Torment of Hailfire MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates card advantage by depleting opponents’ resources while preserving your own board strength.
  2. Encourages extensive mana investment to unlock game-changing potential and amplify its effects.
  3. Acts as a powerful instant-like shift in board state despite being a sorcery, perfect for late-game surprises.

Text of card

Repeat the following process X times. Each opponent loses 3 life unless that player sacrifices a nonland permanent or discards a card.

"Your God-Pharaoh has returned."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: When cast, Torment of Hailfire forces opponents to either lose life, discard cards or sacrifice nonland permanents for each time it resolves. This devastating effect often leads to a significant diminution of the opponent’s resources while you maintain your hand and board presence, creating a substantial advantage.

Resource Acceleration: A scalable spell, Torment of Hailfire rewards players who can generate large amounts of mana. By investing excessive mana into its repeated ability, you can amplify its impact, clearing the way for victory. Resource acceleration synergies, such as mana doublers or high-yield ramp spells, escalate its potency further.

Instant Speed: Though Torment of Hailfire operates at sorcery speed, the dramatic shift it can cause on the board feels as immediate as an instant speed interaction. The ability to end games or irrevocably tilt the balance in your favor makes this card function like a high-impact instant in the late game, despite its timing restrictions.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Torment of Hailfire does not force you to discard, players must be prepared for opponents discarding their least valuable cards in response, potentially minimizing the card’s impact.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell requires an investment of double black mana, limiting its flexibility and requiring a commitment to heavy black mana production within a deck.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: A significant mana investment is required to make Torment of Hailfire impactful, and in many MTG scenarios, dedicating a large amount of mana to one spell can be risky, especially if the opponent has an answer to negate its effects.


Reasons to Include Torment of Hailfire in Your Collection

Versatility: Torment of Hailfire stands out as a powerful finisher in various deck archetypes. Its ability to scale with the amount of mana you invest allows it to be effective in both the mid and late game, adapting to your strategy as the game progresses.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations; it’s a strong win condition when paired with high mana generation methods. In a deck with the right mana ramp or infinite mana combo, Torment of Hailfire can completely devastate opponents, ending the game on the spot.

Meta-Relevance: As metagames often fluctuate, having a reliable card that can break through opponent defenses is crucial. Torment of Hailfire bypasses creature-based board states and challenges control players to have an immediate answer, making it a relevant choice in diverse competitive settings.


How to beat

Torment of Hailfire is an impactful spell in the Magic the Gathering arsenal that can potentially end the game or severely cripple an opponent’s resources. Overcoming this daunting card requires strategic play and a solid understanding of your deck’s capabilities. To beat Torment of Hailfire, maintain a board presence with expendable creatures and accumulate life points whenever possible. Counterspells are your best defense, negating Torment of Hailfire before it takes effect. Prioritize cards that can gain you life or produce tokens that can be sacrificed when needed. It’s also important to keep your hand stocked, as discarding as a penalty will be less impactful with a healthy number of cards at your disposal. Having instant speed spells that can create tokens or provide life gain on the fly can severely mitigate the consequences of Torment of Hailfire. Additionally, if you’re equipped with cards that can shuffle your graveyard back into your library, you can minimize the long-term impact of discarding important pieces.Keep in mind, Torment of Hailfire can be a relentless force, so manage your resources wisely. Anticipate your opponent’s potential to cast this card and prepare accordingly, staying vigilant and ready to counteract its effects. This strategy can help turn the tides of the game in your favor against the immense pressure that Torment of Hailfire brings to the table.


BurnMana Recommendations

The strategic depths of MTG embrace both the overwhelming tide of power that a card like Torment of Hailfire can unleash and the subtleties of countering such formidable spells. Mastering this balance can be the key to your triumph. Whether you harness its annihilating force or cleverly deflect its impact, there are endless strategies and card interactions waiting for you to discover. Enhance your deck, prepare for your opponents’ tactics, and carve a path to victory with poise. We extend an invitation to expand your knowledge and discern the art of the perfect play in MTG’s ever-evolving arena. Dive deeper with us.


