the world of red spell-slinging, providing an opportunity to recapture spells from the graveyard. It’s less about sheer power and more about its strategic use of the kicker mechanic to reuse key spells. This ability poses a unique challenge, but there are methods to mitigate its impact on the game.
One effective approach is to limit the availability of the graveyard as a resource. Employing spells or abilities that exile cards from the graveyard, such as Scavenger Grounds or Relic of Progenitus, can ensure that once a spell is used, it stays used. Additionally, countermeasures that restrict casting or resolve spells, like counterspells or removal spells like Lightning Bolt before the Chronicler’s ability is activated, can also disrupt this strategy.
Moreover, keeping pressure on your opponent can constrain their mana, making the kicker cost less feasible. By maintaining a swift pace and forcing them to deal with immediate threats, you minimize the likelihood of Ghitu Chronicler’s recursion altering the game. Stay on the offensive, control the battlefield, and deny graveyard interactions to successfully neutralize the advantage Ghitu Chronicler could provide.
Cards like Ghitu Chronicler
Ghitu Chronicler has carved its niche in the Magic: The Gathering landscape as a utility creature with an ability to reclaim spells from the graveyard. This feature sets it apart and links it to counterparts like Archaeomancer and Izzet Chronarch. Both these creatures also allow players to retrieve an instant or sorcery card from their graveyard upon entering the battlefield. However, Ghitu Chronicler’s kicker cost gives it the flexibility of functioning as both an early-game play and a late-game value engine.
Compared to Shipwreck Dowser, also known to claw back spells, Ghitu Chronicler is more affordable in terms of mana. While the Dowser’s prowess ability makes it potentially more powerful in the context of a spellslinger deck, the Chronicler offers a lower and more flexible cost to regain that key spell when it matters most.
In essence, while Ghitu Chronicler might not be the most powerful creature in the return-spell-to-hand category, its cautious mana investment and versatility make it a unique spell-recursion unit tailored for decks looking to use their graveyards as an extension of their hands.
Cards similar to Ghitu Chronicler by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ghitu Chronicler MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and The List, 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 Ghitu Chronicler 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
Printings
The Ghitu Chronicler Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2018-04-27. Illustrated by Anthony Palumbo.
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ghitu Chronicler has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
