[SCD] Torpor Orb

[Lemnear]

Torpor Orb - 2
Artifact

Creatures entering the battlefield doesn't cause abilities to trigger.

----------------------------

Does anybody realize that this is a better illusionary mask? Playing Phyrexian Dreadnought without it's ability and negating any annoying CIP trigger opponent can have is awesome! Does this have the potential to re-invent Dreadstill with the unholy alliance of Torpor Orb, Dreadnought and Academy Ruins?

[Lejay]

Phyrexian dreadnought will be countered by mental misstep anyway, so who cares... :)

[Lemnear]

But ... But ... Academy Ruins?! ;p

[ivanpei]

This has potential as now both combo components are artifacts and getting Dreadnought Forced/Countered/Plowed is no longer card disadvantage. However the combo is slower so some tuning would have to be made. A deck with Fabricate, Trinket Mage, Dreadnought, stifle and Double lands like Tomb/City of Traitors could work. The back up could be force and the new Mental Misstep. Counters STPs and other missteps. LOL. Propaganda might also be needed to keep hoards off you while you smack them with the Nought.

[Lemnear]

Trinket and Orb dislike eachother and if your counter their vials and Lackeys with Misstep even a turn 3 Naught is fast enough.

[eq.firemind]

Hunted Horror anyone? Oh, and you can actually try to use Nought in nonblue-based deck with minor :u: splash for Stifle. Like, Dark Ritual, Orb, Nought. And yeah, StP is nothing 'cause you have Mental Misstep now. Looks like almost-ready deck!

The problem is that unlike Stifle, Orb itself doesn't seem to be good (oh well, it crushes Goblin Matron, Goblin Ringleader and Siege-Gang Commander)

[Lemnear]

This is a mental crosspost between this and the Mental Misstep thread: Doesn't make Misstep Stifle less attractive in terms of tempo and don't make Orbs ability to shut-off goblins it a valid REPLACEMENT for Stifle?

[Amon Amarth]

Hunted Horror anyone? Oh, and you can actually try to use Nought in nonblue-based deck with minor :u: splash for Stifle. Like, Dark Ritual, Orb, Nought. And yeah, StP is nothing 'cause you have Mental Misstep now. Looks like almost-ready deck!

The problem is that unlike Stifle, Orb itself doesn't seem to be good (oh well, it crushes Goblin Matron, Goblin Ringleader and Siege-Gang Commander)

So... you're saying Masknought(minus Mask) is a deck again? I'm down.

[eq.firemind]

From the top of my head:

MANA:
4 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
6 Swamp
1 Island
4 Dark Ritual

PROTECTION
4 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Mental Misstep

DISRUPTION/ACTIVATORS
4 Stifle
4 Sinkhole
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Torpor Orb

CREATURES
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Hunted Horror
4 Dark Confidant

[Sigar]

Torpor Orb stops Thopter Foundry + Sword of the Meek as well.

[ivanpei]

From the top of my head:

MANA:
4 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
6 Swamp
1 Island
4 Dark Ritual

PROTECTION
4 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Mental Missstep

DISRUPTION/ACTIVATORS
4 Stifle
4 Sinkhole
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Torpor Orb

CREATURES
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Hunted Horror
4 Dark Confidant

This looks pretty viable to me. Let us know how it tests!

[Barook]

From the top of my head:

MANA:
4 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
6 Swamp
1 Island
4 Dark Ritual

PROTECTION
4 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Mental Missstep

DISRUPTION/ACTIVATORS
4 Stifle
4 Sinkhole
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Torpor Orb

CREATURES
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Hunted Horror
4 Dark Confidant
Wouldn't a counter-heavy disruption suite be better than discard? And does Sinkhole really make the cut anymore?

