Tourach, Dread Cantor

Tourach, Dread Cantor was originally released in the Modern Horizons 2 expansion in 2021, marking the long-awaited debut of a legendary character who had been a foundational figure in Magic: The Gathering lore since the game’s early years. As the founder of the Order of the Ebon Hand and a central antagonist during the Fallen Empires era, Tourach was previously referenced only in flavor text and card names. The design team sought to capture his corruptive influence and devotion to black mana by creating a card that punishes opponents for playing multiple colors while scaling in power throughout the game.

This specific printing is part of The List, a curated selection of cards from throughout Magic's history that appear in Set Boosters. The illustration, created by artist Nils Hamm, utilizes a dark, atmospheric palette to emphasize Tourach's role as a shadowy, manipulative cleric. Upon its release, the card was well-received by players in competitive formats like Modern and Legacy, where its ability to strip resources from an opponent's hand while providing a recurring threat aligned perfectly with established black-mana strategies.