Toll of the Invasion MTG Card


Toll of the Invasion - War of the Spark
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeSorcery
Abilities Amass
Released2019-05-03
Set symbol
Set nameWar of the Spark
Set codeWAR
Number108
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJoe Slucher

Key Takeaways

  1. Toll of the Invasion provides substantial card advantage through targeted discard and hand insight capabilities.
  2. It fits well in black mana decks and has the capacity to accelerate resources while offering flexible play.
  3. While slightly high in mana cost, its versatility and combo potential make it a worthy collection addition.

Text of card

Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. Amass Zombies 1. (Put a +1/+1 counter on an Army you control. It's also a Zombie. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token first.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Toll of the Invasion is a key component in securing card advantage. Upon casting, it not only allows you to peek into your opponent’s hand but also forces them to discard a card of your choice, effectively disrupting their strategy and edging you ahead in terms of valuable resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although Toll of the Invasion does not directly generate additional mana, it contributes to resource acceleration by efficiently utilizing your mana in the early to mid-game. It’s costed to fit smoothly into your curve, ensuring that you’re able to develop your board while still interacting significantly with your opponent’s plans.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, the disruption of Toll of the Invasion can be seen as a preparatory step that ensures safer grounds for your instant speed interactions. Clearing the way of potential threats or disruptive spells from your opponent’s hand allows you to operate your instants with more confidence during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Toll of the Invasion forces an opponent to discard a card upon resolution, but it doesn’t affect the battlefield presence or advance your board state, potentially leaving you behind in terms of creature development or other in-game assets.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell includes a colored mana requirement of not just black but also generic mana, which means it fits primarily into black decks and may not easily slot into multicolor decks that are tight on mana allocation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the card offers a peek at the opponent’s hand and a discard effect, its total cost of three mana may be considered high for this type of targeted discard effect, especially when compared to other lower-cost options in the format that might allow for additional actions within the same turn.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Toll of the Invasion offers flexible play options by combining a creature check with a thought disruption element, making it a multipurpose addition to decks that thrive on controlling the opponent’s hand.

Combo Potential: This card excels in strategies that capitalize on opponents discarding cards, setting up for powerful synergies with cards that benefit from an opponent’s depleted hand.

Meta-Relevance: With decks that require precise handcrafting dominating the game, Toll of the Invasion is a tactical play that can dismantle an opponent’s planned moves, keeping your strategy one step ahead.


How to beat

Navigating the complexities of combatting Toll of the Invasion requires strategic finesse in Magic: The Gathering. This black sorcery spell not only allows a player to peek into an opponent’s hand and pluck out a nonland card but also amasses an elusive Zombie army token, incrementally tipping the battlefield in their favor. A potent form of disruption, it necessitates a careful response.

To effectively counter this menacing spell, maintaining a hand diverse with expendable cards alongside your key pieces is essential. This dilutes the impact of the discard effect. Additionally, running spells capable of shuffling the library or retrieving cards from the graveyard can offset the disruption Toll of the Invasion poses. Cards with instant speed that can be played in response, such as counterspells or flash creatures, help preserve your game plan and complicate your opponent’s targeted choice. Moreover, seamless incorporation of graveyard synergies turns this potential setback into an advantage, leveraging discarded cards as a resource for future plays. Ultimately, with prudent hand management and strategic deck design, Toll of the Invasion’s impact can be mitigated, allowing players to prevail in the intricate dance of Magic: The Gathering.


Cards like Toll of the Invasion

Toll of the Invasion is an intriguing spell in Magic: The Gathering known for its ability to disrupt the opponent’s strategy while bolstering your own. It bears resemblance to other cards in the realm of hand disruption like Duress, which allows you to target noncreature, nonland cards in an opponent’s hand and discard them. Yet, Toll of the Invasion steps ahead by enabling you to pick from any type of nonland card and rewards you with an Amass 1 token on the battlefield, amplifying your board presence.

Comparing it to Mind Rot, another classic discard tactic, Toll of the Invasion offers a more refined control by impacting only a single card yet compensates with a token creature. Mind Rot forces the sacrifice of two cards at the same cost but without additional board impact. Then there’s Thought Erasure that not only discards but also surveils, allowing for deck manipulation. Though sans token generation, Thought Erasure paves the way for strategic planning.

In essence, Toll of the Invasion serves as a strategic inclusion in any MTG deck focused on disruption and incremental advantage, complementing already prevalent discard mechanics with an added benefit of token creation, an aspect not commonly seen in similar cards.

Duress - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Thought Erasure - MTG Card versions
Duress - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Thought Erasure - MTG Card versions

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Wicked Pact - MTG Card versions
Nature's Ruin - MTG Card versions
Buried Alive - MTG Card versions
Choking Sands - MTG Card versions
Brush with Death - MTG Card versions
Coercion - MTG Card versions
Hand of Death - MTG Card versions
Grim Tutor - MTG Card versions
Forced March - MTG Card versions
Stupor - MTG Card versions
Soul Burn - MTG Card versions
Noxious Vapors - MTG Card versions
Mind Rot - MTG Card versions
Crippling Fatigue - MTG Card versions
Flaying Tendrils - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Toll of the Invasion MTG card by a specific set like War of the Spark, 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 Toll of the Invasion and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Toll of the Invasion has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2019-05-03 Army is a new creature type. It’s possible to control a nontoken Army (perhaps a creature with the changeling ability) and, through combinations of other cards, it’s possible to control multiple Army tokens. When instructed to amass, you may put +1/+1 counters on any of your Army creatures, and you may choose a different one each time.
2019-05-03 If you don’t control an Army, the Zombie Army token that you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature. 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.
2019-05-03 Some spells that amass may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell tries to resolve, it doesn’t resolve. You won’t amass.
2019-05-03 You still amass 1 even if that player has no nonland cards to discard.

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