Soulsworn Spirit MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Abilities | Detain |
| Released | 2012-10-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Return to Ravnica |
| Set code | RTR |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 51 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | James Ryman |
Key Takeaways
- The card thrives on bypassing blockers, offering consistency in damage and strategic board control.
- Soulsworn Spirit’s synergy with instants enhances its combat effectiveness and post-combat potential.
- It faces challenges with specific mana needs and a high summoning cost relative to impact.
Text of card
Soulsworn Spirit is unblockable. When Soulsworn Spirit enters the battlefield, detain target creature an opponent controls. (Until your next turn, that creature can't attack or block and its activated abilities can't be activated.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: One of the strengths of Soulsworn Spirit is its capacity to bypass blockers, often leading to repeated damage and strategic board control. This relentless pressure can translate into a virtual card advantage as it forces opponents to deal with it, potentially wasting resources or spells.
Resource Acceleration: While Soulsworn Spirit itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its unblockable nature makes it an ideal candidate for carrying equipment or auras that can. Equipping it with cards that generate tokens or additional mana upon dealing combat damage to a player can be a game-changer.
Instant Speed: Soulsworn Spirit benefits from being able to synergize with instants and flash spells. Its unblockable trait ensures it reliably connects with opponents, setting the stage for powerful instant speed interactions post-combat, taking advantage of the open opponent during the second main phase.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Players may find the discard aspect of Soulsworn Spirit’s mechanic limiting, especially when hand size is crucial to maintaining strategic advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This spirit demands a specific mana alignment, which could pose a hindrance in multi-colored decks that might struggle to produce the necessary blue mana consistently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to summon Soulsworn Spirit is noteworthy when considering other cards in the same cost bracket that can potentially provide greater impact or versatility on the battlefield.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Soulsworn Spirit is diverse in its applications, slotting well into decks that require unblockable creatures. Its ability to be unblockable by creatures ensures that it can consistently apply pressure on the opponent, making it a useful card in various deck archetypes.
Combo Potential: Its detain ability upon entering the battlefield provides strategic plays, allowing you to temporarily neutralize potential threats or key pieces of opposition’s combos. This can be pivotal in maintaining control of the game board.
Meta-Relevance: Against decks that rely on powerful creatures to control the game, Soulsworn Spirit’s capabilities of bypassing blockers and disabling opponent’s resources make it particularly effective. It adapts well to a meta where evading creature-based defenses is crucial for maintaining an offensive stance.
How to beat
Soulsworn Spirit enters the battlefield with a distinct presence, its unblockable nature making it a consistent threat to life totals in the game of Magic: The Gathering. To effectively remove this elusive creature from the game, players need to look beyond traditional combat tactics given its ability to sidestep blockers effortlessly.
One effective strategy includes utilizing removal spells that can target creatures regardless of their combat abilities. Spells such as Murder or Doom Blade can dispatch Soulsworn Spirit efficiently without having to engage it in combat. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation also serve as equalizers, clearing the board of all creatures, including the unblockable spirits. Additionally, countering the spell as it is cast using counterspells such as Counterspell or Mana Leak can ensure that Soulsworn Spirit never touches the battlefield.
Prevention is also key; interrupting early land drops or the casting of the spirit through disruption can be pivotal in keeping your opponent’s game plan at bay. In summary, focusing on direct removal, board control, and spell disruption will help navigate the challenge posed by Soulsworn Spirit, maintaining the balance of power on the board.
Cards like Soulsworn Spirit
Soulsworn Spirit is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, joining the ranks of unblockable blue creatures. Like the Spirit, Mist-Cloaked Herald is another creature that can be challenging to block, due to having the same unblockable ability. While both cards share this elusive trait, Soulsworn Spirit brings an additional layer to the game by detaining a target opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield, an interaction not found on Mist-Cloaked Herald.
Comparable to Soulsworn Spirit, Geist of the Archives also falls into the category of creatures providing strategic advantages. Although Geist lacks the unblockable keyword, it offers players an ability to scry at the beginning of each upkeep, potentially enhancing card quality and draw. There’s also the elusive Phantom Warrior, another unblockable card, but without Soulsworn Spirit’s detain ability. While Phantom Warrior offers consistent evasion, it lacks the immediate board impact upon arrival.
Ultimately, Soulsworn Spirit holds a unique position. With its detain effect and evasive characteristic, it’s tailored for players seeking to clear the path for attack while tactically disrupting opponents. Thus, in the vast pool of blue creatures, Soulsworn Spirit secures a niche role, merging evasion with control for tactical board advantage.
Cards similar to Soulsworn Spirit by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soulsworn Spirit MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Soulsworn Spirit and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soulsworn Spirit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soulsworn Spirit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-04-15 | Activated abilities include a colon and are written in the form “ -ost: -ffect].” No one can activate any activated abilities, including mana abilities, of a detained permanent. |
| 2013-04-15 | If a creature is already attacking or blocking when it’s detained, it won’t be removed from combat. It will continue to attack or block. |
| 2013-04-15 | If a noncreature permanent is detained and later turns into a creature, it won’t be able to attack or block. |
| 2013-04-15 | If a permanent’s activated ability is on the stack when that permanent is detained, the ability will be unaffected. |
| 2013-04-15 | The static abilities of a detained permanent still apply. The triggered abilities of a detained permanent can still trigger. |
| 2013-04-15 | When a player leaves a multiplayer game, any continuous effects with durations that last until that player’s next turn or until a specific point in that turn will last until that turn would have begun. They neither expire immediately nor last indefinitely. |