[GradStudentGuy]

From the top of my head:

MANA:
4 Wasteland
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
6 Swamp
1 Island
4 Dark Ritual

PROTECTION
4 Thoughtseize
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Mental Misstep

DISRUPTION/ACTIVATORS
4 Stifle
4 Sinkhole
4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Torpor Orb

CREATURES
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Hunted Horror
4 Dark Confidant

I think this deck also would like Academy ruins to recur Dreadnought. FOW may be a Sideboard card as well.

[sigfig8]

Agree that Sinkhole is garbage, especially with Daze running so rampant. Would rather see Force of Will here. Would anyone consider removing the discard package and adding counterspells? Maybe try Ancient Tomb to accelerate?

[Lemnear]

With the 2 new additions of Mental Misstep and Torpor Orb this Deck will get a push. I try something like this for the next few testing sessions.


4 Torpor Orb
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
3 Counterspell
4 Mental Misstep
4 Counterbalance
3 Sensei's Divining Top
3 Standstill

4 Wasteland
3 Mishra's Factory
4 Flooded Strand
3 Polluted Delta
2 Academy Ruins
4 Tundra
4 Island

Side
3 Peacekeeper
3 Sword to Plowshares
3 Spell Pierce
3 Meddling Mage
3 "Meta slots"

A list I suggested in the Dreadstill forum

[Barook]

Agree that Sinkhole is garbage, especially with Daze running so rampant. Would rather see Force of Will here. Would anyone consider removing the discard package and adding counterspells? Maybe try Ancient Tomb to accelerate?
I would up the blue count and run FoW. Trickbind can also stifle their fetches, is blue for FoW and goes way better with Dreadnought and Horror.

[eq.firemind]

I get for black and discard package to be able to do broken turn 1 plays, evade mana screw with Hunted Horror and enemiy's wastes (manabase pretty solid against non-basic hate).
Sinkhole complements Stifle and Wasteland mana denial theme, that's the reason of inclusion. This is explosive aggro deck after all, so keepeng gamestate in early game state is pretty good.

If you want control, feel free to experiment, just don't compare two decks because by taking out Ritual and otherl black pieces and throwing in :u: stuff, you will get completely different deck.

[Michael Keller]

I'd much rather go the Topor Orb + Eater of Days route, personally.

EDIT: Shit, now I can hard-cast Lord of Tresserhorn with no drawback! Haven't been able to do that since Mask! :cool:

[sdematt]

I'm just saying this card is really good. I'm pretty sure we'll find a way to make it "too" good.

-Matt

[Clark Kant]

Since you can grab both halves with Enlightened Tutor, I'm tempted to play this alongside the tutor and maybe even painterstone or helm leyline.

[Clark Kant]

From the top of my head:

MANA:
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
2 Scrubland
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Swamp
4 Dark Ritual

PROTECTION
4 Thoughtseize
4 Brainstorm
4 Mental Misstep

DISRUPTION/ACTIVATORS
4 Stifle
4 Illusionary Mask
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Torpor Orb

CREATURES
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Eater of Days
4 Hunted Horror

Fixed? Just throwing some ideas out there. I also like Tombstalker and Vision Charm with Dreadnought.

Maybe Trinket Mage would fit well in the above list.

[paladin3056]

Nice card, you can easily compare this to Null Rod, good utility card, synergizes with your strategy (Dreadnaught), and can counter your opponent's ability as well. But with this card in multiples in your deck would result in a dead draw as well if you already have one in play. With Torpor Orb it would build a whole new deck in legacy, like Torpor Naught, etc.


I'd much rather go the Topor Orb + Eater of Days route, personally.

EDIT: Shit, now I can hard-cast Lord of Tresserhorn with no drawback! Haven't been able to do that since Mask! :cool:

^ Now that's crazy, 4 to cast 9/8 flying trample is golden for me. Now how do I make a proper deck out of it?

[Barook]

Eater of Days is too expensive to synergize well with Stifle/Trickbind.

T1: Tomb, Torpor
T2: Tomb/City, Eater

is good, though.

[vikram]

There's no reason to play crappy cards in order to be consistent, there's a way to maximize both efficency and make the deck extremely synergic with lots of redundant pieces.

