Avarice Totem
Artifact
: Exchange control of this artifact and target nonland permanent.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Fifth Dawn
- Price
- $0.35
- EDHREC rank
- #14983
Avarice Totem lets you swap ownership of any permanent for five mana — including your opponents' best threats — which is either a political weapon or a straight steal depending on how you build around it. The activation cost is steep and symmetrical, so it does nothing without a plan, but Blim, Comedic Genius turns that symmetry into a one-sided punishment engine.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Blim, Comedic Genius
Blim, Comedic Genius wants to give opponents permanents that hurt them, and Avarice Totem closes the loop — steal something valuable, hand it back loaded with a curse or a liability, then watch Blim drain them for it on your next attack.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Avarice Totem is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but it sees virtually no play outside Commander — five mana to activate is catastrophic in formats where the game can end on turn three. In Commander, the multiplayer table changes the calculus: political use of Avarice Totem scales with the number of opponents, and the threat of activation often matters as much as pulling the trigger. It lives in niche builds centered on permanent theft or forced gifting, not as a generalist include.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.35 bulk tier
At $0.35, Avarice Totem is deep bulk — the price reflects how narrow the card is, not a buying opportunity. It holds that floor indefinitely; there is no crossover appeal to push it higher.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.