Time counter

Time counter

 

List of cards

 

Time counter
Counter
Use	Upkeep tracking
Placed on	Objects
Introduced	Fallen Empires
Last used	Murders at Karlov Manor Commander
Statistics
92 Counter creation cards 19.6% 22.8% 12% 19.6% 14.1% 2.2% 1.1% 8.7%
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oracle:"Time counter"

Time counters are counters that are usually removed during the upkeep step. If the last time counter on a card is removed, an effect will occur. They are especially associated with Time Spiral block and the Vanishing and Suspend abilities.

Mechanics

Two mechanics which use time counters were both introduced during the Time Spiral block.

• Vanishing
• Suspend

Another mechanic is featured in the Universes Beyond set Doctor Who.

• Time travel

Outside of Time Spiral block

Before Time Spiral, only three cards used time counters.

• Tourach's Gate from Fallen Empires is the first enchantment aura to use time counters.
• Infinite Hourglass and Time Bomb from Ice Age are the first artifacts to use time counters.

Since Time Spiral block, various supplemental sets occasionally use the two keyword abilities, especially suspend. Prior to the release of Doctor Who, there were only two other cards to use time counters since that block:

• As Foretold from Amonkhet, which uses them as a simple increasing-power device much like the cards from Ice Age.
• Alaundo the Seer from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate creates a suspend-like effect on cards, except that Alaundo must be actively used to remove their time counters rather than doing so automatically. This ability also removes time counters from cards suspended via the keyword.

Doctor Who

Time counters are also prominently featured in the Universes Beyond set Doctor Who, where they are associated with the Time travel mechanic. Several cards gain time counters as generic markers.

Time counter interaction

There are a few cards that can interact specifically with time counters.

• Jhoira's Timebug puts a time counter on or removes a time counter from a permanent you control or a suspended card you own.
• Fury Charm removes two time counters from a permanent or suspended card.
• Timebender puts two time counters on or removes two time counters from a permanent with a time counter on it or a suspended card.
• Timecrafting puts X time counters on or removes X time counters from a permanent with a time counter on it or a suspended card.
• Dust of Moments puts two time counters on or removes two time counters from each permanent with a time counter on it and each suspended card.
• Rift Elemental removes two time counters from a permanent you control or a suspended card you own.
• Shivan Sand-Mage puts two time counters on or removes two time counters from a permanent with a time counter on it or a suspended card.
• Alaundo the Seer removes a time counter from each exiled cards you control, including suspended cards as well as cards exiled with his own ability.

Additionally, any card that interacts with counters in general may affect permanents with time counters, such as Doubling Season, Price of Betrayal, Vorel of the Hull Clade, and cards with Proliferate. Such cards cannot affect time counters on suspended spells since those spells are in exile.

Trivia

• In Magic Online, the counter is colored blue as its considered a neutral effect and shares its icon with Age, Depletion, Delay, Eon, Fade, Hour, Hourglass, and Isolation counters.

See also

• Fade counter - played a similar role for the Fading mechanic, a precursor to Vanishing