Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — God
Abilities Trample
Power 5
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides recurring card advantage with the reclaimable Toralf’s Hammer, enhancing board control through damage.
  2. Demands a focused red mana base, which influences deck construction and consistency.
  3. Versatile as a double-faced card with damage redirect ability, making it a unique fixture in red decks.

Text of card

Trample Whenever a creature or planeswalker an opponent controls is dealt excess noncombat damage, Toralf deals damage equal to the excess to any target other than that permanent.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Toralf, God of Fury comes equipped with a backend named Toralf’s Hammer that can return to your hand. This allows players to repeatedly use the hammer to deal damage and create card advantage on the board by effectively dealing with opponents’ creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While Toralf himself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the flexibility of Toralf’s Hammer can help in dealing extra damage that translates to an indirect form of resource advantage, clearing the way for you to press the attack or defend more efficiently.

Instant Speed: Toralf’s strength isn’t linked to instant speed interactions. However, the threat of activating the Hammer’s ability can alter the pace of the game, forcing opponents to play around potential instant speed tricks that can emanate from having open mana with Toralf on the board.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Toralf, God of Fury necessitates a sizeable board presence to maximize its value, which can be a setback when facing removal-heavy decks or in games with slower starts.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a double red mana cost within its four total mana, this card commits heavily to red mana sources, which can challenge deck building by necessitating a firm red mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The necessary investment of four mana positions Toralf in a competitive slot on your mana curve, potentially conflicting with other impactful four-mana plays in red-centric decks.


Reasons to Include Toralf, God of Fury in Your Collection

Versatility: Toralf, God of Fury serves a dual role as both a formidable creature and an impactful enchantment thanks to its modal double-faced card nature. It easily integrates into decks that capitalize on damage amplification or require a robust finisher.

Combo Potential: This card shines when combined with spells and abilities that deal noncombat damage, exemplifying its potential by turning any excess damage into a tool for controlling the board or directly targeting opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where dealing with creatures efficiently is key, Toralf’s ability to redistribute leftover damage gives it a unique position in red-based decks, serving as an advantage against decks packed with small to mid-sized creatures.


How to beat

Toralf, God of Fury is a card that demands respect on the battlefield in MTG. With the ability to slam down powerful hammer strikes when noncombat damage is dealt, Toralf can quickly escalate the damage output. To counteract this card, players must think strategically. Playing instant speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push before Toralf’s damage trigger can resolve, effectively neutralizes this threat. Utilizing counter spells can also be a critical move for those running blue control decks. Another viable strategy involves preemptively controlling the board, limiting the number of creatures and sources of noncombat damage that could amplify Toralf’s impact.

Engaging Toralf in combat is another method to mitigate its influence. As a creature without inherent protection or evasion, creature-based strategies that can outsize Toralf or offer deathtouch present a favorable matchup. Moreover, preventing Toralf from entering play through discard effects or hand disruption can curb the threat before it begins. It’s also important to manage your own life total and board state, remaining above a critical threshold where Toralf’s damage becomes lethal. Careful planning and proactive control are key in turning the tides against a card with such a formidable presence in the game.


Cards like Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer

Toralf, God of Fury presents a unique twist to red damage-dealing cards in Magic: The Gathering. This legendary creature stands out among other gods in MTG with its ability to deal excess damage to other targets. Notably, it channels the essence of the traditional red spell, Lightning Bolt, which is known for its efficient three damage to any target for just one mana. However, Toralf utilizes excess damage, something Lightning Bolt doesn’t offer, converting potential waste into additional impact on the board.

Looking at a card like Embermaw Hellion, we see a different approach to manipulating damage outputs. Rather than redirect excess damage, it increases the damage dealt by red sources. Embermaw Hellion enhances all your red damage spells, while Toralf’s ability focuses on what could normally dissipate. Another related card is Fiery Emancipation, which triples the damage output from any source you control. That’s a huge amplification compared to Toralf’s excess redirect.

Despite the differences, Toralf’s redirection ability can turn a game on its head by utilizing damage in a way other MTG cards often do not. The dynamism and potential for creative play make Toralf, God of Fury a formidable presence in any red deck build.

