Pointed Discussion

Run with Sands of Time.

Edit @Lateralis0ne: Phasing-in happens during the untap step, which is skipped due to Sands of Time. It is permanent.

Sands of Time works okay, but it's really most effective as a comeback combo, since it ends up functioning much like Balance. I'm convinced there has to be some utterly ridiculous combo with this card. Maybe add Greater Gargadon to the mix? Suspend the Gargadon, and, later, at the beginning of your upkeep, with Equipoise and Sands of Time on the table, sacrifice your non-enchantment, non-planeswalker, non-Sands of Time permanents until the Gargadon has one counter left (hopefully this is all your non-Sands of Time permanents). Equipoise resolves, then the Gargadon loses its last counter and comes into play. Then you hit them in their defenseless, vulnerable face with the Gargadon a few times.


T1: Play a mountain; suspend Gargadon.
T2: Gargadon goes to 9 counters; play a plains; play Raise the Alarm/Dragon Fodder.
T3: Gargadon goes to 8 counters; play a land; play Equipoise.
T4: Gargadon goes to 7 counters; play a land; play Sands of Time.
T5: Sacrifice all lands and all creatures to the Gargadon (goes to 1); resolve Equipoise (all but one artifact phases out permanently); Gargadon goes to 0 counters; Gargadon comes into play; the beatdown begins.


Yeah, that seems pretty ridiculous. Time for me to go make the deck.

Hold on, Ragamander, they wouldn't phase out permanently. Sure, every time your turn rolls around, all of their stuff would phase out, but it phases back in before each of their untap steps once your turn ends. Thus, their permanents don't suffer summoning sickness, and they can go on to bash the hell out of you on their own turn.

This works more as a reverse bottled cloister, affecting your opponent on your turn. Yours is a good idea, but it does have its holes.

Edit: @Ragamander, alright, I see. I just read "before untapping", not "before untapping durin the untap step". So yes, you're right; this works wonders with Sands of Time, my apologies.

Though, at 7 mana, you better be able to keep your board presence minimal as often as possible. Greater Gargadon is a great suggestion from Ragamander, and I'm sure in a white red aggro/control deck this could work wonders. Setting up the lock ({7}{W}) could be a bit pricy, but in Vintage, anything is possible.

Probably the coolest-sounding name of a Magic card. "Equipoise." It's just plain fun to say. Sounds like a Final Fantasy or Chrono Trigger attack name.

I just use stasis.

Part of the Balance family, this card blatantly states "During my turn, you can't have more than me."

@ magnor: hehe... just "plain" fun to play. I see what you did there!