Soulfire Grand Master MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Human Monk
Abilities Lifelink
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Card enhances gameplay by allowing reuse of instant and sorcery spells, aiding in card advantage.
  2. Lifelink grants longevity, indirectly accelerating resources for reaching late-game plays.
  3. Specific mana requirements may limit deck inclusivity, demanding strategic mana base planning.

Text of card

Lifelink Instant and sorcery spells you control have lifelink. {U/R}{U/R}: The next time you cast an instant or sorcery spell from your hand this turn, put that card into your hand instead of into your graveyard as it resolves.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Soulfire Grand Master provides an edge in maintaining card advantage through its unique ability, allowing you to reuse potent instant and sorcery spells. This ability can help outlast opponents by consistently accessing powerful game-changing effects.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly generating mana or resources, the lifelink ability of Soulfire Grand Master can be an indirect form of acceleration. By gaining life with every damage dealt, it affords you the longevity to reach crucial late-game mana thresholds more safely.

Instant Speed: The synergy Soulfire Grand Master has with instant spells is significant. Its ability to grant your instant and sorcery cards lifelink and the option to buy them back to your hand elevates the value of playing at instant speed, creating opportunities for gaining life while controlling the flow of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Soulfire Grand Master’s abilities do not directly require discarding cards, yet incorporating it into strategies that make the most of its lifelink and instant or sorcery recycling may force players to discard other valuable cards to sustain a manageable hand size. This can be particularly challenging in formats where card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: With its hybrid white and blue mana cost, Soulfire Grand Master can be restrictive for multi-colored decks. Its initial casting cost necessitates a commitment to at least one of these colors, potentially limiting its inclusion in more color-diverse decks that may not prioritize these hues or mana bases.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The secondary ability of Soulfire Grand Master—to give instant and sorcery spells lifelink—is an expensive ability to activate, requiring a significant mana investment that may not always be feasible. In fast-paced games or environments where mana efficiency is key, the cost to repeatedly use this feature can be a hindrance compared to other cards that might provide similar benefits for less mana.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Soulfire Grand Master stands out with its ability to enhance a wide range of strategies in different formats. Its unique lifelink ability for instant and sorcery spells allows it to fit into decks geared towards control, midrange, or even combo.

Combo Potential: This card’s synergy with spells that already have lifegain, like Lightning Helix, or time manipulation effects, showcases its incredible combo potential. Additionally, the buyback ability it gives to instant and sorcery spells can create endless opportunities in the late game.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that rewards long-term value and resilience, Soulfire Grand Master provides an edge. It can be a key piece in decks that focus on staying alive against aggressive strategies and turning the tide in your favor.


How to beat

Soulfire Grand Master is a unique card in MTG that presents players with a formidable challenge. This card stands out for its versatility, offering both lifelink and the possibility to turn instant and sorcery spells into recyclable resources. The key to overcoming Soulfire Grand Master lies in disrupting its synergy with burn spells and powerful instants/sorceries. Targeted removal spells, like Path to Exile or Fatal Push, can effectively deal with the Grand Master before your opponent can leverage its abilities.

Another efficient strategy is to use counterspells to prevent the key spells that Soulfire Grand Master aims to enhance. By keeping your opponent’s spell library under control, you minimize the benefits they could reap from this potent card. Additionally, employing graveyard disruption tools, such as Scavenging Ooze or Rest in Peace, can prevent the recycling aspect of the Grand Master’s second ability, thus neutralizing one of its main advantages.

In essence, to beat Soulfire Grand Master, a combination of removal, counterspells, and graveyard disruption is essential. Ensuring you have these elements in your deck can significantly increase your chances of success when facing off against this dynamic card.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the strategic depths of MTG is an ongoing quest that leads to invaluable insights and potential game-changers for your deck. The Soulfire Grand Master exemplifies versatility and strategic potential, with abilities that augment both your longevity and powerful instant or sorcery spells. Optimizing these strengths could be the key to outlasting opponents and securing victories. For those looking to deepen their tactical knowledge and expand their collections with cards that can pivot the direction of a match, understanding and leveraging the Soulfire Grand Master’s capabilities is crucial. Uncover more strategies and refine your collection with our expert insights. Let’s elevate your gameplay together.


Cards like Soulfire Grand Master

Soulfire Grand Master is a card that stands out in the realm of lifelink creatures within Magic: The Gathering. It shares the lifelink ability with cards like Seeker of the Way, but it also introduces a unique aspect – giving instants and sorceries lifelink. This distinct feature is not seen on cards like Alabaster Mage, which only affects creatures.

Looking at other cards, Ajani’s Pridemate is another lifelink card, but it leans more on growing stronger with each instance of life gain, whereas Soulfire Grand Master provides a broader strategic advantage by potentially gaining life with every noncreature spell cast. Additionally, Firesong and Sunspeaker’s red and white spells not only gain lifelink but also have a bonus damage effect. While more powerful in some respects, it doesn’t provide the mana refunding ability that makes Soulfire Grand Master a fascinating tactical choice.

The strategic depth Soulfire Grand Master offers by combining lifelink with a cost-return mechanic on spells places it as a compelling choice for players looking for both life gain and mana efficiency in their spell-slinging decks.

Seeker of the Way - MTG Card versions
Alabaster Mage - MTG Card versions
Ajani's Pridemate - MTG Card versions
Firesong and Sunspeaker - MTG Card versions
Seeker of the Way - Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
Alabaster Mage - Magic 2012 (M12)
Ajani's Pridemate - Magic 2011 (M11)
Firesong and Sunspeaker - Treasure Chest (PZ2)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soulfire Grand Master MTG card by a specific set like Fate Reforged Promos and Fate Reforged, 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 Soulfire Grand Master and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Soulfire Grand Master Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2015-01-23 and 2015-01-23. Illustrated by Johannes Voss.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-01-23Fate Reforged PromosPFRF 27s2015normalblackJohannes Voss
22015-01-23Fate ReforgedFRF 272015normalblackJohannes Voss

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soulfire Grand Master has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-11-24 A spell that instructs you to exile it (for example, Temporal Trespass) won’t be put into your hand because it’s not put into your graveyard as it resolves.
2014-11-24 After you activate Soulfire Grand Master’s last ability, if the next instant or sorcery spell you cast from your hand doesn’t resolve, it won’t be put into your hand and the effect won’t be applied to the next spell you cast.
2014-11-24 An instant or sorcery spell with lifelink causes its controller to gain life only if it’s the source of any damage that’s dealt. An instant or sorcery spell with lifelink that causes another source to deal damage won’t cause its controller to gain life.

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