Teferi's Puzzle Box

Teferi's Puzzle Box first appeared in the 1997 Visions expansion, designed by Mark Rosewater and Mike Elliott to represent the chronomancy of the planeswalker Teferi. The card mechanic, which forces players to put their hand on the bottom of their library and draw a new hand of the same size at the end of each turn, was intended to create a chaotic, unpredictable game state. Its design reflects the whimsical yet disruptive nature of time magic within the Magic: The Gathering lore, serving as a signature artifact that prioritizes psychological pressure over traditional combat.

The Ninth Edition reprint, featuring the artwork by Matt Cavotta, arrived in 2005 as part of a core set revitalization effort. Cavotta’s illustration depicts the intricate, gear-driven mechanisms of the box, leaning into the steampunk-adjacent aesthetic often associated with artifact cards of that era. In the secondary market and competitive play, the Ninth Edition version is frequently sought after by players building 'chaos' or 'draw-go' decks, remaining a reliable staple for those looking to disrupt opponents' hand management strategies through a thematic and mechanical lens.