Turntimber Ascetic MTG Card

Turntimber Ascetic offers consistent life gain, making it a valuable asset in creature-centric decks. The need to discard for activation is a downside, especially when resources are low. In the right decks, Ascetic’s lifelink can disrupt aggressive strategies and stabilize games.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Giant Cleric
Released	2020-09-25
Set symbol
Set name	Zendikar Rising
Set code	ZNR
Power	5
Toughness	4
Number	214
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Nicholas Gregory

Text of card

When Turntimber Ascetic enters the battlefield, you gain 3 life.

"For so long, this land cried out in pain. Now, as the flow returns to its balance point, a new harmony echoes in the trees."

Cards like Turntimber Ascetic

The Turntimber Ascetic stands out in the realm of creatures with lifelink abilities within Magic: The Gathering. A card it draws parallels with is Centaur Healer, another creature that bolsters your life total upon entering the battlefield. Centaur Healer provides an immediate three-life increase, whereas Turntimber Ascetic promises ongoing benefit through its lifelink, allowing you to gain life with every damage dealt. This distinction gives Turntimber Ascetic an edge in prolonged engagements.

Another akin card is Ajani’s Pridemate, which also interacts beneficially with life gain. However, unlike Turntimber Ascetic which has a passive lifelink ability, Ajani’s Pridemate requires life to be gained first to grow stronger. Therefore, the Ascetic can be a more predictable option in decks focusing on life as a resource. Lastly, the Serra Ascendant is a life-based powerhouse that, when conditionally powered-up, also causes incredible lifelink effects. But its power is contingent on a higher life total, whereas the Turntimber Ascetic offers a more consistent performance.

Turntimber Ascetic finds its niche by balancing steady life gains and durability on the battlefield, making it a worthy consideration for players valuing consistent lifelink creatures in their Magic: The Gathering strategies.

Cards similar to Turntimber Ascetic by color, type and mana cost

Ashaya, Soul of the Wild - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Turntimber Ascetic offers a replenishing effect by allowing you to gain life whenever creatures enter the battlefield under your control. This synergizes well with creature-heavy decks, potentially granting you significant life total boosts throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: Including Turntimber Ascetic in your deck can help expedite your game plan, especially if you’re leveraging a strategy centered around creature summoning. The life gained can be a valuable resource, providing you with more staying power to reach your deck’s late-game threats.

Instant Speed: Though Turntimber Ascetic operates at sorcery speed, its ability to consistently gain you life can be an indirect way to mitigate damage from instant-speed interactions. This can be crucial for outlasting opponents in longer engagements where instant speed spells and tactics are common.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Turntimber Ascetic offers a decent body and life gain potential, one of its drawbacks is the need to discard a card to activate its ability. Although this can be a trade-off in certain situations, when your hand is depleted, this requirement can be a significant setback, limiting the card’s effectiveness in the late game.

Specific Mana Cost: The Turntimber Ascetic demands a specific mana configuration to cast—two green sources—which might not be readily available in multi-color decks. This requirement can sometimes hinder its playability, especially in decks that rely heavily on other colors or those with a less stable mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, Turntimber Ascetic can be considered to have a high mana cost for its effects. There are alternatives that might offer greater value or versatility at a lower cost. For instance, in the realms of creature cards or life-gain spells, there may be more economical choices that could fit better into the strategic flow of a deck.

Reasons to Include Turntimber Ascetic in Your Collection

Versatility: Turntimber Ascetic isn’t confined to a single deck archetype. Its ability to gain life makes it a strong addition to decks focusing on sustaining player health and utilizing lifegain synergies.

Combo Potential: As a creature with a simple yet effective entering the battlefield trigger, it can be integrated into combos that revolve around ETB effects or repeatedly bouncing creatures to hand for repeated lifegain advantages.

Meta-Relevance: With aggro decks often being prevalent in the meta, including Turntimber Ascetic could be a smart counterstrategy. Its presence on the board can help stabilize games and deter opponents from attacking too aggressively.

How to beat

Turntimber Ascetic presents itself as a resilient creature in certain MTG matchups, boasting lifelink which can be a steady source of life gain for the player. However, to effectively tackle this card, it’s essential to consider removal options that bypass the lifelink ability. Strategies may include using instant speed removal spells which can handle the ascetic before it has a chance to impact the board. Cards such as Doom Blade or Path to Exile are efficient at removing creatures without triggering lifelink since they don’t involve combat damage.

Alternatively, to prevent life gain, employing cards that negate such abilities can be crucial. Tainted Remedy is an enchantment that turns life gain into life loss, directly countering the benefits of the Turntimber Ascetic’s lifelink. For matchups that see the Turntimber Ascetic as a recurrent threat, it might be wise to incorporate graveyard disruption to prevent recursion. Cards like Scavenging Ooze can exile creatures from graveyards, thereby rendering attempts to bring back the Ascetic futile.

Ultimately, with a tactical approach and the right answers in your deck, the Turntimber Ascetic can be neutralized, allowing you to maintain control over the game’s tempo and your opponent’s life total.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Turntimber Ascetic MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar Rising, 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 Turntimber Ascetic and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Turntimber Ascetic has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal