Pterodactyls Card Game: How to Play the Prehistoric Edition

By Looney Labs - Shop | Published: 2026-10-23

Category: How-to Guides

Learn how to play Pterodactyls, a special promo card that works in any Chrononauts deck. Discover its role as a wild dinosaur or dodo bird pair.

Quick answer

The Pterodactyls card is a special Artifact for Chrononauts that counts as any one Live Dinosaur or a mating pair of Dodo Birds, giving you flexible options in either timeline.

What makes Pterodactyls special

Unlike standard cards, Pterodactyls debuted as a promo at Dragon*Con 2004 and works in both types of Chrononauts decks. Its unique ability lets you treat it as either a single Live Dinosaur or a mating pair of Dodo Birds, which can help you complete timeline objectives or trigger specific effects.

How to use the Pterodactyls card

1. Add Pterodactyls to your deck: Include the Pterodactyls Artifact card in your Chrononauts deck (either original or the later edition). It fits into any timeline deck without modification. Common mistake: trying to use it as two different creatures at once. It counts as one Live Dinosaur OR a pair of Dodo Birds, not both simultaneously.
2. Play the card as an Artifact: When you play Pterodactyls, place it in your artifact zone. It remains there until removed by an effect that targets artifacts. Checkpoint: remember it is an Artifact, not a Creature, so it cannot be attacked or removed by creature-specific effects.
3. Declare its role when needed: At the moment you need to satisfy a condition (e.g., collecting a Live Dinosaur or having a Dodo Bird pair), declare whether Pterodactyls counts as a Live Dinosaur or as two Dodo Birds. This choice is made per requirement. Common mistake: assuming the choice is permanent. You can decide each time the card is checked, so adapt to the current objective.
4. Use it to complete timeline objectives: If a timeline requires a Live Dinosaur, treat Pterodactyls as that. If you need a pair of Dodo Birds for an event or goal, treat it as the pair. This flexibility can turn a losing hand into a winning one. Checkpoint: verify that your timeline or event specifically mentions 'Live Dinosaur' or 'Dodo Birds'—Pterodactyls only substitutes for those exact terms.

Product details

Pterodactyls: This special Artifact works in either type of Chrononauts deck. It debuted as a promo card at Dragon*Con 2004. It says, 'Counts as any one Live Dinosaur, or a mating pair of Dodo Birds.' You can use it as a flexible wildcard to fill a missing dinosaur requirement or to complete a Dodo Bird pair without needing two separate cards.
Pterodactyls