Phyrexian Totem MTG Card
2006-10-06 - Number 261
2010-03-19 - Number 20
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Phyrexian Totem becomes a 5/5 black Horror artifact creature with trample until end of turn. Whenever Phyrexian Totem is dealt damage, if it's a creature, sacrifice that many permanents.
Cards like Phyrexian Totem
The allure of Phyrexian Totem in the landscape of versatile Magic: The Gathering artifacts lies in its dual functionality. This card is often compared to the iconic Darksteel Ingot for its mana generation capability. While both provide mana, Phyrexian Totem stands out with its transformative nature, turning into a formidable 5/5 black Horror artifact creature with trample under the right conditions. Darksteel Ingot doesn’t offer a creature form, but it does boast indestructibility.
Another card in the conversation is Guardian Idol, a two-cost artifact that similarly becomes a creature. Though the Idol’s stats are more modest, transforming into only a 2/2 creature, its lower activation cost allows for quicker utility. The Totem’s creature form is much more powerful but comes with the inherent danger of infecting its controller if it’s dealt damage. Guardian Idol lacks this drawback.
Ultimately, Phyrexian Totem provides a unique blend of mana acceleration and a threat on the board. It’s an attractive option for decks looking to utilize its duality, especially in formats where leveraging both aspects can tip the scales in a player’s favor.
Cards similar to Phyrexian Totem by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Phyrexian Totem transforms into a formidable 5/5 black Phyrexian creature with trample, potentially turning a late-game stalemate in your favor. As it remains a potent threat even when not a creature, it offers a strategic advantage by forcing opponents to consider how to deal with its dual nature.
Resource Acceleration: As an artifact, Phyrexian Totem adds one black mana to your mana pool. This accelerates your resources, helping you deploy your threats earlier or enable higher-cost spells quicker than your opponents can counteract.
Instant Speed: The ability to turn Phyrexian Totem into a creature can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to surprise your opponent during their turn. This can disrupt their combat calculations or potentially create new blocking strategies that tilt combat in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Though the Phyrexian Totem can become a powerful creature, activating this ability comes with a cost—tapping and discarding a card. Such a requirement could be burdensome, especially when the hand is nearly empty or the card in question is crucial for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: The Phyrexian Totem necessitates a devotion to black mana, as its activation cost is exclusively in that color. This hinders its flexibility, rendering it a less than optimal choice for decks that either can’t afford or don’t rely heavily on black mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: To summon the Phyrexian Totem, you also need to invest a moderate sum of mana. With a casting cost of three and activation cost for its creature form, it demands a significant mana investment before reaping any benefits. Players might find themselves assessing other cards that could provide a stronger immediate impact or versatility on the battlefield.
Reasons to Include Phyrexian Totem in Your Collection
Versatility: The Phyrexian Totem is a dynamic card that offers both mana acceleration and a potential creature. This totem can be seamlessly integrated into black-centered decks, providing mana at one moment and transforming into a formidable 5/5 black Horror artifact creature with trample at another, ready to contend on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: Its dual nature allows for intriguing combinations, setting the stage for surprise attacks or fueling strategies that synergize with creature and artifact dynamics. Whether you’re triggering morbid abilities or ramping up for a game-changing spell, this totem has the potential to be the linchpin in a cleverly crafted combo.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where versatility and unpredictability are key, Phyrexian Totem stands out. Its ability to serve as a land in the early game and turn into a powerful attacker or blocker without using a spell slot makes it a wise choice for those looking to outmaneuver opponents relying on more predictable strategies.
How to beat
Phyrexian Totem is a versatile artifact in Magic: The Gathering that has proven itself as a useful tool in various decks. Where this totem shines is in its ability to become a formidable creature on the battlefield, albeit with certain risks attached. Its transformation into a Phyrexian Negator can be a double-edged sword due to the inherent drawback if it becomes targeted or dealt damage.
To outmaneuver an opponent wielding a Phyrexian Totem, one must be strategic in choosing when to force the totem to become a creature. Removal spells that don’t deal direct damage, such as Path to Exile or Unmake, work well as they bypass the totem’s downside of sacrificing permanents. Artifact removal like Abrade is also effective when the totem is not animated, neatly avoiding the potential for punishment.
Additionally, playing around the instant-speed transformation is crucial. Activating the totem untimely can give opponents an opening to disrupt your plans, possibly turning the tides in their favor before the totem’s full potential is realized. It’s therefore key to recognize the right moment to animate this peculiar artifact, or better still, apply pressure that makes its conversion a riskier move for your opponent.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Phyrexian Totem MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition, 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 Phyrexian Totem and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
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- Card Market
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Printings
The Phyrexian Totem Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2010-03-19. Illustrated by John Zeleznik.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2006-10-06 | Time Spiral | TSP | 261 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Zeleznik | |
| 2 | 2010-03-19 | Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition | DDE | 20 | 2003 | Normal | Black | John Zeleznik |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Phyrexian Totem has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Phyrexian Totem card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2006-09-25 | When damage is dealt to Phyrexian Totem, its triggered ability will trigger. A number of permanents equal to the amount of damage dealt will be sacrificed when the ability resolves. It doesn’t matter if Phyrexian Totem isn’t on the battlefield when the ability resolves, as long as Phyrexian Totem was a creature as it left the battlefield. If one of the permanents sacrificed is Phyrexian Totem itself, the requisite number of other permanents must still be sacrificed. |
| 2008-08-01 | A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature. |