4 Stifle
4 Vision Charm
4 Enlightened Tutor
1 Torpor Orb
1 Oblvion Ring

4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Tombstalker

4 Brainstorm
4 Thoughtseize
4 Mental Misstep
2 Duress/Daze

4 Wasteland
16 Fetches and Duals

Vision Charm phases out artifacts for a turn so the drawback doesn't apply. It combos with Dreadnought. Vision charm also fills your yard for Tombstalker and Tarmogoyf if it can't bring out a Dreadnought.

Thanks to Orb, Enlightened Tutor can tutor up either half of the combo. It can also grab an O. Ring to save your butt from an Emrakul or anything else so it's never a dead card.

Stifle is great at picking off fetchlands so it's never dead, vision charm at filling your yard (basically acting like a dark ritual for 5 mana when being used to cast tombstalker) so it's never dead, and Orb is also solid since it can shut off lots of random goblins and other creatures while being a combo piece.

With 13 maindeck cards and tutors to combo with it, Dreadnought is never a dead card either.

[keys]

Eater of Days? Really? You know cards like Natural Order exist, right?

[Richard Cheese]

This is a really interesting card, wondering if the dead draws later in the game are worth the potential early brokenness for decks that can't manipulate their draws very well. My initial thought was a new Sui Black with Torpor Orb, Hunted Horror, Dreadnought, and Obliterator, possibly abusing other cards like Avatar of Discord or Spined Fluke. But the idea of holding a dead Dreadnought in hand while you look for an orb seems bad.

One question, does this card shut down Glimpse of Nature, or is that not considered an "ability"?

[trivial_matters]

One question, does this card shut down Glimpse of Nature, or is that not considered an "ability"?

You draw a card when you play (cast) the creature, not when it enters play. So Glimpse of Nature still works fine.

[mistercakes]

does this also stop meddling mage and all those other like cards, and painter's servant?

[Barook]

does this also stop meddling mage and all those other like cards, and painter's servant?
Nope, doesn't work.

It shuts down "When ~ enters the battlefield", while "As ~ enters the battlefield" still works.

[Uly Van Hammer]

"Ill cast Eater of Days... since my Torpor Orb is out, i dont-"

"In response, natures claim that orb thing."

...."@#$@#$@#$!!!!!"

[Michael Keller]

"Ill cast Eater of Days... since my Torpor Orb is out, i dont-"

"In response, natures claim that orb thing."

...."@#$@#$@#$!!!!!"

When I say I'd much rather play Topor Orb with Eater of Days, that is saying a whole lot about Topor Orb. Think about it.

[dahcmai]

I want to see someone try and cast a Leveler with this thing out. That would be fun to Krosan Grip in response.

I'm not sure there's really a place for this card in main decks. It's too much of a cute trick to me. I'd rather just be playing Stifle instead of a card that does nothing if I don't have a dreadnought or some other monster handy. It doesn't work well with Trinket Mage so you're cutting one of the best searchers for a Dreadnought. I miss Masknought a lot, but I can't see myself getting behind this thing despite how much I love Lord of Tresserhorn.

Now on the other hand, I do see myself playing this as a sideboard card to cards that have citp triggers that it can hit. I can't think of too many right of the top of my head, but I am sure there's some worth mentioning. Painter's Servant doesn't get hit and that's a shame. That would be a heck of a nice board card for a blanket effect for. Servant doesn't like being turned off. Too bad Survival tool box decks are dead too, it would be hilarious to hit them with.

[Octopusman]

When I say I'd much rather play Topor Orb with Eater of Days, that is saying a whole lot about Topor Orb. Think about it.

No kidding. I don't see this card being very useful. I would imagine that it's a great answer for something, but too narrow and other cards just seem to already be better.

Seems silly to run Phage-esque cards for a high chance to lose when they respond by removing the orb.
Might be fun for casual. I hope someone proves me wrong!

