Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer MTG Card
2021-02-05 - Number 154
2021-02-05 - Number 313
2021-02-06 - Number 154s
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Legendary Artifact — Equipment |
| Abilities | Equip |
Key Takeaways
- Turns excess noncombat damage into removal, making Toralf a potent card advantage tool in red MTG decks.
- Resource flexibility is key with Toralf, offering dual utility as both a creature and equipment through its hammer.
- Exile-based removal and limiting targetable creatures can effectively counteract Toralf’s impactful abilities.
Text of card
Equipped creature has ", , Unattach Toralf's Hammer: It deals 3 damage to any target. Return Toralf's Hammer to its owner's hand." Equipped creature gets +3/+0 as long as it's legendary. Equip
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Toralf, God of Fury presents a unique way of leveraging excess damage to create card advantage. Whenever a creature or planeswalker an opponent controls is dealt excess noncombat damage by a red source you control, Toralf allows you to target any other entity under their control, essentially turning excess damage into a form of card advantage by dismantling your opponent’s board state one card at a time.
Resource Acceleration: Toralf’s flip side, Toralf’s Hammer, can be used to return it to your hand and then recast as Toralf, God of Fury. This repeatable process can be seen as a form of resource acceleration, as it potentially provides you with two useful resources: a powerful creature on the battlefield and an equipment in hand, ready to be redeployed at a moment’s notice.
Instant Speed: Although Toralf himself is not an instant, wielding Toralf’s Hammer allows you to unattach at instant speed. This means you can decide to use the removal ability precisely when it’s most advantageous, such as during combat or in response to an opponent’s actions, thereby keeping your adversaries guessing and providing you with flexible control over the game’s pace.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Toralf’s Hammer, when returned to a player’s hand from the battlefield, necessitates the discarding of a card. In scenarios where your hand is already depleted, this can put you at a further disadvantage as it thins out valuable resources that could be crucial for other plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Toralf, God of Fury comes with a specific mana cost that requires two red mana. This can be restrictive for multicolored decks that might struggle with producing sufficient red mana consistently, consequently making it a less flexible option for decks not heavily invested in red.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for Toralf is four mana, which is significant, especially when compared to other creatures at this cost that might provide immediate impact on the board state. While Toralf has the undeniable potential for high damage output, the initial investment and setup required may see it outclassed in terms of efficiency by other cards of similar mana value.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Toralf, God of Fury exemplifies flexibility, seamlessly fitting into red aggressive builds or decks focusing on damage amplification. Additionally, his Hammer provides a unique equipment angle, enhancing the card’s adaptability across various playstyles.
Combo Potential: This legendary creature enables explosive plays by dealing excess noncombat damage to any target. In conjunction with direct damage spells or abilities, Toralf can turn a simple burn strategy into a devastating barrage, showcasing significant synergy with many red staples.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy boards are prevalent, Toralf and his Hammer thrive. The ability to break through stalls with triggered damage redirection keeps the card relevant and often pivotal in shifting board states to your favor.
How to beat
Toralf, God of Fury is a formidable card, bringing both a powerful creature and an equipment spell in the form of Toralf’s Hammer. One efficient way to handle this Norse-inspired deity is through the use of removal spells that can exile, as this prevents Toralf from being triggered by death. Cards like Path to Exile or exile effects from cards such as Banishing Light offer a reliable solution to remove Toralf from the battlefield for good.
Another tactic is to limit the creatures Toralf can target with excess damage. Playing fewer creatures or those with indestructible traits can mitigate the impact of Toralf’s triggered ability. It’s also strategic to manage your life total and board presence to minimize the value Toralf’s Hammer can provide. Lastly, instant-speed interaction is key. Being able to respond to the equipping of Toralf’s Hammer or to Toralf’s entry on the battlefield can make all the difference, so keep up mana for spells like Negate or Naturalize to disrupt your opponent’s plans.
Overall, respectful play around Toralf’s abilities and smart use of removals is the most efficient way to stand strong against the God of Fury’s wrath.
Cards like Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer
Toralf, God of Fury presents an interesting dynamic to the pantheon of legendary creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Players often compare it to other red legendary creatures like Anax, Hardened in the Forge, which also features a damage-related ability. However, Toralf is unique with its ability to harness excess damage and target creatures or players. This sets it apart from Anax’s focus on creating Satyr tokens upon non-token creatures dying.
Moving across the multiverse, there’s Neheb, the Eternal, sharing the red mana alignment and also favoring an aggressive play style. While Neheb offers extra red mana during post-combat phases based on total damage dealt to opponents, Toralf relies on dealing precise lethal damage to maximize its potential. Then there’s Purphoros, God of the Forge, another staple in red for its direct impact on the battlefield through creature summons. However, Toralf’s duality as a creature and equipment card through its backside, Toralf’s Hammer, offers utility that Purphoros does not.
Ultimately, Toralf, God of Fury holds a strong position among its legendary peers, courtesy of its versatility and unique damage redirection mechanic that can influence the board state significantly.
Cards similar to Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Kaldheim, 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 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2021-02-06. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-02-05 | Kaldheim | KHM | 154 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Tyler Jacobson | |
| 2 | 2021-02-05 | Kaldheim | KHM | 313 | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Matt Stikker | |
| 3 | 2021-02-06 | Kaldheim Promos | PKHM | 154s | 2015 | Modal DFC | Black | Tyler Jacobson |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
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.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 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. |