Karn's Temporal Sundering MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Sorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables card advantage by bouncing an opponent’s nonland permanent, complicating their game plan.
  2. Provides resource acceleration by granting an extra turn, advancing your board presence significantly.
  3. Demanding legendary creature or planeswalker condition restricts this card’s spontaneous use.

Text of card

(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.) Target player takes an extra turn after this one. Return up to one target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Exile Karn's Temporal Sundering.

Centuries ago, a quest to harness time became a spiral into chaos.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Karn’s Temporal Sundering enables the caster to bounce an opponent’s nonland permanent to their hand. This not only temporarily removes a threat but also opens a window for gaining a card advantage as your opponent will have to spend another turn redeploying that card.

Resource Acceleration: By taking an extra turn after this one, the player effectively accelerates their resources. They get to untap their lands and creatures, draw a card for the turn, and make additional land drops which propels them ahead of the opponent in both mana availability and overall board presence.

Instant Speed: Although Karn’s Temporal Sundering doesn’t operate at instant speed, its casting is conditional upon having a legendary creature or planeswalker, allowing players to strategize its use around such permanents for an optimal impact during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Karn’s Temporal Sundering demands you have a legendary creature or planeswalker on the field to cast it. This prerequisite can be restrictive, especially in decks without a consistent presence of such permanents.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Karn’s Temporal Sundering is particularly color-intensive, requiring both blue and colorless mana. This can make it a challenging fit for multicolored decks not heavily skewed towards blue.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of six mana, Karn’s Temporal Sundering is an expensive investment. In faster formats or matches, by the time you have the resources to cast it, the tide of the game may have already turned.


Reasons to Include Karn’s Temporal Sundering in Your Collection

Versatility: Karn’s Temporal Sundering offers a unique ability to take an extra turn, making it a versatile inclusion in decks that aim to outpace opponents or need that extra play to strategize a win.

Combo Potential: This card is a cornerstone for combos in decks that manipulate time. It can synergize with cards that benefit from casting historic spells or reuse permanents with tap abilities for extra value.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo can determine the winner, Karn’s Temporal Sundering fits well in a meta with decks that require a sudden turn of events to clinch victory, making it relevant in various competitive formats.


How to beat

Karn’s Temporal Sundering is a powerful legendary sorcery in Magic the Gathering that can shift the tide of the game by allowing a player not only to take an extra turn but also to return a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. This card can certainly be a challenge to go up against due to the significant tempo advantage it can provide.

Overcoming this juggernaut requires a strategy focused on denying your opponent the chance to capitalize on its legendary condition. Keeping legendary creatures and planeswalkers off the battlefield is paramount. Counterspells are effective here, as they can stop Karn’s Temporal Sundering before it even starts. A well-timed Negate or Disallow could save you from the potential setback. Alternatively, discard effects that strip this sorcery from your opponent’s hand before they reach the required mana can thwart their plans. Thoughtseize and Duress are prime examples of cards that can be used to disrupt your opponent’s hand, preventing them from unleashing Karn’s Temporal Sundering’s powerful effect.

Ultimately, keeping a watchful eye on your opponent’s mana and hand, alongside a responsive playstyle, can guide you to victory against the formidable Karn’s Temporal Sundering.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is about more than just powerful spells; it’s understanding when and how to play them. Karn’s Temporal Sundering offers a potent blend of disruption and acceleration, serving as a pivotal play in many strategies. With its capability to set your opponent back while propelling you forward, it demands thoughtful deck construction and playstyle adaptation. As you refine your collection and hone your tactics, consider how this card could shift the momentum in your favor. Eager to explore the full potential of Karn’s Temporal Sundering and enhance your gameplay expertise? Venture with us to further your MTG prowess and uncover the synergies that turn a good move into a game-winning strategy.


Cards like Karn's Temporal Sundering

Karn’s Temporal Sundering holds a unique position among Magic: The Gathering’s lineup of legendary sorceries. Its closest relatives would be Time Warp and Capture of Jingzhou, both offering extra turns without the planeswalker prerequisite. However, Karn’s Temporal Sundering brings more to the table by allowing a bounce effect, which can disrupt opponents’ boards while you get an additional turn to advance your plan. These tiny nuances have a significant impact on both deck building and gameplay.

