Time Elemental
Creature — Elemental
When this creature attacks or blocks, at end of combat, sacrifice it and it deals 5 damage to you.
, 
: Return target permanent that isn't enchanted to its owner's hand.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Fifth Edition
- Price
- $0.40
- EDHREC rank
- #26110
Time Elemental bounces any permanent at instant speed for two mana — attached to a body that can do it again every turn — and the price is 3 life and a can't-attack clause that barely matters when you're locking the board with Stasis. It's a niche card with a real ceiling: in the right shell, it's one of the most oppressive repeatable effects in blue.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Time Elemental is legal in Commander, Legacy, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, and irrelevant in all but the first two. In Legacy and Vintage, a 2/2 with a life-payment clause competes against format-defining interaction and never makes the cut. Commander is where Time Elemental actually lives — the combination of repeatable permanent bounce, instant speed, and synergy with stax and flicker strategies gives it a real niche in dedicated lock decks. Oathbreaker is technically on the table but too small a format to matter for card evaluation.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
The One RingTime Elemental
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to you; You have protection from everything; Lock
View combo details →
Price Context
Current price
$0.40 bulk tier
At $0.40, Time Elemental is deep bulk — low enough that there's no financial friction to picking one up for any deck that wants it. Demand is narrow enough that the price is unlikely to move unless a high-profile Commander build puts it in the spotlight.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.