Each Time Spiral card was an homage to at least one previously printed card.
The card references Fact or Fiction, one of the most powerful card draw spells ever printed, which was itself part of a cycle of cards requiring separation of objects into two piles: Bend or Break, Death or Glory, Do or Die, Fight or Flight, and Stand or Fall (strangely there were two red and two white parts to this card series and no green parts). One difference that set Fact or Fiction apart (and made it so powerful) was that you were allowed to make the decision between the piles, not your opponent. Truth or Tale rectifies this and therefore created a much weaker card.
Posted By:
Missile_Penguin
(12/2/2012 9:57:16 PM)
It's not even close in power to Fact or Fiction. If you only need one card out of the top five, this is better than FoF. But usually FoF would get you an extra card or two. And even more importantly in many of the decks it was played against, FoF would send the unselected cards to the graveyard.
Psychatog wouldn't have been nearly as good if it had to rely on this over Fact or Fiction.
Posted By:
BegleOne
(6/8/2011 7:51:49 PM)
I generally prefer Telling Time: In exchange for looking at 2 less cards, you get all the choice and more options besides.
Posted By:
LordRandomness
(1/5/2012 4:53:10 PM)
The best way to play this is to put the best card in one pile and all 4 in the others. If your opponent chooses the small pile, you get the best card, and otherwise you get the second-best card out of the top 5. It's not Impulse good but still good. Don't play it in a combo deck, because your opponent can bury your combo piece, just play it in a deck with a lot of useful effects.
Posted By:
Chamale
(7/23/2012 7:58:16 PM)
It's like a mini-Fact or Fiction.
I prefer the oldschool choice more, though.
Posted By:
Mode
(8/12/2009 9:16:24 PM)
it is fun... simple as that. you can run 4 of those, and they make it easy to get land when you need it. it is recommended to play with 1 copy of fact or fiction and 1 copy of gifts ungiven.
Posted By:
Megrimage
(5/12/2010 8:42:19 PM)
If I had to play a two-mana cantrip, I'd still use Impulse. You'll be picking from four cards rather than 2.5.
Posted By:
scumbling1
(6/16/2011 4:38:22 PM)
Since both this and Fact or Fiction depend on your opponent's knowledge of your deck and their general skill at Magic, I would say that this card is even better than the "classic".
Posted By:
cathode01
(3/23/2011 1:55:23 PM)
I like this haha it's more fair, and it leaves for more mind-games. Plus it's cheaper to buy haha.
Posted By:
Omenchild
(4/18/2010 4:59:58 PM)
this should have cost 1uu and given you the whole pile
Posted By:
Purple_Shrimp
(8/21/2011 2:44:48 AM)