[Jeff Kruchkow]

Shockingly everyone seems to be focusing on how the Orb removes drawbacks from critters - or makes them useless (a la Goblins) - when the Orb functionally neuters Counterbalance where it counts - landing threats...

Food for thought

I believe you are confused about the difference between casting a creature and it entering the battlefield. Unless you're saying that conterbalance really really needs Trinket Mage/Sower/Clique/w/e.

[Michael Keller]

I'm still very interested in this card, and it will probably be my endeavor to create a competitive deck around it.

I've been testing it quite extensively and it is proving to be a little bit more powerful than some people are giving it credit for. This is not a card that should resolve, as it basically turns on your entire deck if you've properly built around it, but not exclusively towards it.

[Forbiddian]

It's tough because the orb is useless without powering out a creature (or vs. Goblins or Faeries or something, but against other decks it would be easier to answer the creature). Also, the creature is incredibly useless without Orb (or at least Stifle) and you're still open to an immediate 2:1.

The advantage of Orb is that it sticks around even if the Dreadnought is gone. That's cool, I guess, but to take advantage of that, you need to find another Dreadnought. Without Trinket Mage. I don't see this as being good, and the uselessness of the individual parts means that it's tough to splash.

[sco0ter]

you need to find another Dreadnought. Without Trinket Mage.

Time for Artificer's Intuition. Finally. I may test it.

[Technics]

I have been testing Orb in a shell like this. It seems to be doing pretty good. Orb is nice, but the deck kinda flopps when you don't draw it. Stifle is there to help with that. I'm almost thinking this is just a worse version of Dreadstill, but further testing will help.



// Deck file for Magic Workstation

// Lands
4 Polluted Delta
5 Island
1 Swamp
4 Wasteland
4 Underground Sea
4 Mishra's Factory

// Creatures
3 Hunted Horror
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Dark Confidant

// Spells
3 Torpor Orb
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Standstill
4 Mental Misstep
4 Stifle
4 Force of Will

[klaus]

How about a collaborative list compiling common legacy creatures Orb is good against?

Kitchen Finks
Tidehollow Sculler
Trinket Mage
Imperial Recruiter
Elivish Visionary
Merrow Rejerry
Terastodon
Fleshbag Marauder
Spellstutter Sprite
V. Clique
Cloud of Faeries
Ringleader
Sundering Titan
Stingscrounger
Matron
aluren.dec
Countryside Crusher
Gatekeeper
Flame-Kin Zealot

additions welcome!

[Tammit67]

How about a collaborative list compiling common legacy creatures Orb is good against?

Kitchen Finks
Tidehollow Sculler
Trinket Mage
Imperial Recruiter
Elivish Visionary
Merrow Rejerry
Terastodon
Fleshbag Marauder
Spellstutter Sprite
V. Clique
Cloud of Faeries
Ringleader
Sundering Titan
Stingscrounger
Matron
aluren.dec
Countryside Crusher
Gatekeeper
Flame-Kin Zealot

additions welcome!

Merrow Rejerrey does not belong on that list

[Forbiddian]

Why is Countryside Crusher on this list? It's not even affected at all.


Flame-Kin Zealot? There are better DR targets usually.
Tidehollow Sculler? Who plays that?
Kitchen Finks? Lmao, yeah, -2 life. Ridiculous play.
Reejerey? Can't tap this!
Fleshbag Marauder? Even if this card were played (hint: it's not), it would also protect the player from saccing it anyway.



Silvergill Adept could be added, but I guess the point of this list is to highlight how bad these effects are in Legacy. There's no deck (except Aluren?) that you'd EVER want this card against. It's best against Goblins, stopping Matron, Ringleader, and (Stingscourger), but you'd still rather have an actual answer.

[fallenphoenix]

Reejery doesn't trigger on EtB, he triggers on casting a merfolk spell, just saying.

[Cenarius]

Ok, I'm pretty sure that Torpor Orb isn't good enough to make a deck out of it (with multiple Orb's).

