Timesifter MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	2003-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Mirrodin
Set code	MRD
Number	262
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dany Orizio

Key Takeaways

Timesifter offers alternate card advantage by granting extra turns, not just extra draws.
Can accelerate resource management but requires strategic deck construction to optimize.
Risky play due to implicit information reveal and a hefty mana investment requirement.

Text of card

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, each player removes the top card of his or her library from the game. The player who removed the card with the highest converted mana cost takes an extra turn after this one. If two or more players' cards are tied for highest cost, the tied players repeat this process until the tie is broken.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Timesifter offers a unique way to gain card advantage not by drawing, but by allowing extra turns. This can translate into multiple draws, plays, and attack phases over your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: With each additional turn gained, Timesifter provides an implicit acceleration of resources. This essentially grants you access to more mana and more opportunities to deploy your strategies faster than your opponent.

Instant Speed: Though Timesifter itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it manipulates the game state in a way that benefits decks built around instant-speed interaction. By potentially granting extra turns, it allows players to capitalize on instant-speed spells and abilities with greater frequency.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Timesifter presents a unique challenge as it requires you to essentially ‘discard’ the top card of your library whenever its effect triggers. This can inadvertently provide your opponents with information about your deck and potential strategy, potentially undercutting the element of surprise inherent to gameplay.

Specific Mana Cost: With a cost that includes both generic and specifically colored mana, Timesifter may not be as easily slotted into every deck archetype. Players running multicolored decks or those that have a strict mana curve may find it challenging to consistently cast Timesifter without causing mana base complications.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana to play, Timesifter can be considered a significant investment, especially considering that the effect it produces does not guarantee an immediate or consistent advantage, unlike other cards at similar or lower mana costs which may provide more immediate impact or utility on the game.

Reasons to Include Timesifter in Your Collection

Versatility: Timesifter offers a unique angle of play, fitting well into decks built around manipulation of the top of the deck. It can provide a stark advantage in formats where the unexpected disruption of turn order can unbalance opponents.

Combo Potential: In conjunction with cards that allow deck stacking or scrying, Timesifter can potentially grant you multiple turns in a row. Identifying synergies with the top of the library can turn this card into a powerful combo piece.

Meta-Relevance: For metas that revolve around high-cost spells or competitive Commander games, Timesifter can make a significant impact. It shuffles normal turn progression, which could give you the edge needed against the prevalent heavy-hitter decks.

How to Beat Timesifter

Encountering Timesifter in Magic: The Gathering presents a strategic puzzle. This artifact influences the game’s tempo by altering the turn order based on the converted mana cost (CMC) of the revealed top deck cards. Overcoming Timesifter’s effect requires a plan that minimizes its impact on your game plan.

An effective approach to beat Timesifter involves employing a deck with a low average CMC. This decreases the chances of your opponent gaining extra turns. Furthermore, incorporating instant-speed deck manipulation spells like Brainstorm or Sensei’s Divining Top can ensure that you control the outcome of Timesifter’s ability, skewing the reveal in your favor. Alternatively, running removal spells or abilities that can directly destroy artifacts, such as Disenchant or Krosan Grip, offer a direct solution to this troublesome card. To maintain the tempo, prioritize keeping mana open for these responses. This allows you to react swiftly and neutralize Timesifter before it can significantly disrupt your strategy. Remember, staying adaptable and having a game plan against such unique cards will enhance your gameplay in the Magic: The Gathering universe.

Cards like Timesifter

Timesifter is an intriguing artifact in MTG that stands out for its unique ability to manipulate the flow of turns. In comparison, cards like Possibility Storm also interact with the deck’s order, but it shuffles and casts another spell rather than changing turn order. Timesifter offers a distinct advantage by potentially granting extra turns based on the converted mana cost of the revealed cards.

Teferi’s Puzzle Box is another piece that affects the game by forcing players to draw and then put their whole hand on the bottom of the deck each turn. While it doesn’t directly affect turn order like Timesifter, it creates a similar sense of unpredictability. Darksteel Reactor, a card designed for long-term strategies, stands in stark contrast. It doesn’t impact turn sequence or deck order, but it presents an alternate win condition that can come as a surprise.

Each of these cards embodies a strategy that can upend the traditional rhythm of the game, making Timesifter a fascinating option for players who enjoy employing surprising tactics to gain an advantage over their opponents.

Cards similar to Timesifter by color, type and mana cost

The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Timesifter MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin, 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 Timesifter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Timesifter has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2004-12-01	A land card has a converted mana cost of 0.
2004-12-01	Each player must exile the top card of their library at the start of each upkeep step.
2004-12-01	Each time there’s a tie for the highest cost, only the players involved in the tie continue.
2004-12-01	If a player fails to exile a card, they can’t take the extra turn.
2004-12-01	If multiple extra turns are created in a game, the most recently created extra turn is taken first.
2004-12-01	If two or more Timesifters are on the battlefield, keep a careful record of which players get which extra turns. With two Timesifters on the battlefield, two extra turns are created for each turn taken.
2004-12-01	Remember which player would have taken the next turn if Timesifter’s ability hadn’t triggered the first time. After Timesifter leaves the battlefield and all extra turns have been taken, that player takes the next turn.
2006-05-01	In Two-Headed Giant, triggers only once per upkeep, not once for each player.