Slumbering Tora MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	2005-02-04
Set symbol
Set name	Betrayers of Kamigawa
Set code	BOK
Number	161
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Doug Chaffee

Key Takeaways

Slumbering Tora converts discarded Spirit cards into creatures, optimizing hand resources effectively.
Instant speed activation of Slumbering Tora allows for unexpected battlefield plays and strategic advantages.
While versatile, the card’s specific mana and discard requirements may hinder its inclusion in some decks.

Text of card

, Discard a Spirit or Arcane card: Slumbering Tora becomes an X/X artifact creature until end of turn, where X is the discarded card's converted mana cost.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Slumbering Tora offers tactical flexibility by turning discarded Spirit cards into immediate battlefield presence, potentially transforming dead cards in your hand into threats.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana, this card effectively reduces the cost of future plays by allowing you to utilize cards from your hand as resources for creature generation.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Slumbering Tora at instant speed provides a strategic edge, enabling surprises during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping them guessing and reactive.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One drawback is the necessity to discard a card to activate Slumbering Tora’s ability. This could put you at a disadvantage, especially in games where your hand size is critical to maintaining a strategic edge over your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: The Slumbering Tora demands a precise mana combination to utilize its ability. This can potentially limit deck building options, as it may not fit smoothly into a mana base that isn’t tailored to accommodate its hybrid mana costs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost that’s on the higher end for its effect, Slumbering Tora may not always provide the most cost-efficient use of your mana resources. In a competitive landscape where optimizing mana expenditure is key, there are alternatives that could serve your strategy with greater efficiency.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Slumbering Tora offers flexibility in creature-based strategies, allowing you to turn key enchantments into a powerful creature when needed. Its ability to become a formidable force on the battlefield makes it a versatile tool in decks that can utilize enchantment synergies.

Combo Potential: With the ability to interact with Arcane spells and enchantments, Slumbering Tora can be part of intricate combos. It can be the cornerstone of decks that aim to exploit these synergies for powerful effects, acting as both a threat and an engine in the right setup.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where enchantments play a significant role, Slumbering Tora gains extra importance. It can easily become a recurring threat that adapts to various game states, applying pressure in matches where enchantments are abundant and need to be put to additional use.

How to beat

Slumbering Tora is an intriguing artifact creature in Magic: The Gathering, known for its potential to turn into a formidable attacking force. To effectively counter this card, understanding its reliance on particular types of cards is key. Slumbering Tora requires the player to have Arcane spells or creatures with activated abilities that involve discarding a spirit card to become an attacking threat.

Playing a game with targeted removal or graveyard disruption can be an excellent strategy to neutralize Slumbering Tora. Efficient removal spells can dispose of Tora before it even wakes, while graveyard disruption can limit the available resources that fuel its ability. Counter gameplay that denies the player the means to discard or the opportunity to use Arcane spells will keep the Tora in a perpetual slumber.

Moreover, controlling the flow of the game and maintaining a handle on your opponent’s hand size can force them into unfavorable positions, making it challenging for them to utilize Slumbering Tora to its full potential. Keeping the board clear of support cards that enhance or rely on Tora is also a wise tactic to ensure it remains dormant on the battlefield.

Cards like Slumbering Tora

Slumbering Tora is a unique card that finds its niche in decks that leverage the use of Arcane spells in Magic: The Gathering. Similar to cards like Ronin Warclub, which automatically equips to a newly played creature, Slumbering Tora can surprise opponents with instant creature boosting. Unlike the Ronin Warclub, the Tora requires the player to discard a spirit card in exchange for the boost and the sudden appearance of a creature on the battlefield.

Another card that resonates with the same concept is O-Naginata, which gives a significant power boost with the slight restriction of attaching only to creatures with power 3 or greater. Although O-Naginata doesn’t create a creature like Slumbering Tora does, its lower cost and trample ability give it a different kind of edge in combat situations. Then there’s Masako the Humorless, which doesn’t interact with equipment but allows tapped creatures to block—a mechanical twist that can change the tides during combat much like the Tora’s unpredictable creature transformation.

Ultimately, when evaluating Slumbering Tora among its peers, it stands out for its ability to utilize discarded cards and its potential to create striking in-game scenarios, particularly suited to players who embrace the surprise factor and tactical depth in their MTG gameplay.

Masako the Humorless - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Slumbering Tora by color, type and mana cost

Arena of the Ancients - MTG Card versions

Scale of Chiss-Goria - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Slumbering Tora MTG card by a specific set like Betrayers of Kamigawa, 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 Slumbering Tora and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Slumbering Tora has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Slumbering Tora card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2008-08-01	A noncreature permanent that turns into a creature can attack, and its abilities can be activated, only if its controller has continuously controlled that permanent since the beginning of their most recent turn. It doesn’t matter how long the permanent has been a creature.