Temporal Isolation MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant, Flash

Key Takeaways

  1. Temporal Isolation excels in non-lethal creature control, enabling strategic battlefield management.
  2. Instant speed casting provides significant flexibility, adapting to and disrupting opponent’s tactics.
  3. The card’s utility shines against indestructible creatures and in decks manipulating combat phases.
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

Flash (You may play this spell any time you could play an instant.) Enchant creature Enchanted creature has shadow. (It can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.) Prevent all damage that would be dealt by enchanted creature.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Temporal Isolation can function as a removal spell that neutralizes a creature without actually putting it in the graveyard, preventing graveyard-related advantages for your opponent. This aspect ensures you maintain favorable control on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: While Temporal Isolation doesn’t directly provide resource acceleration, it efficiently uses resources by costing only two mana. This allows for a swift response to threats and keeps your mana pool open for further plays, contributing subtly to your tempo.

Instant Speed: The strength of Temporal Isolation lies in its ability to be cast at instant speed. This flexibility lets you adapt to the evolving game state, catching opponents off-guard and disabling potent attackers or blockers crucial to your opponent’s strategy at the most opportune moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Temporal Isolation doesn’t demand a card be discarded, it’s important for players to note that any card demanding such a requirement can hinder one’s hand, particularly if you’re already managing limited options.

Specific Mana Cost: Temporal Isolation requires a precise mana cost of one white and one of any color. This can pose deck-building restrictions as it necessitates a white mana source, potentially limiting its integration into multi-colored or colorless decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering its two mana investment, players might seek alternatives that offer creature control at a lower cost. While providing a flash aura with significant battlefield impact, deckbuilders might weigh Temporal Isolation against other removal options that don’t tie up mana early in the game or that have broader applicability.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Temporal Isolation is a flexible option for decks that need to neutralize threats without causing permanent removal. This enchantment can sidestep indestructible creatures, effectively taking them out of combat or preventing their abilities from causing any impact during crucial turns.

Combo Potential: As a card with Flash, Temporal Isolation can be a surprise element in combos, especially in decks that manipulate phase and time mechanics. It enables you to react during your opponent’s turn, setting up for your own winning moves or disrupting their strategy, seamlessly fitting into intricate game plans.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta heavily influenced by aggressive creatures or commanders that rely on combat damage or abilities, Temporal Isolation serves as a timely answer. Its presence can alter the dynamic of a match, giving control and midrange decks a way to handle otherwise unmanageable threats.


How to Beat Temporal Isolation

Overcoming Temporal Isolation in Magic: The Gathering requires understanding its unique mechanics. This enchantment restricts a creature, effectively preventing it from dealing and receiving damage. To outmaneuver it, consider leveraging abilities that don’t rely on combat damage, like those that tap to cause effects or have life drain mechanics. Utilizing enchantment removal spells, like Disenchant or Naturalize, is another direct approach to removing Temporal Isolation from the battlefield.

Another tactic is to bypass the enchanted creature altogether. Instead of engaging it in combat, cards that facilitate unblockable attacks or focus on indirect damage could render the enchantment’s effects moot. Think creatively and use your available resources efficiently. In sum, beating Temporal Isolation involves a combination of bypass strategies or direct removal, keeping the gameplay versatile and proactive against such controlling spells.


Cards like Temporal Isolation

Temporal Isolation is a unique piece in the puzzle of creature control within Magic: The Gathering. When examined against other removal spells, Temporal Isolation distinguishes itself through the shadow ability, preventing the affected creature from dealing or being dealt damage. It’s similar in objective to cards like Pacifism, which also aim to neutralize creatures without outright destroying them. However, Pacifism allows the creature to block, which Temporal Isolation cleverly circumvents through shadow.

In contrast, Journey to Nowhere also exiles target creatures upon entering the battlefield, effectively removing the threat without leaving the potential for damage through combat. While both are excellent at mitigating imminent dangers posed by formidable creatures, Temporal Isolation stands out for its immediate impact on combat dynamics. Another point of comparison is Oblivion Ring, which offers more flexibility by removing any nonland permanent until Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield.

To sum up, while each card’s utility varies depending on the situation, Temporal Isolation shines by instantaneously altering combat outcomes. Whether you’re aiming to stop attackers or prevent lethal damage, Temporal Isolation secures a spot as a strategic choice for immediate creature control in Magic: The Gathering.

Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Journey to Nowhere - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Journey to Nowhere - MTG Card versions
Oblivion Ring - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Temporal Isolation by color, type and mana cost

Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
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Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
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I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Earnest Fellowship - MTG Card versions
Hypochondria - MTG Card versions
Soulcatchers' Aerie - MTG Card versions
Blessing - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: White - MTG Card versions
Island Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Crusade - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Blue - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Artifacts - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Red - MTG Card versions
Energy Storm - MTG Card versions
Circle of Protection: Black - MTG Card versions
Ward of Lights - MTG Card versions
Gossamer Chains - MTG Card versions
I'm Rubber, You're Glue - MTG Card versions
Absolute Grace - MTG Card versions
Seal of Cleansing - MTG Card versions
Absolute Law - MTG Card versions
Sacred Ground - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Earnest Fellowship - MTG Card versions
Hypochondria - MTG Card versions
Soulcatchers' Aerie - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Temporal Isolation MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Temporal Isolation and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Temporal Isolation Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Stephen Tappin.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-10-06Time SpiralTSP 432003NormalBlackStephen Tappin
22021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 482015NormalBlackStephen Tappin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Temporal Isolation has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-03-19 If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities.
2021-03-19 Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
2021-03-19 Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow.

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