Tree of Perdition

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4cmc 0/13 defender with a tap ability that swaps its toughness with a target opponent's life total — effectively reducing that player to 13 (or less, if toughness has been reduced). It's a build-around combo piece that pairs with toughness-reduction effects (Assault Formation flips, Treacherous Pit-Dweller, or damage-reducing effects to lower its toughness before activation). Too slow, telegraphed, and narrow for most shells, but is a defining piece in dedicated Tree of Perdition combo lists. In Limited it's a durable blocker with a potentially game-winning ability but takes too long to set up without combo support.

• Tree of Perdition's tap ability sets the opponent's life to the creature's CURRENT toughness at resolution, so reducing its toughness (e.g., with Heartless Summoning or Slagwurm Armor tricks) before activating can set the opponent to 1 or fewer life outright.

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• Orzhov Pontiff, Everlasting Torment, and similar effects that give -0/-X to all creatures can lower Tree of Perdition's toughness before activation, making the life-swap lethal rather than just setting the opponent to 13.

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• The ability requires the creature to survive until your next untap, making it an extreme removal magnet; Lightning Greaves or Swiftfoot Boots are near-mandatory in dedicated builds.

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• EDHREC rank: #1,990

• Phenax's Mill Control2026-06-10