Tornado MTG Card


Tornado offers card filtering for consistent access to game-changing combos and crucial deck components. Its ability to untap lands generates resource acceleration, enabling more dynamic turns with powerful plays. Instant speed aspect of Tornado allows for strategic responses, disrupting opponents’ tactics on the fly.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeEnchantment
Abilities Cumulative upkeep

Text of card

Cumulative Upkeep: o G o G: Pay 3 life for each velocity counter on Tornado. Destroy target permanent and put a velocity counter on Tornado. Use this ability only once each turn. Effects that prevent or redirect damage cannot be used to counter this loss of life.


Cards like Tornado

Tornado is an intriguing entry into the realm of enchantment cards within Magic: The Gathering, somewhat akin to the functionality of cards such as Ice Storm. Both Tornado and Ice Storm allow players to target and potentially destroy lands, shaking the foundation of an opponent’s manabase. However, Tornado diverges from Ice Storm by offering repeatable use at the cost of cumulative upkeep, giving players a prolonged impact on the field of play.

Another card that comes to mind when exploring Tornado’s characteristics is the classic green spell, Desert Twister. While Desert Twister affords players the ability to destroy any permanent, it commands a higher mana requirement and is a one-time use spell. Tornado’s flexibility, in contrast, stems from its ability to be activated multiple times, albeit with the downside of having to place age counters on it, increasing its upkeep cost.

Scrutinizing the strategic nuances these cards bring to the table, Tornado stakes its claim as a powerful option amongst green destruction spells. It offers Magic: The Gathering players a dynamic tool for dismantling opponent strategies over the course of a game, despite the escalating costs to maintain its presence on the battlefield.

Ice Storm - MTG Card versions
Desert Twister - MTG Card versions
Ice Storm - MTG Card versions
Desert Twister - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Tornado by color, type and mana cost

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Nature's Revolt - MTG Card versions
Midsummer Revel - MTG Card versions
Saproling Burst - MTG Card versions
Verdant Succession - MTG Card versions
Unnatural Growth - MTG Card versions
Glorious Sunrise - MTG Card versions
Paradox Zone - MTG Card versions
Doubling Season - MTG Card versions
Centaur Glade - MTG Card versions
Honden of Life's Web - MTG Card versions
Perilous Forays - MTG Card versions
Hibernation's End - MTG Card versions
Verdant Embrace - MTG Card versions
Flourishing Defenses - MTG Card versions
Gigantiform - MTG Card versions
Vastwood Zendikon - MTG Card versions
Asceticism - MTG Card versions
Gutter Grime - MTG Card versions
Lost in the Woods - MTG Card versions
Primal Vigor - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tornado offers consistent card filtering, improving the quality of the cards you have at your disposal. It allows you to sift through your deck for key pieces, maintaining a fluid playstyle and leveraging powerful combos.

Resource Acceleration: By untapping lands, Tornado can effectively reduce its own casting cost, enabling you to deploy other threats or answers in the same turn. This acceleration opens the door to a more dynamic and threatening board presence earlier in the game.

Instant Speed: As an instant, Tornado provides the flexibility to react to your opponent’s moves. This speed is crucial for disrupting enemy strategies or sneaking in crucial plays just before your turn begins, keeping opponents on their toes and giving you a tactical edge in the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Tornado card necessitates discarding another card as part of its casting cost. This can be a significant setback when your hand is already depleted of options or when every card is crucial to your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Tornado comes with a specific requirement for green mana, which could pose a challenge in multicolored decks where green mana resources are limited or prioritized for other spells.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively high cost to get onto the battlefield, Tornado might take up a crucial turn where faster, more immediate responses could be needed, especially in formats where tempo plays a decisive role.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Tornado proves its worth by fitting seamlessly into numerous deck archetypes that value control and permanence manipulation. Its ability to upend the board state round after round makes it valuable in any strategy aiming to outlast the opponent.

Combo Potential: The card’s capability to dismantle key pieces of your opponent’s board means it synergizes well with strategies focused on denial and interruption. When combined with cards that refresh permanents or manipulate counters, Tornado escalates from a disruption tool to a win condition enabler.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where the meta shifts regularly, having a card like Tornado can be critical. It’s particularly impactful in environments where long-term board state strategies prevail. As some meta games value sustainable control, Tornado can become an essential asset, tipping scales in prolonged matches where attrition dictates the victor.


How to beat

The Tornado card in MTG presents a unique challenge on the battlefield, invoking a mix of strategy and timing to turn the tides in your favor. Effectively addressing a Tornado requires patience, as its cumulative upkeep cost increases with time, making it a significant investment for your opponent. To outmaneuver this card, focus on cards that remove enchantments or disrupt upkeep abilities. Consider employing instant-speed removal such as Disenchant or Naturalize, which target and destroy enchantments, directly eliminating Tornado’s presence from the game. Additionally, continuous board pressure is pivotal; deploying threats each turn can force the opponent to allocate resources elsewhere, detracting from their ability to maintain Tornado’s demanding upkeep. Moreover, countering Tornado before it takes effect is an ideal solution. Counterspells such as Negate or Mana Leak provide a preemptive strike against such enchantments, ensuring they never have a chance to influence the game state. Timing and resource management, thus, play crucial roles in overcoming the whirlwind challenges posed by the Tornado card.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tornado MTG card by a specific set like Alliances and Masters Edition, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Tornado and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tornado Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1996-06-10 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Susan Van Camp.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-06-10AlliancesALL 1011993NormalBlackSusan Van Camp
22007-09-10Masters EditionME1 1361997NormalBlackSusan Van Camp

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tornado has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal