MTG Wiki
Advertisement
This article is about the mechanic. For the storyline plot device see Time stream#Travels in time.

Time Travel
Keyword Action
Introduced Doctor Who
Last used Doctor Who
Reminder Text Time travel (For each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it, you may add or remove a time counter.)
Storm Scale 7[1]
Statistics
10 cards
{C} 10% {W} 20% {U} 30% {R} 20% {U/R} 10% {artifact symbol} 10%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Time Travel"

Time travel is a keyword action introduced in the Universes Beyond set Doctor Who.[2][3] It allows players to manipulate the time counters on their cards.[4][5]

Description[ | ]

For each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it you may add or remove a time counter. This way, cards with Suspend are accelerated, while cards with Vanishing stay around longer, or the other way around if needed. Some cards in the set use time counters as generic trackers, which can also be manipulated with time travel.

Time travel acts like proliferate with the unbound selection of cards and counters, but it is modified to encapsulate suspended cards in exile. Additionally, it can also remove counters, but it cannot affect an opponent's cards.

Rules[ | ]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

Time Travel
To add a time counter to or remove a time counter from any number of permanents you control with a time counter on them or suspended cards you own in exile with time counters on them. See rule 701.54, “Time Travel.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)

  • 701.54. Time Travel
    • 701.54a To time travel means to choose any number of permanents you control with one or more time counters on them and/or suspended cards you own in exile with one or more time counters on them and, for each of those objects, put a time counter on it or remove a time counter from it. See rule 702.62, “Suspend.”

Rulings[ | ]

  • If you're instructed to time travel, for each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it, you may add a time counter to it or remove a time counter from it. You make this choice for each one individually. For any of those cards or permanents, you may also choose to leave it be. Those changes all happen simultaneously.
  • A suspended card is a card you've put into exile via the suspend ability.
  • If a card with suspend is in your hand, any time you could cast it, you may pay its suspend cost and exile it with the specified number of time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from it, and when the last is removed, you cast it from exile without paying its mana cost. If it becomes a creature, the creature has haste.
  • Time counters are usually found on cards with suspend and vanishing, but may be found on other cards as well. Notably, Sagas use lore counters to track their progress, not time counters. You can't move a Saga's chapters forward and backward this way.

Example[ | ]

Example

Time Beetle {1}{U}
Creature — Alien Insect
1/1
Skulk (This creature can’t be blocked by creatures with greater power.)
Parallel Universe — Whenever Time Beetle deals combat damage to a player, time travel. (For each suspended card you own and each permanent you control with a time counter on it, you may add or remove a time counter.)

References[ | ]

Advertisement