Does one HAVE to trigger sand clocks?

[Martyrs]

Or is it possible to skip the sandclocks?

[IamSalvation]

Its mandatory

[Andrewsmile]

Not only is it mandatory, but you can't "trigger" them if their conditions aren't met if you'd like to skip them but their conditions will be filled by another sand timer- for example, charybdis forces you to discard a blue for 5 points. If you don't have a blue, but have a sand timer that gives you a blue, you must get the blue first and then discard it. If at any point in the process a sand timer is eligible to be triggered it must be triggered unless you have a way to circumvent the effect.

[Martyrs]

Alright so I'd better get something that gives me additional cards so medusa doesn't petrify my point cards

[IamSalvation]

With Medusa you either get Mimic to discard and pick uo the same card each turn or you intenionally draft 1 card per round to discard it.