Sage of Hours MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Mythic
Type	Creature — Human Wizard
Abilities	Heroic
Released	2014-05-02
Set symbol
Set name	Journey into Nyx
Set code	JOU
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	50
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Matt Stewart

Key Takeaways

Sage of Hours offers repeatable extra turns with sufficient +1/+1 counters, a significant strategic edge.
Requires careful deck construction for optimal use, potentially restricting its versatility in play.
Effective removal or disruption strategies are essential when facing this potent mythic rare.

Text of card

Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Sage of Hours, put a +1/+1 counter on it. Remove all +1/+1 counters from Sage of Hours: For each five counters removed this way, take an extra turn after this one.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sage of Hours enables a unique and potent form of card advantage in the realm of MTG by allowing players to leverage extra turns from its ability. By accumulating enough counters, you can activate its ability multiple times, effectively translating into drawing and playing additional cards by controlling the game for consecutive turns.

Resource Acceleration: While the Sage of Hours itself doesn’t directly ramp or produce mana, it synergizes exceptionally well with decks focused on +1/+1 counters, potentially acting as a catalyst. By using its ability to take extra turns, you can accelerate the resources on the board, ensuring swift execution of your strategy with uninterrupted momentum.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of Sage of Hours truly shines when it’s paired with cards that generate +1/+1 counters at instant speed. This combination allows you to plan strategically, holding back until the right moment to place counters and activate the Sage’s ability without telegraphing your moves, thus keeping your adversaries on their toes.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement:Playing Sage of Hours can be a tricky affair as it comes with a condition that might not always be in your favor. The card itself requires a strategic setup to extract its full potential. This means constructing your deck and game plan around it, which could be a setback if the synergy is not well developed during gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost:Another challenge with Sage of Hours is its specific mana cost requirement. To cast this card, you need both blue mana and generic mana, which can sometimes be a hurdle, particularly in multicolored decks that may not always have the necessary blue mana sources available precisely when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost:Sage of Hours asks for a significant amount of mana, considering the competitive environment where tempo and efficient resource management are key. For its cost, other cards might provide immediate impact or better board presence, making Sage of Hours a less appealing choice in some scenarios where the mana could be allocated for more pressing threats or answers.

Reasons to Include Sage of Hours in Your Collection

Versatility: Sage of Hours is a unique card that can adapt to various strategies, especially in decks that emphasize +1/+1 counters. Its ability to interact with numerous counter-generating cards makes it a flexible pick for many blue-centered collections.

Combo Potential: With the right setup, this card enables players to take extra turns by removing five +1/+1 counters. It pairs remarkably well with proliferate mechanics or any effects that rapidly accumulate counters, unlocking the door to powerful and potentially game-ending combos.

Meta-Relevance: In the ever-evolving MTG landscape, decks that can execute infinite turns are always a force to be reckoned with. Sage of Hours can cement itself as a meta-relevant card within certain archetypes that aim to exploit its time-bending ability to secure a win.

How to beat

Sage of Hours is a card that can become quite the conundrum if it’s allowed to accumulate enough counters to take extra turns in MTG. To effectively neutralize this mythic rare creature from the “Journey into Nyx” set, you’ll want to consider timing and removal strategies. Since Sage of Hours relies on counters to activate its formidable ability, countering abilities, spells, instant-speed removal, or even board wipes are particularly effective before the counters accumulate.

Direct damage spells like Shock or Lightning Bolt can be used to eliminate Sage of Hours before it becomes a threat. Additionally, remember that without support from other cards that provide +1/+1 counters, Sage of Hours is just a 1/1 creature. Therefore, a strategic approach is to limit the opponent’s ability to place counters on it, disrupting combos that rely on proliferate mechanics or counter doublers. Surgical targeting and ensuring you have the right answers ready are your keys to overcoming the potential endless turns Sage of Hours can produce.

Understanding how Sage of Hours fits into your opponent’s strategy and disrupting it is essential for maintaining control of the game. If you can keep the board clear of counters and disruption looming, you’ll greatly reduce the impact of this pesky creature and keep your opponent’s time-bending dreams firmly in check.

Cards like Sage of Hours

Sage of Hours is a unique creature within Magic: The Gathering that invites comparison with other cards that manipulate time counters. Much like Myth Realized, which accrues lore counters to become a formidable creature, Sage of Hours accumulates counters, but with a distinctive twist. Once it has five time counters, it offers the extraordinary ability to take extra turns, providing a tactical advantage similar in impact to powerful spells like Time Warp. However, Time Warp is a one-and-done deal, whereas Sage of Hours has the potential to provide recurring benefits.

Another card that echoes the counter buildup mechanic is Fathom Mage. Although not directly offering additional turns, it rewards the player with card draw, reflecting a different strategic angle in counter-based play. Fathom Mage grows stronger and more useful with each counter it gains, much like Sage of Hours gains value with every tick of time. Yet, the Sage stands out by potentially shifting the entire game’s tempo in your favor.

Overall, when evaluating cards with counter mechanics, Sage of Hours presents a singular option for players crafting decks that focus on taking extra turns. Its synergy with proliferate and counter-doubling cards cannot be overstated, carving out its niche in Magic: The Gathering’s diverse landscape.

Cards similar to Sage of Hours by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sage of Hours MTG card by a specific set like Journey into Nyx, 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 Sage of Hours and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sage of Hours has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-04-26	Heroic abilities will resolve before the spell that caused them to trigger.
2014-04-26	Heroic abilities will trigger only once per spell, even if that spell targets the creature with the heroic ability multiple times.
2014-04-26	Heroic abilities won't trigger when a copy of a spell is created on the stack or when a spell's targets are changed to include a creature with a heroic ability.
2014-04-26	You must remove all +1/+1 counters from Sage of Hours to activate its ability, even if the number of counters isn't a multiple of five. For example, if you remove twelve counters to activate the ability, you'll take two extra turns. If you remove three counters, you won't take any extra turns.