Temporal Fissure is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Return target permanent to its owner's hand. Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.)
Complete guide
Temporal Fissure is a powerful blue sorcery that harnesses the chaotic energy of the Storm mechanic to clear the battlefield. By chaining together multiple spells in a single turn, you can bounce a massive number of permanents back to their owners' hands. This card is a staple in combo decks that look to reset an opponent's progress while advancing their own.
Harnessing the Storm
When you cast Temporal Fissure, its Storm ability triggers. This ability checks the total number of spells cast by all players earlier in the turn. For every spell cast before Temporal Fissure, a copy of Temporal Fissure is created and put directly onto the stack. These copies are not 'cast', so they won't trigger other Storm abilities, but they function as independent spells that can each target a different permanent.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you cast Temporal Fissure and choose an initial target. The Storm trigger then goes on top of the stack. When the trigger resolves, you create the copies and choose their targets. Each copy resolves one by one from the stack, returning the chosen permanents to their owners' hands. Finally, the original Temporal Fissure resolves. If a target becomes illegal (for example, if it is sacrificed in response), that specific copy will fail to resolve, but the others remain unaffected.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is assuming that countering the original Temporal Fissure stops the Storm. Since Storm is a triggered ability that goes on the stack when the spell is cast, the copies are created regardless of whether the original spell is countered later. To stop the copies, an opponent would need to counter the Storm trigger itself using a specific ability-countering effect. Additionally, remember that any permanent can be targeted, including lands!
When to Cast It
Temporal Fissure is most effective at the end of a long sequence of cheap spells. It serves as both a defensive tool to remove threats and an offensive finisher to strip an opponent of their mana base or blockers. Because it returns cards to the hand, it is particularly devastating against tokens or decks that rely on expensive non-land permanents.
Interaction examples
Distant MelodyIf you control several Elves and cast Distant Melody to draw cards, and then cast Temporal Fissure, the Storm count will be at least one. The Storm trigger will create one copy of Temporal Fissure. You can return two permanents to their owners' hands in total—one from the copy and one from the original spell.
Raise the PalisadeImagine you cast Raise the Palisade to bounce most creatures. Following this up with Temporal Fissure allows you to use the Storm count from Raise the Palisade to target the few remaining non-creature permanents, such as Enchantments or Lands, that Raise the Palisade couldn't touch. This sequence ensures your opponent's board is completely empty.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Temporal Fissure
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The copies are put directly onto the stack. They aren't cast and won't be counted by other spells with storm cast later in the turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Spells cast from zones other than a player's hand and spells that were countered are counted by the storm ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
A copy of a spell can be countered like any other spell, but it must be countered individually. Countering a spell with storm won't affect the copies.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The triggered ability that creates the copies can itself be countered by anything that can counter a triggered ability. If it is countered, no copies will be put onto the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
You may choose new targets for any of the copies. You can make different choices for each copy.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Temporal Fissure
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.