Citanul Flute MTG Card
1998-10-12 - Number 289
2007-07-13 - Number 315
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Key Takeaways
- Citanul Flute provides card advantage by continuously supplying creatures to your hand, shaping the game’s flow.
- It streamlines your deck’s performance, bypassing card draw needs and readily accessing key creatures.
- Despite a high activation cost, it’s a versatile and worthwhile addition for creature-focused strategies.
Text of card
o X, oc T: Search your library for a creature card with total casting cost no greater than X. Reveal that card and put it into your hand. Shuffle your library afterward.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Citanul Flute enables a continuous stream of creature cards to your hand, bolstering your resources each turn while potentially overwhelming your opponent with a sustained flow of threats.
Resource Acceleration: By tutoring creatures directly to your hand, this artifact bypasses the need for card draw mechanics and can streamline your deck’s performance, ensuring you have access to vital creatures when you need them.
Instant Speed: Although Citanul Flute does not operate at instant speed, it offers flexibility by allowing you to search for creatures during your turn without committing to a specific mana cost, providing strategic advantages as the game unfolds.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Though not a direct con of Citanul Flute itself, the cards you search for often have their own discard requirements which could deplete your hand and limit your strategic options.
Specific Mana Cost: Citanul Flute commands a very specific mana investment to begin using its ability, which can be quite taxing in a multicolored deck where mana resources are tight.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial investment of five mana just to place it on the battlefield, Citanul Flute’s activation cost requires yet more mana to use, making it a slow and possibly cumbersome tool compared to other forms of creature tutoring.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Citanul Flute is a card that can fit seamlessly into numerous deck archetypes. Its ability to tutor creatures from your library ensures that you always have access to the tools you need in any stage of the game.
Combo Potential: The inherent tutoring power of Citanul Flute pairs excellently with strategies that capitalize on specific creature combinations or that require certain pieces to assemble win conditions.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to fetch silver bullet creatures that can disrupt or counter popular strategies, Citanul Flute remains a tactically relevant card, especially in versatile and ever-changing metagames.
How to beat
The Citanul Flute is an artifact that holds its own in the realm of utility cards in Magic the Gathering. Providing consistent creature tutoring at a scalable cost, it grants players the ability to search their decks for any creature card. This can be somewhat daunting to face, as it can potentially give an opponent access to their most powerful creatures every turn.
To outmaneuver the Flute’s capabilities, one effective strategy is to deploy targeted artifact removal spells like Naturalize or Krosan Grip, which can dismantle the Flute before it becomes a recurring threat. Another tactic is to preemptively use counter spells or Discard effects to ensure the Flute never hits the board, particularly effective in controlling or tempo-based decks. Likewise, taxing effects from cards like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben can make activating the Flute’s ability more costly and delay its impact on the game.
Winning against the Citanul Flute requires strategic planning and prompt action. Answering it swiftly or hindering its activation costs are key, as this can prevent an opponent from gaining the upper hand with an unending stream of creatures. By understanding the mechanics and maintaining control, players can mitigate the powerful searching ability of the Citanul Flute.
Cards like Citanul Flute
The allure of Citanul Flute as a unique artifact lies in its versatile ability to tutor creatures directly into a player’s hand. Its kinship can be seen with another tutoring artifact, Planar Bridge, which also enables players to select creatures, albeit placing them directly onto the battlefield. However, Planar Bridge demands a higher activation cost and focuses on any permanent card, not just creatures.
Quietus Spike, on a different scale, echoes a powerful effect on the board but diverges as it equips creatures to deal punishing combat damage. Its impact differs vastly from the creature-searching utility the Flute provides. Comparatively, Ring of Three Wishes grants versatility much like the Flute, offering players the power to fetch any card. The Ring, though finite in use, doesn’t restrict the search to just creatures, providing a broader scope of strategy alteration.
Evaluating each of these artifacts within the realm of Magic: The Gathering displays that while they share a bond through their ability to influence game strategy, Citanul Flute carves out its own identity with its creature-centric tutoring power, a consistent cornerstone in decks that thrive on creature synergy and precise game plan execution.
Cards similar to Citanul Flute by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Citanul Flute MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Tenth Edition, 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 Citanul Flute 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
Printings
The Citanul Flute Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2007-07-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1998-10-12 | Urza's Saga | USG | 289 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Berry | |
| 2 | 2007-07-13 | Tenth Edition | 10E | 315 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Greg Hildebrandt |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Citanul Flute has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Citanul Flute card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | X can be zero if you want. |
| 2004-10-04 | You look in your library but you do not have to choose a creature even if you have one that meets the criteria. |
