Stall for Time MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Instant |
| Abilities | Kicker |
| Released | 2022-09-09 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dominaria United |
| Set code | DMU |
| Number | 34 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ryan Alexander Lee |
Key Takeaways
- Draw a card when casting Stall for Time, offsetting its cost and maintaining hand strength.
- Instant speed offers tactical play, disrupting opponents’ strategies at critical moments.
- Flexibility in use, from countering spells to tapping creatures, provides a strategic advantage.
Text of card
Kicker (You may pay an additional as you cast this spell.) Tap up to two target creatures. If this spell was kicked, put a stun counter on each of those creatures. (If a permanent with a stun counter would become untapped, remove one from it instead.) Draw a card.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Stall for Time ensures you maintain a robust hand by allowing you to draw a card when it’s cast. Gaining this extra card can be pivotal, effectively replacing itself in your hand and potentially providing the key piece to your strategic puzzle.
Resource Acceleration: Although Stall for Time doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the nature of the card works in favor of resource acceleration by buying you additional turns. This temporal gain can be crucial, providing you extra draws or untap steps which directly translate into more resources over time.
Instant Speed: The instant nature of Stall for Time offers flexibility in gameplay, letting you wait until the most opportune moment within your opponent’s turn to act. This can disrupt your opponent’s strategy, potentially saving you from threatening attacks or pivotal game moments, while keeping your mana and options open.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Stall for Time necessitates letting go of a card, a non-negotiable additional cost. This downside pressures your hand, especially when you’re clutching onto key cards for later plays. It’s a risky trade-off, casting a net of uncertainty over your strategy when your arsenal runs thin.
Specific Mana Cost: With its blue mana demand, Stall for Time carves its niche within specific decks. This requirement could alienate it from a variety of strategies, particularly those not in the blue spectrum. It’s a card that thrives among its own color but sticks out elsewhere, demanding deck synergy that may not always be possible.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For what it accomplishes, Stall for Time stands on the pricier side of the mana scale. Players may find themselves weighing its delay tactic against other options that could provide a more immediate and tangible benefit for the same, if not lower, mana investment. Throughout a game where tempo can dictate victory or defeat, the cost of stalling might just be too steep.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Stall for Time is a flexible card that can fit into various deck archetypes. It shines in decks that aim to control the game’s pace, allowing players to keep up defenses while setting up their winning conditions.
Combo Potential: Coupled with cards that benefit from spell casting or require additional turns to execute combinations, Stall for Time can be a crucial piece in assembling powerful combos, effectively extending your turn and disrupting opponents.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state where fast aggro decks prevail, having Stall for Time in your repertoire can provide the necessary breather to stabilize the board and pivot towards late-game strategies that secure your victory.
How to Beat
Stall for Time is a spell known for shifting the momentum in a game of Magic: The Gathering. This card can disrupt your strategy by allowing an opponent to dodge what could be a critical turn. As a player, it is essential to recognize that while Stall for Time can postpone your plans, it doesn’t necessarily cancel them entirely.
To effectively beat Stall for Time, consider utilizing cards that either can’t be countered or impose a penalty on your opponent for casting spells during your turn. Cards with flash allow you to cast them at times that may bypass your opponent’s Stall for Time window. Additionally, holding on to instant-speed removal or disruption can be a deterrent, as it allows you to interact with your opponent’s plays even during their turn.
Maintaining pressure is key. Continue to develop your board and keep resources that can be played on your opponent’s end step. This way, you minimize the impact of Stall for Time and can overcome the temporary setback. Strategic planning and adaptation are crucial when facing such tempo-altering cards in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards like Stall for Time
Stall for Time introduces an interesting twist within the array of delaying tactics available to MTG players. Its functionality mirrors that of cards such as Delay, which also postpones the threat by essentially countering a spell and giving the player a breather for a few turns. Stall for Time, however, carries the advantage of flexibility, allowing players to either counter a spell or tap creatures, potentially hindering an opponent’s advances.
Comparatively, looking at cards like Frost Breath or Blustersquall, we can see that they exclusively focus on tapping creatures without the counter spell component. Stall for Time, therefore, provides a strategic edge with its dual options. In contrast, another card to consider is Evasive Action, which depends on the number of lands you control for its effectiveness in countering spells. While Stall for Time might not scale in power, it compensates with its immediate, decisive impact on an ongoing play.
When we weigh the utility and versatility each card brings to the table, Stall for Time shows its strength in offering a choice-based approach to delay tactics, positioning it as a valuable tool for MTG players aiming to navigate critical moments of gameplay.
Cards similar to Stall for Time by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Stall for Time MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria United, 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 Stall for Time and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Stall for Time has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Stall for Time card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2022-09-09 | Abilities that trigger when a permanent “becomes untapped” won’t trigger if a stun counter is removed instead. |
| 2022-09-09 | If a permanent has more than one stun counter on it, only one will be removed each time it would become untapped. |
| 2022-09-09 | If a tapped permanent with a stun counter on it would become untapped, a stun counter will be removed from it instead. This is a replacement effect. |
| 2022-09-09 | If untapping a permanent is part of a cost (such as that of Halo Fountain’s first ability), you may pay that cost by “untapping” a tapped permanent with a stun counter on it. The stun counter will be removed and the creature will remain tapped. However, the cost will still be paid. |
| 2022-09-09 | Stun counters replace untapping for any reason, including players untapping tapped permanents during their untap steps. |