Temporal Adept MTG Card


Offers control by bouncing threats instant speed, reusing valuable enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects. Strategically untaps to disrupt plays, enhancing combos, and adapting to various in-game threats. Demands careful considerations of deck synergy, mana bases, and timely counter strategies against it.
Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Wizard
Power 1
Toughness 1

Text of card

o Uo Uo U, oc T: Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

"Of course she's at the head of her class. All her classmates have disappeared." —Gatha, Tolarian renegade


Cards like Temporal Adept

The Temporal Adept stands out in the realm of creature-based control in Magic: The Gathering. With the capability to send any permanent back to its owner’s hand, it’s a force that can disrupt opponents’ strategies. This element bears resemblance to the abilities of Vedalken Mastermind, though the latter is limited to bouncing your own permanents, offering a nuanced twist for defensive play and combo potential.

Yet, beyond the realm of creatures, Capsize presents itself as a notable parallel. It’s an instant that can bounce any permanent, but with the added flexibility of the buyback mechanic. This means Capsize can become a recurring problem for adversaries, albeit with a higher cumulative mana investment. Tradewind Rider is another alternative, sharing a similar effect but it requires tapping two other creatures to activate. This card encourages a more synergistic deck build focusing on summoning sickness evasion or creatures with untap effects.

Overall, while players may find other cards with similar bounce abilities, Temporal Adept offers a unique combination of board control and threat potential, easily earning a place in decks focused on manipulating the state of the game with precision.

Vedalken Mastermind - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Vedalken Mastermind - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions

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

Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
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Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Mistform Warchief - MTG Card versions
Blind Phantasm - MTG Card versions
Academy Researchers - MTG Card versions
Puppeteer - MTG Card versions
Wall of Water - MTG Card versions
Prodigal Sorcerer - MTG Card versions
Apprentice Wizard - MTG Card versions
Homarid - MTG Card versions
Daring Apprentice - MTG Card versions
Time Elemental - MTG Card versions
Rootwater Shaman - MTG Card versions
Wind Drake - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Shapeshifter - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Wall - MTG Card versions
Wall of Air - MTG Card versions
Phantom Warrior - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Ghost of Ramirez DePietro - MTG Card versions
Grazilaxx, Illithid Scholar - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Mistform Warchief - MTG Card versions
Blind Phantasm - MTG Card versions
Academy Researchers - MTG Card versions
Puppeteer - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Temporal Adept offers an unparalleled ability in continually bouncing opposing threats or your creatures for value, effectively allowing you to control the pace and flow of the game. This can lead to a tangible card advantage as you negate your opponent’s plays, or reuse your own enter-the-battlefield effects.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to resource generation, Temporal Adept can clear the path for your attacking creatures, potentially accelerating your damage output and pressuring your opponent’s resources. Also, in long games, the Adept’s repeatable ability can equate to resource denial, as your opponent is forced to continuously spend mana to replay their creatures.

Instant Speed: The flexibility of using Temporal Adept’s ability at instant speed cannot be overstated. This allows savvy players to wait until the most opportune moment, such as during an opponent’s attack phase or in response to an ability, to utilize the Adept’s bouncing prowess, keeping opponents on their toes and disrupting their strategy with pinpoint timing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the limitations of the Temporal Adept is its requirement to discard a card to activate its ability. This can lead to a net loss in card advantage, especially if you’re in a position where your hand size is already diminished.

Specific Mana Cost: Temporal Adept necessitates a specific mana configuration to cast—two islands and one blue. This requirement restricts the card’s flexibility in multi-colored decks and mandates a substantial blue mana base, which could be an issue in a format with diverse mana requirements.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The cost of playing Temporal Adept is relatively high at three blue mana. In the current metagame, where efficiency is key, the investment to get Temporal Adept on the field can be a setback, particularly when other creatures or spells at the same cost can provide more immediate impact or versatility on the game.


Reasons to Include Temporal Adept in Your Collection

Versatility: Temporal Adept offers flexibility in control decks, being able to untap itself or other permanents for strategic advantage. Its ability to return creatures to their owners’ hands at instant speed makes it highly adaptable against a variety of threats.

Combo Potential: With the capacity to repeatedly bounce creatures, Temporal Adept can be a key piece in combos that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield or leave-the-battlefield triggers, setting up potent loops that can overwhelm an opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creatures dominate the battlefield, Temporal Adept serves as a recurring solution to deal with problematic creatures. Its relevance grows in metas where maintaining board control can dictate the pace and outcome of a match.


How to Beat

Temporal Adept is a card with the power to control the rhythm of the game in MTG, furnishing players an ability to return target permanents to their owner’s hand. Taking on such an ability requires strategy. One effective method is the deployment of spells that restrict activated abilities, such as Pithing Needle or Phyrexian Revoker, rendering Temporal Adept’s skills unusable. Abrupt Decay offers a viable solution as well, providing a quick, uncounterable means to destroy the Adept before their ability can be utilized.

Another angle to consider is the utilization of instant-speed removal, like Path to Exile or Lightning Bolt, exploiting the window of opportunity when the Adept is on the stack or when your opponent is tapped out. Players can also opt for a more aggressive approach, focusing on a fast-paced game plan to overpower the Adept before it can substantially affect the board state. In essence, the key against Temporal Adept lies in prevention, quick removal, and maintaining an aggressive stance to prevent your opponent from leveraging the Adept’s temporal manipulation capabilities.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Temporal Adept MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny and Seventh Edition, 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 Adept and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Temporal Adept Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 2005-07-29. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11999-06-07Urza's DestinyUDS 481997NormalBlackHeather Hudson
22001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1031997NormalWhiteRoger Raupp
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 103★1997NormalBlackRoger Raupp
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1062003NormalWhiteRoger Raupp
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 106★2003NormalBlackRoger Raupp
62005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 102★2003NormalBlackMark Tedin
72005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1022003NormalWhiteMark Tedin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Temporal Adept has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal