Soul Echo MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Enchantment |
| Released | 1996-10-08 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Mirage |
| Set code | MIR |
| Number | 40 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ron Spencer |
Text of card
When you play Soul Echo, put X echo counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are no echo counters on Soul Echo, bury it; otherwise, target opponent may choose that for each 1 damage dealt to you until your next upkeep, you instead remove 1 echo counter from Soul Echo. You do not lose the game as a result of having less than 1 life.
Cards like Soul Echo
In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Soul Echo stands out as an intriguing enchantment that introduces a unique strategy for managing health. It’s often compared to cards that delay loss of life or prevent damage such as Delaying Shield and Worship. Delaying Shield also offers a buffer against damage, albeit converting it to loss of life on the next upkeep, effectively buying time. Worship, conversely, is conditional on controlling a creature and entirely negates life loss as long as that criterion is met.
Another related card is Phyrexian Unlife, which allows a player to live on at zero or less life and eventually converts damage to poison counters. Soul Echo differs by extinguishing counters on it instead of affecting life totals or granting poison counters. This subtly shifts the approach to survival, potentially stretching out a player’s existence in the game even after a normally lethal blow.
Evaluating Soul Echo against its contemporaries showcases its distinctive place in MTG. It serves as a novel safety net that can be particularly synergistic in decks that manipulate or remove counters, offering players a creative way to thwart opponents’ attempts at victory.
Cards similar to Soul Echo by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soul Echo provides a unique tactical benefit by potentially deterring opponents from attacking. Though it doesn’t directly draw cards, it helps maintain your presence on the board by delaying damage and giving you opportunities to draw into solutions.
Resource Acceleration: While Soul Echo isn’t a direct source of mana acceleration, it helps preserve your life total. This can be indirectly beneficial for your resources as it maintains your status in the game, buying you time to access mana and other resources more efficiently.
Instant Speed: Soul Echo’s ability activates immediately upon the card being put into the graveyard from play, allowing you to wait until the crucial moment to maximize its effect. This prompt response can disrupt your opponent’s strategies and preserve your key creatures for a more crucial part of the turn cycle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Soul Echo necessitates discarding another card, making it a potentially costly play when your hand options are already scarce.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise combination of white mana, which may not seamlessly fit into multicolored or color-flexible deck strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The investment needed to cast Soul Echo is significant, and it may compete with other high-impact cards in your deck that require a similar mana commitment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Soul Echo can be a dynamic addition to collections for players valuing flexible defense mechanisms. Its ability to absorb damage that would otherwise impact your life total makes it adaptable in various decks, especially those focused on prolonging the game and setting up critical plays.
Combo Potential: This enchantment showcases significant combo potential in decks that manipulate life totals or benefit from delaying damage. It can pave the way for high-impact plays or interact with cards that have effects when life is gained or lost. Plus, its unique mechanic can effectively protect key creatures or planeswalkers from harm.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where direct damage and aggressive strategies prevail, Soul Echo offers an alternative line of defense. By mitigating incoming damage, it allows more strategic decks the time they need to establish their game plan without the constant threat of an early defeat. Its presence in your collection ensures you have the right tool to adapt to these rapidly evolving gameplay environments.
How to beat
Soul Echo is a unique enchantment that can create an intriguing layer of strategy in MTG. It acts as a shield, absorbing damage that would otherwise reduce a player’s life total. However, its reliance on echo counters also presents a vulnerability. To effectively dispatch Soul Echo, consider using spells or abilities that remove counters or that can bypass counter-based defenses. Counter manipulation spells, such as Vampire Hexmage or Aether Snap, can wipe the echo counters clean, swiftly neutralizing Soul Echo’s protective benefits.
Alternatively, employing indirect strategies like forcing card sacrifices or using enchantment destruction cards can dismantle your opponent’s plan. Echo counters are a finite resource — spells like Pithing Needle, which can selectively prevent the activation of abilities, can also render Soul Echo ineffective. Even redirecting the damage to the player directly, through cards that change the target of damage or effects, can be a viable strategy. Remember that patience and strategic counterplay are key to overcoming the challenges posed by durable defensive cards like Soul Echo.
As with any obstacle in MTG, understanding the mechanics and finding the right countermeasure is the path to victory. So equip your deck with the right answers and Soul Echo’s echoing defense will fade into silence.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soul Echo MTG card by a specific set like Mirage, 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 Echo 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Echo has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soul Echo 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 | If this card runs out of counters before your next upkeep, the effect still replaces the damage and uselessly tries to remove counters from the now empty card. |
| 2004-10-04 | If you have more than one Soul Echo, the opponent chooses which ones will be replacing damage that turn (if any). And when damage happens, you decide which one of the ones the opponent selected that you want the damage to be replaced with, but the damage all goes to one of them. |
| 2004-10-04 | If you take damage between the start of the upkeep step and the time in which the upkeep trigger resolves, then Soul Echo will not affect that damage and you will be affected by the damage as normal. |
| 2004-10-04 | In a multi-player game, you choose a new opponent during each of your upkeeps. |