Hymn to Tourach (Original Art)

Hymn to Tourach was designed in Fallen Empires (1994) as part of a cycle of spells devoted to the deity Tourach, who represents domination and sacrifice within Magic’s early lore. The random discard effect reflected Tourach’s chaotic control over his followers and enemies. When first released, players quickly realized how absurdly efficient it was – two random discards for two mana with no drawback. In 1994–1996, this was one of the strongest spells you could cast on turn two in any format. It’s now considered one of the most powerful discard spells ever printed, sitting alongside Thoughtseize and Mind Twist in Magic’s “hall of fame” for hand disruption. At Pro Tour New York (1996), Mono-Black Control decks featuring Dark Ritual and Hymn to Tourach were competitive threats in early Type 2 and Type 1. During 1990’s Type 1.5 & Extended, this card was often used alongside Hypnotic Specter, Sinkhole, and Nevinyrral’s Disk. In Legacy, Hymn to Tourach has a long history of being played in decks like Pox / Mono-Black Control. This was a core discard deck using Hymn to Tourach, Sinkhole, Smallpox, and Liliana of the Veil to grind out opponents. The Gate was a black midrange deck in Legacy/Old Extended mixing discard spells (e.g. Hymn to Tourach, Thoughtseize) with value creatures (e.g. Dark Confidant, Vampire Nighthawk). This card is not on the Reserved List.