Soul Burn MTG Card
1995-06-03 - Number 161
1996-05-02 - Number ll161
2000-10-02 - Number 124s
2000-10-02 - Number 124
2001-12-01 - Number 9
2006-07-21 - Number 161
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Text of card
Soul Burn deals 1 damage to a single target creature or player for each o B or o R you pay in addition to the casting cost. Gain 1 life for each o B you spend in this way. You cannot gain more life than the toughness of the creature or the total life of the targeted player.
Cards like Soul Burn
Soul Burn stands as an intriguing option within the life manipulation spells in Magic the Gathering, akin to spells like Consume Spirit. Much like Soul Burn, Consume Spirit also allows players to funnel mana into a spell to deal damage and gain life, but Soul Burn has the flexibility of tapping into either black or red mana. This added versatility can be crucial in multicolor decks where mana flexibility is paramount.
Another card that echoes the mechanics of Soul Burn is Drain Life, which as its name suggests, allows players to drain life from opponents. However, it’s restricted to black mana and often less versatile in its application compared to Soul Burn, which has more potential for damage output in mixed mana pools. While not as direct, Exsanguinate also shares the theme of dealing damage and gaining life, but it affects all opponents and scales up with the amount of mana invested, making it potent in multiplayer games.
Considering these comparisons, Soul Burn holds its ground as a versatile option for MTG players looking to deal damage while bolstering their own life totals, especially in decks that blend black and red mana sources.
Cards similar to Soul Burn by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soul Burn offers the potential for high damage output while gaining you crucial life points, effectively swinging the game state in your favor and displacing your opponent’s momentum.
Resource Acceleration: By dealing damage and simultaneously gaining life, Soul Burn can be a pivotal play for stabilizing your board and expediting your win condition.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Soul Burn at instant speed provides strategic flexibility, allowing you to react to your opponent’s moves on their turn or unexpectedly alter the outcome of combat engagements.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Soul Burn mandates you to discard a card from your hand, which can force tough decisions in game when your hand resources are already dwindling.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Soul Burn necessitates specific mana types, hence, it fits primarily into decks synergized with its color requirements, potentially hindering deck building flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Soul Burn’s cost is substantial, given its effect. Players could find this mana investment prohibitive, especially when alternative cards could achieve similar results for less mana, allowing more strategic plays within a turn.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Soul Burn’s flexibility to deal damage while gaining life makes it adaptable to various deck themes. It helps in both stabilizing your health and dismantling opponents’ life totals, making it a solid pick in many black and red builds.
Combo Potential: This card is a crucial piece in setups that leverage life gain or drain strategies. Combined with cards that trigger effects on life changes, Soul Burn can unexpectedly turn the tide of the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: With the constant shifts in the game’s competitive landscape, Soul Burn can be a smart inclusion. In metagames where life totals are as strategic as board presence, Soul Burn shines by addressing both fronts, ensuring your deck stays competitive.
How to beat
Soul Burn is a card that can swing life totals with its damage and life gain abilities. To effectively counter this spell, players should prioritize maintaining a high life total and controlling the opponent’s mana pool. This can often be achieved by using counter spells to prevent Soul Burn from resolving or by deploying disruption tactics to limit the mana resources available to your opponent.
Furthermore, employing graveyard hate cards can be invaluable as they prevent the card from being recaptured and reused from the graveyard. Cards that offer protection from black or can’t be targeted by spells or abilities from black sources can also provide a strong defense against Soul Burn’s impact. Strategic play and appropriate sideboard choices can significantly diminish the threat posed by this powerful card.
In summary, successfully overcoming Soul Burn in MTG requires a mixture of life total management, mana disruption, graveyard control, and card protection strategies. Through careful play and smart deck building, one can neutralize the card’s advantages and maintain an upper hand in the battle.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soul Burn MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age and Pro Tour Collector Set, 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 Burn 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 Soul Burn Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 1995-06-03 and 2006-07-21. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1995-06-03 | Ice Age | ICE | 161 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander | |
| 2 | 1996-05-02 | Pro Tour Collector Set | PTC | ll161 | 1993 | Normal | Gold | Rob Alexander | |
| 3 | 2000-10-02 | Invasion | INV | 124s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Andrew Goldhawk | |
| 4 | 2000-10-02 | Invasion | INV | 124 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Andrew Goldhawk | |
| 5 | 2001-12-01 | Deckmasters | DKM | 9 | 1997 | Normal | White | Rob Alexander | |
| 6 | 2006-07-21 | Coldsnap Theme Decks | CST | 161 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Rob Alexander |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Burn has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soul Burn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | Will give 1 life for each black mana used, but not more life than the amount of unprevented damage that is dealt. |