Timely Ward MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. The card offers an edge by saving creatures, translating into significant card advantage.
  2. With its flash ability, it provides flexibility and protection for critical game moments.
  3. Timely Ward’s various strategic uses make it a valuable addition to any MTG deck.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

You may cast this spell as though it had flash if it targets a commander. Enchant creature Enchanted creature has indestructible.

Behind every general who leads from the front is a nervous mage with a spell at the ready.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Timely Ward offers an edge by potentially saving a creature from removal, keeping its controller from losing a valuable asset. In the grind of a match, retaining a creature can translate into card advantage over an opponent.

Resource Acceleration: As an Aura, Timely Ward may not directly ramp resources, but it can indirectly accelerate by protecting key creatures that generate additional mana or have cost-reducing abilities, ensuring your resource engine stays intact.

Instant Speed: The flash ability of Timely Ward permits players to wait until the last possible moment to cast it, making it a versatile tool for protection. This allows savvy players to navigate complex board states while keeping mana open for other strategic plays.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Timely Ward can be an instant lifesaver for your key creature, it’s important to factor in the potential downside. To fully utilize its flash capability and cast it for its alternate cost, you’ll need to part with another card in your hand. In the heat of battle, choosing which card to discard can be a tough call, especially if your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: Feathering your nest with Timely Ward means tethering yourself to white mana, making this card less flexible for multicolor deck strategies. If your lands aren’t producing the right kind of mana, or you’re aiming for a more diverse deck build, you might find this protective spell sitting useless in your hand.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Paying three mana for an aura that only grants indestructible can put you at a mana disadvantage, more so if you can’t exploit the alternate cost. With a variety of lower-cost options available to protect your creatures or that offer additional benefits, Timely Ward can sometimes feel a mana-intensive choice, particularly in formats where speed and efficiency are crucial.


Reasons to Include Timely Ward in Your Collection

Versatility: Timely Ward offers an immediate way to protect your key creatures. Its flash ability allows you to cast it at any time, making it a flexible counter to removal spells or combat tricks that your opponents might throw your way.

Combo Potential: With Timely Ward, you can safeguard combo pieces in your deck. When your strategy hinges on specific creatures staying on the battlefield, having Timely Ward on hand can ensure that your combos go off without a hitch.

Meta-Relevance: Given that creature-based strategies are often prevalent, Timely Ward maintains relevance in various metagames. It thwarts attempts at removal, allowing you to keep your momentum and defend against aggressive decks that rely on clearing the board.


How to beat

Timely Ward stands out as a protective enchantment in Magic: The Gathering. Like a shield, it bestows upon a creature the invaluable ability to avoid destruction, which for many decks can present a sizeable obstacle. The card’s flash allows players to cast it at the most opportune moment, perhaps saving a key creature from an imminent threat.

Conquering a creature equipped with Timely Ward demands strategy. Targeted removal spells that bypass indestructibility like Path to Exile or board wipes that circumvent the status such as Damnation will disable this ward’s defense. Another viable approach is to use spells that force the enchanted creature to be sacrificed – sacrificing is not destruction, and thus, the wards of Timely Ward crumble.

In essence, to defeat a creature armored by Timely Ward, a player must consider removal tactics that don’t rely on dealing damage or standard destruction. Through careful card choice and timing, the resilience granted by Timely Ward can indeed be overcome in the intricate dance of Magic: The Gathering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Timely Ward is a solid addition to any MTG collection, offering stout defense for your indispensable creatures. With magic brewing at every turn, safeguarding your key pieces can tilt the tides of battle in your favor. Protecting mana accelerators or combo elements can preserve your strategic advantage, ensuring your board presence remains unscathed. Whether it’s surviving board wipes or thwarting targeted removal, Timely Ward’s versatility in play stands up to the rigors of various metagames. Are you ready to shore up your defenses and maintain the upper hand? Explore deeper strategies and discover how Timely Ward can become your deck’s staunch guardian.


Cards like Timely Ward

Timely Ward is an intriguing option for players looking to defend crucial creatures on the battlefield. A card that kindles comparisons is Gods Willing, which provides protection from the color of your choice for a single turn. Timely Ward steps up by offering perpetual protection, as long as it remains enchanted on a creature. Unlike Gods Willing, Timely Ward has the potential to shield a creature indefinitely.

Another parallel can be drawn with Lightning Greaves, a popular equipment that not only provides shroud but also grants haste. While Lightning Greaves is reusable and affects multiple creatures over a game, Timely Ward shines in its ability to protect a creature from almost all forms of removal as soon as it enters the battlefield. Moreover, the ability to cast it as though it had flash when targeting a commander caters specifically to the ever-growing Commander format.

Diving into their applications, Timely Ward excels in formats where commanders or indispensable creatures play pivotal roles. Its bespoke protection outshines others in maintaining board presence. As protectors of valuable creatures, these cards all serve a similar purpose, but Timely Ward’s enduring safeguard makes it a formidable choice in any MTG player’s deck.

Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Lightning Greaves - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - Theros (THS)
Lightning Greaves - Mirrodin (MRD)

Cards similar to Timely Ward by color, type and mana cost

Damping Field - MTG Card versions
Farmstead - MTG Card versions
Cooperation - MTG Card versions
Noble Steeds - MTG Card versions
Aura of Silence - MTG Card versions
Empyrial Armor - MTG Card versions
Cessation - MTG Card versions
Arrest - MTG Card versions
Glorious Anthem - MTG Card versions
Samite Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Pariah - MTG Card versions
Tattoo Ward - MTG Card versions
Sparring Regimen - MTG Card versions
Shielded by Faith - MTG Card versions
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Cage of Hands - MTG Card versions
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - MTG Card versions
Guardian's Magemark - MTG Card versions
Celestial Dawn - MTG Card versions
Damping Field - Antiquities (ATQ)
Farmstead - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Cooperation - Ice Age (ICE)
Noble Steeds - Alliances (ALL)
Aura of Silence - Commander 2015 (C15)
Empyrial Armor - Weatherlight (WTH)
Cessation - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Arrest - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Glorious Anthem - Junior Super Series (PSUS)
Samite Sanctuary - Prophecy (PCY)
Pariah - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Tattoo Ward - Odyssey (ODY)
Sparring Regimen - Strixhaven: School of Mages Promos (PSTX)
Shielded by Faith - Signature Spellbook: Gideon (SS2)
The Restoration of Eiganjo // Architect of Restoration - Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty (NEO)
Oblivion Ring - Magic Online Theme Decks (TD0)
Cage of Hands - Commander Legends (CMR)
Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant // Rune-Tail's Essence - The List (PLST)
Guardian's Magemark - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Celestial Dawn - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Timely Ward MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends and Wilds of Eldraine Commander, 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 Timely Ward and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Timely Ward Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Matt Stewart.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3632015normalblackMatt Stewart
22023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine CommanderWOC 792015normalblackMatt Stewart

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Timely Ward has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

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