Living Totem MTG Card


Enhances creatures with a +1/+1 counter, potentially shifting game dynamics in your favor. Its synergy with power-based abilities accelerates in-game resources and strategies. Deploys as a solid presence, making correct timing of its ability crucial for success.
Living Totem - Magic 2015
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Plant Elemental
Abilities Convoke
Released2014-07-18
Set symbol
Set nameMagic 2015
Set codeM15
Power 2
Toughness 3
Number184
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySvetlin Velinov

Text of card

Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for or one mana of that creature's color.) When Living Totem enters the battlefield, you may put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature.


Cards like Living Totem

Living Totem thrives in the sphere of utility creatures in MTG, offering both a creature on the board and the enhancement of another. It echoes the properties of cards like Hunt the Weak, which also engenders a creature enhancement through a +1/+1 counter. What differentiates Living Totem is its immediate effect upon entering the battlefield without necessitating a fight, thereby not exposing your creatures to potential harm. Moreover, while Hunt the Weak is sorcery, Living Totem arrives ready as a creature itself.

Another parallel exists with cards such as Ironshell Beetle. This creature similarly confers a +1/+1 counter when it enters the battlefield. However, Ironshell Beetle is more affordable with a lower mana cost but at the expense of a smaller body. In contrast, Living Totem offers a more substantial presence on the board upon arrival. Lastly, we see resemblance with Ivy Lane Denizen, a card that has the potential to generate multiple +1/+1 counters in a deck that heavily utilizes creatures of a certain type, specifically Green ones, making it a cornerstone for synergy-focused builds.

When analyzing the strategic value of these enhancer creatures, Living Totem holds a solid position in MTG decks that benefit from its immediate impact and decent size, making it a reliable choice in various scenarios.

Hunt the Weak - MTG Card versions
Ironshell Beetle - MTG Card versions
Ivy Lane Denizen - MTG Card versions
Hunt the Weak - MTG Card versions
Ironshell Beetle - MTG Card versions
Ivy Lane Denizen - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Living Totem by color, type and mana cost

Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions
Giant Spider - MTG Card versions
Marsh Viper - MTG Card versions
Scarwood Bandits - MTG Card versions
Carnivorous Plant - MTG Card versions
Erhnam Djinn - MTG Card versions
War Mammoth - MTG Card versions
Aurochs - MTG Card versions
Lhurgoyf - MTG Card versions
Jackalope Herd - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Alligator - MTG Card versions
Golden Bear - MTG Card versions
Argothian Swine - MTG Card versions
Elvish Piper - MTG Card versions
Erithizon - MTG Card versions
Saber Ants - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Cutter - MTG Card versions
Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions
Fungusaur - MTG Card versions
Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions
Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you’re looking to add creature presence while simultaneously enhancing your existing board, Living Totem offers the versatility you need. Its ability to put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control can incrementally shift the balance in your favor, turning smaller creatures into more substantial threats.

Resource Acceleration: Although Living Totem itself doesn’t directly provide mana acceleration, the +1/+1 counter it confers can be particularly synergistic with creatures that grow stronger or unlock abilities based on their power, ultimately speeding up your strategy and resource accumulation.

Instant Speed: While Living Totem operates at sorcery speed, its impact should not be underestimated. It provides a solid body on the field that assists in establishing board control. The key is timing its deployment to maximize the placement of the +1/+1 counter, often catching an opponent off-guard and tipping the scales subtly yet effectively during your turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In the case of the Living Totem, there isn’t a discard requirement, so this con wouldn’t apply to this creature.

Specific Mana Cost: Living Totem’s need for both green mana and generic mana can be a tad restrictive, as it requires a commitment to green mana sources, making it potentially awkward in multicolor decks where green is not a primary color.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Clocking in at four mana for a 2/3 creature, Living Totem can be seen as inefficient when compared to other creatures at the four-mana slot. Considering its ability to bolster another creature might not always justify its cost in fast-paced games where tempo and efficiency are critical.


Reasons to Include Living Totem in Your Collection

Versatility: Living Totem is a flexible addition to any MTG deck that appreciates creature buffs and board presence. Its ability to confer a +1/+1 counter when it enters the battlefield makes it a valuable option for bolstering your creatures at crucial moments.

Combo Potential: The +1/+1 counter from Living Totem can synergize with counter-centric strategies, such as those involving proliferate mechanics or enhancing creatures that benefit from additional counters.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that rewards proactive creature plays and continuous board development, Living Totem’s seamless integration into a wide range of decks ensures its relevance across various formats.


How to Beat

The Living Totem, within MTG’s vast library of cards, presents a unique challenge when faced across the table. As a creature that can bolster itself or another creature with a +1/+1 counter upon entering the battlefield, it offers a strategic benefit that demands a timely counteraction. The key to overcoming the Living Totem lies in the art of removal. Efficient removal spells can effectively deal with Living Totem before its benefit becomes lasting. Whether it’s a low-cost instant spell that sweeps it off the board immediately or a broader ‘destroy all creatures’ effect that can reset the playing field, ensuring you have the right card to counteract the Living Totem’s entrance is paramount.

Counterspells also play a crucial role, providing a proactive approach by preventing the Living Totem from hitting the board in the first place. Additionally, cards with reach or flying can serve as an excellent defense, giving you the upper hand as you block and remove the totem from combat scenarios. By integrating these strategies into your game plan, you can turn the tide against the Living Totem and maintain dominance in your MTG battles.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Living Totem MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015, 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 Living Totem and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Living Totem has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Living Totem card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2014-07-18 Because convoke isn’t an alternative cost, it can be used in conjunction with alternative costs.
2014-07-18 Convoke doesn’t change a spell’s mana cost or converted mana cost.
2014-07-18 If a creature you control has a mana ability with in the cost, activating that ability while casting a spell with convoke will result in the creature being tapped when you pay the spell’s costs. You won’t be able to tap it again for convoke. Similarly, if you sacrifice a creature to activate a mana ability while casting a spell with convoke, that creature won’t be on the battlefield when you pay the spell’s costs, so you won’t be able to tap it for convoke.
2014-07-18 Tapping a multicolored creature using convoke will pay for or one mana of your choice of any of that creature’s colors.
2014-07-18 The rules for convoke have changed slightly since it last appeared in an expansion. Previously, convoke reduced the cost to cast a spell. Under current rules, you tap creatures at the same time you pay the spell’s costs. Tapping a creature this way is simply another way to pay.
2014-07-18 When calculating a spell’s total cost, include any alternative costs, additional costs, or anything else that increases or reduces the cost to cast the spell. Convoke applies after the total cost is calculated.
2014-07-18 When using convoke to cast a spell with in its mana cost, first choose the value for X. That choice, plus any cost increases or decreases, will determine the spell’s total cost. Then you can tap creatures you control to help pay that cost. For example, if you cast Chord of Calling (a spell with convoke and mana cost ) and choose X to be 3, the total cost is . If you tap two green creatures and two red creatures, you’ll have to pay .