Turntimber Basilisk MTG Card
2009-10-02 - Number 190
2015-08-28 - Number 25
2017-06-16 - Number 76
2019-11-07 - Number 1365
2022-12-02 - Number 736
2020-09-26 - Number E01-76
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Basilisk |
| Abilities | Deathtouch,Landfall |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
Key Takeaways
- Turntimber Basilisk offers indirect card advantage, deathtouch causing opponents to lose multiple creatures.
- Deathtouch synergizes with instant-speed spells, enhancing Turntimber Basilisk’s combat effectiveness.
- Specific mana requirements can limit deck building flexibility, constraining multi-color deck strategies.
Text of card
Deathtouch (Creatures dealt damage by this creature are destroyed. You can divide this creature's combat damage among any of the creatures blocking or blocked by it.) Landfall — Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may have target creature block Turntimber Basilisk this turn if able.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When Turntimber Basilisk hits the battlefield, it has the potential to consistently neutralize your opponent’s creatures through its deathtouch ability. This can indirectly contribute to card advantage, as your opponent may be forced to lose multiple creatures to your single basilisk over the course of the game.
Resource Acceleration: Although Turntimber Basilisk isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, its presence can influence the pace of the game. By discouraging attacks or blocking effectively, it can help preserve your life total and other resources, allowing you to invest in building your board and developing your mana base unimpeded.
Instant Speed: While the basilisk itself is a creature card and not an instant, its synergy with instant-speed spells cannot be overstated. Its deathtouch pairs well with cards that allow you to engage in combat on your terms or spells that grant it an unexpected boost during battle, thereby maximizing its defensive and offensive capabilities at key moments in the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Inevitably, having Turntimber Basilisk in your deck mandates readiness for moments when you might need to relinquish valuable cards in exchange for its tactical benefits. This requirement could be a setback for players who like to maintain a full hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Being a creature that requires a mix of generic and green mana to cast, it could pose a challenge for multi-colored decks that might struggle with mana fixing. This specificity often narrows deck-building options and reduces the basilisk’s overall adaptability.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that includes three mana of any type plus one green mana, Turntimber Basilisk can be considered mana-intensive when compared to other creatures of similar stature. Players looking for cost-effective alternatives might find that its mana requirements outweigh its in-game advantages, especially when considering other creatures with evasive abilities or additional value.
Reasons to Include Turntimber Basilisk in Your Collection
Versatility: Turntimber Basilisk is a creature card that can seamlessly slip into green-based decks, thriving in environments that appreciate deathtouch. Its presence on the battlefield means it can act as both a deterrent to attackers and an efficient blocker, capable of taking down much larger creatures.
Combo Potential: Its lethal touch makes it an ideal combo with cards that allow for multiple creature fights or those encouraging creatures to block, ensuring the basilisk removes strategic threats from your opponents consistently.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-heavy decks prevail, Turntimber Basilisk stands out as a cost-effective tool to control the board and keep your opponent’s advancing threats in check.
How to beat
Turntimber Basilisk is a captivating creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering with its deathtouch ability, which allows it to destroy any creature it deals damage to. This can make Turntimber Basilisk a challenge to deal with, especially in combat. The key to overcoming this snake is to avoid combat when it’s on the field. Using removal spells that don’t require your creatures to fight it directly is effective.
Furthermore, you can employ evasion tactics. Creatures with flying or those that can’t be blocked are valuable as they can bypass the Turntimber Basilisk altogether. Cards like Pacifism can also neutralize it without triggering its deathtouch. For a more permanent solution, exiling spells remove it from the battlefield entirely, circumventing graveyard-based strategies that might seek to return the Basilisk to play. By considering these strategies, you can navigate around its threatening presence and maintain control over the board.
It’s important for players to understand the role of Turntimber Basilisk within the game and to craft their deck or strategy accordingly. Dealing with it swiftly and efficiently can often mean the difference between victory and defeat in a close match.
Cards like Turntimber Basilisk
Turntimber Basilisk presents an interesting dynamic in the creature lineup of Magic: The Gathering. It shares the deathtouch ability with creatures like Deadly Recluse, both of which can destroy any creature they deal damage to regardless of power. While the Recluse offers reach, allowing it to block flying creatures, Turntimber Basilisk can potentially remove multiple blockers with its landfall – granting it the ability to make creatures without flying block it if able.
Comparatively, Ambush Viper also wields deathtouch but comes with flash, allowing surprise blocks or end-of-turn plays. Nonetheless, it doesn’t influence combat to the same extent as the Basilisk. Then there’s Acidic Slime, a deathtouch creature that acts as a powerful utility tool upon entering the battlefield, destroying an artifact, enchantment, or land, which Turntimber Basilisk doesn’t cater to.
In evaluating these options, Turntimber Basilisk stands out because its capacity to affect combat can significantly alter the tide of a match. The versatility and manipulative nature of this card can be a pivotal addition to decks that exploit landfall triggers or require reliable board control through creatures with deathtouch.
Cards similar to Turntimber Basilisk by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Turntimber Basilisk MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi, 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 Basilisk 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 Turntimber Basilisk Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Goran Josic.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009-10-02 | Zendikar | ZEN | 190 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic | |
| 2 | 2015-08-28 | Duel Decks: Zendikar vs. Eldrazi | DDP | 25 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic | |
| 3 | 2017-06-16 | Archenemy: Nicol Bolas | E01 | 76 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1365 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | E01-76 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic | ||
| 6 | 2022-12-02 | Jumpstart 2022 | J22 | 736 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Goran Josic |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Turntimber Basilisk has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Turntimber Basilisk card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2009-10-01 | Deciding to have the targeted creature block doesn’t force you to attack with Turntimber Basilisk that turn. If Turntimber Basilisk doesn’t attack, the targeted creature is free to block whichever creature its controller chooses, or block no creatures at all. |
| 2009-10-01 | If Turntimber Basilisk’s landfall ability triggers multiple times during the same turn, you can have multiple creatures block it that turn if able. |
| 2009-10-01 | If you choose to have the targeted creature block but that creature isn’t able to block Turntimber Basilisk (for example, because the targeted creature can block only creatures with flying), the requirement to block does nothing. The targeted creature is free to block whichever creature its controller chooses, or block no creatures at all. |
| 2009-10-01 | Tapped creatures, creatures that can’t block as the result of an effect, creatures with unpaid costs to block (such as those from War Cadence), and creatures that aren’t controlled by the defending player are exempt from effects that would require them to block. Such creatures can be targeted by Turntimber Basilisk’s landfall ability, but the requirement to block does nothing. |
| 2009-10-01 | The landfall ability triggers whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability (such as Rampant Growth) causes you to put a land onto the battlefield under your control. It will even trigger when a spell or ability causes another player to put a land onto the battlefield under your control (as can happen with Yavimaya Dryad’s ability, for example). |
| 2009-10-01 | When a land enters the battlefield under your control, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one that resolves. |
| 2009-10-01 | You decide whether to have the targeted creature block Turntimber Basilisk this turn if able at the time the landfall ability resolves, not at the time Turntimber Basilisk attacks. |
