Falkenrath Torturer is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Sacrifice a creature: This creature gains flying until end of turn. If the sacrificed creature was a Human, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Complete guide
Falkenrath Torturer is a versatile sacrifice outlet that excels in decks looking to trade board presence for sudden evasion. By feeding on your own creatures, this Vampire grows stronger and takes to the skies to bypass your opponent's defenses.
Unpacking the Sacrifice Ability
Falkenrath Torturer features an activated ability that costs no mana; the only requirement is sacrificing a creature. Because the sacrifice is part of the activation cost, your opponent cannot respond by destroying the creature you intend to sacrifice to stop the ability. Once activated, the Torturer gains flying until the end of the turn, making it an excellent finisher against grounded opponents.
Human Synergy and Counters
While any creature will give this Vampire wings, sacrificing a Human provides a permanent +1/+1 counter. The game checks the creature's types as it last existed on the battlefield. If it was a Human when it died, the Torturer gets the counter. Note that the Torturer can even sacrifice itself to trigger its own ability, though it won't be around to receive the flying keyword or the counter unless it returns to the battlefield.
Strategy and Timing
Since this is an activated ability, you can use it at instant speed. You can use it to grow the Torturer mid-combat to win a trade, or sacrifice a creature that was already targeted by an opponent's removal spell to get extra value. If you have multiple creatures to spare, you can activate the ability multiple times in a row to stack several +1/+1 counters in a single turn.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you control both cards, you can sacrifice Solemn Simulacrum to the Torturer's ability. This puts the Torturer's 'gain flying' effect on the stack and triggers the Simulacrum's 'dies' ability. You will draw a card from the Simulacrum, and then the Torturer will gain flying. Since the Simulacrum is a Golem and not a Human, the Torturer does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
Roaming ThroneSuppose you play Roaming Throne and choose 'Human' as its creature type. Even though Roaming Throne is naturally a Golem, it is now a Human on the battlefield. If you sacrifice Roaming Throne to activate Falkenrath Torturer, the game sees that a Human was sacrificed. The Torturer will gain flying and receive a permanent +1/+1 counter.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Falkenrath Torturer
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The ability checks whether the sacrificed creature as it last existed on the battlefield was a Human. (It doesn’t matter what its creature types are in the graveyard.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You can sacrifice Falkenrath Torturer itself to activate its ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Falkenrath Torturer
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.