Time Beetle MTG Card

Time Beetle offers consistent card advantage by retrieving cards from the graveyard each turn. Its instant speed allows for real-time reactions and strategic flexibility during play. The card demands discard for activation, posing a challenge to maintain hand size.

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 58

Doctor Who (WHO)
2023-10-13 - Number 663

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Alien Insect
Abilities	Parallel Universe,Skulk
Power	1
Toughness	1

Text of card

Skulk (This creature can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.) Parallel Universe — Whenever Time Beetle deals combat damage to a player, time travel. (For each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it, you may add or remove a time counter.)

Cards like Time Beetle

Time Beetle stands out in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. This peculiar insect bears a resemblance to the likes of Epochrasite and Clockwork Beetle in terms of both theme and mechanics. Epochrasite offers longevity with rebound potential, returning to play after a set period, similar to Time Beetle’s iterative capability. However, Time Beetle’s power comes with more consistent reusability invoking gradual advantage over time.

Fleeting memories of the classic Ticking Gnomes emerge when discussing Time Beetle. While Ticking Gnomes shares the theme of time-related creature cards, it necessitates a sacrifice for a one-time damage effect, where Time Beetle provides more strategic flexibility. Compared to Kitchen Finks, which also has a recurring feature but with a life gain twist, Time Beetle moves towards a steady board presence instead, striving for incremental value with each tick of the game clock.

The assessment between Time Beetle and its counterparts reveals how it captures a unique niche for players who prize persistence and evolving game states. In a format where every turn counts, Time Beetle may not make a big impact immediately, but it can certainly shape the course of a match with its relentless temporal shifts.

Cards similar to Time Beetle by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Time Beetle card shines in creating card advantage by letting you retrieve a key card from your graveyard every turn. This consistent mechanism not only replenishes your hand but also thwarts depletion of resources, keeping you well ahead of your opponent in terms of options.

Resource Acceleration: By ensuring a continuous flow of cards, Time Beetle effectively functions as a form of resource acceleration. Its ability to recycle spells amplifies your potential for powerful plays, providing the momentum to outpace your rival.

Instant Speed: The significance of Time Beetle’s instant speed cannot be overstated. It allows strategic flexibility by enabling you to react in real-time to the evolving battlefield, whether it’s disrupting an opponent’s strategy or maximizing your own positional advantage during the heat of the match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Time Beetle card necessitates discarding as part of its activation, potentially depleting your hand when you need options the most.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost requires a precise combination of mana types, which could be restrictive and not always easy to generate in a timely manner depending on your deck’s mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting a mana cost that might be on the higher side, this card can affect your tempo, especially when compared to other creatures or effects in the same mana range that could provide immediate impact on the game state.

Reasons to Include Time Beetle in Your Collection

Versatility: Time Beetle’s ability to manipulate time counters makes it a compelling choice for any deck focusing on suspend cards or delaying opponent strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can synergize with various time-based mechanics, offering significant combo potential in decks that exploit these features for powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where control decks or slow win conditions prevail, Time Beetle can serve as a key component to either speed up your game plan or disrupt your opponents.

How to beat

The Time Beetle presents a unique challenge on the MTG battlefield, boasting an ability that manipulates time by forcing repitition of turns. Overcoming this pest requires strategy. One tactic is to employ instant-speed removal spells before its end-of-turn ability triggers. Alternatively, you can rely on counterspells to prevent it from entering the battlefield in the first place.

Another approach is to ramp up your board presence quickly. Overwhelm your opponent before they can establish the Time Beetle’s loop. Lastly, exile and graveyard removal spells provide permanent solutions to this temporal threat. Understanding the pace and rhythm of your deck is key — adapt swiftly, change tactics when necessary, and you will hold the upper hand against the Time Beetle.

Remember, in Magic: the Gathering, foresight and preparation can dismantle seemingly invincible strategies. By anticipating the Time Beetle’s moves and adjusting your play accordingly, you can secure victory from the jaws of a repetitive defeat.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Time Beetle 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 Time Beetle and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Time Beetle Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-10-13 and 2023-10-13. Illustrated by John Tedrick.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO		58	2015	Normal	Black	John Tedrick
2	2023-10-13	Doctor Who	WHO		663	2015	Normal	Black	John Tedrick

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Time Beetle has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Time Beetle 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	Time counters are usually found on cards with suspend and vanishing, but may be found on other cards as well. Notably, Sagas use lore counters to track their progress, not time counters. You can't move a Saga's chapters forward and backward this way.
2023-10-13	To time travel, look at each permanent you control with a time counter on it and each card you own in exile with a time counter on it. For each of them, you choose whether you want to put a time counter on that card or permanent, remove a time counter from it, or do neither. Then those changes all happen simultaneously.