Torment of Venom MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Torment of Venom provides strategic advantage by forcing opponents into tough in-game resource management decisions.
  2. The card’s instant speed enables surprise tactics, enhancing its flexibility and strategic game impact.
  3. Despite mana cost considerations, its ability to disrupt multiple opponent resources makes it a valuable deck addition.

Text of card

Put three -1/-1 counters on target creature. Its controller loses 3 life unless he or she sacrifices another nonland permanent or discards a card.

The Scorpion God's sting sends venom strong enough to poison blood, bone, and spirit.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Torment of Venom creates unique card advantage by forcing an opponent to make tough decisions. When cast, it not only distributes -3/-3 among a target creature, potentially eliminating a threat, but also gives your opponent a dilemma to either sacrifice another creature or a planeswalker, or part with cards in their hand. This multipronged approach can lead to a shift in control of the game, as it depletes the opponent’s resources either on the board or in their hand, directly contributing to your strategic dominance.

Resource Acceleration: While Torment of Venom does not directly provide mana or treasure tokens, it accelerates your resource advantage indirectly. By potentially removing a key creature or diminishing an opponent’s board presence, it opens up the board for your attacks or paves the way for your spells to have a more significant impact without the threat of a robust defense. This can lead to accelerated game progress, putting you in a favorable position more quickly.

Instant Speed: The capability to cast Torment of Venom at instant speed offers flexibility and a surprise element in gameplay. You can wait until the optimal moment during your opponent’s turn to weaken or remove a creature and force potentially game-altering decisions. This adaptability allows for strategic plays that align with and enhance your overarching game plan.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Torment of Venom is its requirement for the opponent to discard a card if able, with the constraint that it solely depends on the opponent’s hand. This can be less effective when your opponent has no cards in hand or if their strategy benefits from having cards in their graveyard.

Specific Mana Cost: Torment of Venom demands a precise combination of one black mana and three generic mana, which can be restrictive. This makes the card less flexible since it requires a commitment to black mana and may not fit comfortably into multicolored mana bases without proper fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Torment of Venom’s overall impact on the game must be weighed against other removal options available in the game. Competing cards at a similar or lower mana cost can offer more immediate or versatile removal solutions, a factor that can be critical in faster paced games or when facing down more agile decks.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Torment of Venom is a flexible spell that can be integrated into various black-based decks. As a removal option, it can disrupt your opponent’s board state while offering a choice that can lead to either a creature’s downfall or a significant hit to your opponent’s life total and hand.

Combo Potential: This card presents opportunities to synergize with decks that capitalize on -1/-1 counters or strategies that punish opponents for losing life. In combination with other cards that benefit from or proliferate counters, Torment of Venom can be a key piece in creating potent interactions on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where resilient creatures or value-oriented decks are prevalent, the flexibility to either remove a threat or impact an opponent’s resource can be crucial. Torment of Venom provides this adaptability, ensuring that it stays relevant regardless of the shifting meta.


How to beat

Overcoming Torment of Venom in MTG requires smart gameplay and a tight strategy. This versatile black instant prioritizes targeting creatures, bringing with it not only -3/-3 but a punishing decision for the creature’s controller between sacrificing another creature or taking a hit in life points for each card in their hand. To navigate this treacherous venom, savvy players often keep a roster of disposable or undervalued creatures to absorb the sacrifice without losing key components of their strategy.

Another effective technique is to maintain a healthy hand size, minimizing the life point cost when Torment of Venom forces a difficult choice upon you. Additionally, spells that grant your creatures indestructibility or regeneration, such as Heroic Intervention or Wrap in Vigor, can be essential. These cards protect your creatures from the initial -3/-3 effect, essentially neutralizing the threat posed by Torment of Venom. Lastly, always consider the potential for an opponent’s Torment of Venom and play conservatively, reserving mana for protective spells or creatures that might just save your game from the grip of this potent torment.


Cards like Torment of Venom

Torment of Venom offers a unique mix of effects to players in the expansive universe of Magic: The Gathering. It echoes other cards that provide multilayered responses, such as Grasp of Darkness, which also serves as a removal spell by giving a creature -4/-4 until end of turn. However, Torment of Venom adds an extra layer, allowing you not just to weaken a creature, but also to potentially sap your opponent’s resources if they decline the additional cost of losing life and sacrificing a permanent.

Another card with resemblance is Trial of Ambition, forcing an opponent to sacrifice a creature when it enters the battlefield. Torment of Venom separates itself by offering a choice to the opponent and the potential to inflict more damage than the single sacrifice dictated by Trial of Ambition. Moreover, Final Punishment can also be seen as a cousin in strategy, with its ability to adjust game tempo by affecting opponent’s life total directly, but it does not interact with the battlefield as Torment of Venom does.

Ultimately, when considering both the strategic depth and the punishing nature of these spells, Torment of Venom stands out with its versatility and the capacity to disrupt opponents on several levels, making it a noteworthy option for players looking to incorporate control elements into their decks.

Grasp of Darkness - MTG Card versions
Trial of Ambition - MTG Card versions
Final Punishment - MTG Card versions
Grasp of Darkness - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Trial of Ambition - Amonkhet (AKH)
Final Punishment - Scourge (SCG)

Cards similar to Torment of Venom by color, type and mana cost

Sewers of Estark - MTG Card versions
Feast or Famine - MTG Card versions
Slaughter - MTG Card versions
Nocturnal Raid - MTG Card versions
Psychotic Haze - MTG Card versions
Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit - MTG Card versions
Death Pulse - MTG Card versions
Burden of Greed - MTG Card versions
Hideous Laughter - MTG Card versions
When Fluffy Bunnies Attack - MTG Card versions
Chill to the Bone - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Trap - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Corruption - MTG Card versions
Instill Infection - MTG Card versions
Launch Party - MTG Card versions
Grisly Spectacle - MTG Card versions
Fatal Fumes - MTG Card versions
Cutthroat Maneuver - MTG Card versions
Silence the Believers - MTG Card versions
Empty the Pits - MTG Card versions
Sewers of Estark - HarperPrism Book Promos (PHPR)
Feast or Famine - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Slaughter - Exodus (EXO)
Nocturnal Raid - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Psychotic Haze - Torment (TOR)
Hagra Mauling // Hagra Broodpit - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Death Pulse - Onslaught (ONS)
Burden of Greed - Darksteel (DST)
Hideous Laughter - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
When Fluffy Bunnies Attack - Unhinged (UNH)
Chill to the Bone - Coldsnap (CSP)
Ravenous Trap - The List (PLST)
Tendrils of Corruption - The List (PLST)
Instill Infection - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Launch Party - Jumpstart (JMP)
Grisly Spectacle - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Fatal Fumes - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Cutthroat Maneuver - Theros (THS)
Silence the Believers - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Empty the Pits - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Torment of Venom MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Mystery Booster, 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 Torment of Venom and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Torment of Venom Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Johann Bodin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 792015normalblackJohann Bodin
22019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7962015normalblackJohann Bodin
32020-09-26The ListPLST HOU-792015normalblackJohann Bodin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Torment of Venom has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-07-14 Because state-based actions aren’t performed while Torment of Venom is resolving, the target creature is still on the battlefield while its controller is tormented. If that creature has an Aura attached to it, that Aura can be sacrificed.
2017-07-14 If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Torment of Venom resolves, the entire spell doesn’t resolve. The creature’s controller won’t be tormented.
2017-07-14 While resolving Torment of Venom, the creature’s controller chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life. That player can always choose to lose 3 life, even if they have cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks