The Moment MTG Card


The Moment card offers instant reactions during play, providing strategic control at crucial points in the game. Resource management is key when incorporating The Moment into your deck due to its specific requirements. Despite its power, The Moment’s effectiveness is highly situational, making deck adaptability essential.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Artifact

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, put a time counter on The Moment. , : Untap target creature you control. It phases out until The Moment leaves the battlefield. , : Destroy each nonland permanent with mana value less than or equal to the number of time counters on The Moment. Then sacrifice The Moment. Activate only as a sorcery.


Cards like The Moment

The Moment card carries its unique appeal in the array of instants within Magic: The Gathering. It shares the instant-speed advantage with cards like Lightning Bolt, enabling players to react swiftly during any phase of the game. The Moment, however, pivots from dealing damage to a more strategic maneuver, offering a different form of control by possibly countering opponent’s plays.

Comparing it to Counterspell, another emblematic instant card, The Moment may seem less versatile due to its specific interaction conditions. Where Counterspell acts as a broad-spectrum denial, The Moment is more situational. This can be a double-edged sword, depending on the deck and strategy employed. Mana Leak serves as a middle ground, offering a cost-related counter approach which, while conditional, often proves effective in the early to mid-game when opponents are more likely to be constrained by their mana pool.

As players try to optimize their decks, The Moment fits into a niche position. It stands out in scenarios tailored to the unique conditions it requires. While it might not replace the universal utility of Counterspell or the early-game pressure of Mana Leak, in the right build, The Moment can shine, offering precision control at a crucial moment in the game.

Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to The Moment by color, type and mana cost

Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
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Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
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Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Dragon's Claw - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions
Chaos Orb - MTG Card versions
Winter Orb - MTG Card versions
Amulet of Kroog - MTG Card versions
Nacre Talisman - MTG Card versions
Howling Mine - MTG Card versions
Essence Bottle - MTG Card versions
Emerald Medallion - MTG Card versions
Scrying Glass - MTG Card versions
Cursed Totem - MTG Card versions
Tsabo's Web - MTG Card versions
Millikin - MTG Card versions
Ark of Blight - MTG Card versions
Surestrike Trident - MTG Card versions
Energy Chamber - MTG Card versions
Water Gun Balloon Game - MTG Card versions
Angel's Feather - MTG Card versions
Demon's Horn - MTG Card versions
Elsewhere Flask - MTG Card versions
Dragon's Claw - MTG Card versions
Steel Overseer - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Moment offers a potential shift in the balance of card economy, enabling you to effectively counter an opponent’s spell or ability and replace the card in your hand, tipping the scales to your favor in prolonged engagements.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself may not directly accelerate resources, efficiently handling threats can save you valuable mana, potentially allowing you to play other resource-accelerating cards sooner.

Instant Speed: The agility to react at instant speed cannot be overstated, as it gives you the flexibility to adapt to unfolding plays, surprise your opponent, and provides an opportunity to make the most strategically advantageous move at the crucial moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing The Moment necessitates discarding another card, which can be detrimental when your hand size is dwindling and each card’s value is paramount.

Specific Mana Cost: The Moment has a stringent mana requirement that must be met to cast it, reducing its flexibility and possibly straining your mana base in multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost to bring The Moment into play is lofty, potentially making it a cumbersome choice in quicker-paced games where mana efficiency can make or break your strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Moment can be a flexible addition to a variety of deck strategies, easily slotting into control decks or any build that requires precise timing to maximize the effectiveness of instant-speed spells.

Combo Potential: Its ability to intervene at critical gameplay moments opens up possibilities for combos, allowing you to disrupt an opponent’s strategy or protect your own key plays.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to counter significant threats, The Moment is particularly useful in metagames dominated by high-impact spells where timing and control are crucial to victory.


How to Beat

The Moment card in MTG is one that can catch many players off guard, offering a unique challenge to overcome during gameplay. This card is often a game changer, needing a strategy to mitigate its potent effects. When you’re facing The Moment in play, the key lies in timing and resource management. It’s essential to hold onto instant-speed removal or counter spells, allowing you to respond to The Moment’s activation swiftly.

One effective method is keeping an eye out for the conditions that trigger The Moment and planning your moves well in advance. Having a diverse array of cards in your deck that can disrupt or neutralize The Moment’s impact is crucial. The versatility of answers such as creature removal or bounce effects can ensure you’re not caught off balance. Moreover, playing cards that offer you some form of card advantage or board presence helps maintain parity even when The Moment resolves.

Ultimately, outmaneuvering The Moment requires both foresight and adaptability. By incorporating flexible strategies and maintaining control over the flow of the game, you can effectively combat the challenges posed by The Moment card and turn the tide in your favor.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Moment MTG card by a specific set like Doctor Who and Doctor Who, 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 The Moment and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Moment Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-10-13 and 2023-10-13. Illustrated by Patrik Hell.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 1802015NormalBlackPatrik Hell
22023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 7852015NormalBlackPatrik Hell
32023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 4592015NormalBlackPatrik Hell
42023-10-13Doctor WhoWHO 10502015NormalBlackPatrik Hell

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Moment has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-10-13 A creature phased out by The Moment doesn't phase in during its controller's untap step as normal. Rather, it phases in immediately after The Moment leaves the battlefield.
2023-10-13 Abilities that trigger when a creature becomes tapped won't trigger when the creature phases in tapped.
2023-10-13 An attacking or blocking creature that phases out is removed from combat.
2023-10-13 Any continuous effects with a "for as long as" duration ignore phased-out objects. Any such effects will expire if their conditions are no longer met after ignoring the phased-out objects.
2023-10-13 Any one-shot effects that are waiting "until
-his] leaves the battlefield," won't happen when a permanent phases out.
2023-10-13 Choices made for permanents as they entered the battlefield are remembered when they phase in.
2023-10-13 Each Aura and Equipment attached to a permanent that's phasing out also phases out. They will phase in with that permanent and still be attached to it. Similarly, permanents that phase out with counters phase in with those counters.
2023-10-13 If The Moment leaves the battlefield before its first activated ability resolves, the target creature will be untapped, but won't phase out.
2023-10-13 Phasing out doesn't cause any "leaves the battlefield" abilities to trigger. Similarly, phasing in won't cause any "enters the battlefield" abilities to trigger.
2023-10-13 The Moment's last ability will destroy itself before you can sacrifice it if there are two or more time counters on it as its last ability resolves. Effects that trigger when you sacrifice a permanent will not trigger when it is destroyed this way.
2023-10-13 While a permanent is phased out, it's treated as though it doesn't exist. It can't be the target of spells or abilities, its static abilities have no effect on the game, its triggered abilities can't trigger, it can't attack or block, and so on.