Borrowed Time

Basic Info

• Type: Skill
• Cost: 1
• Effect: Gain 4 energy. This turn, cards cost an additional energy.

Upgraded

• Cost: 1
• Effect: Gain 6 energy. This turn, cards cost an additional energy.

Rating

A 1-cost strong energy ramp — 4-6 energy gained. The catch: every card you play this turn costs an extra energy, so the effective payoff depends heavily on how many cards you actually play. It's most efficient on turns where you want to slam a small number of high-cost cards rather than spam the hand.

The April 2026 patch gave it a full rework, replacing the old version (0 cost, self 3 Decay, gain 1-2 energy) with this one. The self-harm risk is gone but a 1-cost entry fee was added, along with the per-card cost penalty. Upgraded 6 energy is massive — one high-cost blowout card easily pays it off.

Rating: A-tier (energy ramp that shines with high-cost card combos)

How to Use

• Line it up on a turn where you plan to fire one big card like Entomb (4) or Doomsday (3)
• Avoid turns where you want to play many cards — the per-card extra cost bites
• Upgraded 6 energy means even after paying 1 you net +5 energy on a single-card turn
• Great enabler for Neurosurge or mass-Power setup turns

Good Synergies

• Entomb: 4-cost heavy Attack. Borrowed Time pays for it even with the extra cost
• Doomsday: 3-cost AoE finisher. Comfortably affordable
• Revive: 3-cost mass Summon. Strong same-turn pairing
• Deathbringer: 2-cost AoE Decay. Even with the extra cost, energy remains plentiful

Pick Priority

• Early Act 1: medium — judge whether the deck can use the constraint
• Late Act 1: high — with more high-cost cards around, the ramp starts to matter
• Act 2+: high — Entomb / Doomsday combos make deck flow much more consistent
• Boss rewards: medium — other rares may be higher priority

Change History