Soul Net MTG Card
1993-08-05 - Number 270
1993-10-04 - Number 271
1993-12-01 - Number 271
1993-12-10 - Number 271
1993-12-10 - Number 271
1994-04-01 - Number 275
1994-04-01 - Number 275
1994-06-21 - Number 275
1995-04-01 - Number 346
1995-04-01 - Number 346
1997-03-24 - Number 400
1999-04-21 - Number 313
2001-04-11 - Number 317★
2001-04-11 - Number 317
2022-11-28 - Number 564
2022-11-28 - Number 267
| Card sets | Released in 16 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Artifact |
Text of card
o1: You gain 1 life every time a creature is destroyed, unless it is then regenerated.
Cards like Soul Net
Soul Net is a unique artifact in the world of Magic: The Gathering, providing players with the ability to gain life whenever a creature dies. This ability is reflective of cards like Sun Droplet, which also offers life-gain but triggers on a different condition, activating during each upkeep for each damage counter on it. Both cards provide sustained life but through varying triggers, making Soul Net more aligned with creature-heavy strategies.
Another parallel can be drawn with Deathgreeter, which also benefits players when creatures die by providing life gain. However, Deathgreeter requires to be on the battlefield as a creature, potentially making it more vulnerable than an artifact like Soul Net. Additionally, Black Market plays into a similar theme, where the death of creatures accumulates value, in this case, adding mana instead of life. While both cards reward players for the same event, the outcomes cater to differing strategies—Soul Net for resilience and Black Market for ramping power.
When evaluating cards based on their ability to profit from creatures’ demise, Soul Net offers a reliable and less conspicuous avenue for life gain. Within its own niche, it presents a strategic advantage for players looking to stabilize their life total while influencing the board.
Cards similar to Soul Net by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soul Net offers a unique mechanism to draw from creatures’ deaths, converting demise into a form of long-term gain. This can be especially potent in formats where creatures are regularly exchanged in combat or sacrificed for effects, allowing you to maintain momentum and options in your hand.
Resource Acceleration: Although Soul Net doesn’t directly produce mana or tokens, it provides a consistent life gain source. This incremental advantage can be crucial for stabilizing in games, giving you the resilience to reach the late game when powerhouse spells can dominate the board.
Instant Speed: Soul Net’s ability to trigger and use its effect at instant speed gives you the flexibility to interact with the game state on your terms. You can strategically choose to gain life during your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their strategies that rely on reducing your life total to a specific threshold.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Soul Net doesn’t directly require a discard, it can indirectly lead to card disadvantage. Its activation competes with other cards in your hand that may have immediate board impact, potentially causing you to forgo playing a valuable creature or spell.
Specific Mana Cost: Soul Net requires one generic mana to activate, which isn’t color restrictive; however, consistently paying to gain life over several turns can be challenging, especially in a fast-paced game or mana-intensive decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low initial casting cost, Soul Net’s true expense comes with its continuous activation fee. This cumulatively high mana cost hampers your ability to utilize mana for other crucial plays throughout the game, which can be a significant setback.
Reasons to Include Soul Net in Your Collection
Versatility: Soul Net offers flexibility by providing a source of life gain that can be integrated into multiple deck archetypes. It’s a utility artifact that can be effective in both offensive and defensive strategies, buffering your life total as creatures leave the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This artifact synergizes well with cards that benefit from or trigger life gain. In addition, it can be a critical component in decks that revolve around sacrificing creatures, as it can turn creature deaths into a valuable resource.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Soul Net becomes increasingly valuable. Consistent life gain can be the difference between victory and defeat, particularly in long, attrition-based matches.
How to beat
Soul Net is an artifact that has a unique place in the pantheon of life-gain strategies in Magic: The Gathering. This classic card allows its controller to gain 1 life whenever a creature is put into the graveyard from the battlefield. Clearly, a persistent source of life can be bothersome to overcome. The trick in dismantling the advantage Soul Net provides is to focus on either removing the artifact itself or swamping the opponent with multiple creatures, diluting the impact of the life gained.
Artifact removal is abundant, with cards like Naturalize or Disenchant providing simple and direct solutions. Targeting Soul Net for removal right away can nullify it before its life gain ability affects the game’s outcome. Alternatively, if artifact removal is not an option, overwhelming the board with creatures, particularly ones with the “expendable” quality, can outpace the small incremental life gains. It’s essential to make your creature threats significant enough that Soul Net’s effect is rendered negligible in the face of potent offensive pressure. Lastly, consistent damage output can also effectively circumvent Soul Net’s benefits, securing your path to victory through unrelenting aggression.
It’s crucial to assess the battlefield and decide whether to focus on removing Soul Net directly or to strategically build your board and pressure to outpace the life gain. By tackling Soul Net wisely, you ensure that this artifact doesn’t become a thorn in your side.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soul Net MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 Net 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
Printings
The Soul Net Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 3 different artists.
Show/hide all sets| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1993-08-05 | Limited Edition Alpha | LEA | 270 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 2 | 1993-10-04 | Limited Edition Beta | LEB | 271 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 3 | 1993-12-01 | Unlimited Edition | 2ED | 271 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 4 | 1993-12-10 | Intl. Collectors' Edition | CEI | 271 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 5 | 1993-12-10 | Collectors' Edition | CED | 271 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 6 | 1994-04-01 | Revised Edition | 3ED | 275 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 7 | 1994-04-01 | Foreign Black Border | FBB | 275 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 8 | 1994-06-21 | Summer Magic / Edgar | SUM | 275 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 9 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition | 4ED | 346 | 1993 | Normal | White | Dameon Willich | |
| 10 | 1995-04-01 | Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border | 4BB | 346 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 11 | 1997-03-24 | Fifth Edition | 5ED | 400 | 1997 | Normal | White | Andrew Robinson | |
| 12 | 1999-04-21 | Classic Sixth Edition | 6ED | 313 | 1997 | Normal | White | Andrew Robinson | |
| 13 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 317★ | 1997 | Normal | Black | Ron Spencer | |
| 14 | 2001-04-11 | Seventh Edition | 7ED | 317 | 1997 | Normal | White | Ron Spencer | |
| 15 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 564 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich | |
| 16 | 2022-11-28 | 30th Anniversary Edition | 30A | 267 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Dameon Willich |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Net has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| 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 Net 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 animated so it is a creature, it can be triggered off its own destruction. |