Topsy Turvy MTG Card


Topsy Turvy provides card advantage by rearranging turn phases to unlock new draw opportunities and ability usages. It accelerates resources, allowing players to optimize land tapping and ability activations ahead of opponents. The card’s impact on instant-speed spells disrupts opponents, offering a tactical edge during gameplay.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Un-set :-)This card is part of an Un-set

Text of card

The phases of each player's turn are reversed. (The phases are, in reverse order, end, postcombat main, combat, precombat main, and beginning.) If there are more than two players in the game, the turn order is reversed.

"Here on going is heck the what?"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Topsy Turvy is unique in its ability to reorder the phases of the turn, which can be leveraged to provide a significant card advantage when paired with the right synergies. This can lead to unexpected card draws or extra uses of abilities that normally wouldn’t occur until later in the turn.

Resource Acceleration: By flipping the turn structure, Topsy Turvy can be used to accelerate resources in ways not normally accessible, giving savvy players extra opportunities to tap lands or use abilities for an advantage before their opponents are ready.

Instant Speed: While Topsy Turvy itself isn’t at instant speed, it affects the timing of many instant-speed spells and abilities. This disruption can give players a tactical edge, forcing opponents to adapt to a completely new turn order and potentially mismanage their own instant-speed resources.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One stumbling block Topsy Turvy presents is its need for strategic hand management. Players need to juggle their cards carefully as activating certain abilities might require them to discard, potentially leading to a depletion of valuable resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Crafting the perfect mana base for a deck can be challenging, and Topsy Turvy calls for a precise mix of three different colors. Constructing a deck that accommodates this card without disrupting your overall mana flow is a hurdle, especially in formats where mana consistency is king.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: In the fast-paced world of card games, efficiency is key. Topsy Turvy gets overshadowed by other options due to its mana cost that’s on the higher side for its unique effect. Players may find that other cards provide similar or better utility without consuming as much of their mana pool.


Reasons to Include Topsy Turvy in Your Collection

Versatility: Topsy Turvy offers a unique twist to gameplay, capable of upending the traditional rules of phases in a turn. Its flexibility allows for innovative strategies across various deck types, challenging opponents with unexpected turns of play.

Combo Potential: This card is a combo enabler with its ability to rearrange the structure of turns. Clever players can exploit this to their advantage, synergizing with cards that benefit from phase changes or timing tricks, thus creating powerful interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where players are prepared for conventional tactics, Topsy Turvy can act as a wildcard, disrupting established play patterns. Its relevance grows in metagames that appreciate such levels of ingenuity and adaptability, allowing for a dynamic shift in gameplay moments.


How to beat Topsy Turvy

Topsy Turvy is a unique and complex card that flips the typical rules of a Magic: The Gathering match upside down. To tackle this perplexing enchantment, it’s essential to understand its mechanics fully. Topsy Turvy disrupts the order of phases, which can throw off an unprepared player. Counterintuitive play is your best bet against this card. Rather than playing creatures or spells post-combat, reorient your strategy to take advantage of the changed phase order.

One effective approach is to use instant-speed removal or counterspells just before your opponent’s end step, which will occur right before their untap step in a Topsy Turvy world. This timing can catch them off-guard when they are least prepared to protect their key cards. In addition, cards that punish or remove enchantments can directly target and eliminate Topsy Turvy, returning the game to its standard flow. Prioritize permanents or spells that can be activated or cast at irregular times, keeping flexibility in your game plan. This ensures that when Topsy Turvy hits the board, you can adapt quickly and maintain control. Beat Topsy Turvy by staying one step ahead, thinking outside the traditional turn structure, and keeping your responses unpredictable.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Topsy Turvy MTG card by a specific set like Unhinged and Unsanctioned, 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 Topsy Turvy and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Topsy Turvy Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2004-11-19 and 2020-02-29. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12004-11-19UnhingedUNH 472003NormalSilverJeff Miracola
22020-02-29UnsanctionedUND 292015NormalSilverJeff Miracola

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2020-02-29 Any even number of Topsy Turvys (Turvies?) will essentially cancel each other out and return the order of phases to their normal order.
2020-02-29 Steps within each phase play out as normal. For example, although the beginning phase happens last in a turn, the untap, upkeep, and draw steps happen in their traditional order. (If it were the other way, combat would require psychics to get through.)