What I see in the original wording is: To make Time Vault untap normally, you must skip a turn. What the original wording, even in colloquial English, does *not* say is: "When this untaps, skip a turn." The "must skip a turn"-part on the original is only connected to an untap that comes from the game rules. I think the semicolon is the telling aspect: The sentence isn't over, and both parts depend on each other only. The first part sets the "where and what", the second part gives the special condition to overcome the drawback.

The fact that early exploits had already happened in the first years of the game just goes to show that Time Vault is simply mis-constructed. The effect it had/has was/is too strong for the game. (I disagree with that, but that's apparently the case, looking at the recent errata and Richard Garfield's original comments at removing the card.) I always understood Time Vault to say mean:

"Time Vault comes into play tapped.
Time Vault doesn't untap during your untap step unless you skip your next turn.
: Take another turn after this one."

Flame Fusillade would still not work, but Voltaic Key would, or anything else that untaps the artifact. That's my interpretation of how the Vault was intended... but since we'll never finish this debate anyway, let's just wait and see what Aaron Forsythe has to say in Friday.

Oh, and you can find all current changes to the Oracle collected by Yawgatog here, in case that hasn't been posted yet (I admit, didn't check).

Time Vault is still kinda breakable (SmokeStacks for one, Mizzium Transrelequiat for another) without Time Counter Thing.

Since casual Staxs and Stasis decks are some of my favorites, my biggest beef is with when you get to untap it.  You focused on the word MUST, I would like to point out the lack of the word NEXT.  I always thought of the untapping more as a replacement effect for the turn, than the skipping a turn as a replacement effect for the untapping.  Ask anybody who used it for it's supposed "original intent", and they will tell you that they untapped it during their opponent's end of turn (just before their turn started).

It is the most natural because of what the word "must" means. As in, "To untap it, you MUST skip a turn" which I bet a large fraction of people naturally interpret as "the only way to untap it is to skip a turn," which is exactly what its new wording does.

The actual mechanics (using a replacement ability) of implementing that in a non-natural language (again, Magic grammar is closer to programming code than English) are irrelevant as long as they implement the desired effect.

If Time Vault would become untapped, instead choose one - untap Time Vault and you skip your next turn; or Time Vault remains tapped.

gottlieb was very clear that they didn't errata time vault to nerf it.  you somehow missed that.

my problem is that time vault WAS perfectly fair.  In fact, I want time vault to be used with Twiddle.  You have tried to nerf the card with your own interpretation.

The only problem I see with your proposed wording is, when exactly does the "If you would take a turn" clause have to be fulfilled.  Is it the player immediately before you's end phase?  Is it during your untap step?  Is it that mystical step between turns when counters can be removed from Wall of Roots?  You say it would be logically applied during the end phase, but the card doesn't say that.  What happens if I untap the Vault during my own main phase?  What if I do it in an emperor game during the opposing emperor's upkeep?

Ugh, I don't think there was anything good about this original post.  Loathesome.

You just interpret it as allowing one to skip turns so that they never get an actual turn.

Dear Mark Gottlieb , Magic Rules Manager:

   I was rather surprised when I recently heard about the current errata to Time Vault.  In disbelief I read through many articles on your website and other websites to learn more about why the change was made and what other players thought about it.

Like most other players, I disagree with the current errata.  Although, I apparently have different reasons for why I disagree as well as what I would recommend.  That is why I am writing you this letter.  I doubt that much of it is the same stuff you have been reading for the past 2 months.  In it I will be covering multiple points.  What I believe to be the implied intent of the card.  What my recommendation is for its errata.  What I think are the problems with the current and older erratas.

   First the stuff you already know, the original text in Alpha, Beta, and Unlimited:

Time Vault
2
Mono Artifact
Tap to gain an additional turn after the current one. Time Vault doesn’t untap normally during untap phase; to untap it, you must skip a turn. Time Vault begins tapped.

What is the implied intent with regard to untapping?
You must skip a turn to untap Time Vault.  (In particular, notice the word “must” and the lack of the word “next”.)

