Volcanic Torrent MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Cascade

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates substantial card advantage by potentially wiping out several creatures or tokens at once.
  2. Offers resource acceleration by casting an additional spell for free with its cascade trigger.
  3. Impacts the game immediately, similar to instant-speed sweepers, when played at the right moment.

Text of card

Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) Volcanic Torrent deals X damage to each creature and planeswalker your opponents control, where X is the number of spells you've cast this turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Volcanic Torrent can be pivotal in situations that call for removal of multiple targets, thus ensuring you potentially clear an opponent’s board in one sweep. This can translate into a significant card advantage, especially if you’re facing a strategy that employs numerous creatures or tokens.

Resource Acceleration: With its cascade mechanic, this spell not only serves its primary purpose but also has the potential to cast another lower-cost spell for free. This kind of resource acceleration can be a game-changer, allowing you to further develop your board without spending additional mana.

Instant Speed: Although Volcanic Torrent is a sorcery, its impact on the game is akin to that of an instant-speed sweeper in terms of its ability to disrupt opponent strategies. It’s beneficial when timed correctly, like after an opponent has invested considerable resources into their board state, ensuring you gain maximum value upon resolution.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Volcanic Torrent prompts players to pitch another card when maximizing its cascade potential. This can deplete hand resources at a critical juncture, posing a strategic dilemma.

Specific Mana Cost: With its strict red mana requirement, this card can be restrictive, often confining it to mono-red or dual-color decks that heavily feature Mountain lands.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing six mana, albeit potentially reduced through cascade, can be demanding. In the fast-paced modern formats, other spells deliver similar or better damage output for less, thereby questioning Torrent’s overall economy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volcanic Torrent is flexible enough to slot into a variety of decks that aim to deal damage across multiple targets. Its Cascade ability ensures that when you cast it, not only are you affecting the board, but you also gain the advantage of casting another spell without paying its mana cost.

Combo Potential: In decks that amplify spell damage or cast numerous spells in a single turn, Volcanic Torrent can act as a powerful finisher. Its potential to chain into additional spells can turn the tide of a game quickly, especially in Storm or spellslinger decks.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to disrupt opponent strategies by dealing damage to multiple creatures players control, Volcanic Torrent can be particularly effective in metas dominated by creature-heavy decks, helping you manage the battlefield and preserve board control.


How to Beat Volcanic Torrent

Volcanic Torrent amplifies its impact significantly in multiplayer settings in MTG, dealing damage to each opponent for each spell you’ve cast this turn. This cascade effect can overwhelm adversaries who are unprepared. Despite its potential, clever strategies can help you neutralize its effect and maintain control of the game.

Counterplay against Volcanic Torrent involves managing the spell count. Limiting the number of spells you play in a turn can mitigate the damage output. Include counterspells in your deck such as Negate, which can nullify Torrent altogether. Additionally, incorporating cards that grant you hexproof like Leyline of Sanctity provides a personal shield, making you immune to its direct damage.

Another method to withstand Volcanic Torrent is to have creatures with high toughness that can absorb the damage or use spells that can increase your life total. Lifegain decks, for instance, offset the harm caused by Volcanic Torrent, helping to maintain a strong board presence and outpace the damage over time. Always remain vigilant for those impactful spells and have a counter-strategy ready.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering MTG is about understanding every card’s potential impact, including Volcanic Torrent. From sweeping away armies of creatures to harnessing the cascade mechanic for additional spell value, this card has its place in strategic decks designed for pivotal plays. Embrace the challenge and consider how Volcanic Torrent could ignite your deck’s potential, whether through direct damage or combo-enabling chaos. Its nuanced strength in the right setting can deliver game-changing moments. Dive deeper with us and discover how Volcanic Torrent might just be the wildcard you need to turn the tides in your favor.


Cards like Volcanic Torrent

Volcanic Torrent presents itself as an innovative spell within Magic: The Gathering’s pantheon of red sorceries. It finds parallels with cards like Rolling Temblor, which also deals with widespread damage to creatures. Volcanic Torrent, however, boasts a distinctive cascade trigger that Rolling Temblor doesn’t share, allowing the probability of casting an additional spell for free.

Another card often measured against Volcanic Torrent is Sweltering Suns. Both are adept at clearing multiple creatures off the board. Yet Sweltering Suns has a cycling feature granting flexibility, whereas Volcanic Torrent’s potential for a cascade event could tip the scale in a game. When juxtaposed with Flames of the Raze-Boar, Volcanic Torrent may not provide as much target-specific damage, but it compensates with its non-targeted cascade mechanic affecting multiple opponents.

The strategic depth of MTG becomes evident when examining similar spells. Each has its pros and cons, and Volcanic Torrent finds its niche by combining board impact with the surprise element of cascade, making it an interesting option for spell-slinging strategists looking to maximize value in every cast.

Rolling Temblor - MTG Card versions
Sweltering Suns - MTG Card versions
Flames of the Raze-Boar - MTG Card versions
Rolling Temblor - Innistrad (ISD)
Sweltering Suns - Amonkhet (AKH)
Flames of the Raze-Boar - Ravnica Allegiance (RNA)

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Pyrotechnics - The List (PLST)
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Cone of Flame - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Apocalypse - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Infestation - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Jagged Lightning - Portal Second Age (P02)
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Burning Fields - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Implode - Planeshift (PLS)
Shower of Coals - Odyssey (ODY)
Torrent of Fire - Scourge (SCG)
Shivan Meteor - Duel Decks: Mind vs. Might (DDS)
Yawning Fissure - Magic 2010 (M10)
World at War - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Explosive Revelation - Rise of the Eldrazi (ROE)
Turn to Slag - Core Set 2021 (M21)
Reforge the Soul - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Burn at the Stake - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Mass Mutiny - Planechase 2012 (PC2)
Cleaver Riot - Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (DDT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volcanic Torrent MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends and Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Volcanic Torrent and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Volcanic Torrent Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2020-11-20 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by Grzegorz Rutkowski.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 2082015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
22022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 8132015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volcanic Torrent has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2020-11-10 If you copy a spell, Volcanic Torrent won't count the copy. However, if an effect instructs you to copy a card and then cast the copy, it will be counted by Volcanic Torrent.
2020-11-10 The value of X is calculated as Volcanic Torrent resolves. It will include Volcanic Torrent, spells you cast in response to Volcanic Torrent, and spells you cast prior to casting Volcanic Torrent, even if those spells haven't resolved yet. For example, say the first spell you cast in a turn has cascade and that cascade ability causes you to cast Volcanic Torrent. Then Volcanic Torrent's cascade ability causes you to cast another spell. When Volcanic Torrent resolves, X will be 3.
2021-06-18 A spell's mana value is determined only by its mana cost. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions.
2021-06-18 Cascade triggers when you cast the spell, meaning that it resolves before that spell. If you end up casting the exiled card, it will go on the stack above the spell with cascade.
2021-06-18 Due to a 2021 rules change to cascade, not only do you stop exiling cards if you exile a nonland card with lesser mana value than the spell with cascade, but the resulting spell you cast must also have lesser mana value. Previously, in cases where a card's mana value differed from the resulting spell, such as with some modal double-faced cards or cards with an Adventure, you could cast a spell with a higher mana value than the exiled card.
2021-06-18 If a spell with cascade is countered, the cascade ability will still resolve normally.
2021-06-18 If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2021-06-18 If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the card.
2021-06-18 The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If cascade allows you to cast a split card, you may cast either half but not both halves.
2021-06-18 When the cascade ability resolves, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether or not you cast the last card exiled.
2021-06-18 You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them.

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