Chronatog Totem MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
| Released | 2006-10-06 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Time Spiral |
| Set code | TSP |
| Number | 252 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Christopher Rush |
Key Takeaways
- Chronatog Totem allows card drawing by skipping turns, offering a late-game strategic advantage.
- Its instant-speed activation aligns with control strategies for greater tactical flexibility.
- Sacrificing permanents to activate the totem’s ability can be a double-edged sword.
Text of card
: Add to your mana pool. : Chronatog Totem becomes a 1/2 blue Atog artifact creature until end of turn. : Chronatog Totem gets +3/+3 until end of turn. You skip your next turn. Play this ability only once each turn and only if Chronatog Totem is a creature.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Chronatog Totem turns into an efficient draw engine under the right circumstances, allowing players to skip their turn to draw an additional card. This built-in capability provides a strategic edge in the late game where the pressure to play spells every turn is reduced and the value of drawing more options increases.
Resource Acceleration: This unique artifact is not directly a resource acceleration tool, but it can indirectly lead to acceleration by opening up alternate play lines. Since you can activate its ability at instant speed without tapping, it complements other cards that capitalize on untapped lands or artifacts for increased efficiency.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of activating Chronatog Totem at instant speed offers a significant tactical advantage. It aligns perfectly with control strategies, allowing players to pass the turn with all their resources open to react to an opponent’s actions or end-of-turn surprises, turning the totem into a creature only when necessary.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Chronatog Totem requires you to sacrifice a permanent each time you wish to take advantage of its ability to skip your turn. This can be quite costly, especially if you are sacrificing crucial board presence or much-needed land resources.
Specific Mana Cost: To activate the primary ability of the Chronatog Totem, you need to allocate a specific type of mana (blue), which might not always be readily available if you’re playing a multicolored deck. This requirement potentially limits the card’s versatility across various deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its activation cost sitting at three mana, the totem has a notably high investment for the effect of skipping a turn. This is especially significant when compared to other cards that provide greater immediate impact or advantage without sacrificing a turn’s worth of development.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Chronatog Totem offers flexibility in deck construction by transforming into a powerful creature that can be a significant threat on the battlefield. Its adaptability provides utility in both aggressive and controlling strategies.
Combo Potential: This artifact’s ability to skip turns creates unique interactions, especially with cards that benefit from time-manipulation or those that can exploit untapped resources and permanents during skipped turns.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors long, grindy games or one where stalling tactics are prevalent, Chronatog Totem can be a game-changer by granting an unconventional edge and disrupting opponent’s strategies.
How to beat
Confronting Chronatog Totem at the MTG battlefield requires strategic planning due to its unique ability to skip turns. To outmaneuver this totem, focus on speed and disruption. Utilizing quick creatures or spells that can apply early pressure will challenge an opponent relying on Chronatog Totem’s static game plan. Additionally, packing your deck with direct removal spells, or those that can force sacrifices or bounce permanents back to the hand, will curb the advantage the totem offers.
Moreover, bear in mind that a player activating Chronatog Totem often leaves their defenses down. Exploit these critical moments to maximize damage or establish a commanding board presence. Cards that interact with artifacts directly, such as artifact destruction spells or those that allow artifact commandeering, can also dismantle the totem strategy effectively. By keeping these tactics at the forefront and maintaining a dynamic playstyle, you can claim victory over an opponent wielding the stalling power of Chronatog Totem.
In essence, stay aggressive, interrupt the totem’s activation, and capitalize on the small windows of opportunity when your opponent skips turns. This approach will help to hold sway over Chronatog Totem and secure your dominance in the match.
Cards like Chronatog Totem
Chronatog Totem stands as a unique artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering. With its ability to turn into a creature with the “skip your next turn” feature, it bears some similarity to the original Chronatog creature which famously uses the same time-warping tactic. However, the totem’s advantage lies in its flexibility; it remains an indestructible artifact until a player decides to activate it. This allows for strategic defensive plays without the vulnerability of a creature on the board.
Comparing it to other cards, Time Vault comes to mind, which also manipulates turns but with a different consequence and condition for use. Then there’s the Magistrate’s Scepter, granting extra turns through the accumulation of charge counters, showcasing yet another method of turn manipulation. Both offer powerful time control strategies but differ from Chronatog Totem in execution and potential risks.
Evaluating Chronatog Totem within its niche, it holds a special place for players who appreciate pacing the tempo of the game and enjoy the prospect of controlling turns, albeit at a cost. Its versatility as an artifact and conditional transformation into a creature sets it apart, making it an intriguing choice for decks that can capitalize on its unique mechanics.
Cards similar to Chronatog Totem by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Chronatog Totem MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Chronatog Totem 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Chronatog 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 Chronatog Totem card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 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. |
