Champion of Stray Souls MTG Card
2014-02-07 - Number 63
2015-11-13 - Number 119
2017-06-09 - Number 51
2019-08-23 - Number 109
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Creature — Skeleton Warrior |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
, , Sacrifice X other creatures: Return X target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield. : Put Champion of Stray Souls on top of your library from your graveyard.
Cards like Champion of Stray Souls
The Champion of Stray Souls is an intriguing creature in MTG that offers players a unique tactical edge. Its ability to swap creatures from the graveyard with those on the battlefield is reminiscent of the mechanics found in other cards like Rescue from the Underworld. While Rescue from the Underworld is an instant and acts only once, Champion of Stray Souls provides a repeatable effect albeit with a heftier mana and sacrifice requirements.
Comparatively, another card, Hell’s Caretaker, strikes a parallel in function, exchanging creatures on the battlefield for those in the graveyard during each of your upkeep phases. However, it’s worth noting that Hell’s Caretaker demands a sacrifice each turn as part of its activation cost, whereas Champion of Stray Souls offers more flexible timing for its activation.
In essence, within MTG, Champion of Stray Souls stands out for its capacity to change the course of the game by reanimating multiple creatures, albeit at a substantial cost, setting up potential game-winning scenarios that are well-respected in graveyard-centric strategies.
Cards similar to Champion of Stray Souls by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Champion of Stray Souls excels at manipulating the battlefield by offering a unique type of card advantage—recycling creatures from the graveyard. By swapping creatures on the field for fresh forces from the graveyard, it ensures a constant presence of threats and opportunities for strategic plays.
Resource Acceleration: Although Champion of Stray Souls itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, it does provide a form of resource acceleration by repeatedly leveraging the creatures in your graveyard. This reuse of resources can be as valuable as traditional mana ramping in the right deck construction, particularly in Commander where one can exploit the larger card pool.
Instant Speed: While it doesn’t operate at instant speed, Champion of Stray Souls’ ability can be activated at the end of an opponent’s turn or during a window of opportunity when they are tapped out. This lets you maximize strategic depth by carefully timing your plays, especially since opponents have to plan against the unexpected revival of creatures that can swing the game state in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Champion of Stray Souls requires a strategic sacrifice of creatures, which can be a double-edged sword. While this can trigger beneficial death effects, it may simultaneously deplete your board if not carefully managed.
Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost demanding both black and generic mana, this card’s cost is specific enough to constrain deck-building options and is best suited for committed black mana strategies or decks that can reliably produce multiple colors of mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The substantial initial mana investment of six for Champion of Stray Souls may slow down your tempo, especially when more cost-effective reanimation spells are available in the competitive scene. Additionally, its ability also requires a significant mana payment to activate, making it less agile in fast-paced matches.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Champion of Stray Souls offers a unique role within decks that aim to leverage the graveyard. Its ability to swap creatures from the battlefield to the graveyard makes it a fit for a variety of archetypes, from control to reanimation strategies.
Combo Potential: With its potent ability to recur creatures, this card can serve as a linchpin in combos that revolve around entering or leaving the battlefield effects. It can repeatedly orchestrate powerful plays and turn the tides in a tightly contested match.
Meta-Relevance: As metagames evolve, decks that utilize the graveyard become more prevalent. Champion of Stray Souls gains traction by disrupting opponent strategies that rely on graveyard-order or complementing your own setup to outpace others in creature-heavy matches.
How to beat
Champion of Stray Souls is a creature with the power to swing games in the late turns. It offers a unique mechanic that allows players to resurrect fallen creatures, reanimating a powerful army from the graveyard. When facing this, timing and graveyard disruption are key. One strategy is to remove it before the ability can be utilized; instant speed removal like Path to Exile keeps it in check. Additionally, graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can stifle the Champion’s potential by exiling key creatures before they have the chance to return to the battlefield.
Control decks have a natural advantage as counterspells like Counterspell itself or Mana Leak can prevent the Champion from ever hitting the board. This proactive approach limits the opponent’s chances to take advantage of its powerful ability. Finally, staying aggressive can also be effective. By applying pressure and reducing the opponent’s life total, you force them to use resources defensively, leaving little room to fully utilize the Champion’s late-game prowess.
Understanding how to handle Champion of Stray Souls can give players an edge, ensuring that they’re always one step ahead of this game-changing card.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Champion of Stray Souls MTG card by a specific set like Born of the Gods and Commander 2015, 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 Champion of Stray Souls and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Champion of Stray Souls Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2014-02-07 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Aleksi Briclot.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-02-07 | Born of the Gods | BNG | 63 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 2 | 2015-11-13 | Commander 2015 | C15 | 119 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 3 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 51 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot | |
| 4 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 109 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Aleksi Briclot |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Champion of Stray Souls has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Champion of Stray Souls card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-02-01 | The last ability can be activated only if Champion of Stray Souls is in your graveyard. |
| 2014-02-01 | You choose the targets of the first ability as you activate that ability, before you pay any costs. You can’t target any of the creatures you sacrifice. |