Soul Exchange MTG Card


Brings creatures back at instant speed, offering tactical board state manipulation and opponent disruption. Instant-speed activation enhances unpredictability, proving advantageous in disrupting opponent strategies. Requires a creature exile as a cost, balancing its powerful reanimation ability with a tactical decision.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery

Text of card

Sacrifice a creature, but remove it from the game instead of putting it in your graveyard. Take a creature from your graveyard and put it directly into play as though it were just summoned. Put a +2/+2 counter on this creature if the creature sacrificed was a Thrull.


Cards like Soul Exchange

Soul Exchange adds a unique twist to reanimation spells in Magic The Gathering. It shares conceptual space with other resurrection cards, such as Reanimate, which directly brings creatures back from the graveyard to the battlefield. Where Soul Exchange sets itself apart is its additional requirement: You must sacrifice a creature as part of the cost, albeit with the potential upside of putting +1/+1 counters on the resurrected creature if the exiled creature was a Thrull.

Another akin card is Zombify, which simply returns a creature card from the graveyard to the battlefield, with no additional costs or benefits. Unlike Soul Exchange, Zombify doesn’t require a sacrifice but also lacks any potential boosts for the resurrected creature. Unearth stands out by being cost-effective but limits the reanimation to creatures with a converted mana cost of 3 or less and gives them haste before being exiled at the beginning of the next end step.

All things considered, Soul Exchange presents a distinctive option among the reanimation genre in Magic The Gathering. Players need to weigh the cost of sacrifice against the benefit of strengthening their returned creature, highlighting the strategic depth of this card in gameplay.

Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions
Reanimate - MTG Card versions
Zombify - MTG Card versions
Unearth - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Soul Exchange by color, type and mana cost

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Drain Life - MTG Card versions
Demonic Tutor - MTG Card versions
Sinkhole - MTG Card versions
Word of Binding - MTG Card versions
Dry Spell - MTG Card versions
Hymn to Tourach - MTG Card versions
Mind Knives - MTG Card versions
Shattered Crypt - MTG Card versions
Disturbed Burial - MTG Card versions
Death Stroke - MTG Card versions
Exhume - MTG Card versions
Imperial Edict - MTG Card versions
Diabolic Intent - MTG Card versions
Decompose - MTG Card versions
Chainer's Edict - MTG Card versions
Walk the Plank - MTG Card versions
Predators' Hour - MTG Card versions
Nausea - MTG Card versions
Distress - MTG Card versions
Cruel Edict - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Soul Exchange grants an edge by enabling you to bring back a creature from the graveyard to the battlefield. This not only increases the number of creatures under your control but also potentially disrupts your opponent’s strategy, as they now need to handle an unexpected threat.

Resource Acceleration: By using Soul Exchange, you can efficiently utilize creatures in your graveyard as resources. This form of acceleration is quite potent as it allows you to deploy high-cost creatures earlier than usual, giving you a significant advantage in the creature curve race.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Soul Exchange at instant speed offers significant tactical flexibility. You can choose to respond to your opponent’s actions, such as removing an essential creature, and turn the tables by immediately replacing it, often during their turn, which can lead to advantageous board states.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Soul Exchange is the necessary exile of a creature you control to bring another from the graveyard. This trade-off can become a hurdle, especially when your board presence is already wavering.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost requiring both black and generic mana, this card demands a dedicated mana base which could potentially restrict it to mono-black or two-color decks, diminishing its flexibility in varied deck builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability to reanimate a creature, the combined cost of three mana, additional exile, and the card itself can be considered steep compared to other reanimation options in MTG, which might offer similar effects with fewer trade-offs or at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Soul Exchange in Your Collection

Versatility: Soul Exchange adds a layer of flexibility to various deck archetypes by providing a means to return key creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield. This can be particularly useful in decks that rely on specific creatures to execute their strategy.

Combo Potential: Deck builders will appreciate the combo potential of Soul Exchange. By sacrificing a creature, you can bring back Eurid creatures or other powerful creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects, setting the stage for powerful play sequences.

Meta-Relevance: In an MTG environment where graveyard strategies are prominent, Soul Exchange becomes an essential element. This card can frequently disrupt opponents’ plans while bolstering your own board position, making it a valuable component in the shifting landscape of competitive play.


How to beat

Soul Exchange is a nuanced spell that may seem quite potent in the dynamic landscape of Magic: The Gathering. The card’s ability to bring creatures back from the graveyard directly onto the battlefield provides players with a second chance at leveraging powerful abilities. However, its effectiveness can be diminished with strategic plays. Graveyard management is key; utilizing cards that exile target cards from the graveyard or that shuffle graveyards into libraries can neutralize the impact of Soul Exchange. Cards such as Relic of Progenitus can serve as effective countermeasures, disrupting your opponent’s graveyard strategy.

Additionally, leveraging creature control spells to eliminate potential exile targets for the additional bonus—or counter spells to prevent Soul Exchange from resolving—can frustrate your opponent’s plans. Always be mindful of the board state and your opponent’s untapped mana and potential cards in hand. With attentive play and well-chosen responses, Soul Exchange’s threat can be mitigated, maintaining your control over the flow of the game.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soul Exchange MTG card by a specific set like Fallen Empires and Masters Edition II, 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 Exchange and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Soul Exchange Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-11-01 and 2008-09-22. Illustrated by Anthony S. Waters.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-11-01Fallen EmpiresFEM 431993NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters
22008-09-22Masters Edition IIME2 1111997NormalBlackAnthony S. Waters

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Exchange has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soul Exchange 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 Putting a counter on the creature put onto the battlefield is not a targeted effect and so Protection from Black will not prevent it.
2004-10-04 You exile exactly one creature. You can’t exile more than one in an attempt to get a larger effect.