If Magic had a hall of fame this card would HAVE to go in it. I wish they still released many alternate art cards in a single set like the did hymn and factory....
Hovercraft
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(6 votes)
It's at random! That's the only reason to warrant 5 stars.. but yes it's a fine card. Discard doesn't seem to be as good of a strategy as it used to be however.
LeGaCy_13
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
Best. Discard. Ever. can't begin to explain how many games my MBC deck won on the back of a good random discard.
nathanfl
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(10 votes)
permanent member of all my decks with black in them. i own more copies of this card than a church does of the bible.
goldbones
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(6 votes)
DISCARD THOSE LANDS. YES! YES!!
spoonish
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
even if it ISNT at random, itd be the best discard ever..
when i was a kid i had the most annoying discard deck ever. mind twist, racks, etc. all of my friends hated me, and this card was the inspiration for it all. is that bad?
ratchet1215
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
This can completely break a hand your opponent probably could have won with. FANTASTIC discard spell, fantastic black spell, fantastic, fantastic card, period.
BillyBullshot
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(14 votes)
when i was a kid i had the most annoying discard deck ever. mind twist, racks, etc. all of my friends hated me, and this card was the inspiration for it all. is that bad?
Only if you feel remorse.
True_Smog
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Everyone knows that Hymn is the best discard spell ever. Random discard is the best thing in it.
Powereslave
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Along with Hypnotic Specter and Mind Twist, this is atop the hierarchy of discard. 2 Cards at random for 2 mana? Hell yes.
LeMaK
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
yea you definitely cant f with the hymn
Gear61
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
This destroys Mind Rot.
blindthrall
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0)(11 votes)
The only reason to ever spend money on Fallen Empires.
faisjdas
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Turn one: Dark ritual to Hypnotic Specter
Turn two: swing with specter, Hymn to Tourach
Turn three: Swing with specter, Mind twist. Goodbye enemy hand.
Or if you have two rituals you can just mind twist them right out of the gate . . .
Quinton Hoover, best art for Hymn. Always will be.
jyang74
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
i have lost many games due to a first turn hymm + dark ritual or a second turn hymm. essentially a game ender at 2 cmc, especially for many players without a means of countering.
sir_dwar
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
One of the highest rated cards on the site, and it's easy to see why.
achilleselbow
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is no doubt a great card, but using Dark Ritual to cast it on the first turn pretty much negates its card advantage. Better to just wait a turn.
RichardJesperson
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
The measure of a truly great card: you want to play it almost as much as you don't want your opponent to play it.
Hymn is one such card.
Chamale
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(21 votes)
99 voters. Out of all of them, according to my calculations, only 2 people gave it 4.5/5 instead of 5/5.
Something was wrong with those 2 voters. I say we discard them.
Zeha
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
who is not rating this a 5?
TheKeiser
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(7 votes)
Recently played a 4 person "tournament of champions" where each played 2 of his better decks in a bracket. I added a playset of this to my vamp deck and got some dirty looks when I played it. They screamed "we're playing mostly new cards!" Mostly... This coming from one guy playing a Dominus of Fealty/Crack the Earth combo (in the deck I beat) and another with half his deck being support cards from Darksteel. This being the only card in my deck not from Zendikar block.
Yeah it alone causes that much anguish. I got 4 of them in 3 starting hands (1 then 2 then 1) and went 3-0 against that red deck.
SethLarz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
2 at random??? No deck can withstand this. No color can keep up with this. Just an amazing card.
themlsna
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this art. The cloak is so Halloween.
jumpenrun
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
When will they ever gonna reprint this one? Its not so bad if they reprint it for only one time. LOL
omggeesterliciousman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(10 votes)
This card isn't that good, discarding isn't too great to begin with and i'd much rather have something like thoughtseize where i choose.
Smoked_Peasant
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I've never seen a card make my opponents cringe so consistently as Hymn to Tourch. Anyone who doesn't believe in this card's effectiveness (a handful out of a hundred and fifty or so who rated this card) probably hasn't had it cast on them much, or made a serious discard deck and see how effective it is against so many other types of decks.
Baconradar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's almost impossible to think of a deck with a significant amount of black in it that wouldn't want to play four of these. They are simply that good.
The real back breaking power of the card is evident when you hit one on turn 2 and pull the remaining 2 land out of their hand. Oops, you just lost the game to a single turn 2 spell.
divine_exodus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I remember when I first started playing magic I had two of these but didn't put them in my deck because I didn't like the art. Sigh...
penatbater
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I seriously need to get my hands on a set of these >_>
storophanthus
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(5 votes)
damnn.. i put library of leng four, to handle this thing.. but instead it discarded them.. this is the best discard spell ever.. when your opponent put this to you, your heart is beating so hard (especially when there are some goodies in your hand) -personal experiences.
