Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit 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
When you unlock this door, create three 1/1 red Devil creature tokens with "When this token dies, it deals 1 damage to any target." (You may cast either half. That door unlocks on the battlefield. As a sorcery, you may pay the mana cost of a locked door to unlock it.) If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage plus 2 instead. (You may cast either half. That door unlocks on the battlefield. As a sorcery, you may pay the mana cost of a locked door to unlock it.)
Complete guide
Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit is a versatile Room enchantment that offers both a board presence and a powerful damage-boosting effect. Whether you are summoning a pack of explosive Devils or turning small pings into massive hits, this card is a centerpiece for aggressive red strategies. Understanding how its two doors interact with each other and the stack is key to mastering the Room mechanic.
What it Does
This card consists of two halves, or 'doors'. Spiked Corridor costs {3}{R} and, when unlocked, creates three 1/1 red Devil tokens that deal 1 damage to any target when they die. Torture Pit also costs {3}{R} and provides a continuous replacement effect: if a source you control would deal noncombat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage plus 2 instead. While in your hand, library, or graveyard, the card has the combined characteristics of both sides, including a total mana value of 8.
How it Resolves Step by Step
When you cast the card, you choose one door to unlock; the other door remains locked as it enters the battlefield. If you cast Spiked Corridor, the 'When you unlock this door' ability triggers immediately upon entry. Once on the battlefield, you can unlock the other door (Torture Pit) as a sorcery by paying its mana cost. This is a special action that does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. Once both doors are unlocked, the enchantment possesses the abilities of both halves simultaneously.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming Torture Pit increases combat damage; it strictly applies only to noncombat damage, such as spells or abilities. Additionally, if you have multiple replacement effects (like damage doublers), the player being dealt the damage chooses the order in which they apply. Note that if an effect lets you put an enchantment onto the battlefield without casting it, the Room enters with both doors locked, and you must pay for each door individually to gain their benefits.
When to Play it
Play Spiked Corridor early if you need blockers or immediate damage sources, as the Devils provide excellent protection against small attackers. Torture Pit is best utilized when you have a hand full of burn spells or repeatable damage abilities. Because unlocking a door is a special action, you can wait until your main phase to unlock Torture Pit and immediately cast a spell, ensuring your opponent cannot destroy the Room in response to the unlock itself.
Interaction examples
DevilIf you have the Torture Pit door unlocked and one of your Devil tokens dies, its triggered ability deals 1 damage to an opponent. Because Torture Pit is active, that 1 damage is increased by 2, resulting in a total of 3 damage dealt to that opponent.
City on FireIf you control both City on Fire and an unlocked Torture Pit, and you cast a spell that deals 1 noncombat damage to an opponent, that opponent chooses the order of the effects. They could choose to add 2 first (1+2=3) then triple it (3*3=9), or triple it first (1*3=3) then add 2 (3+2=5). Naturally, they will likely choose the order that results in 5 damage.
Summon: BahamutWhen the fourth chapter of Summon: Bahamut triggers, it deals damage to each opponent equal to the total mana value of your other permanents. If Torture Pit is your only other permanent (mana value 8), the ability would normally deal 8 damage to each opponent. Torture Pit increases this by 2, resulting in 10 noncombat damage to each opponent.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The additional 2 damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The additional damage isn't dealt by Torture Pit unless Torture Pit is the original source of damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If another effect modifies how much noncombat damage the source would deal, including preventing some of it, the player being dealt damage chooses an order in which to apply those effects. If all of the damage is prevented, Torture Pit's effect no longer applies.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If noncombat damage dealt by a source you control is being divided or assigned among multiple players, divide the original amount before adding 2. For example, if you cast a sorcery spell that deals 4 damage divided as you choose among any number of targets, you could have it deal 3 damage to one opponent and 1 damage to another opponent. Those amounts would then be increased to 5 damage and 3 damage, respectively.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
To cast a Room spell, choose a half (or "door") to cast. There's no way to cast both halves of a Room card. When the Room spell resolves, the corresponding door becomes unlocked as the Room enters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Room cards have two card faces with a shared type line on a single card. The characteristics of the door you didn't cast are ignored while the spell is on the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Each Room card is a single card. For example, if you discard a Room card, you've discarded one card, not two. If an effect counts the number of enchantment cards in your graveyard, Bottomless Pool // Locker Room counts once, not twice.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Each Room card has two names. If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose one of those names, but not both.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect allows you to cast a spell with certain characteristics, consider only the characteristics of the door you're casting. For example, if an effect allows you to cast a permanent spell with mana value 3 or less from among cards in your graveyard, you could cast Bottomless Pool this way, but not Locker Room.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
While in any zone other than the stack or the battlefield, a Room card's characteristics are a combination of its two doors. For example, Bottomless Pool // Locker Room has a mana value of 6 while it's in your library. If an effect allows you to search your library for a card with mana value 4 or less, you can't find Bottomless Pool // Locker Room.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