What is implied to NOT be intended?
You can untap it by other means in order to take free turns.  (Again, notice the word “must”.)
You can skip future turns to combo it with another ability.  (Again, notice the lack of the word “next”.)

When does it imply that you can untap it?
When you skip a turn.

   For the most part, the stuff I wrote above should match the conclusions you also came to.  Where you and I differ is in how to bring the card back to this original intent.  The closest translation into modern Magic terms that I can come up with is as follows:

Time Vault
2
Artifact
Time Vault comes into play tapped.
Time Vault doesn’t untap during your untap step.
If you would take a turn, you may instead untap Time Vault.
Time Vault can not be untapped by any other spell, ability, or effect.
Tap: Take an extra turn after this one.

   Since there are no steps prior to the Beginning Phase, the replacement effect on line 3 would logically occur during the cleanup step of the turn just prior to the turn being skipped.  (See Comprehensive Rules section 314.3)

   Next, let us look at each of the current and other suggested errata:

Time Vault (Current Oracle reading)
2
Artifact
Time Vault comes into play tapped.
Time Vault doesn’t untap during your untap step.
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may untap Time Vault. If you do, put a time counter on it and you skip your next turn.
Tap, Remove all time counters from Time Vault: Take an extra turn after this one. Play this ability only if there’s a time counter on Time Vault.

   Although the time counters effectively deal with the “must” part, it is not intuitive to the reader of the card.  The real problem here is with when you untap Time Vault.  As previously stated, the implied time to untap Time Vault is when you skip a turn.  In other words, just before your Beginning Phase starts.  If you untap Time Vault during your upkeep, you are skipping a future turn that is at least 2 steps (Upkeep and Draw), 4 phases (Main, Combat, 2nd Main, and End), and 1 turn away.  This is possibly the furthest point away from when it was implied that you would untap Time Vault.

Time Vault (How people were playing it before it got banned.)
2
Artifact
Time Vault comes into play tapped.
Time Vault doesn't untap during your untap step.
Skip your next turn: Untap Time Vault.
Tap, Take an extra turn after this one.

   This version was banned for a reason.  There was no enforcement of the “must”.

Time Vault (after the 2004 errata)
2
Artifact
Time Vault comes into play tapped.
Time Vault doesn't untap during your untap step.
Skip your next turn: Untap Time Vault and put a time counter on it.
Tap, Remove all time counters from Time Vault: Take an extra turn after this one. Play this ability if only there's a time counter on Time Vault.

   Just like the current errata, the counters are a less than ideal enforcement of the “must”.  The ability to untap whenever is not ideal, but besides someone using it to skip multiple future turns for a combo kill, only a newbie would skip their next turn at any other time then during their opponent’s End Phase.  The obvious problem here was that it could be used to skip future turns to combo it with another ability.

   In Summary, the way people were originally playing Time Vault was most definitely broken and deserved to be banned.  The 2004 errata gave back to the players a usable card (although not ideal) that was not initially broken.  But, it allowed players to skip future turns to combo it with another ability which was not part of the original intent.  In an attempt to return to the original intent of the card, the current errata gave players a useless “unfun” neutered card that fixed the skipping of future turns to combo it with another ability, but moved the timing of the untap to the furthest point away from its original intent.  The card needs to be fixed again to rectify this last point and make it a useable unbroken card the way it was intended.

Thanks for reading.  And please contact me with any feedback.

Does the mana crypt trick actually work? Surely it should be random effects you OWN that go in your opponent's favour.

...
Entrant – Deck Name – Deck
...
2. Combo_dude - <3sphere – Mishra’s Workshop, Trinisphere, Steel Golem
3. Kasuras - 73|-| $|-||2,|-3|)|)3|2,|- aka Teh Shredder – Mishra’s Workshop, Trinisphere, Junk Diver
...
5. BlueJay – No Inspiration – Mishra’s Factory, Mox Jet, Addle
...
7. Lockdown – (No Name) – Saprazzan Skerry, Energy Field, Escape Artist
...
13. Erdrick – Level Up – Mishra’s Workshop, Mana Vault, Leveler
...