--Nate--
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(15 votes)
Hey, look! A genuinely excellent card that doesn't cost $500! Rejoice!
ThatGuyYouHate
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It is absolutely hilarious to watch some scramble to recover from one of these on turn two or 3 even 4. This and lilianas caress would work nice. If they didn't occupy the same drop spot, it confuses the order of things. Still way to good, I was lucky enough to be given 6.
ROBRAM89
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Why did they use this art? Version 3 is the classic art for this card.
I just got myself a payset of this card. i would give 6/5 if i could.
This card is basicly BB - Destroy targect player's early game.
Lyoncet
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Having just built a deck around this card, I'm very, very surprised it's still legal – I'm of the opinion that it should be banned across the board but restricted in Vintage, simply because it's one of those cards that has so much going for it for so little mana that there's almost no reason for a deck running black not to use it. 2 CMC card advantage – compared to the baseline established with Divination and Mind Rot – is more powerful than Wizards seems to be comfortable with; adding on to that the enormous number of ways your opponent may be screwed after those two random discards just makes this unbelievable.
Never really having played a dedicated black discard deck before, and not having played at all in years, I'd forgotten how firmly this card can lock down a game. As if a card advantage for 2 wasn't enough, your opponent may very well have discarded their only two lands, or their only two non-lands, or one of their critical combo pieces. Their odds of not being completely crippled after just one cast are shaky, and their odds of not being in a position of weakness for the rest of the game are slim. And if you have a second, or a Hypnotic Specter, by turn 3-4, your opponent's going to have a rough time ever securing board control or pulling off a combo (or even playing any cards).
Given that most of my friends are Johnnies, I'm really hoping Wizards just goes and bans this so I'm not forced to choose between running it in our games and having no friends.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Sucks because you don't get to choose
LOL JK WOW!!!!!
5/5
The_Sturm
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(3 votes)
This card needs to be reprinted in a duel deck with new art.
Ideatog
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The old dude is my favorite art, closely followed by the two people sitting at the table. Look at him! He's clearly working some terrible dark magic- looking at the viewer out of the corner of his eye as if to say...
"You're next."
blurrymadness
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
It's funny how much Fallen Empires gets bashed, but it churned out some really good stuff here and there. Almost every good Fallen Empires card has an iconic "one of the only good fallen empires cards" comments, but then you run across a couple more and really.. it's got a lot of rough and a lot of diamonds.
lukejf01
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Why are there so many art variations for the same set lol? 5/5 otherwise.
MisterAction
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(24 votes)
: Target player punches you, then punches you again for each card named Hymn to Tourach in your graveyard.
n0odleex
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the best opening hands I had was
2x Dark Ritual 1x Hypnotic Spectre and this baby
Arachibutyrophobia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
bah-roken
bdonegan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Just superb. Plus I love how Fallen Empires had the alternate art, I wish WoTC would do that in a new set.
Paleopaladin
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(8 votes)
Premium Deck Series: Mono-Black Control
001010011100101110
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Straightforward card advantage, 1 for 2, and it's low mana cost and indecisive discard makes for a staple for many decks.
Ranked #2 Best Discard Cards of All Time
Ranked #8 Top Black Cards of All Time
non1337
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Discard in general is ineffective in Vintage because there are so many "draw 7 cards" in the format and cards in graveyard could be considered as resources more often than not. Chance is they already played everything on their first or second turn and waiting for the draw 7 card spell (wheel of fortune or timetwister), which is easily done by top decking brainstorm/ancestral recall/ponder/merchant scroll/mystical tutor.
But yes, this card is so unfair in legacy that it deserve a ban that few would complain about it.
luca_barelli
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably the best discard spell ever. It's rather surprising that such a card came from Fallen Empires.
igniteice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A truly powerful card, but it certainly has its limitations. Early game though, that doesn't really matter, since the limitations are ignored. First, it can end up discarding land. This is probably a good thing. Second, it might discard something you don't want it to. That's alright too, because if you're playing this on turn 2, it's likely they kept their hand for a reason. It's going to hit at least one card they wanted more often than not.
Given those factors, it's tremendously more powerful than Distress, as twice as many cards are discarded for the same cost, and it can hit lands.
Kragash
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@non1337, you're comparing a single mechanic of the game to the entire range of mechanics. Yes, discard on it's own might be ineffective in Vintage... but someone isn't only going to be packing discard spells in his deck. Combined with counter spells, discard can break early combos... the other cards should make sure the opponent doesn't draw 7.
