Telim'Tor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Legendary Creature — Human Knight
Abilities	Flanking
Released	1996-10-08
Set symbol
Set name	Mirage
Set code	MIR
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	197
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Kev Walker

Key Takeaways

Telim’Tor grants card advantage and pseudo ‘haste’ to warrior-type creatures, enhancing your board presence significantly.
Dedicated Red mana and higher costs are downsides, potentially hindering deck diversity and early game play.
In warrior or combat-focused decks, Telim’Tor’s ability to amplify creatures makes it a forceful choice in certain metas.

Text of card

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking is assigned to block this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.) If Telim'Tor attacks, all attacking creatures with flanking get +1/+1 until end of turn.

"The curious merely amass knowledge. The ambitious use it." —Telim'Tor

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Telim’Tor shines by consistently providing strategic benefits as you play warrior-type creatures. The synergy between Telim’Tor and warriors can lead to significant card advantage as you bolster your forces and overwhelm your opponents with a tide of well-supported combatants.

Resource Acceleration: Resource acceleration with Telim’Tor can come in a different form—namely in bolstering your battlefield presence. Each warrior entering under your command becomes an immediate threat, and Telim’Tor’s ability can be seen as adding pseudo ‘haste’ to creatures, effectively speeding up your tactical impact on the game.

Instant Speed: While Telim’Tor itself does not have an ability that operates at instant speed, it influences your board in such a way that your warriors become more formidable. This ensures that each creature played can be an instant threat, requiring opponents to react swiftly. Additionally, the nature of Telim’Tor’s ability encourages an instants-heavy deck to capitalize on the enhanced warriors during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Telim’Tor comes with the tactical downside of demanding a discard from the player, an action that can sometimes result in a loss of valuable hand advantage.

Specific Mana Cost: Tailored to fit into a niche Red deck, Telim’Tor’s mana cost requires a dedicated amount of Red mana sources, which could potentially complicate deck-building strategies that aim for a diverse color base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that sits on the higher end of the curve, players might find Telim’Tor less appealing when there are alternatives that offer a stronger board presence or greater impact on the game for a similar, if not lower, investment of mana resources.

Reasons to Include Telim’Tor in Your Collection

Versatility: Telim’Tor rises to many occasions in decks that revolve around aggression and tactical strikes. Its ability to pump attacking creatures gives it a dynamic role on the battlefield, especially when timing and combat tricks are essential.

Combo Potential: As a legendary creature, Telim’Tor can synergize with myriad combinations that bolster attacking creatures or benefit from an increase in power. Its presence can enable explosive turns when paired with cards that trigger upon dealing combat damage to a player.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where combat-centric strategies are prevalent, Telim’Tor can bolster your offensive capacity. Its contribution to tribal and warrior-themed decks also increases its relevance, as these archetypes remain popular and competitive in various MTG formats.

How to beat Telim’Tor

Telim’Tor can be a formidable presence in a Magic: The Gathering match, rallying your foes with increased attack capabilities. Understanding its potential, players commonly pair Telim’Tor with a host of creatures boasting the flanking ability, turning seemingly innocuous creatures into significant threats. To counter this, removal spells are your best allies. Cards such as Path to Exile or Murder can swiftly eliminate Telim’Tor from the battlefield, undercutting the strategic advantage it provides.

Another efficient strategy is to use board wipes like Wrath of God to clear out multiple threats, including any flanking creatures bolstered by Telim’Tor’s ability. Playing control elements to limit your opponent’s board development, such as countermagic or enchantments like Pacifism, can also prevent Telim’Tor from ever becoming an issue. Keep in mind that denying your opponent the chance to establish or maintain a board presence is key when facing a deck that leans on synergistic creature abilities.

In sum, although Telim’Tor can be intimidating, handling it comes down to preemptive control and timely removal. Ensure your deck is equipped with the necessary answers, and facing this card becomes less of a trial and more of a tactical engagement within your MTG gameplay.

Cards like Telim'Tor

When evaluating Telim’Tor, a unique legendary creature from Magic: The Gathering’s Mirage set, we can’t help but compare it to other cards that enhance attacking creatures. Much like Telim’Tor, which provides a boost to flanking creatures, cards such as Konda’s Banner and Lovisa Coldeyes also serve to empower specific creature types. Konda’s Banner notably grants a boost to legendary creatures and shares the color and creature type with the equipped warrior, heightening their battlefield impact.

Lovisa Coldeyes, on the other hand, is similar in fashion by morally boosting Barbarians, Warriors, and Berserkers, giving them a substantial edge in combat with extra power and toughness. While Telim’Tor targets flanking creatures specifically, its ability to affect multiple creatures makes it a formidable force akin to Lovisa’s broad supporting role. However, Telim’Tor’s niche targeting compared to the more versatile enhancing capabilities of Konda’s Banner and Lovisa Coldeyes positions it in a more specialized role within the realm of buffing cards.

Considering this, Telim’Tor stands out in decks focused on this mechanic, but its effectiveness can be context-sensitive and depend heavily on the presence of flanking creatures, marking its utility within MTG as a strategic inclusion for particular deck builds.

Cards similar to Telim'Tor by color, type and mana cost

Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions

Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions

Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions

Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Telim'Tor MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Telim'Tor and other MTG cards: