Temporal Extortion MTG Card


Temporal Extortion - Planar Chaos
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2007-02-02
Set symbol
Set namePlanar Chaos
Set codePLC
Number81
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred bySteven Belledin

Key Takeaways

  1. Temporal Extortion offers a strategic edge, forcing opponents into tough decisions that can disrupt their plans.
  2. Extra turns from the card equal opportunities for resource acceleration, crucial land drops, and complex combos.
  3. High mana requirements and potential lack of payoff are significant considerations when including this spell in a deck.

Text of card

When you play Temporal Extortion, any player may pay half his or her life, rounded up. If a player does, counter Temporal Extortion. Take an extra turn after this one.

"The scythe of time or my blade at your throat—the choice is yours." —Holux, stronghold racketeer


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Temporal Extortion presents a unique opportunity for card advantage by offering a choice to your opponent. They can either lose half their life, a substantial cost, or allow you an extra turn. Either outcome leaves you in a stronger position, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy and giving you a leg up.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana or resources, the potential additional turn granted by Temporal Extortion can be an enormous accelerant. Having an entire extra turn can mean an additional land drop, more creatures on the board, or simply the time you need to set up a decisive play.

Instant Speed: Although Temporal Extortion is a sorcery, the nature of its mechanic forces an immediate decision at the time of casting. Opponents must act as if they’re responding to an instant due to the high stakes, effectively turning your turn into a high-pressure situation for them and possibly eliciting a hasty or suboptimal response.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Temporal Extortion does not force a discard directly, it puts pressure on your own card advantage. Playing it means you’re down a card, and if an opponent chooses to pay half their life instead of giving you an extra turn, you’ve expended a resource for potentially little gain.

Specific Mana Cost: Costing three black mana and one colorless, Temporal Extortion can be a challenging card to cast, especially early in the game. This mana combination makes it less versatile and can strain a deck’s mana base, particularly in multicolor decks that might not have enough black sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total mana cost of four, Temporal Extortion is a significant investment for the effect of taking an extra turn, with the added drawback that it may not resolve as intended. Considering the investment, there are alternative cards at four mana that could offer more reliable and immediate effects on the game state.


Reasons to Include Temporal Extortion in Your Collection

Versatility: Temporal Extortion is a unique card that offers a significant advantage regardless of the opponent’s choice. It works well in decks geared towards controlling the game’s pace or capitalizing on extra turns.

Combo Potential: The card’s ability to grant an additional turn can be a game-changer, creating opportunities to combo with cards that benefit from extra phases or utilize time-based mechanics for a devastating effect.

Meta-Relevance: In games where tempo is crucial, Temporal Extortion disrupts opponents’ strategies. It can shift the balance in your favor against a range of decks, particularly in metas where denying an opponent’s turn can lead to a quick victory.


How to beat Temporal Extortion

Temporal Extortion is a unique card that can be a game-changer in MTG. It’s a powerful black spell that presents opponents with a dilemma: allow an extra turn or pay half their life. Since life points are a precious commodity, choosing between the lesser of two evils becomes a strategic challenge. The key to overcoming Temporal Extortion is to maintain life point flexibility. Keeping your life total high can mitigate the impact of conceding half your points and also help in dealing with any potential threats that may arise during their extra turn.

Another approach is manipulating the timing of Temporal Extortion. This card’s potency is highly situational – during the early game, offering extra turns might be less detrimental than in the late game. On the flip side, utilizing cards that limit the effects of additional turns, such as ‘Rule of Law’ or ‘Eidolon of Rhetoric,’ can minimize an opponent’s advantage. These cards restrict the number of spells played, nullifying the extra turn’s benefit. Therefore, strategically anticipating and preparing for Temporal Extortion can make it easier to navigate the tough decision it provokes when cast.

In essence, beating Temporal Extortion in MTG involves careful life management and anticipating the most opportune moment to handle the extra turns or the life loss. By having the right cards or strategy in place, you can successfully counteract the threat posed by this formidable card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the delicate interplay of risk and reward is key in MTG, and Temporal Extortion epitomizes this balance. Whether you’re weathering the storm of life loss or harnessing the surge of an extra turn, understanding the strategic depths of this card can tip the scales in your favor. Ready to dive deeper into the strategical uses of Temporal Extortion and other pivotal cards? Join our community, where insight and expertise meet, ensuring your arsenal is not only powerful but also versatile, adaptable, and ready for any challenge the game may throw your way.


Cards like Temporal Extortion

Temporal Extortion standouts as a unique powerhouse in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering’s impactful black spells. This card invites a compelling dynamic, offering opponents a choice – lose half their life or allow you an extra turn. It’s somewhat akin to spells like Worst Fears, which also manipulates the fabric of turns by allowing you control over an opponent’s next turn. While they both cost a substantial four mana, Temporal Extortion shifts the landscape with its pivotal decision-making aspect.

Likewise, Take an Extra Turn effects echo through the archives of MTG with cards such as Time Warp, a straightforward spell granting an additional turn with no strings attached. However, Time Warp stands at five mana and lacks the psychological play of Temporal Extortion. Last Chance and Warrior’s Oath similarly provide extra turns, but these come with a significant drawback – losing the game at the end of that turn, a risk Temporal Extortion deftly sidesteps.

In weighing these comparisons, Temporal Extortion finds its niche not just with the advantage of time but also in its capacity to drastically alter an opponent’s vital resources, marking it as a uniquely formidable choice among MTG’s extra turn spells.

Worst Fears - MTG Card versions
Time Warp - MTG Card versions
Last Chance - MTG Card versions
Warrior's Oath - MTG Card versions
Worst Fears - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Time Warp - Tempest (TMP)
Last Chance - Portal (POR)
Warrior's Oath - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Temporal Extortion MTG card by a specific set like Planar Chaos, 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 Temporal Extortion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Temporal Extortion has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2007-02-01 As the triggered ability resolves, the active player gets the option to perform the action. If that player declines, the next player in turn order gets the option. As soon as any player performs the action, the spell is countered, but the remaining players still get the option. If all players decline, the spell remains on the stack.
2007-02-01 When this spell is cast, its “when you cast” ability triggers and goes on the stack on top of it.

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