This is the first time I written about my favourite top ten cards in an expansion. Well Torment packed a few little surprise to me, after a few months break. Some cards are simply too good but not broken and the meta-game is quite fair and well-balanced, maybe a little heavy for black. But my favourite colour in Torment is RED, yeah!! I like burn and always like burn and sligh deck. There are several decks that I like for the moment: red sligh, green stompy, squirrel-opposition and maybe countrer-burn as well.

10) Basking Rootwalla: Arguably the best common in Torment, I find Basking Rootwalla a good weenie for stompy deck. It combines well enough with Wild Mongrel, which combines well enough with Arrogant Wurm, that makes green stompy playable once again. But why rootwalla at the last place? Well, I am considering the mana needed to activate the rootwalla ability, and often enough I won't get to play the ability fast enough if I am to drop a first-turn rootwalla. But well, I can't deny the fact that it proves to be a good hitter once I am attacking with it.

09) Breakthrough: Yep, many may not agree with me to have Breakthrough in the top ten. Many says it sucks but I see this card as a later game dominator. It may not be the early roound casualties b ut once u get to a point of 5th round and above and packed with lands, this card is simply too good. 5 mana to just keep the four cads you drawn is good enough, and it is an instant, means you get to play it at the end of your opponent's turn.

08) Arrogant Wurm: Frankly speaking I never thought of madness as a good ability, and I never thought of Arrogant Wurm as a good card even I have a couple in hand when I first bought Torment. But then, I realized its tremendous madness cost as crazy, especially when you combo it with Wild Mongrel or even Compulsion. Then you will get at least a turn three 4/4 wurm in play. How good is that? And the madness makes it a point of defense against black discard too. Any player will be shaking when they see green in play, 4/4 is not easy to defeat.

07) Fiery Temper: This I would like to say as my first and the best common card in Torment, and it should earn a better standing if not because of its casting cost. This card, like Arrogant Wurm, gains its place because of its madness cost that turns it into a lightning Bolt. And it certainly belongs to any deck that plays with discard theme, like green stompy (Wild Mongrel) and counter burn (Compulsion). But even in this environment, 1RR for 3 points of damage is good enough.

06) Laquatus Champion: It can't breath, it can't see, it don't feel pain, it is Laquatus Champion. One of the best creature in Torment, Laquatus Champion certainly is the best black card insertion into any deck playing with black. Your opponent losing 6 life instantly once it comes into play is simply devastating and unless he/she finds a way to destroy it to regain the life lost this way, Laquatus Champion can spells doom into their face. Imagine, your opponent down to 6 life and you cast a Laquatus Champion, geez, your opponent should be scared to death by it.

05) Devastating Dream: Ah, finally the top five. Yes at fifth place is board control red card, Devastating Dream. I really like this card even I have to discard my hand at random, but its limited playability pushes it down to fifth. It is simply devastating, so what can I say more?

04) Teroh's Faithful: White is really neglected in Torment, having the least number of good cards to play with. But uh-huh, one of the white cards makes it into the top-four and it is a common: Teroh's Faithful. Since Urza Legacy, I liked the idea of Radiant Dragoons, which nearly won me an upset against the then-famous Enchantress deck and red sligh too. And it returns in Torment as a smaller version, the same casting cost but one point smaller in power and toughness and a point less in life gaining. But well, standing at 1/4 it is counted as a good blocker and making me gain 4 life when it comes into play is nothing to sneer at too. I would be down right annoyed if I played against this card when I am playing red and black.

03) Nantuko Shade: 2 black mana for 2/1 is fast, and one black mana to pump it up +1/+1 is crazy. It certainly is the best black card in the set and arguably the best card in Torment. I really like to grab four of these for my black deck and need I say more?

02) Skullscorch: Another full-of-conflict card like Breakthrough. After Hymn To T ourach was banned, no other card has ever comes close to it as Skullscorch. It suites the right colour. Just think. If you are playing red, you are sure lack of speed in card advantage. Skullscorch provides you with this, forcing your opponent to discard two cards at random. Yes he/she can choose to suck up four damages which is also good to you as you are playing red. An early casualties I must say, and you really want to have at least one or two Skullscorch in hand when you start a game.

01) Grim Lavamancer: Yeah, the Lavamancer rules! I am really really speechless when I saw this card in the spoiler. It is in the right colour, the right casting cost, and the right speed that red really needs. As red is often the last in card advantage, Grim Lavamancer allows red mage to manipulate the graveyard, and to deal two damages to a player or creatures. And normal and usual enough, red fills the graveyard fast enough with instants and burns. LAVAMANCER RULEZ!

As you all can see, my favourite top two cards are of red, and well I hope it returns the glory of red sligh, even without Rathi Dragon and Cursed Scroll. Lavamancer maybe the new Cursed Scroll and who knows sligh will make a return, a glorious return in the wake of black.

 

( article by Rymond 2002 )