Time to Feed MTG Card
2013-09-27 - Number 181
2015-02-27 - Number 50
2019-11-07 - Number 1360
2020-07-17 - Number 438
2020-09-26 - Number DDO-50
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Fight |
Text of card
Choose target creature an opponent controls. When that creature dies this turn, you gain 3 life. Target creature you control fights that creature. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
Cards like Time to Feed
Time to Feed is an intriguing choice for creature removal in Magic: The Gathering, nestled within the plethora of spells available to players. Its closest relative in effect is Prey Upon, which also facilitates a fight between two creatures. Both cards allow a player’s creature to potentially remove another, adhering to the “fight” mechanic principle. However, unlike Prey Upon, Time to Feed not only instigates the creature confrontation but also comes with the added benefit of gaining life should the opposing creature die.
Another card with similar theme is Epic Confrontation. It gives the selected creature a power boost before it fights, hence increasing the odds of survival and successful removal. While it doesn’t offer any life gain, the boost in power is a crucial advantage in combat. Conversely, Hunt the Weak provides a similar power enhancement to your creature and, like Time to Feed, has the perk of a permanent +1/+1 counter aside from instigating the fight.
Assessing these options, Time to Feed offers a unique blend of removal and life gain but it’s at the cost of a higher mana investment. Despite this, its dual utility can make it a strategic choice in certain Magic: The Gathering deck builds that capitalizes on creature interaction.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: “Time to Feed” gives players a unique form of card advantage by allowing them to select and potentially remove a creature their opponent controls. This can indirectly translate into card advantage as it deals with a threat on the board without needing an additional card to do so.
Resource Acceleration: While “Time to Feed” does not directly provide mana or resource acceleration, successfully removing a troublesome creature can free up your resources. This allows you to use your mana and other resources more efficiently in subsequent turns, potentially accelerating your board state while hindering your opponent’s.
Instant Speed: “Time to Feed” operates at sorcery speed, offering a strategic planning advantage. This allows you to set up your board and choose the optimal time to cast it during your turn, ensuring the fight occurs at a moment most beneficial to you without the uncertainty that can come with instant-speed spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Time to Feed may not require you to discard a card, but it does involve a potential card disadvantage. It demands that the creature you target must fight another, risking your own creature in the process which could result in a loss if not used strategically.
Specific Mana Cost: Time to Feed has a specific mana cost that requires one green mana and two of any color. This necessity can restrict its integration into multicolored decks that have a tight mana base or those that don’t prioritize green mana in their strategy.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Casting Time to Feed costs three mana, which might be seen as steep for its effect, especially considering other removal options in the game. When considering efficiency and alternatives, there might be spells that remove creatures for less mana or offer additional benefits beyond what Time to Feed provides.
Reasons to Include Time to Feed in Your Collection
Versatility: Time to Feed offers a unique approach to creature removal, allowing you to not only deal with a threat but also to potentially bolster your own creatures’ strength in the process. It’s a neat addition to decks that focus on creature interactions.
Combo Potential: With the ability to target your own creatures, Time to Feed can be a key piece in combos that revolve around damage triggers, life gain, or utilizing fight mechanics. It slots into strategies that benefit from these synergies.
Meta-Relevance: Given a meta that’s heavy with creatures, Time to Feed can be particularly effective. It allows you to remove opposing threats while keeping your board state resilient, which is vital in creature-centric matches.
How to Beat
Time to Feed is an intriguing card that allows a player to force a creature to engage in a fight, which potentially removes a threat while gaining life. To effectively counter this card, it’s essential to understand the mechanics of fight cards in MTG. Players should maintain a board state with creatures that are tough enough to survive such an encounter or use instant-speed removal to interrupt the combat before Time to Feed can resolve.
Another strategy is to rely on creatures with hexproof or indestructible characteristics, which are generally immune to fight mechanics. Additionally, holding up mana for counterspells can negate Time to Feed altogether, preserving your valuable creatures. Lastly, it’s beneficial to keep in mind that Time to Feed targets only creatures you control, meaning that untargetable creatures can bypass this threat entirely.
Thus, the key to overcoming Time to Feed lies in a smart defensive line-up, efficient counterspells, and creatures that elude direct targeting. By integrating these elements into your strategy, you can nullify the advantages Time to Feed offers to your opponents.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Time to Feed MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora, 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 to Feed and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
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Printings
The Time to Feed Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Wayne Reynolds.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-09-27 | Theros | THS | 181 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 2 | 2015-02-27 | Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Kiora | DDO | 50 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 3 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1360 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 4 | 2020-07-17 | Jumpstart | JMP | 438 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | DDO-50 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Time to Feed has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Time to Feed card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-09-15 | If neither creature is a legal target when Time to Feed tries to resolve, the spell won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. |
| 2013-09-15 | If the first target creature dies that turn, you'll gain 3 life no matter what caused the creature to die or who controls the creature at that time. |
| 2013-09-15 | Time to Feed has two targets: a creature an opponent controls and a creature you control. If only one of those creatures is a legal target when Time to Feed tries to resolve, the creatures won't fight and neither will deal or be dealt damage. If the creature you don't control is the illegal target, you won't gain life when it dies. |