Torment, the second
expansion in the
Odyssey block of sets in
Magic: The Gathering was released worldwide on
February 8, 2002. The set was originally known as Vendetta (possibly a code name), but its name was changed later in development. As usual for a minor expansion in a block, the set contains 143 cards, 44
Rares, 44
Uncommons, and 55
Commons, with a
foil version of each card available. The distribution of the cards is 11 Commons : 3 Uncommons: 1 Rare, with a 1:100 chance of getting a card in a foil version. The
expansion symbol is a coiled snake.
This expansion set is very odd because of the
unbalanced color distribution, with
Black getting 40 cards,
Blue and
Red getting 28 each,
Green and
White getting 21 each, and 5 leftover
nonbasic lands. This was due to both the
storyline and
developers wanting to "
spice things up". There are no artifacts or gold cards. Before the release of
Judgment, this threw
draft players off because of the complete unbalancing of the color distribution. Because of black being so much better and so much more plentiful in this set, this caused people to be
uncertain when choosing colors to go into. This also made it hard to "
signal", or to tell the person next to you what colors you are in just by taking certain cards out of the pack. In many cases, drafting simply turned into seeing who could be
forced out of black. The other
innovations in this set are:
1. The use of
resources other than
mana to pay for
flashback costs, as opposed to the exclusive use of
mana in
Odyssey. Noteable examples include
Acorn Harvest,
Deep Analysis, and
Crippling Fatigue, each requiring the payment of 2
mana and 3
life as their flashback costs. (A cost that the player has to pay to play the card once again from the
graveyard, then removing it from the game, allowing that player to essentially cast the same spell twice.)
2. The
madness mechanic, which allowed cards to be played at a different
mana cost when discarded. Noteable examples include
Arrogant Wurm and
Basking Rootwalla. This mechanic can be extremely powerful, allowing spells to be played for significantly less (2 mana), or for free (
Basking Rootwalla). Added to the fact that in the block there are very powerful discard cards (
Wild Mongrel,
Aquamoeba,
Careful Study), the mechanic only got better. Also included in the set were a
cycle of
enchantments named after psychological disorders that allowed you to discard cards, very useful for enabling madness cards. The most notable example of this cycle would be
Compulsion.
3. The "
nightmare horror" "
mechanic", not an actual ability of cards, but instead the nickname and creature type given to cards which take something away when they come into play, such as cards from an opponents hand (
Mesmeric Fiend), or creatures in play (
Faceless Butcher). This ability was extended to cards in blue and red in the next expansion,
Judgment, such as
Worldgorger Dragon and
Wormfang Behemoth.
The set is available in 15 card
booster packs, and 4 different
preconstructed decks, some named with the trademark bad
Wizards of the Coast sense of humor. The four decks are
Grave Danger,
Insanity,
Sacriledge, and
Waking Nightmares
Black
Common
- Cabal Ritual
- Cabal Surgeon
- Cabal Torturer
- Carrion Rats
- Crippling Fatigue
- Faceless Butcher
- Gravegouger
- Mesmeric Fiend
- Organ Grinder
- Psychotic Haze
- Putrid Imp
- Rancid Earth
- Restless Dreams
- Shade's Form
- Soul Scourge
- Unhinge
- Waste Away
Uncommons
- Boneshard Slasher
- Carrion Wurm
- Chainer's Edict
- Gloomdrifter
- Grotesque Hybrid
- Mind Sludge
- Mortiphobia
- Sickening Dreams
- Slithery Stalker
- Strength of Lunacy
- Zombie Trailblazer
Rares
- Chainer, Dementia Master
- Dawn of the Dead
- Hypnox
- Ichorid
- Insidious Dreams
- Laquatus's Champion
- Last Laugh
- Mortal Combat
- Mutilate
- Nantuko Shade
- Sengir Vampire
- Shambling Swarm
Green
Commons
- Acorn Harvest
- Basking Rootwalla
- Centaur Veteran
- Far Wanderings
- Invigorating Falls
- Krosan Constrictor
- Krosan Restorer
- Nantuko Calmer
Uncommons
- Anurid Scavenger
- Arrogant Wurm
- Centaur Chieftan
- Dwell on the Past
- Narcissism
- Seton's Scout
Rares
- Gurzigost
- Insist
- Nantuko Blightcutter
- Nantuko Cultivator
- Nostalgic Dreams
- Parallel Evolution
- Possessed Centaur
Red
Commons
- Accelerate
- Barbarian Outcast
- Crackling Club
- Enslaved Dwarf
- Fiery Temper
- Flash of Defiance
- Kamahl's Sledge
- Longhorn Firebeast
- Pardic Lancer
- Petravark
- Sonic Seizure
Uncommons
- Crazed Firecat
- Flaming Gambit
- Pardic Arsonist
- Pardic Collaborator
- Pitchstone Wall
- Pyromania
- Temporary Insanity
- Violent Eruption
Rares
- Balthor the Stout
- Devastating Dreams
- Grim Lavamancer
- Hell-Bent Raider
- Overmaster
- Petradon
- Possessed Barbarian
- Radiate
- Skullscorch
Blue
Commons
- Aquamoeba
- Cephalid Aristocrat
- Cephalid Snitch
- Churning Eddy
- Coral Net
- Deep Analysis
- Ghostly Wings
- Hydromorph Guardian
- Liquify
- Obsessive Search
- Skywing Aven
Uncommons
- Balshan Collaborator
- Breakthrough
- Cephalid Illusionist
- Cephalid Sage
- Circular Logic
- Compulsion
- Hydromorph Gull
- Stupefying Touch
Rares
- Alter Reality
- Ambassador Laquatus
- Cephalid Vandal
- False Memories
- Llawan, Cephalid Empress
- Plagarize
- Possessed Aven
- Retraced Image
- Turbulent Dreams
White
Commons
- Aven Trooper
- Floating Shield
- Frantic Purification
- Militant Monk
- Mystic Familiar
- Pay No Heed
- Spirit Flare
- Teroh's Faithful
Uncommons
- Cleansing Meditation
- Equal Treatment
- Hypochondria
- Stern Judge
- Strength of Isolation
- Teroh's Vanguard
Rares
- Angel of Retribution
- Major Teroh
- Morningtide
- Possessed Nomad
- Reborn Hero
- Transcendence
- Vengeful Dreams
Cards in
Bold are ones that I believe are notable for one reason or another. (Purely opinion based, please /msg me if you wish to change the status of a card somehow.)
Please also /msg me if you have noded one of these cards.