Sorin's Vengeance MTG Card
2011-07-15 - Number 111
2020-09-26 - Number M12-111
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Sorin's Vengeance deals 10 damage to target player and you gain 10 life.
"Cherish these last moments. Though your miserable life has come to nothing, I have given it a magnificent end."
Cards like Sorin's Vengeance
Sorin’s Vengeance is a unique spell in the MTG universe that delivers a significant punch. It’s often compared to other damage-dealing spells such as Exsanguinate. What sets Sorin’s Vengeance apart is its targeted effect, dealing 10 damage to a single opponent while also granting you 10 life, which could be a dramatic swing in your favor. Exsanguinate, however, affects each opponent and gives you life equal to the total damage dealt, potentially offering a broader impact in multiplayer games, although it doesn’t pack the same concentrated punch.
Another spell worthy of comparison is Corrupt, which inflicts damage equivalent to the number of Swamps you control and similarly gains you life. Corrupt offers more flexibility since its impact scales with your land control, and it can target creatures or players. However, Sorin’s Vengeance comes out on top with guaranteed high damage and life gain, making it a solid finishing move in decks that can support its higher mana cost.
Considering these points, while other lifegain and damage spells provide variations on the theme, Sorin’s Vengeance stands out for its ability to provide a significant life total turnaround and potentially knock out an opponent in one fell swoop within MTG gameplay.
Cards similar to Sorin's Vengeance by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Sorin's Vengeance. 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 Midrange | Modern | Mono-Black Midrange | Modern League 2024-04-04 |
 | Decklist | Free form | MO89#CS |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Casting Sorin’s Vengeance lets you deal a significant amount of damage while gaining that same amount in life, effectively doubling the impact of a single card and putting you in a favorable position.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly accelerate your resources in terms of mana, the life gained can be a massive swing, giving you the resilience to tap into resources with less hesitation and stay in the game longer.
Instant Speed: Sorin’s Vengeance is a sorcery, so it lacks the flexibility of instant speed casting. However, the payoff of this powerful effect aligns with the strategic planning of sorcery speed spells, requiring you to forecast the optimal moment for its use within your turn sequence for maximum impact.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Unlike other spells that may offer similar effects without any additional costs, Sorin’s Vengeance requires a significant mana investment without necessitating a discard, but it can still be a setback when it comes to tempo and maintaining card advantage against your opponent.
Specific Mana Cost: Sorin’s Vengeance demands a strict mana composition with three black mana symbols in its cost, constraining its inclusion to mono-black or black-heavy decks and potentially causing issues in mana-fixing within multicolored deck varieties.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total cost of seven mana, this spell can be rather costly compared to other direct damage spells or life-gain alternatives, which could allow you to deploy multiple spells or creatures with the same investment, leading to a potentially more diverse and immediate board impact.
Reasons to Include Sorin’s Vengeance in Your Collection
Versatility: Sorin’s Vengeance offers a direct and significant life swing, which is beneficial in various deck builds that focus on life manipulation. It can be a game-ender in control or black-heavy decks that stabilize the board before delivering a knockout blow.
Combo Potential: The card’s ability to deal a large amount of damage while gaining you life makes it an excellent combo with cards that trigger off life loss or gain. It can be integrated into strategies that exploit these triggers to devastating effect.
Meta-Relevance: With a meta that can often hinge on life totals and late-game dominance, the impact of dealing 10 damage to an opponent while bolstering your own life is a significant swing that can shift games in your favor, particularly against slower, more controlling decks.
How to beat
Sorin’s Vengeance is a powerful black sorcery spell in Magic: The Gathering that can deal a significant blow to your opponent’s life total while giving yours a substantial boost. To beat this potent card, one strategy is to use counterspells to prevent it from ever resolving. Cards like Negate or Counterspell are essential for any blue deck to have ready when facing something as threatening as Sorin’s Vengeance.
Alternatively, you could also focus on hand disruption techniques to remove Sorin’s Vengeance before your opponent even has the chance to cast it. Thoughtseize, Inquisition of Kozilek, and Duress are excellent for this purpose, giving you the opportunity to proactively address the threat. Additionally, gaining hexproof for yourself with cards like Leyline of Sanctity or Shalai, Voice of Plenty can nullify the damage from Sorin’s Vengeance completely, as it relies on targeting a player.
Lastly, maintaining a high life total and having lifegain mechanisms in your deck could help you withstand the direct life loss from Sorin’s Vengeance. In essence, the key to overcoming this substantial life-swinging spell lies in smart deck building and timing your answers appropriately.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Sorin's Vengeance MTG card by a specific set like Magic 2012 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 Sorin's Vengeance 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
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Sorin's Vengeance Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2011-07-15 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2011-07-15 | Magic 2012 | M12 | 111 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jana Schirmer & Johannes Voss | |
| 2 | The List | PLST | M12-111 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Jana Schirmer & Johannes Voss |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Sorin's Vengeance has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Sorin's Vengeance card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-09-22 | If the player is an illegal target when Sorin’s Vengeance tries to resolve, Sorin’s Vengeance won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain life. |