[Single Card Discussion] Cursed Totem

[Stupid_Newb]

Cursed Totem

Whether it’s Goblin Welder, Tog, or Grim Lavamancer, the best decks in T1 all have some form of activated ability inside of a creature. Many decks rely on these activated abilities to win games (Tog). Some use them for creature removal and destruction (Mox Monkey, Lavamancer, Masticore). Others just use them to do broken things (Goblin Welder). But the list doesn’t stop there:

-River Boa
-Withered Wretch
-Triskelion
-Metalworker
-Karn and Bosh
-Memnarch
-Ravager
-Morphling
-Spiketail Hatchling
-Tinder Wall
-Ambassador Laquatus
-Wild Mongrel
-Masticore

Have a look at the list. If you’re able to drop a Totem before Slavery has a chance to use Welder, you’re going to put them in a very tough spot. If you’re able to drop one against Tog (and are able to protect it), you’re going to be hard to finish off. Drop one against 7/10, you take away their Welder, and two win conditions (Memnarch and Triskelion). Drop it against U/R Fish, you can protect your creatures, Moxen, and spells being played.

So far, I’ve done little testing with it, probably around 20 games (mainly against Tog, Slavery, and U/R Fish). Of course there are probably better cards to use in your sideboard against certain matchups, but this to me, this card is an extremely useful card in most of the matchups that you’ll come across, and it seems to be worthy of a maindeck spot in a lot of decks. But, like any other card, it will have its bad matchups, and for this card, it’s FCG. The deck uses very few, if any activated abilities within its creatures.

Bottom Line: Cursed Totem seems to be a very useful card in T1 today.

[johnstown713]

While this card can perform well in todays metagame it seems as though there are already to many better sideboard cards above this.  Another main problem is that is is an artifact.  Everyone knows artifacts have trouble staying alive today.  Unfortunatley I don't see this card being layed in the near future.  Im glad it wouldn't hurt my 4cControl Deck.

Johnstown713

[Zherbus]

This cards ability really wasn't all that playable in most decks until we started using Damping Matrix, which has the added bonus of shutting off things like Slaver, Jar, and Scepter.

[Komatteru]

Damping Matrix is much better than Cursed Totem, but even Damping Matrix isn't that great.  I recently removed them from my 4CC sideboard because I found that they're really not that helpful.  The times when they helped me were few and far between and I found myself wishing they were Null Rods more often than I was glad they were Damping Matrices.  And if Damping Matrix isn't so hot, Cursed Totem sure isn't going to be good.

[Jacob Orlove]

Unless Tinder Wall and Metalworkers are really that important to you, Matrix actually has a strictly better effect than Totem, for only 1 mana more.

The only possible argument for this card is if you're already running 3-4 Null Rods, but it shuts down all the creatures in those decks anyway.

I'd move this to Newbie, but there's really nothing to discuss. Closed.