Sanctifier of Souls MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. The card promotes a powerful token strategy, enhancing your army at instant speed during game play.
  2. While strategically potent, it dictates specific mana and can exhaust creature card resources.
  3. Sanctifier of Souls fits in various MTG decks, offering flexibility and combo potential in gameplay.

Text of card

Whenever another creature enters the battlefield under your control, Sanctifier of Souls gets +1/+1 until end of turn. , Exile a creature card from your graveyard: Put a 1/1 white Spirit creature token with flying onto the battlefield.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sanctifier of Souls can be instrumental in generating additional creature tokens, bolstering your forces on the battlefield while also maintaining a robust hand or graveyard presence. Each instance of recursion or dying triggers a capacity to place a token, effectively replenishing your resources and keeping pressure on the opponent.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a repeatable method to place 1/1 creature tokens, Sanctifier of Souls allows for incremental growth in board state, which can accelerate your game plan. This gradual increase in creatures can lead to swifter and more effective strategies, as each token provides potential for further synergistic plays or sacrifices for a greater purpose.

Instant Speed: The ability to trigger Sanctifier of Souls at instant speed is a tactical advantage, providing flexibility to respond to changing game states. You can optimize the timing of increasing the Sanctifier’s power or growing your army of Spirits, ensuring that you have the upper hand during crucial interactions in each round.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Sanctifier of Souls’ strength relies on a frequent creature turnover, requiring you to either exile creatures from your graveyard or depend on creature cards dying. This could deplete your hand or field faster than desired, impacting your game strategy if not managed cautiously.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana cost to cast – two white and one of any color. This can be restrictive, especially in multi-color decks that might struggle for the right mana combination or need to balance their color spread more judiciously.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Sporting a casting cost of three mana may seem fair on the surface, but in the context of MTG’s standard format, there are alternatives that provide more immediate impact or versatility at the same or lower mana cost. For players seeking to optimize their mana efficiency, this could steer them toward other options in deck construction.


Reasons to Include Sanctifier of Souls in Your Collection

Versatility: Sanctifier of Souls is a flexible card that fits into various deck archetypes, making it a valuable asset for both limited and constructed formats. Its ability to generate creature tokens can synergize well with strategies that emphasize board presence.

Combo Potential: This card has inherent combo potential as it interacts with creature-centric decks. Its ability to bolster your army each time you play another creature or utilize a self-mill strategy can become a formidable engine on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In terms of adaptability to the current metagame, Sanctifier of Souls can be particularly effective in environments where creature-based strategies prevail. As it can help outpace opponents with incremental advantages, it can be an unsuspected game-changer in both offense and defense.


How to beat

Sanctifier of Souls is a unique creature card that brings its own set of strengths to the battlefield. This card grows stronger with each creature that leaves your graveyard, giving it the potential to be quite a powerhouse. Navigating around this ability requires a tactical approach. One strategy to counter it is to limit the number of creature cards that go into your graveyard. Employing graveyard hate cards such as Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can help control the graveyard and prevent Sanctifier of Souls from gaining strength.

Another effective tactic is to remove the Sanctifier of Souls directly from the field before it becomes too much of a threat. Direct removal spells like Murder or Path to Exile work well here. Alternatively, board wipes such as Wrath of God clear the board and handle not only Sanctifier of Souls but also any other threats your opponent may have. Finally, with Sanctifier of Souls relying on a triggered ability, using stifle effects can keep it in check, ensuring that the temporary boost it gets doesn’t lead to your demise.


Cards like Sanctifier of Souls

Sanctifier of Souls is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering that makes a mark in the field of spirit token generation. When examining cards with a kindred spirit, Bygone Bishop emerges as a notable comparison. Like Sanctifier of Souls, the Bishop also revolves around the play of smaller creatures, rewarding the player with clues for casting creatures with low mana value.

Another parallel can be drawn with Geist-Honored Monk. Both cards thrive on the presence of a numerous army, with the Monk creating spirit tokens upon entry into play, potentially offering immediate board presence compared to Sanctifier of Souls, which requires a buildup of actions to churn out tokens.

The interplay of token generation and gameplay impact places Sanctifier of Souls in an interesting position in the spectrum of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It demands strategic play, rewarding players who are able to optimize its ability by tracking both played and cycled cards to maximize spirit creation.

Bygone Bishop - MTG Card versions
Geist-Honored Monk - MTG Card versions
Bygone Bishop - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)
Geist-Honored Monk - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Sanctifier of Souls by color, type and mana cost

Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Moorish Cavalry - MTG Card versions
Witch Hunter - MTG Card versions
Carrier Pigeons - MTG Card versions
Tormented Angel - MTG Card versions
Seasoned Marshal - MTG Card versions
Coalition Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Mangara, the Diplomat - MTG Card versions
Akroma's Devoted - MTG Card versions
Leonin Abunas - MTG Card versions
Aven Cloudchaser - MTG Card versions
Blinking Spirit - MTG Card versions
Seht's Tiger - MTG Card versions
Valor - MTG Card versions
Guardian Seraph - MTG Card versions
Lightkeeper of Emeria - MTG Card versions
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Mausoleum Guard - MTG Card versions
Galepowder Mage - MTG Card versions
Northern Paladin - Revised Edition (3ED)
Moorish Cavalry - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Witch Hunter - Chronicles (CHR)
Carrier Pigeons - Alliances (ALL)
Tormented Angel - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Seasoned Marshal - Battle Royale Box Set (BRB)
Coalition Honor Guard - Apocalypse (APC)
Mangara, the Diplomat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Akroma's Devoted - Legions (LGN)
Leonin Abunas - Mirrodin (MRD)
Aven Cloudchaser - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Blinking Spirit - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Seht's Tiger - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Valor - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)
Guardian Seraph - Magic 2010 (M10)
Lightkeeper of Emeria - Worldwake (WWK)
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Hero of Bladehold - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Mausoleum Guard - Innistrad (ISD)
Galepowder Mage - Duel Decks: Venser vs. Koth (DDI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sanctifier of Souls MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Eldritch Moon, 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 Sanctifier of Souls and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sanctifier of Souls Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2016-07-22. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 615432015normalblackDavid Palumbo
22016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 392015normalblackJesper Ejsing
32016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 392015normalblackDavid Palumbo
42016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 39s2015normalblackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sanctifier of Souls has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sanctifier of Souls card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2016-07-13 The last ability functions only while Sanctifier of Souls is on the battlefield. You can’t activate it while Sanctifier of Souls is in your graveyard.

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