How to read the table:
Match the deck# on the left with the deck # on top. The #s on the right of that deck correspond to how many points that deck received versus the deck on top. (Append as necessary. The first digits are missing to make the table more clear)

0  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8   Total
1| x 6 6 2 2 2 6 3 2 0 3 0 0 0 6 0 6 6     50
2| 0 x 6 4 6 2 6 4 3 3 0 6 3 0 4 4 2 3     56
3| 0 0 x 3 0 2 6 3 3 3 0 6 3 0 4 3 2 3     41
4| 2 1 3 x 2 2 6 6 0 0 0 6 6 3 2 2 6 6     53
5| 2 0 6 2 x 2 6 6 0 3 0 2 6 0 0 1 2 0     38
6| 2 2 2 2 2 x 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2     34
7| 0 0 0 0 0 2 x 6 6 0 0 0 6 2 0 1 2 2     27
8| 3 1 3 0 0 2 0 x 0 6 0 4 0 0 1 0 2 6     28
9| 2 3 3 6 6 2 0 6 x 6 0 0 3 0 0 3 2 6     48
0| 6 3 3 6 3 2 6 0 0 x 3 6 0 6 0 6 2 3     55
1| 3 6 6 6 6 2 6 6 6 3 x 0 3 6 0 3 2 6     70
2| 6 0 0 0 2 2 6 1 6 0 6 x 0 1 1 4 6 0     41
3| 6 3 3 0 0 2 0 6 3 6 3 6 x 0 0 6 2 6     52
4| 6 6 6 3 6 2 2 6 6 0 0 4 6 x 2 6 2 2     65
5| 0 1 1 2 6 2 6 4 6 6 6 4 6 2 x 4 6 6     68
6| 6 1 3 2 4 2 4 6 3 0 3 1 0 0 1 x 4 3     43
7| 0 2 2 0 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 0 2 2 0 1 x 2     25
8| 0 3 3 0 6 2 2 0 0 3 0 6 0 2 0 3 2 x     32

Final Standings:

1: GoblinBoy 70
2: wonkey_donkey 68
3: virtual 65
4: combo_dude 56
5: MoreFling 55
6: r_x_ 53
7: Erdrick 52
...

Hold on. I know I put in Sapprazzan COVE, not Skerry, into my submission. That's going to be a bit of work to recalculate everything. I know Skerry doesn't work because of the depletion couters. However, Storage lands do work.

Here are my matchups:
...
Erdric (6-0) - Too slow for energy field
...

Type One is having a little trouble demonstrating the theory of Constructed that only a few decks are really viable at a given time. It's rare to find a segment of Magic history where a competitive Constructed metagame was close to as scattered as this, and I for one think this is a phenomenon indicating that people are playing bad decks for personal reasons. (Or worse, reasons of under-playtesting.)

I don't have definite information for most of them, but in general the European tournaments have zero proxies, and Washington DC was definitely a no-proxies event.

Why is this card not played?

Actually, you DO need the 4-of's because the deck needs consistent draws on the first turn.  Lacking a draw engine like Brainstorm/AK/Ancestral/TFK or Grafted Skullcap/Mind's Eye you need to run multiples.

Staff does not untap a creature that can't be targeted. Greaves is a no-no.

My concern is that the Portal looks great, but at 8 mana, it would almost have to be Welded in, and WelderMUD doesn't have the discard method, unless you move to R/U, but then you are at the Slaver or 7/10 engine again.  Wheel of Fortune and Memory Jar are the only ways to discard the Portal to weld it back into play.  Thoughts?

As it stands out, the testing results are inconclusive, but I hope I can pull off some more testing within the next two weeks

Anyways I saw ur tourney post in the open forum and just wanted to know some info about ur store before my friends and I make the trip out since the website wasn't to informative. 1. How many people do u guys usually get for T1 2. how often does the store have T1 tournies 3. what kind of prizes does the store give out 4. what kind of cards does the store have in stock(T1 wise) 5. the size of the store 6. Are proxies allowed 7. what kind of decks do people usually play.

Who shows up? Rodney and all the cool people don't play T1 as far as I know...