Tyrant of Discord MTG Card

Tyrant of Discord creates card advantage by forcing opponents into disadvantageous board states. Combos with instant-speed creature play and top-deck manipulation potential enhance its impact. Despite a high mana cost, its disruptive capabilities can significantly alter game outcomes.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Rare
Type	Creature — Elemental
Released	2012-05-04
Set symbol
Set name	Avacyn Restored
Set code	AVR
Power	7
Toughness	7
Number	162
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Richard Wright

Text of card

When Tyrant of Discord enters the battlefield, target opponent chooses a permanent he or she controls at random and sacrifices it. If a nonland permanent is sacrificed this way, repeat this process.

Cards like Tyrant of Discord

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, the Tyrant of Discord stands as a unique piece among red creatures. With its potential to cause upheaval by randomly selecting and potentially destroying permanents, it draws parallels to the likes of Eater of Days or Descent into Madness. Eater of Days, while not impacting opponents’ boards, shares the high-risk, high-reward aspect that is akin to the Tyrant’s chaotic nature. Conversely, Descent into Madness offers a symmetrical effect, gradually eroding all players’ fields, unlike the targeted mischief of the Tyrant.

Additionally, we see a resemblance in effect with Grip of Chaos, which engenders a similar randomness in spells and abilities, though not specifically targeting permanents. The Tyrant of Discord elevates the thrill of randomness, targeting opponents’ battlefields directly with the potential for a major swing in board state. This direct approach to creating chaos marks its uniqueness in the MTG realm.

When comparing destructive capabilities, the Tyrant of Discord presents itself as a game-changer, capable of dismantling your opponent’s strategy if fortune favors you. Its idiosyncratic ability to potentially turn the tide of a game by decimating an opponent’s board is what sets it apart from other chaos-inducing cards in Magic: The Gathering.

Descent into Madness - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Tyrant of Discord by color, type and mana cost

Yidaro, Wandering Monster - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tyrant of Discord shines in generating significant card advantage against your opponents by potentially removing numerous permanents off their battlefield. This can result in a sheer number advantage that is hard for your opponent to recover from, thus swinging the game in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Tyrant itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it indirectly contributes to this by forcing your opponent to spend valuable resources on rebuilding their board presence, often setting them back turns and giving you the upper hand in resource management.

Instant Speed: While not castable at instant speed itself, the Tyrant pairs well with cards that allow you to cheat creatures onto the battlefield at instant speed. Such a sudden appearance during an opponent’s turn can wreak havoc on their strategy, especially if they have committed to a significant development on their turn.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Tyrant of Discord calls for the sacrifice of permanents when it enters the battlefield, a risky play especially when you’re behind, as you could lose valuable assets that are essential for your game strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Tyrant of Discord’s mana cost includes three red mana symbols, making it heavily color-weighted. This requirement restricts deck-building flexibility and can be challenging to cast in multicolored decks without a strong red mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a seven mana value, Tyrant of Discord comes into play later in the game. This high mana cost can be a considerable disadvantage as more cost-effective creatures or spells could be played more promptly, influencing the game’s pace and board state sooner.

Reasons to Include Tyrant of Discord in Your Collection

Versatility: Tyrant of Discord brings a unique element of chaos to any game. As a card that thrives on unpredictability, it can find a home in red-centric decks that enjoy shaking up the board state and dealing with opponents’ permanents in an unconventional way.

Combo Potential: Designed to synergize with effects that manipulate the top cards of a library or that copy spells and abilities, this card can set off a cascade of destruction when paired with the right combo pieces. Its ability to potentially wipe out swathes of your opponent’s board with a single trigger is a tantalizing prospect for any strategist looking for game-changing plays.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta filled with players that build up formidable board presences with numerous permanents, incorporating Tyrant of Discord can be a savvy move. It acts as a formidable threat to even the most well-established boards and can serve as a powerful deterrent or equalizer against decks that tend to over-extend.

How to beat

The Tyrant of Discord is a formidable presence in Magic: The Gathering that can wreak havoc on an opponent’s board state. When this red elemental makes its entrance, it forces your adversary to sacrifice permanents until a nonland permanent is selected randomly. To counter such a catastrophic effect, stability and control are key.

Efficient ways to handle the Tyrant include counterspells before it hits the field, or utilizing instant-speed removal spells. Deploying cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile will effectively remove the Tyrant from the equation. Strategic deck building also plays a crucial part, as incorporating versatile answers such as board wipes or flash creatures allows players to adapt to facing this chaotic threat. Additionally, if the Tyrant does resolve, having a board with several expendable tokens helps minimize the potential damage from its random destructive ability. Remember, readiness and flexible response are your best tools to triumph over the chaos brought by the Tyrant of Discord.

Taking these steps into consideration ensures that you maintain control in the face of potential disorder during your matches in Magic: The Gathering.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tyrant of Discord 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 Tyrant of Discord and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tyrant of Discord 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 Tyrant of Discord 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 any abilities trigger while Tyrant of Discord’s enters-the-battlefield ability is resolving, those abilities will wait until the enters-the-battlefield ability finishes resolving before going on the stack. Starting with the active player, each player puts their abilities on the stack in any order.
2012-05-01	If the target opponent can’t sacrifice permanents (perhaps because of Sigarda, Host of Herons), the opponent will choose a permanent at random but not sacrifice it. The ability will then finish resolving.
2012-05-01	Repeating the process does not include targeting an opponent. Only one opponent will have to sacrifice permanents.
2012-05-01	Repeating the process includes the instruction to repeat the process. That is, the opponent will keep sacrificing permanents until they sacrifice a land.