Next would be Part the Waterveil, yet another extra turn spell with flexibility. It comes with the option to awaken a land, turning it into a powerful creature. While this offers a possible win condition, Karn’s Temporal Sundering can affect any nonland permanent, lending it a broader utility. Not to be overlooked is Expropriate, a card that combines extra turns with political choice, giving it a multifaceted edge in multiplayer formats, at a higher cost complication.

In sum, the comparison of these similar cards demonstrates that Karn’s Temporal Sundering can be a game-changer with its dual utility in a deck designed around legendary creatures and planeswalkers, emphasizing its worth in enabling both proactive plays and disruptive strategies.

Time Warp - MTG Card versions
Capture of Jingzhou - MTG Card versions
Part the Waterveil - MTG Card versions
Expropriate - MTG Card versions
Time Warp - Tempest (TMP)
Capture of Jingzhou - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Part the Waterveil - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Expropriate - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)

Cards similar to Karn's Temporal Sundering by color, type and mana cost

Amnesia - MTG Card versions
Time Spiral - MTG Card versions
Cultural Exchange - MTG Card versions
Echo of Eons - MTG Card versions
Cosmic Epiphany - MTG Card versions
Mind's Desire - MTG Card versions
Rise from the Tides - MTG Card versions
Cut Your Losses - MTG Card versions
Inspiring Refrain - MTG Card versions
Spelltwine - MTG Card versions
Flow of Ideas - MTG Card versions
Tunnel Vision - MTG Card versions
Govern the Guildless - MTG Card versions
Walk the Aeons - MTG Card versions
Reality Strobe - MTG Card versions
Mass Polymorph - MTG Card versions
Mindculling - MTG Card versions
Stolen Identity - MTG Card versions
Sea God's Revenge - MTG Card versions
Rise of Eagles - MTG Card versions
Amnesia - Masters Edition (ME1)
Time Spiral - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cultural Exchange - Odyssey (ODY)
Echo of Eons - Modern Horizons (MH1)
Cosmic Epiphany - Dominaria United (DMU)
Mind's Desire - Strixhaven Mystical Archive (STA)
Rise from the Tides - Game Night 2019 (GN2)
Cut Your Losses - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Inspiring Refrain - Doctor Who (WHO)
Spelltwine - Commander 2017 (C17)
Flow of Ideas - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Tunnel Vision - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)
Govern the Guildless - Dissension (DIS)
Walk the Aeons - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
Reality Strobe - Future Sight (FUT)
Mass Polymorph - The List (PLST)
Mindculling - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Stolen Identity - New Capenna Commander (NCC)
Sea God's Revenge - Theros (THS)
Rise of Eagles - Journey into Nyx (JOU)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Karn's Temporal Sundering MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Dominaria Promos, 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 Karn's Temporal Sundering and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Karn's Temporal Sundering Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2018-04-27. Illustrated by Noah Bradley.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-04-27DominariaDOM 552015normalblackNoah Bradley
22018-04-27Dominaria PromosPDOM 55s2015normalblackNoah Bradley

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Karn's Temporal Sundering has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-04-27 If the target player or target nonland permanent is an illegal target as Karn’s Temporal Sundering resolves, the other target is affected as normal and Karn’s Temporal Sundering is exiled. If both targets are illegal, Karn’s Temporal Sundering doesn’t resolve and isn’t exiled.
2018-04-27 Other than the casting restriction, the legendary supertype on a sorcery carries no additional rules. You may cast any number of legendary sorceries in a turn, and your deck may contain any number of legendary cards (but no more than four of any with the same name).
2018-04-27 You can’t cast a legendary sorcery unless you control a legendary creature or a legendary planeswalker. Once you begin to cast a legendary sorcery, losing control of your legendary creatures and planeswalkers won’t affect that spell.

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