Lightning Bolt - MTG Card versions
Embermaw Hellion - MTG Card versions
Fiery Emancipation - MTG Card versions
Lightning Bolt - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Embermaw Hellion - Magic Origins (ORI)
Fiery Emancipation - Core Set 2021 (M21)

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Dragon Whelp - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
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Crimson Manticore - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
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Wildfire Emissary - Mirage (MIR)
Flowstone Giant - Tempest (TMP)
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Mogg Bombers - Stronghold (STH)
Warmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Bloodfire Kavu - Apocalypse (APC)
Whipkeeper - Odyssey (ODY)
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Nalathni Dragon - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Everquill Phoenix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Goblin Goon - Legions (LGN)
Lesser Gargadon - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Krark-Clan Engineers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ogre Taskmaster - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Kaldheim 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 Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2021-02-05. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 883022015modal_dfcblackMatt Stikker
22021-02-05Kaldheim PromosPKHM 154s2015modal_dfcblackTyler Jacobson
32021-02-05KaldheimKHM 1542015modal_dfcblackTyler Jacobson
42021-02-05Kaldheim Art SeriesAKHM 392015art_seriesborderlessTyler Jacobson
52021-02-05KaldheimKHM 3132015modal_dfcblackMatt Stikker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer 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 Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2021-02-05 A creature has been dealt excess damage if one or more sources deal more damage to it than the minimum amount of damage required to be lethal damage. In most cases, this means damage greater than its toughness, but consider any damage already dealt to it that turn.
2021-02-05 A modal double-faced card can’t be transformed or be put onto the battlefield transformed. Ignore any instruction to transform a modal double-faced card or to put one onto the battlefield transformed.
2021-02-05 A planeswalker is dealt excess damage if it’s dealt damage greater than its current loyalty.
2021-02-05 Even 1 damage dealt to a creature from a source with deathtouch is considered lethal damage, so any amount greater than that will cause excess damage to be dealt, even if the total amount of damage isn’t greater than the creature’s toughness. Note that a source of damage having deathtouch has no effect on damage dealt to planeswalkers.
2021-02-05 If a permanent is both a creature and a planeswalker, the minimum amount of damage to be considered lethal damage is used to determine if excess damage has been dealt. For example, if a 5/5 creature that’s also a planeswalker with three loyalty counters on it is dealt 4 noncombat damage, it’s been dealt 1 excess damage and Toralf’s ability will trigger.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a land or cast a spell from among a group of cards, you may play or cast a modal double-faced card with any face that fits the criteria of that effect.
2021-02-05 If an effect allows you to play a specific modal double-faced card, you may cast it as a spell or play it as a land, as determined by which face you choose to play. If an effect allows you to cast (rather than “play”) a specific modal double-faced card, you can’t play it as a land.
2021-02-05 If an effect instructs a player to choose a card name, the name of either face may be chosen. If that effect or a linked ability refers to a spell with the chosen name being cast and/or a land with the chosen name being played, it considers only the chosen name, not the other face’s name.
2021-02-05 If an effect puts a double-faced card onto the battlefield, it enters with its front face up. If that front face can’t be put onto the battlefield, it doesn’t enter the battlefield.
2021-02-05 If the target is an illegal target as the ability tries to resolve, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t return Toralf’s Hammer to its owner’s hand.
2021-02-05 In the Commander variant, a double-faced card’s color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered.
2021-02-05 It doesn’t matter if a creature or planeswalker an opponent controls was dealt combat damage earlier in the turn. The only thing that matters is that the damage dealt to that permanent that caused excess damage to be dealt was noncombat damage.
2021-02-05 The converted mana cost of a modal double-faced card is based on the characteristics of the face that’s being considered. On the stack and battlefield, consider whichever face is up. In all other zones, consider only the front face. This is different than how the converted mana cost of a transforming double-faced card is determined.
2021-02-05 The creature equipped by Toralf’s Hammer is the source of the activated ability, but Toralf’s Hammer is the source of the damage. For example, if the equipped creature is green, that ability can’t target a permanent with protection from green. It could target one with protection from red, though the damage would be prevented as it would have been dealt by a red source (Toralf’s Hammer).
2021-02-05 The damage Toralf deals because of its triggered ability is noncombat damage. That damage may cause Toralf’s ability to trigger again.
2021-02-05 There is a single triangle icon in the top left corner of the front face. There is a double triangle icon in the top left corner of the back face.
2021-02-05 To determine whether it is legal to play a modal double-faced card, consider only the characteristics of the face you’re playing and ignore the other face’s characteristics.
2021-02-05 Toralf’s ability doesn’t affect the damage dealt to the creature or planeswalker an opponent controls. That damage will still be dealt as normal.
2021-02-05 You unattach Toralf’s Hammer as part of the cost of activating the ability. If the ability doesn’t resolve, Toralf’s Hammer doesn’t become reattached.

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