Lithatog MTG Card


Lithatog - Odyssey
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Atog
Released2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameOdyssey
Set codeODY
Power 1
Toughness 2
Number289
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byFranz Vohwinkel

Key Takeaways

  1. Lithatog excels in grinding games, allowing artifact and land sacrifices for a strategic boost in power.
  2. Instant-speed sacrifice ability provides reactive play options, enhancing Lithatog’s versatility in matches.
  3. Despite its potential, Lithatog requires careful resource management to avoid depleting valuable assets.

Text of card

Sacrifice an artifact: Lithatog gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Sacrifice a land: Lithatog gets +1/+1 until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Lithatog offers a unique benefit in this regard, as it can allow you to cycle through your graveyard, selectively removing lands or artifacts you no longer need while potentially growing stronger with each sacrifice.

Resource Acceleration: By sacrificing an artifact, you’re essentially transforming a static resource into an immediate benefit. This could either fuel Lithatog’s power boost or simply serve as a way to make impactful plays by adjusting your resources on the fly.

Instant Speed: Although Lithatog itself is not an instant, its sacrifice abilities can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility gives you the upper hand in responding to opponents’ actions, making it easier to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the game while conserving your other instant-speed spells.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The ability of Lithatog to sacrifice an artifact requires parting with potentially valuable resources, narrowing strategic options when the hand or field is running thin.

Specific Mana Cost: Despite its flexibility, the cost to cast Lithatog includes both green and red mana, making it less versatile for decks that run on a broader color scheme or are color-restricted.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With other cards in the format offering similar benefits at lower costs, Lithatog’s three mana investment might be better allocated elsewhere, especially in fast-paced games where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Lithatog has the ability to adjust to various deck strategies, granting players the flexibility to sacrifice artifacts or lands to either pump up its power or provide crucial graveyard synergy.

Combo Potential: In a deck where resources can be recycled or where sacrificing cards serves a strategic purpose, Lithatog can be a useful engine to power up those synergies, making it a key piece in intricate play combinations.

Meta-Relevance: Given that certain metagames value graveyard interactions or the destruction of one’s own permanents for gain, Lithatog can become an unsuspecting threat, particularly in formats that reward resourceful playstyles.


How to Beat Lithatog

Lithatog, a lesser-known creature from the Odyssey set, can be a thorn in the side of any MTG player when used strategically. Noted for its ability to sacrifice artifacts or lands to gain power and toughness or graveyard recursion, defeating a Lithatog requires an understanding of resource management in the game. When facing a deck with Lithatog, it’s crucial to evaluate the sacrifice strategy of your opponent and disrupt their board state.

One effective method to counter Lithatog is by limiting the raw materials it depends upon. Utilizing land destruction or artifact removal spells can significantly reduce the potency of Lithatog’s abilities. Graveyard removal cards like Scavenging Ooze or Relic of Progenitus help prevent the value that Lithatog could generate from the graveyard. Additionally, instant-speed removal can catch an opponent off-guard when they’re banking on sacking lands or artifacts for a big play. Keeping up removal in your hand, instead of playing it early, ensures you’re ready when Lithatog becomes a threat.

Overall, maintaining pressure and forcing the Lithatog player to use their resources inefficiently is key to victory. Once their sources of sacrifice are depleted, and their game plan disrupted, the path to defeating the Lithatog and its controlling deck becomes clear.


Cards like Lithatog

Lithatog stands out in the sphere of sacrificial creatures in MTG. It shares traits with its ‘atog’ brethren, such as Auratog, which gains power by sacrificing enchantments. Lithatog also fluctuates in power and toughness but by sacrificing lands or artifacts instead, diversifying your strategic options. Unlike Auratog, which focuses solely on enchantments, Lithatog’s versatility allows for adaptation to varied game situations, whether you’re flush with lands or artifacts.

Another relative in this comparison is Psychatog, a card that thrives on a different axis of sacrifice – discarding cards from your hand or graveyard to bulk up. While Lithatog can provide immediate board presence enhancement by leveraging on-board assets, Psychatog tends to be a game-ender, growing mightier as the game progresses and the graveyard fills up.

From a broader perspective, examining these creatures underlines Lithatog’s unique positioning within MTG. It’s an adaptable force capable of capitalizing on a resource-rich board state, and when played skillfully, it can serve as a formidable threat or a surprise blocker capable of turning the tide of battle.

Auratog - MTG Card versions
Psychatog - MTG Card versions
Auratog - Tempest (TMP)
Psychatog - Odyssey (ODY)

Cards similar to Lithatog by color, type and mana cost

Centaur Archer - MTG Card versions
Giant Trap Door Spider - MTG Card versions
Raging Kavu - MTG Card versions
Verduran Emissary - MTG Card versions
Viashino Grappler - MTG Card versions
Hunting Kavu - MTG Card versions
Svella, Ice Shaper - MTG Card versions
Feral Animist - MTG Card versions
Wilderness Elemental - MTG Card versions
Boggart Ram-Gang - MTG Card versions
Tattermunge Duo - MTG Card versions
Daybreak Ranger // Nightfall Predator - MTG Card versions
Fanatic of Xenagos - MTG Card versions
Ulrich's Kindred - MTG Card versions
Khenra Charioteer - MTG Card versions
Hallar, the Firefletcher - MTG Card versions
Relentless Hunter - MTG Card versions
Draconic Disciple - MTG Card versions
Charging War Boar - MTG Card versions
Gruul Spellbreaker - MTG Card versions
Centaur Archer - Ice Age (ICE)
Giant Trap Door Spider - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Raging Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Verduran Emissary - Invasion (INV)
Viashino Grappler - Invasion (INV)
Hunting Kavu - Invasion (INV)
Svella, Ice Shaper - Kaldheim (KHM)
Feral Animist - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Wilderness Elemental - Coldsnap (CSP)
Boggart Ram-Gang - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Tattermunge Duo - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Daybreak Ranger // Nightfall Predator - Innistrad (ISD)
Fanatic of Xenagos - Born of the Gods (BNG)
Ulrich's Kindred - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Khenra Charioteer - Amonkhet Remastered (AKR)
Hallar, the Firefletcher - Dominaria (DOM)
Relentless Hunter - Battlebond (BBD)
Draconic Disciple - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Charging War Boar - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)
Gruul Spellbreaker - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Lithatog MTG card by a specific set like Odyssey, 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 Lithatog and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Lithatog has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks