Every card in Time Spiral was a throwback to at least one previously printed card.
This card is part of a cycle of 3 casting cost mana-producing artifacts that turn into creatures which cannot be reprinted due to the Reserved list. This card is referencing Phyrexian Negator. The others in this cycle include Chronatog Totem, Weatherseed Totem, Thunder Totem, and Foriysian Totem.
Posted By:
Missile_Penguin
(12/2/2012 12:44:23 AM)
@Elysiume: If you think that, then you must have missed the Urza block some years ago. While this card, unlike Phyrexian Negator, is far from brilliant, it's certainly not because of its last clause. Back in the day, Phyrexian Negator won games.
Posted By:
Bulhakas
(11/24/2009 6:39:53 AM)
It's a Negator that isn't there unless you want it to attack. And it does something useful in the meantime.
How can anyone not realise the power of that?
Posted By:
nibelheim_valesti
(6/20/2010 5:15:50 AM)
@Wormfang
Lands have summoning sickness. It says so on MTGO.
Really helps when you forget which mountain you played on the turn you cast Koth.
Posted By:
Kryptnyt
(11/19/2011 12:28:31 PM)
Best of the totems.
Posted By:
Gilgamesh3000
(7/9/2009 4:24:30 PM)
Now, having used Phyrexian Negator, I reverse my stance. Used prudently, this can be amazing, but not quite as good as the Negator himself.
Posted By:
Elysiume
(3/21/2010 12:19:49 PM)
No, all creatures have summoning sickness. A creature can only tap or attack if the permenant which it is has haste, or has been under your constant control since the beginning of your upkeep. These totems do not have haste. If you play this totem, and then immediately turn him into a negator, then he can neither tap to add mana, nor attack.
It's honestly not that complicated. Try READING THE RULES AND KNOWING HOW TO PLAY MAGIC.
Posted By:
Arglypuff
(7/5/2010 3:52:47 PM)
Wow you guys are dumb. Ok so this what you play this card with : Not in aggro decks, ever. You play this in a deck, usually as a 2-3 of, that plays Dust Bowl, The Abyss, something with very heavy disruption in there like Pox when you absolutely do not want to play any creatures. It is good because it dodges cards like Innocent Blood and Smallpox. you play this in the same deck as Chimeric Idol, for the same reason. You can Dark Ritual this, it is not a creature, and then tap it for mana to play Duress, or whatever.. you cannot attack the turn this enters play, were it then to become a creature right away.. but on subsequent turns, even if it has not been a creature yet ,can attack. Similarly, Mishra's factory can come into play, tap for mana like a land, or you can activate it as a blocker. You canno... (see all)
Posted By:
Hovercraft
(1/5/2012 3:26:21 PM)
It has been used to good effect in some variants of Mono-Black Control. But it certainly fulfills a completely different function than the original Phyrexian Negator, and it has no place in aggro decks IMHO.
Posted By:
makochman
(9/3/2009 8:25:37 AM)
Yeaahhh now you see the light. Of course this isn't as good, its an mana producing uncommon, what do you want?
Posted By:
Omenchild
(4/18/2010 1:03:55 AM)