Beats and Skies

A love letter to Preconstructed Magic

Theme Deck Review Compendium: Urza’s Legacy “Time Drain”

Archivist by Pete Venters

Another deck which can be filed under “I don’t think I owned it myself but it has a certain familiarity which means that one of my mates probably did”. Which, to be fair, is something that is true for most the Urza’s Block theme decks.

There’s two different uncommons which are holding me up from completing this deck: Exhaustion and Walking Sponge.


Time Drain

A blue green deck which features the “free spell” mechanic.

Absolutely beautiful art in this deck.

Official product information webpage (archived)

Screenshots of page, circa 2007

“Time Drain” features some of the “free” spells and creatures from the Urza’s Saga and Urza’s Legacy sets. When you cast them, you can untap as many lands as it took to play them. They enable you to play several cards in a single turn. For example, you can conceivably cast four creatures on the second turn with this deck (three Clouds of Faeries and a creature with a casting cost of 2). Also, they enable you to play a creature while keeping your mana available for spells played during your opponent’s turn.

Urza’s Legacy Preconstructed Decks Strategy Guide (compiled here)

The decklist and card images can also be found on Moxfield, MTG Goldfish and mtg.wtf.


Cloud of Faeries by Melissa A. Benson

Enhanced Deck

TIME DRAIN
ENHANCED DECK LIST
Lands (22)

2 Plains
4 Island
6 Forest
2 Brushland
2 City of Brass
1 Drifting Meadow
2 Reflecting Pool
1 Remote Isle
2 Skyshroud Forest

Creatures (18)
3 Cloud of Faeries
3 Tradewind Rider
3 Peregrine Drake
1 Palinchron
3 Birds of Paradise
3 Wall of Blossoms
2 Simian Grunts

Other (20)
3 Disenchant
3 Armageddon
1 Intervene
3 Whispers of Muse
2 Miscalculation
1 Snap
2 Counterspell
2 Legacy's Allure
2 Propaganda
1 Rewind

Sideboard (15)
1 Disenchant
1 Cloudchaser Eagle
1 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Light of Day
1 Hydroblast
2 Exhaustion
2 Propaganda
2 Scragnoth
3 Bottle Gnomes

This can also be found on Moxfield, MTG Goldfish and mtg.wtf.


Simian Grunts by Pete Venters

Reviews

M:tG Precon Decon

Urza’s Legacy Part 4: Time Drain

Selected Youtube comments:

I’d agree with the assessment that this would be fun to play. I can’t recall how good it’d have been: certainly not weak but I don’t think you’d get many blowout games either.

@ReubenAotearoa

Cycling? Flash? Free spells? Compared to the other boxes of cardboard, this deck seems almost unfairly good. I guess it lacks any singularly powerful Timmy cards, but this deck feels like it would be more consistent

@jameslabbe4119

Thornwind Faeries by Rebecca Guay

Unboxings

Doctor Alzheimers Academia Magica

German language channel

Magic Vintage Schätze 133: URZAS LEGACY (1999) Theme Deck TIME DRAIN

Selected youtube comment:

Schönes Deck…die Erschöpfung ist fast n kleiner Timewalk wenn man sie richtig spielt…ich hab sie damals mit spectralforce als finisher gespielt und diverse tapspells…also end of Turn vom Gegner alles wegtappen um dann in der eigenen runde halt die Erschöpfung zu spielen..dann bist du meistens direkt wieder dran weil dein Gegner manchmal nicht Mal n Land nachspielen kann…also kleiner Timewalk halt

Nice deck…the exhaustion is almost a small time walk if you play it correctly…back then I played it with spectralforce as a finisher and various tap spells…i.e. tapping everything away from the opponent at the end of the turn and then stopping in my own turn to play the exhaustion…then it’s usually your turn straight away because sometimes your opponent can’t even replay a land…so just a little time walk (via Google translate)

@markuskrueger1197

RuneSnow Gaming

Urza’s Legacy Time Drain – Preconstructed Box – UNBOX

Only the one thing under the “Reviews” heading. I think this is actually the first time I’ve had that happen, and I did search for even longer than I normally would. So I’m starting to translate youtube comments. Yep.

If you had this deck, played against it, or otherwise just wanted to share your thoughts then I’d love to hear it!

Edit 7/1/24: added deck photo.

Published by

Leave a comment

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started