Cards like Torment of Hailfire

Torment of Hailfire stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful and often game-ending spell. In comparison, one might consider Exsanguinate, which also serves as a formidable mana sink that can deplete opponents’ life totals. Unlike Torment of Hailfire, Exsanguinate lacks the versatility of forcing opponents to sacrifice nonland permanents or discard cards, but it makes up for its straightforward life-draining effect.

Moreover, Mind Shatter presents an alternative for mass discard, requiring a dedicated amount of mana to disproportionately affect an opponent’s hand size. Though it lacks Torment of Hailfire’s flexibility and potential to affect the board state, Mind Shatter offers a form of targeted disruption. Then there’s Death Cloud, a card that broadly mirrors Torment of Hailfire’s devastating multi-angle approach, causing loss of life, discard, and the sacrifice of creatures and lands. However, Death Cloud impacts all players equally, unlike the selective torment that Hailfire can inflict on a single adversary.

In essence, while there are similar mass effect spells in Magic: The Gathering, Torment of Hailfire’s unique combination of punishment and choice ensure its position as a formidable and strategic play in any MTG player’s arsenal.

Exsanguinate - MTG Card versions
Mind Shatter - MTG Card versions
Death Cloud - MTG Card versions
Exsanguinate - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)
Mind Shatter - Morningtide (MOR)
Death Cloud - Darksteel (DST)

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

Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Soul Exchange - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Distress - MTG Card versions
Cruel Edict - MTG Card versions
Macabre Waltz - MTG Card versions
Drain Life - Summer Magic / Edgar (SUM)
Demonic Tutor - Commander Masters (CMM)
Sinkhole - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Word of Binding - Renaissance (REN)
Soul Exchange - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Dry Spell - Homelands (HML)
Hymn to Tourach - Vintage Masters (VMA)
Mind Knives - Portal (POR)
Shattered Crypt - Weatherlight (WTH)
Disturbed Burial - Tempest (TMP)
Death Stroke - Stronghold (STH)
Exhume - Jumpstart (JMP)
Imperial Edict - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Decompose - Odyssey (ODY)
Chainer's Edict - Ultimate Masters (UMA)
Walk the Plank - The List (PLST)
Nausea - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Distress - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Cruel Edict - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Macabre Waltz - Dissension (DIS)

Where to buy

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

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Printings

The Torment of Hailfire Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Grzegorz Rutkowski.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-07-14Hour of DevastationHOU 772015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
22017-07-15Hour of Devastation PromosPHOU 77s2015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
32017-07-15Hour of Devastation PromosPHOU 77p2015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 7952015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
52020-08-13Amonkhet RemasteredAKR 1282015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
62020-09-26The ListPLST HOU-772015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Torment of Hailfire has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Torment of Hailfire 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 Each repetition through this process is done separately. If an opponent sacrifices a creature with an ability that triggers when another creature dies, for example, it will see creatures that are sacrificed before it, but not those are sacrificed after it.
2017-07-14 If X is 0, Torment of Hailfire resolves with no effect.
2017-07-14 In a Two-Headed Giant game, Torment of Hailfire causes both opponents to sacrifice a nonland permanent, discard a card, or lose 3 life X times. Your opponents can choose the same torment or different ones each time.
2017-07-14 In a multiplayer game, each opponent in turn order makes their choice once, then all of the actions occur simultaneously, then they repeat this process if it hasn’t been done X times yet. Opponents will know choices made by earlier opponents when making their choices, although a card chosen to be discarded this way isn’t revealed until it’s discarded.
2017-07-14 State-based actions aren’t checked in between repetitions of this process, so the game state may be a little unusual while making the choice. For example, a player may sacrifice a creature and then later sacrifice an Aura that was attached to that creature.
2017-07-14 While resolving Torment of Hailfire, your opponent 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, then repeats this process if it hasn’t been done X times yet. Your opponent can always choose to lose 3 life, even if they have cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.

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