Sands of Time

Sands of Time is a Watcher uncommon attack that deals 20 damage and Retains for 4 energy. The baseline is an extremely heavy single hit — 20 damage for 4 energy is not efficient by itself — but the Retain keyword allows it to persist in hand across multiple turns. Because it Retains, you can accumulate energy over turns and eventually play it in Wrath stance, where it deals 40 damage. The card is designed to be held and deployed at a strategic moment for maximum impact.

Sands of Time rewards patience. In Calm-cycling builds that generate surplus energy, you can hold Sands of Time until you have the perfect setup: enter Wrath, then play Sands of Time for 40 damage alongside other attacks. It's also strong in decks that reduce card costs (Establishment, Mental Fortress) or energy-generating builds. The 4-energy cost is the primary limitation. Upgraded, Sands of Time deals 26 damage (52 in Wrath), making the burst potential significantly higher and partially justifying the energy cost even without a perfect Wrath setup.