Time Ebb MTG Card


Time Ebb can effectively negate the opponent’s previous turn, offering potential card advantage over time. Despite its sorcery speed, Time Ebb demands strategic timing for maximum disruption of opponent’s plays. Its particular mana cost and higher expense compared to similar MTG spells affect its deck versatility.
Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Return any one creature to the top of its owner's deck.

Like the tide, time both ebbs and flows.


Cards like Time Ebb

Time Ebb stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a tactical card that targets creatures. It shares its fundamental ability to return a creature to its owner’s hand with Unsummon, yet Time Ebb requires one additional mana and places the creature on top of its owner’s library instead. This subtle difference can significantly impede your opponent’s next draw, whereas Unsummon simply places the creature back in hand.

Analogous to Time Ebb is Griptide, which also puts a creature on top of the owner’s library. But Griptide’s instant speed gives players the flexibility to disrupt opponents during their turn, albeit for one more mana. Then there’s Capsize with its buyback ability. While more mana-intensive, Capsize can become a reoccurring nuisance for opponents, potentially offering more long-term value compared to the one-time effect of Time Ebb.

In summary, the evaluation of Time Ebb against other creature bouncing spells in Magic: The Gathering highlights its niche in delaying opponents rather than just providing immediate tempo. Its tactical nature provides a different angle of board control that can be particularly useful in certain game strategies.

Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Griptide - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Griptide - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Time Ebb by color, type and mana cost

Volcanic Eruption - MTG Card versions
Timetwister - MTG Card versions
Baleful Stare - MTG Card versions
Déjà Vu - MTG Card versions
Exhaustion - MTG Card versions
Political Trickery - MTG Card versions
Dream Cache - MTG Card versions
Tinker - MTG Card versions
Sage's Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Undo - MTG Card versions
Ingenious Mastery - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Reminisce - MTG Card versions
Fabricate - MTG Card versions
Counsel of the Soratami - MTG Card versions
Vacuumelt - MTG Card versions
Wistful Thinking - MTG Card versions
Savor the Moment - MTG Card versions
Sanity Grinding - MTG Card versions
Volcanic Eruption - MTG Card versions
Timetwister - MTG Card versions
Baleful Stare - MTG Card versions
Déjà Vu - MTG Card versions
Exhaustion - MTG Card versions
Political Trickery - MTG Card versions
Dream Cache - MTG Card versions
Tinker - MTG Card versions
Sage's Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Undo - MTG Card versions
Ingenious Mastery - MTG Card versions
Animating Faerie // Bring to Life - MTG Card versions
Queen of Ice // Rage of Winter - MTG Card versions
Reminisce - MTG Card versions
Fabricate - MTG Card versions
Counsel of the Soratami - MTG Card versions
Vacuumelt - MTG Card versions
Wistful Thinking - MTG Card versions
Savor the Moment - MTG Card versions
Sanity Grinding - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Time Ebb plays into the strategy of control decks by setting your opponent back by returning a creature to their hand. While not directly offering card advantage, it effectively negates an opponent’s turn spent deploying that creature, potentially leading to card advantage over time.

Resource Acceleration: Although Time Ebb does not accelerate your resources in the traditional sense of producing mana, it can indirectly accelerate your game plan. By returning a key blocker or attacker, you can get ahead on tempo, allowing you to advance your board state while they replay their threat.

Instant Speed: Time Ebb’s sorcery speed compels strategic planning, ensuring that the timing of this spell’s cast is as disruptive as possible. Cleverly bouncing a key creature on your turn can effectively buy you an extra turn against aggressive opponents or disrupt intricate combos, showcasing its strength in a well-crafted strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Time Ebb lacks a discard mechanic, which means it doesn’t directly diminish your opponents’ hand size, potentially lessening its overall impact on the game.

Specific Mana Cost: Time Ebb requires one blue mana alongside two generic mana, potentially restricting its integration into multicolored decks that need a stringent mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three mana, Time Ebb is sometimes considered costly for its temporary and singular bounce effect, especially when compared with other low-cost removal or bounce spells in MTG.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Time Ebb presents itself as a flexible tool for any blue deck, providing a simple yet effective way to deal with opponents’ creatures by placing them on top of their owner’s library, thus delaying their plans and buying you valuable time.

Combo Potential: The ability to control the flow of the game by manipulating your opponent’s draw can work seamlessly with strategies that capitalize on opponents drawing certain cards or with cards that can mill those returned creatures, enhancing your control over the outcome.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo plays a significant role, using Time Ebb to disrupt your opponent’s board state can be critical. Particularly in a creature-heavy meta, resetting key pieces can give you the upper hand and pave the way for victory.


How to beat

Mastering the dynamics of control in Magic: The Gathering can be the key to overcoming spells like Time Ebb. This card, known for temporarily disrupting an opponent’s board, sends a creature back to the top of its owner’s library. It can be an annoying setback but doesn’t equate to a permanent solution. When countering Time Ebb, timing is everything. Playing creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects can turn the tide to your advantage, as replaying them yields additional value.

Similarly, utilizing low-cost creatures can minimize the impact of the tempo loss, allowing you to redeploy your threats without significant delays. Having spells that shuffle your library or grant you card draw will dilute the effectiveness of Time Ebb by not letting it dictate your next draw. Deck manipulation thus becomes a strategic aspect of gameplay. Lastly, instant-speed spells that can counter sorceries will neutralize a Time Ebb play directly, maintaining your board presence and prolonging your control over the game.

Considering these strategies, Time Ebb’s influence diminishes, showcasing that with thoughtful play and adaptation, any card can be bested in the complex and intriguing world of Magic: The Gathering.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Time Ebb MTG card by a specific set like Portal and Tempest, 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 Time Ebb and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Time Ebb Magic the Gathering card was released in 8 different sets between 1997-05-01 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11997-05-01PortalPOR 751997NormalBlackAlan Rabinowitz
21997-10-14TempestTMP 961997NormalBlackThomas M. Baxa
31998-06-24Portal Second AgeP02 571997NormalBlackSam Wood
41999-07-01Starter 1999S99 551997NormalWhiteAlan Rabinowitz
52000-04-01Starter 2000S00 191997NormalWhiteAlan Rabinowitz
62005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 1072003NormalWhiteThomas M. Baxa
72005-07-29Ninth Edition9ED 107★2003NormalBlackThomas M. Baxa
82013-07-19Magic 2014M14 742003NormalBlackAlan Rabinowitz
92015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 732015NormalBlackThomas M. Baxa

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Time Ebb has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal