Soul of Shandalar MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Avatar
Abilities First strike
Power 6
Toughness 6

Key Takeaways

  1. Soul of Shandalar offers card advantage by dishing out repeated damage, controlling the game tempo.
  2. Its ability at instant speed provides strategic leverage, keeping opponents guessing and reactive.
  3. While powerful, the card’s demanding mana cost and discard requirement need thoughtful deck integration.

Text of card

First strike : Soul of Shandalar deals 3 damage to target player and 3 damage to up to one target creature that player controls. , Exile Soul of Shandalar from your graveyard: Soul of Shandalar deals 3 damage to target player and 3 damage to up to one target creature that player controls.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Soul of Shandalar, you can repeatedly deal 3 damage to a target player and a creature he or she controls, essentially thinning out the opponent’s resources while maintaining your own. This puts you in a favorable position as you weaken their defenses and potential counterplays.

Resource Acceleration: Although Soul of Shandalar does not directly produce mana or tokens, its ability to clear the board can be seen as indirect resource acceleration. By removing key pieces of an opponent’s strategy, you pave the way for swifter attacks, helping you capitalize on an open board state more quickly than usual.

Instant Speed: The sheer power of acting at instant speed cannot be overstated. Soul of Shandalar’s ability may be used at the end of your opponent’s turn, keeping them on their toes and forcing them to play around your open mana. This strategic advantage ensures that you retain the upper hand, dictating the pace of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While harnessing the power of the Soul of Shandalar, one must be prepared to forfeit a part of their hand. This mandatory discard can put players at a strategic disadvantage, particularly when they are clinging onto key pieces needed for their game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting such a formidable entity isn’t without its restrictions. The card demands an exacting tribute of both red and generic mana, potentially restricting its inclusion to decks heavily invested in red mana sources and limiting its immediate availability in a multi-colored strategy.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Summoning the Soul of Shandalar comes with a steep price – your mana pool must be ample enough to meet its cost, which is markedly high when contrasted with other options available in the game. For those seeking to impact the board earlier or those looking to maximize mana efficiency, there may be alternatives that better fit their strategic outlines.


Reasons to Include Soul of Shandalar in Your Collection

Versatility: Soul of Shandalar is an adaptable addition to many Magic the Gathering red decks. Its ability to deal damage directly to creatures or players adds a dynamic tool for both offense and defense.

Combo Potential: With its activated ability, it synergizes with cards that care about damaging effects or the number of spells cast, potentially creating powerful interactions and amplifying combo strategies.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where creature-based strategies prevail, Soul of Shandalar’s damage-dealing ability can be a game-changer, offering repeatable removal to maintain board control.


How to beat

Soul of Shandalar is a potent presence on the battlefield, offering direct damage capabilities that can rattle even the most seasoned Magic: The Gathering players. This card can easily become a central feature of any red deck, thanks to its ability to dish out damage while providing a strategic advantage. To trump this fiery force, a smart strategy would be to focus on immediate removal spells like Path to Exile or Murder, which can dispatch the Soul of Shandalar before it unleashes chaos across the board.

Control decks have a notable edge here, particularly with counter magic such as Counterspell or Negate, which can prevent Soul of Shandalar from ever impacting the game. Another angle to consider is leveraging graveyard manipulation to exile it with cards like Scavenging Ooze. By disrupting your opponent’s graveyard, you limit the chances of the Soul of Shandalar returning to cause more damage. In the end, a combination of foresight and fast-acting removal options will be key in mastering the challenge that is the Soul of Shandalar.


Cards like Soul of Shandalar

The Soul of Shandalar card is an intriguing presence among the plethora of MTG creatures with mana abilities. It shares qualities with other creatures such as Inferno Titan, which also delivers damage upon entry and when it attacks. Soul of Shandalar, with its mana activation for direct damage, echoes this burn capability, but is distinguished by its ability to target creatures or players without the need to attack.

Similarly, there’s Flameblast Dragon—a card that also allows you to pay mana to deal damage. While the dragon requires you to attack to unleash its power, Soul of Shandalar provides the flexibility to use its ability whenever you have available mana. This can be a pivotal advantage in controlling the battlefield. Additionally, Coalhauler Swine is another creature in this versatile damage-inflicting category, but its effect is only triggered upon damage to itself, making it more reactive than proactive like Soul of Shandalar.

Overall, Soul of Shandalar stands out for its direct damage versatility, affirming its place in MTG as a formidable option for players who favor instant impact and flexible control strategies.

Inferno Titan - MTG Card versions
Flameblast Dragon - MTG Card versions
Coalhauler Swine - MTG Card versions
Inferno Titan - Magic 2011 (M11)
Flameblast Dragon - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Coalhauler Swine - Ravnica: City of Guilds (RAV)

Cards similar to Soul of Shandalar by color, type and mana cost

Shivan Dragon - MTG Card versions
Firestorm Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Crater Hellion - MTG Card versions
Callous Giant - MTG Card versions
Halam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Bloodshot Cyclops - MTG Card versions
Worldgorger Dragon - MTG Card versions
Two-Headed Dragon - MTG Card versions
Iron-Barb Hellion - MTG Card versions
Ryusei, the Falling Star - MTG Card versions
Patron of the Akki - MTG Card versions
Ronin Cavekeeper - MTG Card versions
Oni of Wild Places - MTG Card versions
Thundermare - MTG Card versions
Pardic Dragon - MTG Card versions
Tectonic Fiend - MTG Card versions
Etali, Primal Storm - MTG Card versions
Kamahl, Pit Fighter - MTG Card versions
Sunrise Sovereign - MTG Card versions
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - MTG Card versions
Shivan Dragon - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Firestorm Phoenix - Legends (LEG)
Crater Hellion - Eternal Masters (EMA)
Callous Giant - Invasion (INV)
Halam Djinn - Invasion (INV)
Bloodshot Cyclops - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Worldgorger Dragon - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Two-Headed Dragon - From the Vault: Dragons (DRB)
Iron-Barb Hellion - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Ryusei, the Falling Star - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Patron of the Akki - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Ronin Cavekeeper - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Oni of Wild Places - Commander 2011 (CMD)
Thundermare - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Pardic Dragon - Time Spiral (TSP)
Tectonic Fiend - Time Spiral (TSP)
Etali, Primal Storm - Dominaria United Commander (DMC)
Kamahl, Pit Fighter - Duels of the Planeswalkers (DPA)
Sunrise Sovereign - Lorwyn (LRW)
Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms - Masters Edition III (ME3)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soul of Shandalar MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2015 and The List, 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 Soul of Shandalar and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Soul of Shandalar Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2014-07-18 and 2014-07-18. Illustrated by Raymond Swanland.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12014-07-18Magic 2015M15 1632015normalblackRaymond Swanland
22020-09-26The ListPLST M15-1632015normalblackRaymond Swanland

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soul of Shandalar has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2014-07-18 Exiling the Soul from your graveyard is part of the last ability’s activation cost. A player can’t remove the Soul in response to prevent you from activating the ability.
2014-07-18 To activate either ability, you must target a player, but you can choose to not target any creatures.
2014-07-18 You can activate the last ability only if the Soul is in your graveyard.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks