Time Distortion MTG Card

Time Distortion - Planechase Anthology Planes

Rarity	Common
Type	Phenomenon
Released	2018-12-25
Set symbol
Set name	Planechase Anthology Planes
Set code	OPCA
Number	8
Frame	2015
Layout	Planar
Border	Black
Illustred by	rk post

Key Takeaways

Time Distortion’s reshuffling capability directly counters potential deck-out scenarios.
Untapping lands for resource surge can dramatically swing the game’s momentum.
Instant speed allows strategic disruption of opponent’s game plans.

Text of card

When you encounter Time Distortion, reverse the game's turn order. (For example, if play had proceeded clockwise around the table, it now goes counterclockwise. Then planeswalk away from this phenomenon.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Time Distortion, the ability to potentially reshuffle your graveyard into your library not only refuels your deck but gives you access to key cards again. This can be a significant boon when looking for the right play or simply preventing deck-out scenarios.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping all your lands, Time Distortion provides a massive surge in resources. This acceleration can be the difference between a win or a loss, allowing you to cast more spells or activate abilities that could turn the tide of the game in your favor.

Instant Speed: The power of Time Distortion comes partially from its instant speed, letting you wait to make strategic decisions until the most advantageous moment. This flexibility means you can respond to your opponent’s actions or end their turn prematurely, disrupting their plans and keeping them constantly on the defensive.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Time Distortion requires the player to discard a card in order to activate its powerful effect. This might force players to give up crucial resources at times when their hand is already stretched thin, potentially leading to difficult decisions and making the card a liability in certain situations.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands a precise combination of mana types to cast, including not just generic mana but also a strict color profile. This can be problematic for decks that aren’t tailored to generate the exact mana mix, thereby limiting Time Distortion’s versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Time Distortion comes with a high mana cost which could slow down your gameplay significantly. While the effect may be game-altering, its expensive nature means that it competes with other high-impact cards which might be more readily deployed. Players will need to weigh this card’s strategic benefit against its mana investment carefully.

Reasons to Include Time Distortion in Your Collection

Versatility: Time Distortion brings flexibility to your gameplay, suitable for decks that thrive on manipulating turns and winning through surprising tempo swings. Its capacity to alter game phases makes it adaptable across various strategies aiming to outpace the opponent.

Combo Potential: This card opens up avenues for innovative combos, enabling interactions with cards that benefit from extra turns or phase shifts. It forms a powerful synergy with permanents and spells that harness the additional time manipulations it provides.

Meta-Relevance: Given a meta that’s shifting towards control and combo decks, Time Distortion can give you an edge by disrupting opponents’ tactics and providing you with unexpected opportunities to clinch victory from seemingly unwinnable situations.

How to beat

Time Distortion is another mind-bending card that Magic: The Gathering players need to be aware of. This card challenges players by altering the flow of the game in a significant way. It manipulates turns, essentially granting extra rounds of play to the caster. To counter this, a direct and comprehensive approach is needed. Focus on cards that can disrupt or negate the use of sorceries. Instant speed removals or counterspells like Dispel can intercept this disruption before it takes effect. It’s also important to keep pressure on your opponent and maintain a board state that can quickly adapt or recover from unexpected shifts in turn order. Cards that offer you flash abilities can also give you the versatility to play on your opponent’s turns, hence reducing the impact of their Time Distortions. Efficient resource management is key, as you’ll want to hold up enough mana to react when they attempt to cast this game-changing spell. By staying vigilant and proactively managing your resources, you can mitigate the advantage Time Distortion offers, keeping the tempo in your favor.

Cards like Time Distortion

Time Distortion presents a unique proposition in the strategy-rich tapestry of Magic: The Gathering. It shares a conceptual lineage with cards like Time Warp, which grants an extra turn to a player. However, Time Distortion reshapes the battlefield by not only advancing its controller’s game by an additional turn but often altering the state of play through the manipulation of turn sequences.

Time Stretch is another notable parallel, offering two additional turns at the cost of a steep ten mana. While Time Stretch affords a more direct advantage in terms of turns gained, Time Distortion might be preferred for its lower mana cost and the potential disruption it can cause to opponents. Meanwhile, cards like Temporal Manipulation allow single extra turns without any added effects, showcasing a more raw form of this game mechanic at a lower mana cost.

Assessing these options highlights Time Distortion’s place within Magic: The Gathering. It stands out not just as another turn-related spell but as a disruptive force, capable of unsettling standard play rhythms and providing strategic depth to players keen on bending time to their will.

Temporal Manipulation - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Time Distortion MTG card by a specific set like Planechase Anthology Planes, 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 Time Distortion and other MTG cards:

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Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2012-06-01	If the game’s turn order is reversed again, it will return to the default order used at the beginning of the game.
2012-06-01	This effect reverses the turn order established at the beginning of the game. While the order is reversed, anything that cares about this order (such as determining in what order choices are made) will use the new reversed.