I tried this list:

4 Dark Confidant
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
2 Hunted Horror

3 Torpor Orb

4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Ghastly Demise
4 Mental Misstep
4 Stifle

4 Ponder
1 Preordain

8 fetch
4 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Swamp

My findings after about 20 testgames:

Hunted Horror just isn't good enough, it's too small. Therefore the whole deck fails apart, IMO.

Some numbers:

Goblins 10-3
Zoo 3-3 (he had every game a Path to Exile)
Dreadstill 0-2 (pretty bad matchup)

Lost games due to bad draws, literally. Flooding about half of the time, or simply don't draw one of the two combo pieces after 4 cantrips, 2 Dark Confidant triggers + 6 draws.

[dahcmai]

I guess it shoves Aluren even further back in time as a deck to not be playing.

[vanele]

My issue with Torpor orb is that it doesn't effectively make dreadnought stifle a better combo. For 1U I can run Trickbind, and while it must be cast on the same turn as dreadnought, it can get greedy players who try to and counter the stifle effect. With a Torpor orb you are essentially paying 1 more mana than stifle to reveal your tricks to your opponent, which will (especially in a format where mental misstep is legal) just get your other combo pieces picked apart.

The only situation i could find this card more useful than already available cards is if you are trying to run it in a non-blue deck. Other than that Trickbind will serve you better almost every time.

[Darth Nihilus]

how about etched monstrosity from new phyrexia?

its basicly a 10/10 without any drawback.

lets say u play eater of days opponent grips your torpor orb, GG

monstrosity is atleast a 5/5 beater for cmc 5 and can get their on it own with the controll shell you are allready running

[Barook]

how about etched monstrosity from new phyrexia?

its basicly a 10/10 without any drawback.

lets say u play eater of days opponent grips your torpor orb, GG

monstrosity is atleast a 5/5 beater for cmc 5 and can get their on it own with the controll shell you are allready running
Orb doesn't prevent the counters from being put onto Mostrosity.

[Darth Nihilus]

i fail to understand why not

[fallenphoenix]

Etched Monstrosity still enters the battlefield with 5 counters even if you have Torpor Orb out.
Seriously, some people need to understand how cards work/interact...
Edith: Ninjad. Explanation: This is not a triggered ability. Triggered abilities start with "when" or "whenever".

If there was another cheap, colorless BFM to play alongside Dreadnaught in a stompy-shell, I could see Torpor Orb getting played. Just for the reason that Torpor Orb enables any number of big dudes, T1 Ancient Tomb->Orb, T2 drop 2 Fatties seems legit.
But alas, there is none and Torpor Orb is such a bad card on its own, even blatantly disabling Trinket Mages which would otherwise be a fine choice.

[owenzzz]

Here is the decklist that is running in my mind lately. I have tried incorporating Team America as a shell and replacing green with with white Mana source.

Details are as below:

TA shell:
Disruption:
4 FOW
3-4 Daze/Mental Misstep
3-4 Hymn to Tourach
4 Stifle - Also Dnought/Hunted Horror Enabler
4 Swords to Plowshare - Replace other Creature removal
1-2 Engineered explosives - mass removal

Cantrip:
4 Brainstorm
2-3 Ponder
2-3 Enlightened tutor - Combo enabler
4 Dark Confidant - creature plus draw engine

Creatures
4 Phyrexian Dnought
2-3 Hunted Horror - Tombstalker replacement

Here is my initial list but i still need to brew this further. I have removed green since this is only used for tarmogoyf/sylvan which can be replaced by 4 Dark Confidant. Initial decklist will be below:

Creatures:
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
2 Hunted Horror
4 Dark Confidant
10 Creatures

Instant/Sorceries:
4 Force of Will
4 Hymn to Tourach
3 Mental Misstep
4 Brain Storm
2 Ponder
4 Swords to Plowshare
4 Stifle
2 Enlightened Tutor
27 Instant/Sorceries

Artifact
3 Torpor Orb
1 Engineered Explosives

Land Base
7 Fetchalnds
4 Wasteland
4 Underground Sea
2 Scrublands
2 Tundra

Still don't have sideboard yet but This will definitely still for testing. Any comments. I'll also add this in the developmental deck for us to further brainstorm.

