Soul Link MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 2001-06-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Apocalypse |
| Set code | APC |
| Number | 120 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Jeff Easley |
Text of card
Whenever enchanted creature deals or is dealt damage, you gain that much life.
They danced like puppets to a tune only Yawgmoth could hear.
Cards like Soul Link
Soul Link is an intriguing option within the array of aura spells in Magic: The Gathering, similar in some ways to cards that provide both life gain and damage prevention. It stands in contrast to cards such as Lifelink, which solely grant the lifegain ability to a creature. Soul Link, however, goes a step further by also healing you when the enchanted creature deals damage, not just when it gets hit.
There’s also Spirit Link, which shares the life-gaining aspect every time the enchanted creature deals damage. Unlike Lifelink, Spirit Link can be attached to any creature, potentially turning an opponent’s powerful creature into a source of your own life gain. Similarly, Soul Link offers flexibility but also protects your life total by offsetting damage from any source dealt to the creature it’s enchanting.
In essence, while exploring the enchantment landscape of Magic: The Gathering, Soul Link showcases its versatility and dual functionality. This makes it not only a defensive tool but also an offensive strategy that can turn the tides by leveraging your opponents’ threats against them.
Cards similar to Soul Link by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soul Link offers a continuous stream of life gain and potential card draw by converting damage dealt and life gain into valuable resources throughout the game.
Resource Acceleration: While it doesn’t directly generate mana, Soul Link can effectively accelerate your resources by helping you maintain a higher life total, which in turn allows you to use life as a resource more aggressively in other areas of the game.
Instant Speed: Though Soul Link is an aura that must be cast at sorcery speed, the life gain and damage prevention aspects work at instant speed, meaning you benefit from the card’s effects the moment combat damage is dealt, maximizing its utility in the heat of battle.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Casting Soul Link often means you’ll need to discard another card, which could undermine your hand’s advantage, especially if your strategy relies on maintaining a variety of options.
Specific Mana Cost: This card requires both white and black mana, restricting its integration primarily to multicolored decks and potentially complicating your mana base during play.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The three mana investment for Soul Link can be steep, considering this card provides a conditional life gain effect; other cards may offer more immediate board presence or disruption for the same or less cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Soul Link offers a unique blend of lifegain and damage mitigation that can be pivotal in a variety of MTG decks. This enchantment can be attached to any creature, turning even the simplest of creatures into a significant threat.
Combo Potential: Coupled with creatures that have lifelink or damage-triggered abilities, Soul Link can create powerful synergies, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: In a format where aggressive strategies dominate, Soul Link provides a distinct advantage by helping you stabilize your life total while potentially weakening opposing creatures. Its role in the current meta cannot be understated, as it often flips the script on combat math and interactions.
How to beat
Soul Link is an intriguing enchantment card that can provide a pivotal lifeline in Magic: The Gathering. When you face this card on the battlefield, the dynamics of combat can shift significantly. The card ties the fates of two creatures together, offering both damage protection and lifegain simultaneously to the controller. As daunting as that may sound, there are strategies to mitigate its impact.
An effective way to tackle Soul Link is by employing removal spells that target either the enchantment itself or the creature it’s attached to. Since its strength lies in the bond between the card and creature, disrupting this connection is key. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize can directly destroy Soul Link, while broader removal like Wrath of God deals with the creature it’s enchanting. Another tactic is to focus on winning through alternative win conditions, such as milling or dealing direct damage to the opponent, circumventing the combat step where Soul Link thrives.
When you understand the mechanics and have the right answers in your deck, overcoming Soul Link becomes a much more manageable task. Keep these strategies in mind and maintain pressure on your opponent, and you will increase your chances of success against decks utilizing this enchantment.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soul Link MTG card by a specific set like Apocalypse, 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 Link 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 Link 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 Link 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 the creature damages itself, both abilities trigger. |