Tortured Existence MTG Card


Offers sustainable card advantage by recycling creatures, crucial for maintaining hand and board presence. Enables instant-speed plays, adding strategic depth and surprise elements to games. Demands proper hand and mana base management to fully exploit its potential within black-centric decks.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment

Text of card

o B, Choose and discard a creature card: Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

"There are terrors lurking in the unseen corners of us all." —Crovax


Cards like Tortured Existence

Tortured Existence is a unique card that has become a staple in many MTG graveyard-themed decks. Like its cousins, such as Phyrexian Reclamation, it allows players to rotate creatures from their graveyard back into their hand. However, Tortured Existence stands out with its low casting cost and the ability to be activated multiple times each turn, opening the door for interesting and powerful synergies with enter-the-battlefield effects and graveyard mechanics.

Another card with a similar recursion theme is Call to the Netherworld, a black spell with madness that can return a black creature from your graveyard to your hand for free if its madness cost was paid. This card is both specific in its targets and conditional based on its madness ability. By contrast, Tortured Existence provides a more consistent and less conditional engine for recursion strategies. It’s flexibility and straightforward utility make it a preferred choice for players who want to keep their graveyards working for them throughout the game.

While each card offering recursion has its place, Tortured Existence provides a persistent and low-cost way to strategically manage creatures, making it an unsung hero in decks that thrive on graveyard interactions in MTG.

Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Call to the Netherworld - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Tortured Existence by color, type and mana cost

Paralyze - MTG Card versions
Unholy Strength - MTG Card versions
Evil Presence - MTG Card versions
Weakness - MTG Card versions
Imprison - MTG Card versions
Thrull Retainer - MTG Card versions
Torture - MTG Card versions
Death Watch - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Rite - MTG Card versions
Sadistic Glee - MTG Card versions
Sarcomancy - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Motion Sensor - MTG Card versions
Sicken - MTG Card versions
Darkest Hour - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Dread of Night - MTG Card versions
Withering Hex - MTG Card versions
Genju of the Fens - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Link - MTG Card versions
Bloodchief Ascension - MTG Card versions
Paralyze - MTG Card versions
Unholy Strength - MTG Card versions
Evil Presence - MTG Card versions
Weakness - MTG Card versions
Imprison - MTG Card versions
Thrull Retainer - MTG Card versions
Torture - MTG Card versions
Death Watch - MTG Card versions
Leshrac's Rite - MTG Card versions
Sadistic Glee - MTG Card versions
Sarcomancy - MTG Card versions
Volrath's Motion Sensor - MTG Card versions
Sicken - MTG Card versions
Darkest Hour - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Reclamation - MTG Card versions
Dread of Night - MTG Card versions
Withering Hex - MTG Card versions
Genju of the Fens - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Link - MTG Card versions
Bloodchief Ascension - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Tortured Existence. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Golgari MidrangeGolgari Midrange PauperOgonyok
WBRWBR PauperPauper Challenge 32 2024-03-30
Abzan MidrangeAbzan Midrange PauperPauper Jungle
WBRGWBRG PauperPauper Qualifier 2024-03-02

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tortured Existence shines in decks built around the graveyard, allowing players to strategically return creature cards from their graveyard to their hand. This continuous cycle works wonders in maintaining a full grip, keeping essential creatures in rotation, and outpacing opponents who can’t match this relentless stream of resources.

Resource Acceleration: Though it doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, the efficiency of this enchantment can be considered a form of resource acceleration. By exchanging a creature in hand for one in the graveyard, you effectively streamline your plays and optimize your board state with the exact creatures you need for any given situation.

Instant Speed: The beauty of Tortured Existence lies in its activation at instant speed. This allows savvy players to make plays during the opponent’s turn, creating surprise blockers or returning utility creatures to their hand at the most opportune moments, thus keeping adversaries on their toes and tactically disrupting their plans.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the prominent drawbacks of Tortured Existence is the necessity to discard a card to activate its effect. This can be particularly challenging when your hand is already stretched thin and every card counts. Discarding as a cost requires careful hand management, which can make the card potentially detrimental in situations where card advantage is critical.

Specific Mana Cost: Tortured Existence demands a specific black mana to activate. This requirement can be restrictive, tying the card closely to black-centric or at least black-inclusive decks. Players running multicolor decks without a stable black mana base may find it challenging to consistently leverage Tortured Existence’s capabilities, which can limit its overall flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Even though the initial casting cost of one black mana might seem minimal, the cumulative cost of repeated activations can be quite taxing. In high-paced matches, the mana spent on bringing cards back from the graveyard with Tortured Existence could otherwise be utilized for more impactful plays, making it a potentially costly option in the long run.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tortured Existence offers a unique ability to recycle creatures from your graveyard, making it a strong addition to decks focused on graveyard strategies or requiring specific creature cards in hand.

Combo Potential: This card enables numerous combos by allowing you to swap creatures in and out of the graveyard, synergizing well with abilities like Dredge, or with creatures that have “enters the battlefield” or “leaves the graveyard” effects.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where resource utilization is key, Tortured Existence holds its ground by efficiently managing your graveyard resources, keeping essential creature cards accessible and making it difficult for opponents to disrupt your game plan.


How to beat

Tortured Existence is a distinctive enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe that can reshape graveyard strategies. It offers an intriguing loop for players by allowing the exchange of a creature card in their hand for one from their graveyard. This recurring capability makes it a staple in decks keen on utilizing the graveyard effectively.

To counteract Tortured Existence’s power, graveyard disruption is key. Cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Bojuka Bog can exile cards from the opponent’s graveyard, cutting off the resources that Tortured Existence relies on. Additionally, enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant can directly take out this pesky enchantment before the loop gets out of hand. Another strategy includes applying pressure with a fast-paced aggro deck, outpacing the setup time needed for Tortured Existence and overwhelming your opponent before their strategies can take off.

Understanding and interrupting the synergy Tortured Existence creates within graveyard-centric decks gives you a significant advantage. By keeping the graveyard clean or by getting rid of the enchantment itself, you can effectively mitigate the impact of this powerful card and maintain control over the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Tortured Existence has carved out its niche in MTG as a powerful graveyard utility card, opening up avenues for creative deck building and strategy. If you’re intrigued by the prospects of leveraging your graveyard and guiding your creatures through a dance of strategic reanimation, this card is a gem worth exploring. Building a deck around this enchantment can be both challenging and rewarding, as you finesse your way through the limitations and capitalize on the card’s strengths. We encourage you to add Tortured Existence to your collection and discover the potent combos and meta-defiant plays it can unlock. Immerse yourself in the depths of graveyard manipulation and become a formidable tactician on the battlefield. Delve deeper with us to master Tortured Existence and other strategic cards in MTG.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tortured Existence MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and The List, 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 Tortured Existence and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tortured Existence Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 1998-03-02. Illustrated by Keith Parkinson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 741997NormalBlackKeith Parkinson
22020-09-26The ListPLST STH-741997NormalBlackKeith Parkinson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tortured Existence has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2004-10-04 You can’t return the same card you are discarding. This is because you pick the target before paying the costs.