Saying a discard spell is ineffective in Vintage is like saying a mana acceleration in Vintage is ineffective because your spells will be countered anyway, or that tutoring is stupid in Vintage because the card you fetch might get discarded.
Kryptnyt
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It doesn't actually deserve a ban in legacy. It is one of the few ways to actually get an edge over control and combo at the same time in a frigid format. The only really comparable card is Gerrard's Verdict, which is generally slightly easier on your dual-filled manabase but does not hit at random. It also has a secondary ability that makes a burn deck flat out lose; discard your lands and render your bolts useless, or discard your bolts and you can't kill me anyway!
Okuu-chan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of my favorite plays in my discarder way back in the late 90s: T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Hymn to Tourach, Hypnotic Specter. Back when Terror and Swords to Plowshares were THE standard of creature removal, that was completely and utterly hosing. I should have never ever sold that deck.
JaxsonBateman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
2 cards for 2 mana would've been fantastic - but 2 cards at random? Aw yeah. Sometimes you might hit 2 lands, and while in many cases it's not ideal, in others they'll start missing land drops. Sometimes you'll hit 2 legitimate bombs - which is a definitely big deal.
Havrekjex
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
5/5, but if you play this in casual, f#%k you.
bantar
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Without a doubt, this is the best discard card in the game with a 2CMC
Suddsy12
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of my favorite cards of all time! I play a deck built around this and its strategy is this: Kick 'em in the balls, HARD, then poke 'em with a stick until they die. It's a grinder but it's fun! 5/5
forumbrowser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of the very few cards that were good and are STILL good that came out of Fallen Empires.
All the art for this card is pretty awesome in addition to it still being an awesome card after what, 15 years?
Fictionarious
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Imagine if there were a card
{U}{U} Sorcery Draw two cards.
That would be as good as this is, only with the player being less punch-worthy for playing it.
Hey, at least they're double-colored. That balances the inherent card advantage . . . right?
UrzasSlurpeeMachine
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
An excellent card for sure, but if they were gonna reprint Hymn they should have used the other artwork for it in Empires that was the four clerics in a prayer circle.
Haelthor
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The second best discard spell in the game. Hypnotic Specter loves hitting the field the turn after this, but Mind Twist would like a word with you.
whiteyfats
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card so much. Won my first tourney with this card. Game 3 of the last match, turn 1, swamp, turn 2 swamp, hymn , turn 3 ritual, hymn and hippie spec. Game over
TwentyFifthBaam
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Always fun to watch them sweat when they hold out their hand and you hover over their cards.
I know Hymn to Tourach is SUPPOSED to be the best Discard Spell....BUT IT'S NOT.
In multiplayer definitely, and maybe in duels, Mind Bomb is stupider good.
RecurringMemories
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So happy this is completely legal. I don't see it being banned/restricted after all this time.
@Lyoncet; the choice is easy. play the cards. if your friends can't take it, that's their problem. My friends discard deck has wrecked me too many times to count; but it's still amazing. Also made me decide to try and build one.
TheKazu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I get its a great card, but I downright hate the design of this card. If you're going to make something super-broken, you may as well make it so its not RANDOM, or has some legit downside as is typical of the uber-powerful Blacks.
BongRipper420
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It would appear you have a nice early game strategy going there...
Aaaaaaand it's gone.
Red-White
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Fictionarious: 'Draw two cards That would be as good as this is, only with the player being less punch-worthy for playing it.'
If that was so, then what is Ancestral Recall? Then they'd have to make :
{B) Target player discards three cards at random.
and that card would make 70% of ppl stop playing magic, since is would be just so frckn strong, noone would like to ever see it.
'Draw a card'. isn't the opposite of 'Discard a card at random' Discarding card at random is way, way better, so no, UU :draw two cards would eb far worse than this is, this is epiclly strong and it is the best discard spell evah.
You know how you have cards in your hand? Yeah, stop that.
omni8000
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
to everyone who didnt get the joke, darthparallax is kidding. hes not that stupid @chamale, if only we had a way of safely selecting them though
Aquillion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Making your opponent discard is stronger than drawing a card yourself, because no matter how many cards you draw (absent other broken stuff like moxes or Dark Ritual) you're still limited by available mana, so your opponent has at least a chance to respond before you win, if their deck is fast enough.
Making your opponent discard just wins you the game. If they can't respond, they can't do anything.
Xineombine
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
That's a very nice hand you have there...be a shame if something happened to it...
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Seriously cripple an opponent for 2 mana... Wow.
Sadly, it sees very little play in the formats it's legal in. Legacy: BB is very restrictive as the decks that would run this need lots of blue mana. Vintage: Better things to do. Commander: Destroy one opponent's hand then everybody else sees you as a threat and kills you.
