Ritual of Soot MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 84s
2018-10-05 - Number 84
2018-10-05 - Number 84p
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Destroy all creatures with mana value 3 or less.
Only the patrol's armor was found, so tainted with the acrid smell of sudden death that it could never be worn again.
Cards like Ritual of Soot
Ritual of Soot stands out as a powerful board sweeper in Magic: The Gathering. It finds its company among cards like Languish, which also offers a sizeable decrease in creature strength, potentially ridding the board of smaller threats. Ritual of Soot, however, has a different approach by targeting creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less, thereby eliminating them regardless of their toughness levels.
Additionally, we have Damnation, another formidable wipe that clears the field of all creatures, with no constraints on their mana costs. This offers a more universal solution but comes with a higher mana price tag. On the other hand, Cry of the Carnarium is a more cost-effective spell that also exiles the creatures it kills, a valuable asset against decks that rely on graveyard interactions.
Taking into account the specific needs of deck-building, Ritual of Soot serves as a strategic choice for controlling the board early on. Its ability to selectively remove smaller creatures while potentially sparing your own higher-cost ones enables savvy players to structure their play for a decisive mid-game advantage.
Cards similar to Ritual of Soot by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Ritual of Soot. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer | Mono-Black Discard | Pioneer Showcase Challenge 2024-04-14 |
 | Dimir Control | Pioneer | Dimir Control | Pioneer League 2023-11-27 |
 | Decklist | Other | The Arena Coliseum - Timeless Trials $1K #002 | |
 | Mono-Black Control | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
 | Grixis Control | Pioneer | Grixis Midrange | F2F Tour Calgary Pioneer Super Qualifier |
| Four-color Combo | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
| Dimir Mill | Pioneer | Dimir Control | South America Magic Series - Regional Championship (Final Regional NOV 2023) |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Eliminating multiple creatures with Ritual of Soot can lead to a shift in the balance of the game. Being able to clear the battlefield of numerous low-cost minions with a single card disrupts your opponent’s board presence, allowing you to maintain or gain card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While Ritual of Soot doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, it does provide a form of tempo acceleration. By removing creatures, you slow down your opponent’s aggressive strategies, effectively giving you more time to develop your own board and access to bigger, more impactful spells.
Instant Speed: Although Ritual of Soot is a sorcery, the strategic impact it has at the beginning of your turn can be as pivotal as an instant. By casting it right before your main phase, you ensure the path is clear for your high-value creatures to hit the board with minimal resistance.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Ritual of Soot requires both black mana and generic mana in its casting cost, which can restrict its inclusion to mainly black or black-heavy decks. This limitation can make it less desirable for players running multi-color decks that have a lighter black mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana to cast, including two black, Ritual of Soot may arrive too late against very aggressive decks that deploy numerous threats early in the game. This can result in taking significant damage before being able to clear the board.
Discard Requirement: While Ritual of Soot does not have a discard mechanic, its condition of destroying all creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less may inadvertently force players to consider discarding their own low-cost creatures from hand pre-emptively, knowing they won’t survive the sweep. This can lead to a disadvantage as it diminishes the player’s options and board presence.
Reasons to Include Ritual of Soot in Your Collection
Versatility: Ritual of Soot can be a game-changer, clearing the board of multiple creatures at once. It’s especially effective in decks that face off against aggro strategies or those employing numerous low-cost creatures.
Combo Potential: This card works well in conjunction with strategies that capitalize on a cleared board, setting the stage for big plays without opposition on the following turns.
Meta-Relevance: Given the prevalence of creature-heavy decks in many metas, Ritual of Soot can serve as an essential catch-up mechanism, keeping pace with the most commonly employed tactics in player versus player matchups.
How to beat
Ritual of Soot is a versatile and potent board wipe in Magic: The Gathering that can reset the playing field by destroying all creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less. To navigate around this card, players can focus on building a deck with creatures that have a higher mana cost, rendering Ritual of Soot ineffective against them. Indestructible creatures present another viable strategy, as they can withstand the destruction effects of such removal spells.
Another angle is using counter spells to prevent Ritual of Soot from resolving in the first place. Also, it’s important to note that this spell doesn’t affect planeswalkers or enchantments, so diversifying threats beyond just low-cost creatures will reduce the card’s potential impact. Implementing instant-speed effects that can save your creatures, such as giving them temporary indestructibility or bouncing them back to hand, are additional tactics to counteract the sweeping effect of Ritual of Soot.
Ultimately, adapting your gameplay strategy and maintaining awareness of the opponent’s mana pool can help anticipate and play around this powerful control tool, ensuring that your creatures survive and continue to bring you closer to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ritual of Soot MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica Promos and Guilds of 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 Ritual of Soot 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
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Printings
The Ritual of Soot Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2018-10-05. Illustrated by Dimitar Marinski.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica Promos | PGRN | 84s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dimitar Marinski | |
| 2 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 84 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dimitar Marinski | |
| 3 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica Promos | PGRN | 84p | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dimitar Marinski |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ritual of Soot has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ritual of Soot card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If a permanent has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0. |
| 2018-10-05 | Tokens that aren’t a copy of something else don’t have a mana cost. Anything without a mana cost normally has a converted mana cost of 0. |