[New Card Discussion] Chronatog Totem

[rozetta]

Chronatog Totem 3
Artifact    U
: Add to your mana pool.
1{U}: Chronatog Totem becomes a 1/2 blue Atog artifact creature until end of turn.
0: 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.
Illus. Christopher Rush
#252/301

Okay, so a first look, this seemed like a possibility in a Stax-type deck.

Pros:
- it's castable with shop mana
- unaffected by 3sphere
- taps for blue (never bad)
- doesn't come into play tapped (big plus)
- another permanent for the board
- it's own mana can be used to activate it (meaning only having to find a single non-shop colorless)
- can "force" an additional turn out of the opponent to seal a stack/wire lock

Cons:
- cutting something for this would be hard
- situational lock use (e.g. the time vault effect) even though it doubles as mana
- changed from original chronatog in that you can only pump it once per turn (meaning only forcing one additional turn out of the opponent)

Although this is a multi-use mana producer/lock piece, it's situational usage added to the fact that it's hard to fit into the deck deems this as a card that doesn't quite make the cut.

Discuss.

[Gabethebabe]

I think it sucks.

The 1U ability is hardly relevant and why would you want to use its own mana to activate it, what can you do with a tapped 1/2?

The skip a turn ability doesn´t bring you a lot of good, like a Time Vault does. And skipping turns just because you have smokestack/tangle wire out seems a lot like "winning more" to me.

[chrissss]

This card is great in Stasis decks, but thats about it where its a win condition. They should have brought back a different creature for the Totem imo. Nice that it gives mana though.

[taniquetil]

Well, it's certainly a solid card, but in Vintage there are so many better options. THe mana acceleration isn't good, might as well have...Darksteel Ingot and be indestructable. The thing as a win condition is terrible, might as well have a Juggernaut. If Control Slaver gets a hold of this thing...whoops double time walk. Skipping a turn gives your opponent more time fo find a win condition and/or answer. If you are so ahead in board position that GIVING YOUR OPPONENT A FREE TIME WALK is more helpful than detrimental, you're probably winning anyway.

[rozetta]

Well, it's certainly a solid card, but in Vintage there are so many better options. THe mana acceleration isn't good, might as well have...Darksteel Ingot and be indestructable. The thing as a win condition is terrible, might as well have a Juggernaut. If Control Slaver gets a hold of this thing...whoops double time walk. Skipping a turn gives your opponent more time fo find a win condition and/or answer. If you are so ahead in board position that GIVING YOUR OPPONENT A FREE TIME WALK is more helpful than detrimental, you're probably winning anyway.

True, I forgot to add those few items to the list, since it slipped my mind. Something like this is a liability versus Mindslaver, and yes, in the situation where you might want to pass the turn, it's one of those ever-loved "win more" situations.

Anyway, the card warranted starting a thread simply on the merit that someone, at some point, would consider it as a functional analogy to Time Vault and therefore we might as well hash out right now why it isn't a valid addition to, at least, the current prison decks.

[mulder]

I fail to see why this would be better than Time Vault. It essentially does the same thing, but only Time Vault costs one less, and you can get the turn you skipped back later on if you want.