Temporal Machinations
Sorcery
Return target creature to its owner's hand. If you control an artifact, draw a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Dominaria
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #27641
Temporal Machinations bounces all non-land permanents your opponents control back to their hands — a full reset on the board state — for five mana at sorcery speed. It's a niche Mass Bounce effect that shines in decks that can exploit the window it creates, and falls flat everywhere else.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Temporal Machinations is a Commander card through and through — the effect is too slow and non-permanent for any format where interaction happens at instant speed and games end on turn four. In Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer, bouncing permanents at sorcery speed for five mana doesn't come close to competing. Pauper is the one exception worth noting: mass bounce at common is rare, and a dedicated tempo shell could find a use for it. In Commander, it earns its slot specifically in decks that can follow the board wipe with an overwhelming board state of their own — think Teferi, Temporal Archmage or any commander that goes wide on the same turn.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Temporal Machinations is deep bulk — there's no financial reason not to try it if the effect fits your deck. Demand will never move this price meaningfully, so treat it as a free slot experiment rather than an acquisition.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.