While on the battlefield, a Room's characteristics are a combination of the characteristics of its unlocked doors. For example, if Bottomless Pool // Locker Room is on the battlefield with both doors unlocked, its names are Bottomless Pool and Locker Room, its mana value is 6, it's a Room Enchantment, and it has the abilities in each door's text box.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability would create a copy of a Room spell on the stack, the copy retains the choice of which door was cast but also retains the full characteristics of the spell. The characteristics of the door that wasn't cast are still ignored while the copy is on the stack, and when the copy resolves, the token it becomes will enter with the appropriate door unlocked.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If a Room enters from any zone other than the stack, it will enter with both halves locked.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If neither door of a Room is unlocked, it's a Room enchantment with no name and no abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
Any time you have priority during a main phase of your turn and the stack is empty, you may pay the mana cost of a locked door (also called its "unlock cost"). That door becomes unlocked. This is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "when you unlock this door" triggers when that door becomes unlocked. This can happen one of two ways: (1) the door becomes unlocked on the battlefield or (2) the door becomes unlocked as the Room enters the battlefield because you cast the corresponding half. In the latter case, since the door becoming unlocked is what causes the ability to trigger, effects that cause abilities that trigger when a permanent enters to trigger an additional time (such as that of Panharmonicon) won't apply.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #16· Wizards of the Coast
Some abilities allow you to unlock a door of a Room you control. You can't choose to unlock a door that's already unlocked with such an ability. If such an ability requires a target, you can target a Room even if both of its doors are unlocked, but the ability won't do anything when it resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #17· Wizards of the Coast
Some abilities allow you to lock a door of a Room you control. You can't choose to lock a door that's already locked with such an ability. If such an ability requires a target, you can target a Room even if both of its doors are locked, but the ability won't do anything when it resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #18· Wizards of the Coast
Some doors have abilities that trigger whenever you unlock that door and require one or more targets. You can unlock that door even if there would be insufficient legal targets for that triggered ability. The triggered ability won't go on the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #19· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "whenever you fully unlock a Room" triggers when a door becomes unlocked and the other door of that Room is already unlocked, or when both doors of that Room become unlocked simultaneously.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Marina Vendrell + Pemmin's Aura + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocking Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar twice by sacrificing two Devils, adding
. - 4When the Devils die, they trigger, dealing 2 damage to any target.
- 5Activate Pemmin's Aura's first ability by paying , untapping Marina.
- 6Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 7Activate Pemmin's Aura's first ability by paying , untapping Marina.
- 8Repeat.
Marina Vendrell + Freed from the Real + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocking Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar twice by sacrificing two Devils, adding .
- 4When the Devils die, they trigger, dealing 2 damage to any target.
- 5Activate Freed from the Real's second ability by paying , untapping Marina.
- 6Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 7Activate Freed from the Real's second ability by paying , untapping Marina.
- 8Repeat.
Marina Vendrell + Thornbite Staff + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocked Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Devil, adding one mana of any color.
- 4When the Devil dies, it and Marina trigger.
- 5Resolve the Devil's trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Resolve the Marina trigger, untapping it.
- 7Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 8Repeat steps 3 through 6 one additional time.
Marina Vendrell + Aura of Dominion + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocking Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Aura of Dominion by paying
and tapping a Devil, untapping Marina. - 4Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 5Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the tapped Devil, adding .
- 6When the Devil dies, it triggers, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 7Activate Aura of Dominion by paying and tapping a Devil, untapping Marina.
- 8Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the tapped Devil, adding .
Marina Vendrell + Thornbite Staff + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocked Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing a Devil, adding
. - 4When the Devil dies, it and Marina trigger.
- 5Resolve the Devil's trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Resolve the Marina trigger, untapping it.
- 7Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 8Repeat steps 3 through 6 one additional time.
Marina Vendrell + Thornbite Staff + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Altar of Dementia
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocked Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing a Devil.
- 4When the Devil dies, it and Marina trigger.
- 5Resolve the Devil's trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Resolve the Marina trigger, untapping it.
- 7Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability, causing target player to mill cards equal to the sacrificed creature's power.
- 8Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
Marina Vendrell + Thornbite Staff + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Thermopod
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocked Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing a Devil, adding
. - 4When the Devil dies, it and Marina trigger.
- 5Resolve the Devil's trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Resolve the Marina trigger, untapping it.
- 7Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
- 8Repeat steps 3 through 6 one additional time.
Marina Vendrell + Thornbite Staff + Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit + Bartolomé del Presidio
- 1Activate Marina by tapping it, unlocked Spiked Corridor.
- 2Spiked Corridor triggers, creating three 1/1 Devil creature tokens.
- 3Activate Bartolomé del Presidio by sacrificing a Devil.
- 4When the Devil dies, it and Marina trigger.
- 5Resolve the Devil's trigger, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Resolve the Marina trigger, untapping it.
- 7Resolve the Bartolomé del Presidio ability, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 8Activate Marina by tapping it, locking Spiked Corridor.
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Meta decks with Spiked Corridor // Torture Pit
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