Is Time Vault Banned? A Deep Dive into a Legendary Magic Card
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The simple answer is: Yes, Time Vault is banned in almost all formats except for Vintage, where it is restricted. This might seem straightforward, but the story of Time Vault, its infamous combo with Voltaic Key, and its history with the Banned and Restricted list is far more complex and fascinating. Let’s unravel the details of this infamous card.
The Power of Infinite Turns
Understanding Time Vault’s Effect
Time Vault, an artifact card, has a straightforward text: “Time Vault enters the battlefield tapped and doesn’t untap during your untap step. You may skip your next turn. If you do, untap Time Vault.” This might not seem overtly powerful at first glance. However, the true potential lies in its ability to be untap, potentially granting you extra turns. However, the catch is that it usually requires you to skip a turn to untap it.
The Infamous Combo
The key to Time Vault’s brokenness lies in its synergy with Voltaic Key or similar untap effects. Voltaic Key, for instance, can untap a tapped artifact. With Voltaic Key and Time Vault on the battlefield, a player could:
- Tap Time Vault to take an extra turn.
- Skip your next turn.
- Use Voltaic Key to untap Time Vault.
- Repeat the process indefinitely, taking infinite turns.
This combo is incredibly powerful as it prevents your opponents from ever having another turn, essentially locking them out of the game while you amass resources, deploy threats, and ultimately win.
History with the Banned & Restricted List
Early Days of Chaos
The infinite turn combo with Time Vault was quickly recognized as being incredibly powerful. So much so, that it was one of the primary reasons for creating Magic: The Gathering’s first Banned and Restricted list in January 1994. It was deemed too oppressive and unfun to play against.
Time Vault’s Modern Status
Since its initial ban in 1994, Time Vault has never become legal in Standard, Modern, Pioneer, or Commander formats. It remains one of the few cards banned across all of those formats. The combination with Voltaic Key or similar cards has also never gone away; the power of taking infinite turns is just too strong, regardless of changes in sets and card availability.
Restricted in Vintage
Vintage, the most permissive format, does allow players to use one copy of Time Vault, making it restricted, not banned. This restriction helps maintain balance in a format known for extreme power levels, while also allowing players to engage with some of the more powerful cards in Magic’s history.
FAQs about Time Vault
1. Why was Time Vault initially banned?
Time Vault was banned due to its incredibly powerful ability to create an infinite turn combo with cards like Voltaic Key, giving one player unlimited turns while denying their opponents any opportunity to play. This was deemed too powerful for fair gameplay.
2. Is Time Vault banned in all formats?
Time Vault is banned in Standard, Modern, Pioneer, and Commander. It is restricted to one copy in Vintage.
3. What is the primary combo with Time Vault?
The primary combo involves Time Vault and any card that can untap artifacts such as Voltaic Key or Manifold Key. Repeatedly untapping Time Vault allows you to skip your next turn and take an extra turn on the one you just had, creating an infinite loop of turns.
4. What makes the Time Vault combo so strong?
The combo is strong because it effectively locks your opponents out of the game. With infinite turns, you can build an overwhelming advantage and prevent them from ever taking another turn, therefore guaranteeing a victory.
5. Has Time Vault ever been unbanned in any format?
Time Vault has never been unbanned in Standard, Modern, Pioneer or Commander. Its status has remained constant for over 30 years due to its power level. It remains restricted in Vintage.
6. Could Time Vault ever become legal in Modern?
It is highly unlikely Time Vault will ever be legal in Modern. The combo is too powerful and not easily manageable by most decks. It violates the core principles of the format.
7. Why is Time Vault still restricted in Vintage?
Despite allowing powerful cards, Vintage still maintains some limits. Time Vault’s potential for an infinite turn combo is so powerful that even in Vintage, it is restricted to one copy per deck to prevent the possibility of repeated combo attempts.
8. Is Time Vault a valuable card?
Time Vault is a valuable card, especially older versions, due to its status as one of Magic’s most powerful and historically significant cards. It is not just its power but also its place in Magic history that contributes to its value.
9. Are there any similar cards that are legal?
While there are some cards that grant extra turns, none create the same kind of infinite loop as Time Vault and Voltaic Key and most often include some kind of cost or set back to balance them.
10. What does “restricted” mean in Vintage?
A “restricted” card in Vintage means you can only include one copy of that card in your deck. This is to limit the frequency of powerful cards and combos.
11. Is Time Vault legal in casual Magic games?
Whether or not a card is legal in casual play is up to a playgroup’s individual rules and agreements. However, if you do decide to play with the card it’s best to always have a conversation before hand and make sure everyone understands what will happen.
12. How does the Time Vault combo affect the game?
The Time Vault combo is exceptionally powerful and effectively ends the game on the spot. By creating an infinite loop of turns, you can attack with all your creatures every turn and your opponent would get no opportunity to block or respond.
13. What are some other examples of broken combos in Magic?
Other examples of broken combos include the Flash Hulk combo, Kiki-Jiki Mirror Breaker and Restoration Angel, and even older ones like the Channel Fireball combo, just to name a few. These combos are usually restricted or banned due to their ability to end the game very quickly and efficiently.
14. Is Time Vault considered one of the most broken cards in Magic history?
Time Vault is often regarded as one of the most broken cards in Magic’s history because of the nearly game ending combo with Voltaic Key or another repeatable untap effect. It is a prime example of a card that required a quick banning to protect the overall gaming experience.
15. How has the banning of Time Vault affected Magic’s design philosophy?
The banning of Time Vault, alongside other powerful early cards, has significantly influenced Magic’s design philosophy. It has taught Wizards of the Coast to be cautious of designing cards that can create infinite loops and to put more emphasis on fair and balanced gameplay. They also are less likely to print cards that can “untap” another card, particularly an artifact.