Torment (Magic: The Gathering) - Mechanics

Mechanics

Torment continued the Flashback and Threshold mechanics began in Odyssey and introduced Madness.

• Madness - When a card with Madness is discarded, it can usually be played at a reduced cost. Torment sports 10 Madness cards, a common and an uncommon for each of the five colors.

The "black corruption" theme of Torment spreads beyond sheer numbers of cards. Here are more examples of card cycles that represent black's influences:

• Swamp Rewards - Like the popular Nightmare, these are a handful of cards that greatly reward players that control many swamps, including Mutilate, Mind Sludge, and Cabal Coffers.
• Tainted Lands - A cycle of lands that represent locations that have been "tainted" by black magic. Tainted Peak, Tainted Field, Tainted Isle, and Tainted Wood.
• Greedy Flashback - A cycle of cards that all cost 4 mana (one mana of a corresponding color and three generic mana) and the flashback cost was only 2 mana, but required you to pay 3 life additionally) Deep Analysis, Spirit Flare, Acorn Harvest.
• Possessed Creatures - A rare cycle of creatures that begin as seemingly ordinary creatures of their color, but upon achieving Threshold, they become black and turn on their former color. Possessed Nomad, Possessed Centaur, Possessed Aven, Possessed Barbarian. It is interesting to note the shadow/reflection of the creatures in the cards' pictures, which reveal their true inner 'possessed' state'.
• Nightmares - black and red creatures that remove something of the opponent's from the game when they come into play and return it when they leave play. For example, Faceless Butcher removes a creature, Hypnox removes their hand, Petravark removes a land, and Soul Scourge removes 3 life.