Tormented Soul
Creature — Spirit
This creature can't block and can't be blocked.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- DCI Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #3317
Tormented Soul is a one-mana 1/1 that can't block and can't be blocked — unassuming on its face, but that guaranteed unblocked damage is exactly what commanders like Gonti, Night Minister need to trigger reliably every combat. It's the cheapest possible enabler for attack-trigger strategies, and at one black mana, the cost is essentially nothing.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Gonti, Night Minister
Gonti, Night Minister cares about dealing combat damage to opponents, and Tormented Soul's unblockable clause means that trigger fires every turn without negotiation — no evasion spells needed, no hoping the board is clear.
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor
Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor rewards connecting with opponents for card draw, and Tormented Soul is one of the cheapest ways to guarantee that connection on turn one.
Rev, Tithe Extractor
Rev, Tithe Extractor generates value off of each creature that deals combat damage to a player, making Tormented Soul's unconditional unblockability a reliable trigger engine for one mana.
Satoru Umezawa
Satoru Umezawa's ninjutsu-enabler role demands small, evasive creatures that can slip through uncontested, and Tormented Soul fills that slot at the lowest possible mana cost.
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow decks need cheap, unblockable creatures to bounce back and re-trigger ninjutsu, and Tormented Soul is one of the most efficient bodies for that job — though at 35% inclusion, plenty of pilots opt for alternatives with upside.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Tormented Soul is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, Pauper, and Oathbreaker, but it's Commander where it actually gets played — specifically in black attack-trigger shells that need a reliable, cheap threat to connect every turn. In Pauper it's technically viable but too passive for most aggressive strategies that want more than a 1/1 body. In Legacy and Vintage the competition for one-mana creatures is steep enough that Tormented Soul never sees meaningful play. Commander is its home, and even there it's a role-player rather than a staple — you run it because your commander's ability needs to trigger, not because the card is independently powerful.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Tormented Soul is a common that's been printed multiple times, so copies are widely available and typically sit well under a dollar across most editions. It's an easy pickup — grab a copy from a bulk bin rather than paying shipping on it alone.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.