The Torment of Gollum MTG Card
2023-06-23 - Number 110
2023-06-23 - Number 561
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Amass |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage by filtering the top of your library, essential for drawing pivotal spells or creatures.
- With instant speed, it reacts sharply to opponent’s moves, allowing control over the game’s tempo.
- Necessitates a careful mana balance and discard, presenting both a strength and challenge in gameplay.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase The Torment of Gollum MTG card by a specific set like The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, 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 The Torment of Gollum and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Text of card
Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. Amass Orcs 2. (Put two +1/+1 counters on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)
In Mordor, all that he knew was forced from him.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Torment of Gollum showcases its strength by letting you sift through the top cards of your library, potentially granting you access to key spells or creatures you need to gain the upper hand.
Resource Acceleration: This card cleverly disrupts your opponent’s pace by forcing them to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, which can put you ahead in resources and board position, further tilting the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: Its versatility as an instant allows you to respond to your opponent’s moves with precision or during a moment that is most strategic, giving you control over the tempo of the match. This can be especially relevant in matches where timing can make or break your play.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Torment of Gollum demands that players discard another card to unleash its potential. Such an action can put the player at a disadvantage, particularly when their hand is already depleted, and choices for discarding are slim.
Specific Mana Cost: Casting this spell requires a precise blend of mana, which can be difficult to obtain at the crucial moment in a match. It necessitates both black and green mana, which restricts its playability strictly to decks that can cater to these color requirements.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When considering its cost to benefit ratio, The Torment of Gollum might not be the most efficient use of resources. In a game where tempo is critical, dedicating four mana to a non-immediate impact move can leave a player open to their opponent’s strategies without providing a substantial advantage.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Torment of Gollum fits seamlessly into decks that revolve around control and disruption strategies. Its ability to manipulate both the battlefield and the hands of opponents makes it a flexible addition to any collection.
Combo Potential: This card has significant combo potential in strategies focused on card advantage and selective discard. It can be paired with cards that capitalize on opponents discarding or with those that reward you for having fewer cards in hand.
Meta-Relevance: With an ever-shifting competitive scene, The Torment of Gollum maintains relevance by countering decks that rely heavily on specific cards to execute their win conditions. Its inclusion can tilt the balance in matches where pinpoint disruption can dismantle an opponent’s strategy.
How to beat
The Torment of Gollum is a unique card that poses a challenge for those facing it on the battlefield. Its specific mechanics can cause sizable shifts in the tides of the game, forcing players to strategize around its potential impact. To navigate around The Torment of Gollum, it’s crucial to understand its weaknesses and prepare countermeasures ahead of time.
Implementing graveyard removal can be an effective way to mitigate its recursion capabilities, preventing repeated plays. Additionally, incorporating card types that it can’t easily interact with, such as artifacts or enchantments, minimizes the disruption it can cause to your game plan. Control decks that can counter key spells also put you at an advantage, allowing you to dictate the flow of the game and keep The Torment of Gollum at bay. Remaining adaptive and utilizing transformative sideboards between matches give you flexibility and leverage, so you can ensure The Torment of Gollum doesn’t dictate the outcome of the game.
Ultimately, the key is to remain vigilant and proactive in your approach, making sure that The Torment of Gollum never becomes a threat that’s too overwhelming to handle.
Cards like The Torment of Gollum
The Torment of Gollum card introduces an intriguing layer of strategic interaction in the MTG universe. Players find parallels with cards like Thoughtseize, which also involves hand disruption, allowing players to choose and dispose of a card from their opponent’s hand. The Torment of Gollum, however, pushes further by inflicting a penalty on the opponent who is forced to discard their precious cards.
In line with cards focusing on psychological warfare, Duress is another similar card that disrupts opponents by targeting noncreature, nonland cards. Unlike The Torment of Gollum, Duress doesn’t come with an additional cost or damage to the opponent. On another note, Inquisition of Kozilek offers a middle ground, allowing players to pluck cards out of hands, albeit with a limitation on the converted mana cost of the cards that can be targeted. This makes The Torment of Gollum more flexible in its utility.
Overall, The Torment of Gollum stands out in the crowd of discard spells. Its ability to unsettle opponents by driving a deeper level of card sacrifice gives it a unique position among hand disruption tactics, making it a fascinating choice for MTG players who enjoy a mental edge.
Cards similar to The Torment of Gollum by color, type and mana cost
Printings
The The Torment of Gollum Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-06-23 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by Nino Is.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 110 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nino Is | |
| 2 | 2023-06-23 | The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth | LTR | 561 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Nino Is |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where The Torment of Gollum has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering The Torment of Gollum card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-06-16 | Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army. |
| 2023-06-16 | Amass abilities are now written as "amass -ubtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N." |
| 2023-06-16 | If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters. |
| 2023-06-16 | In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types. |
| 2023-06-16 | Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason. |
| 2023-06-16 | Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs. |
| 2023-06-16 | To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types. |