Cauldron of Souls MTG Card
2008-05-02 - Number 248
2016-11-11 - Number 246
2018-06-08 - Number 180
2019-11-07 - Number 1558
2020-09-26 - Number CM2-180
| Card sets | Released in 5 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
: Choose any number of target creatures. Each of those creatures gains persist until end of turn. (When it's put into a graveyard from play, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
Cards like Cauldron of Souls
Cauldron of Souls stands out in MTG as a unique artifact that lets you play with the fate of creatures on the battlefield. When delving into similar territory, we discover Minion Reflector, a card that also toys with reanimation albeit in a divergent fashion. Unlike Cauldron of Souls, which grants all creatures the chance to return from the brink of destruction, Minion Reflector forges a token copy upon a creature entering the battlefield, granting only a momentary duplicate.
Another analog is the Mimic Vat. This artifact imprisons a creature that hits the graveyard and produces token copies on demand. While it doesn’t prevent the creature’s demise like Cauldron of Souls, Mimic Vat offers repeated utility by creating copies that can disturb the normal flow of play. Finally, there’s Conjurer’s Closet that targets a single creature to flicker it – march it out of the battlefield and return it immediately. This shares Cauldron of Souls’ theme of dodging death but focuses on individual creatures and offers no persistence once the card has finished its effect.
In essence, while each offers a distinct twist on manipulating creature permanence, Cauldron of Souls is particularly exceptional for its collective protection against perishing, a hallmark in strategic gameplay for those seeking to safeguard their army.
Cards similar to Cauldron of Souls by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Cauldron of Souls shines in its ability to preserve the creatures you’ve played. Should your creatures face removal or fall in combat, this artifact has the power to bring them all back to the battlefield, effectively negating potential card loss and maintaining your presence on the board.
Resource Acceleration: By safeguarding your creatures from being permanently destroyed, Cauldron of Souls can be seen as a form of resource acceleration. Keeping your creatures in play means they can continue to contribute to your mana base or activate abilities, providing an edge over opponents who suffer the setback of losing their creatures.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Cauldron of Souls at instant speed grants flexibility during gameplay. You can wait until the very last moment before creatures would be destroyed, perhaps due to a board wipe or combat damage, to ensure that your creatures return to the battlefield ready to fight another day. This makes it tougher for your opponents to plan around your moves, as they have to account for the possibility of a full-board recovery at any time.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Utilizing Cauldron of Souls effectively often means strategically choosing which creatures to save. If your hand is lacking creatures or you have a specific game plan, the card may not perform optimally, as you need valuable creatures in play to make the most of its ability.
Specific Mana Cost: Requires a precise mana allocation, comprising both generic and colored mana to cast. This can be challenging in multicolored decks that may not always have the right mana available at the crucial moment, potentially leading to missed opportunities or delays in execution.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that demands five mana, this artifact can be considered mana-intensive compared to other options in the same cost range. Decks focusing on early momentum might find Cauldron of Souls too slow, thereby impacting its overall utility within faster-paced games or more aggressive strategies.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Cauldron of Souls exhibits extensive adaptability across various deck archetypes. It can be a game-changer in decks focused on creature strategies, giving them a second chance on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This artifact’s ability to grant creatures persist uncovers numerous combo opportunities. It pairs well with undying creatures or those with enter-the-battlefield effects, creating potential for infinite loops or powerful synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame dense with board wipes and removal spells, Cauldron of Souls stands out as a resilience tool. It offers a way to counteract mass removals, making it a strategic inclusion especially in Commander and other multiplayer formats.
How to beat
The Cauldron of Souls represents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering, granting creatures on the battlefield a second chance at life. When facing a deck utilizing this powerful artifact, your strategy must adapt to mitigate its impact. To effectively combat the Cauldron, instant speed removal is key. Targeting creatures during your opponent’s turn before they declare attackers, ensures the Cauldron’s ability to provide persist won’t be activated. Graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze are also pivotal in disrupting the cycling of creatures from play to graveyard and back into play.
Another angle of attack is directly dealing with the artifact itself. Cards like Disenchant or Nature’s Claim allow you to remove the Cauldron before the persist ability becomes problematic. Counterspells provide another layer of defense, preventing the Cauldron from ever hitting the field when your opponent casts it. Remember, a well-timed response trumps a powerful artifact, keeping the Cauldron of Souls from boiling over and leading you to victory.
Therefore, keep a close eye on your opportunities and prepare your deck with answers to this potentially game-altering artifact. A combination of instant removal, graveyard disruption, and artifact destruction will bolster your chances against any deck capitalizing on the Cauldron of Souls.
BurnMana Recommendations
With its ability to claw back creatures from the brink of destruction, Cauldron of Souls offers a potent tool for MTG enthusiasts keen on maintaining an unyielding board presence. If you’re charmed by the notion of outmaneuvering board wipes and skillfully navigating removal, this artifact should not go amiss in your arsenal. Unleash the full potential of your creatures and turn the tide of battle with strategic activations of this remarkable card. For players eager to deepen their understanding of Cauldron of Souls and explore strategic deck-building around it, your journey towards MTG mastery continues with us. Dive into a deeper grasp of its mechanics and ensure your decks are a force to be reckoned with.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Cauldron of Souls MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor and Commander 2016, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Cauldron of Souls and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Cauldron of Souls Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2008-05-02 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Ron Brown.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2008-05-02 | Shadowmoor | SHM | 248 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Ron Brown | |
| 2 | 2016-11-11 | Commander 2016 | C16 | 246 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ron Brown | |
| 3 | 2018-06-08 | Commander Anthology Volume II | CM2 | 180 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ron Brown | |
| 4 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1558 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ron Brown | |
| 5 | The List | PLST | CM2-180 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Ron Brown |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Cauldron of Souls has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Cauldron of Souls card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-05-01 | If a nontoken creature that gains persist this way is put into a graveyard, that card will be returned to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it. However, because it’s a new object with no relation to its previous existence, the returned creature will not have persist. |
| 2013-06-07 | If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work. |
| 2013-06-07 | If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won’t trigger and the card won’t return to the battlefield. That’s because persist checks the creature’s existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point. |
| 2013-06-07 | If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they’ll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing. |
| 2013-06-07 | If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can’t return to the battlefield. |
| 2013-06-07 | If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player’s persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player’s persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time. |
| 2013-06-07 | The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it. |
| 2013-06-07 | When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence. |