SAUS3
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@TheWrathofShane And then T3, swamp, necropotence.
All of that was in standard at one point, and it was the only viable deck for months.
Comments (88)
Only if you feel remorse.
Turn two: swing with specter, Hymn to Tourach
Turn three: Swing with specter, Mind twist. Goodbye enemy hand.
Or if you have two rituals you can just mind twist them right out of the gate . . .
Hymn is one such card.
Something was wrong with those 2 voters. I say we discard them.
Yeah it alone causes that much anguish. I got 4 of them in 3 starting hands (1 then 2 then 1) and went 3-0 against that red deck.
The real back breaking power of the card is evident when you hit one on turn 2 and pull the remaining 2 land out of their hand. Oops, you just lost the game to a single turn 2 spell.
This card is basicly BB - Destroy targect player's early game.
Never really having played a dedicated black discard deck before, and not having played at all in years, I'd forgotten how firmly this card can lock down a game. As if a card advantage for 2 wasn't enough, your opponent may very well have discarded their only two lands, or their only two non-lands, or one of their critical combo pieces. Their odds of not being completely crippled after just one cast are shaky, and their odds of not being in a position of weakness for the rest of the game are slim. And if you have a second, or a Hypnotic Specter, by turn 3-4, your opponent's going to have a rough time ever securing board control or pulling off a combo (or even playing any cards).
Given that most of my friends are Johnnies, I'm really hoping Wizards just goes and bans this so I'm not forced to choose between running it in our games and having no friends.
LOL JK WOW!!!!!
5/5
"You're next."
2x Dark Ritual
1x Hypnotic Spectre
and this baby
Ranked #2 Best Discard Cards of All Time
Ranked #8 Top Black Cards of All Time
But yes, this card is so unfair in legacy that it deserve a ban that few would complain about it.
Given those factors, it's tremendously more powerful than Distress, as twice as many cards are discarded for the same cost, and it can hit lands.
Saying a discard spell is ineffective in Vintage is like saying a mana acceleration in Vintage is ineffective because your spells will be countered anyway, or that tutoring is stupid in Vintage because the card you fetch might get discarded.
The only really comparable card is Gerrard's Verdict, which is generally slightly easier on your dual-filled manabase but does not hit at random. It also has a secondary ability that makes a burn deck flat out lose; discard your lands and render your bolts useless, or discard your bolts and you can't kill me anyway!
T1: Swamp, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Hymn to Tourach, Hypnotic Specter. Back when Terror and Swords to Plowshares were THE standard of creature removal, that was completely and utterly hosing. I should have never ever sold that deck.
All the art for this card is pretty awesome in addition to it still being an awesome card after what, 15 years?
{U}{U}
Sorcery
Draw two cards.
That would be as good as this is, only with the player being less punch-worthy for playing it.
Hey, at least they're double-colored. That balances the inherent card advantage . . . right?
Me: This one . . . and this one.
Ex-Friend: NOOOOOOOOOOO-
Good times were had by. . . me. 5/5
I know Hymn to Tourach is SUPPOSED to be the best Discard Spell....BUT IT'S NOT.
In multiplayer definitely, and maybe in duels, Mind Bomb is stupider good.
@Lyoncet; the choice is easy. play the cards. if your friends can't take it, that's their problem. My friends discard deck has wrecked me too many times to count; but it's still amazing. Also made me decide to try and build one.
Aaaaaaand it's gone.
That would be as good as this is, only with the player being less punch-worthy for playing it.'
If that was so, then what is Ancestral Recall? Then they'd have to make :
{B) Target player discards three cards at random.
and that card would make 70% of ppl stop playing magic, since is would be just so frckn strong, noone would like to ever see it.
'Draw a card'. isn't the opposite of 'Discard a card at random' Discarding card at random is way, way better, so no, UU :draw two cards would eb far worse than this is, this is epiclly strong and it is the best discard spell evah.
T2 Swamp, This, then swing.
Amazing way to start a game.
And what Black player has ever felt remorse? Embrace the hymn, sing it for all to hear.
Why?
I like to compare this with Counterspell.
@chamale, if only we had a way of safely selecting them though
Making your opponent discard just wins you the game. If they can't respond, they can't do anything.
Sadly, it sees very little play in the formats it's legal in.
Legacy: BB is very restrictive as the decks that would run this need lots of blue mana.
Vintage: Better things to do.
Commander: Destroy one opponent's hand then everybody else sees you as a threat and kills you.
And then T3, swamp, necropotence.
All of that was in standard at one point, and it was the only viable deck for months.
4/5 Stars