Tormentor's Trident MTG Card

Boosts card advantage via draw mechanics and combat damage synergies when equipped. Increases a deck’s damage output swiftly, affecting the pace of the game. Instant-speed interactions offer flexibility in strategy during gameplay.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact — Equipment
Abilities	Equip
Released	2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set name	Avacyn Restored
Set code	AVR
Number	222
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Anthony Palumbo

Text of card

Equipped creature gets +3/+0 and attacks each turn if able. Equip

To a demon there is no such thing as restraint.

Cards like Tormentor's Trident

The introduction of the Tormentor’s Trident into the array of MTG artifacts offers a unique twist to creature enhancements. Its closest counterpart might be the Fireshrieker, which similarly grants an equipped creature double strike. However, the Tormentor’s Trident demands a bit more from its wielder, necessitating a specific creature type for its activation and exacting a toll on the life total with each attack. The Fireshrieker lacks these additional requirements, making it a more versatile option for a broader range of creature-based decks.

Equally interesting for comparison is the Embercleave, a legendary artifact that not only gives creatures double strike but also trample, at a potentially reduced cost depending on your battlefield stance. While not requiring the player’s life as a resource, Embercleave does carry a higher initial mana cost than Tormentor’s Trident. It accentuates aggression over the delicate balance of cost versus benefit seen with the Trident.

Matching these artifacts head-to-head, the Tormentor’s Trident card carves its niche among MTG cards focused on aggressive, creature-centric strategies, providing valuable function at the risk of personal harm – a trade-off that can lead to thrilling victories for those willing to walk the razor’s edge.

Cards similar to Tormentor's Trident by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tormentor’s Trident can equip to a creature to potentially unlock additional draw mechanics or synergize with effects that trigger upon dealing combat damage, ensuring you maintain or pull ahead in card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: By increasing a creature’s power, the Tormentor’s Trident can hasten your deck’s overall pace, thereby outpacing opponents by dealing larger amounts of damage sooner.

Instant Speed: Even though Tormentor’s Trident is not an instant itself, it allows for instant-speed interactions in decks that capitalize on equipment synergies or have creatures with flash, providing flexibility in how and when you play your threats.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tormentor’s Trident necessitates the player to discard another card, which could potentially deplete a player’s hand, especially detrimental during late-game scenarios where each card’s value is amplified.

Specific Mana Cost: The artifact demands a precise combination of mana to cast, including both generic and colored mana, making it slightly inflexible for decks that are not aligned with its color identity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that is considered steep for the effects it provides, players may find themselves at a disadvantage, as it may delay the deployment of other key strategies or creatures in their deck.

Reasons to Include Tormentor’s Trident in Your Collection

Versatility: Tormentor’s Trident is designed to fit nicely into a range of deck archetypes, from aggressive builds seeking to increase their damage output to control decks that might find creative uses for its equipment properties.

Combo Potential: This card can be a key component in synergistic interactions, such as with creatures that benefit from being equipped or have abilities that trigger whenever they deal combat damage to a player.

Meta-Relevance: In a landscape dominated by creature-heavy decks or where direct damage can pivot a game, Tormentor’s Trident could play a pivotal role, making it a relevant addition to decks tailored to combat specific meta trends.

How to Beat Tormentor’s Trident

Tormentor’s Trident presents an intriguing challenge in Magic: The Gathering, fortifying a creature with extra attack power at the cost of it becoming a forced attacker each turn. To navigate around this, smart defensive strategies become crucial. Cards that can either neutralize the threat without destroying it, like Pacifism or Claustrophobia, or remove it temporarily from combat, such as with the use of bounce spells like Unsummon, can effectively negate the Trident’s advantage. Likewise, cards that can switch power and toughness like Inside Out can also turn the Trident’s boon into a liability for an overaggressive opponent.

Another approach is to employ creatures with deathtouch or those that benefit from being blocked or blocking, like Stuffy Doll, to deter your opponent from attacking, thus nullifying the edge the Trident offers. Adopting these countermeasures can help maintain board control and combat balance, even when facing the increased aggression the Tormentor’s Trident brings to the battlefield.

Ultimately, keeping a versatile array of answers in your deck ensures you’re prepared, not just for the Tormentor’s Trident, but for a variety of threats that could challenge your path to victory in any Magic: The Gathering match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tormentor's Trident MTG card by a specific set like Avacyn Restored, 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 Tormentor's Trident and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tormentor's Trident has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2012-05-01	If, during your declare attackers step, the equipped creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can’t attack, or hasn’t been under your control continuously since the turn began (and doesn’t have haste), then it doesn’t attack. If there’s a cost associated with having a creature attack, you’re not forced to pay that cost, so it doesn’t have to attack in that case either.
2012-05-01	You still decide which player or planeswalker the equipped creature attacks.