The City on the Edge of Forever

Creature-light 4/5c Control can turn I into a board freeze before II draws two; it is narrower and slower to pay off than Overlord of the Balemurk (76).

Could be wrong if The 0/1 can be removed, and a creature-heavy own board makes chapter I strongly symmetrical.

Creature-light W/B control may use it as a temporary creature/artifact reset plus cards, but it is slower and narrower than Culling Ritual (57).

Could be wrong if Pioneer's efficient answers may make a five-mana, delayed-value lock too unreliable.

It could be tested as a creature-board hoser, but five mana and a killable 0/1 put it below Modern's normal impact rate.

Could be wrong if The lock may prove uniquely effective against artifact-creature boards despite its poor speed.

Ancient Tomb can help pay the generic cost, but W/B requirements, delayed payoff, and cheap answers leave it below Overlord of the Balemurk (30).

Could be wrong if A fast-mana control shell could value its unusual ability to blank both creatures and artifacts.

It can blank creature and artifact boards long enough to draw two in stax shells, but it strands its controller's board and the 0/1 is vulnerable.

Could be wrong if Multiplayer opponents may have enough instant-speed removal to reduce the freeze to a single turn.

Despite phasing your board too, it can buy multiple turns against an established board, draw two, and create a meaningful life swing.

Could be wrong if Cheap removal for the 0/1, fast formats, or poor W/B fixing could make its symmetric first chapter much worse.