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Magic's past, all at once
What this set is
Time Spiral begins a block about Dominaria's history coming apart, and it is built on nostalgia: old mechanics such as flanking, buyback, shadow, echo and storm return, and its cards reference sets back to Alpha. It has 286 different cards in the main set.
Every booster also held one card from a separate timeshifted sheet (the catalog's TSB code): 121 older cards reprinted in the modern frame with their old art. Because Time Spiral is a Modern-legal set, all 121 became Modern-legal at once, including cards that had never been printed in a Modern-legal set before.
Its own new mechanics are suspend, which lets you exile a card with time counters and cast it for free when they run out, and split second, which stops players responding to a spell. Commander players use Terramorphic Expanse, Gemstone Caverns, Academy Ruins and Krosan Grip, and Scion of the Ur-Dragon is one of the best-known five-color commanders.
Themes
Every mechanic in Time Spiral
Suspend
Pay the suspend cost and exile the card from your hand with N time counters. Remove one at each of your upkeeps, and when the last is removed you cast it without paying its mana cost.
Split second
While this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate abilities that aren't mana abilities. Nothing can respond to it except a triggered ability.
Timeshifted cards
Not a mechanic but a rarity: 121 reprints of older cards in the modern frame with their original art, one in every booster.
Where You Can Play It
Format legality
Two codes. The timeshifted sheet shares the main set's legality, which is what made its old cards Modern-legal.
Not Standard-legal, and never Pioneer-legal: Pioneer starts at Return to Ravnica (October 2012). Everything here is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander unless a ban list says otherwise. Modern bans Dread Return and Hypergenesis from the main set. Pauper bans Empty the Warrens and Grapeshot. Commons from any set are Pauper-legal; that isn't listed per set here.
Commanders
The most played commanders from Time Spiral
The legends this set is best known for. Tap one for its printings and what it costs.
Boosters, precons and singles from Time Spiral are on TCGplayer.
FAQ
Common questions
Where can I play Time Spiral cards?
In Modern, Legacy, Vintage and Commander, minus the cards each format bans. Time Spiral left Standard long ago and was never in Pioneer, which starts in 2012. Modern bans Dread Return and Hypergenesis.
What are timeshifted cards?
121 older cards reprinted in the modern frame with their original art, one in every Time Spiral booster. The catalog files them under TSB.
Are the timeshifted cards Modern-legal?
Yes. They were printed in a Modern-legal set, so all 121 are Modern-legal unless Modern bans one.
Did suspend start in Time Spiral?
Yes. Time Spiral introduced suspend on 26 cards.
All card names, art, and mechanics belong to Wizards of the Coast. Time Spiral released on Oct 6, 2006; details reflect the set as published. Sources: Wizards of the Coast set pages and release notes, Draftsim, Untapped.gg.
Playing Time Spiral in Commander?
TurnZero HQ keeps deck records, MMR, and moments for every Commander night, so you can see which new cards are actually earning their slot.
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