Thanks!

Owenzzz

[Mark Sun]

Obviously not coming to any conclusions immediately, but I was just messing around on MWS, and wound up getting blown out by a Torpor Orb deck. It opens up Stifles to care about everything else, which is an element that I hadn't considered. Maybe something worth looking into.

[tsabo_tavoc]

Nova Chaser

could probably fit in a build with Sol-lands, Moons and Goblin Welder?

[TnA_Will]

I've built a counter/top nought list running orb that I think is a possibility. I will post back as I start testing this deck and seeing what the matchups look like.

The list is as follows
Lands:
5 fetch lands
4 Underground Sea
4 Wasteland
2 Tundra
2 Scrubland
1 Academy Ruins

Creatures:
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Dark Confidant
2 Hunted Horror

Instants/Sorceries
4 Force of Will
4 Stifle
4 Brainstorm
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Swords to Plowshares
3 Mental Misstep

Artifacts
3 Torpor Orb
3 Sensei's Divining Top

Enchantments:
4 CounterBalance

The reason why I wanted to go with Counterbalance was with this deck wanting to drop a big threat and win off it in 2 or 3 turns I was wanting to max protect the threat. With as many 1 drops as this deck runs counterbalance really helps prevent spot removal more than just the fow/misstep package.

I'm still working on the sideboard for this deck, I'm pretty sure 2 Engineered Explosives are going to make it in as well as perish but alot is up in the air based on what New Phyrexia does to Legacy as a whole.... Thoughts and opinions are welcomed!

[kiblast]

I guess it shoves Aluren even further back in time as a deck to not be playing.

Actually Orb is just another piece of lock for the Aluren player. Just like Canonist or Gaddock. Chain of Vapor is your friend :3
The real problem is K grip.

[dahcmai]

Hunted Horror seems so weird. No love for Lord of Tresserhorn? I used to love that guy in Masknaught.


Anyway, how's the testing going? I'm not working on this (have other ideas), but I did wonder how it was going.
It still kind of looks like you're just trying to make Stiflenaught decks jam in a 7/7 for BB. It seems Nxyilid is about the same thing if you just used heavy discard instead of Torpor Orb, but I could be wrong.

[Atwa]

Ive build a UB list tonight which I'm going to play in a little test tournament tomorrow. The creature package I'm playing is 4 Dreadnought, 4x Hunted Horror and 3 Eater of Days, with 4x Orb and 4x Stifle. No idea what it will do, but Ive always been one for wacky (and unstable as hell) combo's, so we'll see.

EDIT: Might as well post the list I'm going to run for argument's sake. This is a first draft, so total bashing is allowed, but won't cause any ego damage yet :)

4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
4 Island
4 Mishra's Factory
3 Wasteland
2 Swamp

4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
4 Hunted Horror
3 Eater of Days

4 Torpor Orb
4 Stifle
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Standstill
3 Mental Misstep
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Go for the Throat

Side:
3 Perish
3 Null Rod
2 Duress
2 Extirpate
2 Gilded Drake
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Wash Out

[KindGrind]

Hunted Horror seems so weird. No love for Lord of Tresserhorn? I used to love that guy in Masknaught.


Anyway, how's the testing going? I'm not working on this (have other ideas), but I did wonder how it was going.
It still kind of looks like you're just trying to make Stiflenaught decks jam in a 7/7 for BB. It seems Nxyilid is about the same thing if you just used heavy discard instead of Torpor Orb, but I could be wrong.

Trample is pretty good in the present meta, mind you, whereas regenerate...

Torpor Orb does hit random things your opponent may attempt on you, too, so they're not exactly "wasted slot".