Timeline CullerHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding Warp

Timeline Culler features the warp keyword, which provides an alternative way to cast the spell from your hand or your graveyard. By paying one black mana and 2 life, you put the spell onto the stack. Once it resolves, it enters the battlefield as a creature with haste. However, this temporary presence comes with a trade-off: a delayed trigger is created that will exile Timeline Culler at the beginning of the next end step.

The Step-by-Step Resolution

When you cast Timeline Culler for its warp cost, it enters the battlefield just like a normal creature. Because it has haste, it can attack immediately. At the beginning of the next end step, the warp ability's delayed trigger goes on the stack. When this resolves, Timeline Culler is moved from the battlefield to the exile zone. Once it is in exile, the warp ability allows you to cast it again on a later turn for its warp cost, creating a cycle of constant recursion.

Strategic Timing and Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that Timeline Culler only goes to exile at the end step if it was cast for its warp cost; if cast for its mana cost of two black mana, it remains on the battlefield indefinitely. Also, remember that exiling a creature is not the same as it dying. If Timeline Culler is exiled by its own warp ability, it does not trigger 'when a creature dies' effects because it never hits the graveyard during that transition.

Interaction examples

Mana Fix and Warp Cast

Ornithopter of Paradise

You control Ornithopter of Paradise. You tap it to add one black mana to your mana pool. You use this mana and pay 2 life to cast Timeline Culler from your graveyard using its warp ability. Timeline Culler enters the battlefield with haste and can attack alongside your Thopter immediately.

Dying vs. Exiling

Blood Artist

You have Blood Artist on the battlefield and cast Timeline Culler via warp. If Timeline Culler is destroyed by a spell during combat, it moves to the graveyard, and Blood Artist triggers to drain 1 life. However, if Timeline Culler survives until the end step, it is exiled by its warp trigger. In this case, Blood Artist does not trigger because the Culler moved from the battlefield to exile, not the graveyard.

The Infinite Loop

Timeline Culler is in your graveyard. You pay one black mana and 2 life to warp it into play. It attacks, then is exiled at the end of the turn. On your next turn, because it was exiled by the warp ability, you can pay one black mana and 2 life again to cast it from exile, repeating the process every turn as long as you have the life and mana to spare.