Timestream Navigator MTG Card


Extra turns from Timestream Navigator can drastically change game outcomes and player strategies. Its synergy with resource acceleration and permanence generation enhances deck strategies. Despite its power, its limitations in cost and color specificity should be considered.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Human Pirate Wizard
Abilities Ascend
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.) , , Put Timestream Navigator on the bottom of its owner's library: Take an extra turn after this one. Activate this ability only if you have the city's blessing.


Cards like Timestream Navigator

Timestream Navigator stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a unique creature card with the power to control the flow of the game. Comparable to cards like Sage of Fables, which also allow for manipulation of the game through drawing extra cards, Timestream Navigator takes it a step further by offering a chance at an extra turn for the price of spending four mana and having the city’s blessing. While Sage of Fables doesn’t grant additional turns, its persist ability to accumulate +1/+1 counters can be used more than once, providing a continuous advantage.

Another card in the same vein is Fatespinner. This creature lets players choose a phase that will be skipped during their opponent’s next turn. Although it does not grant extra turns, it disrupts opponents’ tactics in a different manner. On the flip side, Lighthouse Chronologist provides direct turn advantage similar to Timestream Navigator when it reaches seven level counters, granting multiple extra turns as long as it remains in play and can be repeatedly leveled up.

In summary, while there are other cards that offer turn manipulation or advantages over time, Timestream Navigator’s ability to pave the way for an extra turn helps it shine in scenarios where an additional turn can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Sage of Fables - MTG Card versions
Fatespinner - MTG Card versions
Lighthouse Chronologist - MTG Card versions
Sage of Fables - MTG Card versions
Fatespinner - MTG Card versions
Lighthouse Chronologist - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Timestream Navigator. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
UU PioneerPioneer Challenge 64 2024-04-13
Four-color ComboFour-color Combo GladiatorGladiator Games: We're Back

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Timestream Navigator boasts the ability to potentially provide substantial card advantage by enabling you to take additional turns. Although this doesn’t directly draw you cards, the extra turns can be leveraged to play more lands, draw more cards, and further develop your game presence.

Resource Acceleration: This card fits into decks focused on resource acceleration as it requires the Ascend mechanic, which is likely to happen sooner in decks that can generate numerous permanents quickly. While the Navigator itself doesn’t ramp your mana, it aligns with strategies that put a lot of lands or tokens into play, moving you closer to achieving the City’s Blessing necessary to activate its powerful ability.

Instant Speed: Though Timestream Navigator’s ability isn’t at instant speed, it sets up plays that can change the pace of the game at crucial moments. Once the ability is activated, it grants you an extra turn after the current one, allowing for surprise tactics and strategic planning out of sight of your opponents’ countermeasures.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tapping into the potential of Timestream Navigator means you’ll need to part ways with a precious card in your hand. This drawback can be especially troublesome when your hand is running on empty and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Hailing from a blue mana lineage, Timestream Navigator’s demanding color-specific mana cost can pigeonhole it into blue-centric or two-color decks, limiting its versatility in a broader spectrum of deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting an ability that could shift the tides of the game, the Timestream Navigator comes at a steep four mana—two for casting and another two along with Ascend to sail into its time-warping effect. This cost positions it on the higher side when stacked against other cards with more immediate or cost-effective impacts.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Timestream Navigator offers flexibility for various deck builds with its unique “take an extra turn” ability, allowing players to craft strategies around time manipulation no matter the deck theme.

Combo Potential: This card can create powerful synergies in decks focused on manipulating the top of the library or increasing the number of permanents you control, unlocking the pathway for game-ending combos.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments where long-term planning pays off, Timestream Navigator thrives by providing extra turn opportunities to outmaneuver opponents, making it a smart addition for those adapting to slower, control-focused metas.


How to beat Timestream Navigator

Timestream Navigator offers players a unique advantage in Magic: The Gathering by potentially granting extra turns. To overcome this potent ability, consider employing strategies that disrupt your opponent’s board presence. Utilizing removal spells to target the Navigator itself is one of the most straightforward methods. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can efficiently handle the Navigator before its ability is activated.

Counterplay can also come in the form of counterspells. Deny your opponent the chance to use the Navigator’s ability by keeping up mana for spells like Negate or Dovin’s Veto. Another tactic involves aggressive pressure to force your opponent to block with their Navigator, therefore, removing it from the battlefield. Additionally, applying graveyard disruption like Scavenging Ooze or Leyline of the Void prevents the use of the Navigator’s ability where the card must be shuffled into the library afterward.

Through a combination of targeted removal, counterspells, combat strategies, and graveyard manipulation, you can nullify the Timestream Navigator’s impact and maintain control of the game. Being proactive and aware of when to deploy these tactics will be key in overriding the card’s powerful effect.


BurnMana Recommendations

Understanding the nuances of Timestream Navigator requires a deep dive into MTG mechanics and strategies. As players analyze its pros and cons, from demanding mana requirements to its turn-altering power, each card interaction opens up new horizons for deck builders. Whether aiming to dominate slow-paced metas or surprise your foes with instant speed play, it’s essential to weigh its high cost against the potential game-changing benefits. Further exploring similar cards enhances strategy formulation, offering insights into how to leverage—or counter—this unique card. Passionate about creating winning decks and mastering MTG tactics? We invite you to learn about optimizing your play and evolving your collection.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Timestream Navigator MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Timestream Navigator and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Timestream Navigator Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Zezhou Chen.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 592015NormalBlackZezhou Chen
22023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1782015NormalBlackZezhou Chen

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Timestream Navigator has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Timestream Navigator card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-01-19 A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren't permanents.
2018-01-19 Ascend on a permanent isn't a triggered ability and doesn't use the stack. Players can respond to a spell that will give you your tenth permanent, but they can't respond to getting the city's blessing once you control that tenth permanent. This means that if your tenth permanent is a land you play, players can't respond before you get the city's blessing.
2018-01-19 If you cast a spell with ascend, you don't get the city's blessing until it resolves. Players may respond to that spell by trying to change whether you get the city's blessing.
2018-01-19 If you control ten permanents but don't control a permanent or resolving spell with ascend, you don't get the city's blessing. For example, if you control ten permanents, lose control of one, then cast Golden Demise, you won't have the city's blessing and the spell will affect creatures you control.
2018-01-19 If your tenth permanent enters the battlefield and then a permanent leaves the battlefield immediately afterwards (most likely due to the "Legend Rule" or due to being a creature with 0 toughness), you get the city's blessing before it leaves the battlefield.
2018-01-19 Once you have the city's blessing, you have it for the rest of the game, even if you lose control of some or all of your permanents. The city's blessing isn't a permanent itself and can't be removed by any effect.