Soul Search MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2024-02-09
Set symbol
Set name	Murders at Karlov Manor
Set code	MKM
Number	232
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	A. M. Sartor

Key Takeaways

Soul Search ensures a steady hand by retrieving creatures from your graveyard to your hand.
Instant speed allows for tactical responses, adapting play to the opponent’s actions.
While it provides versatility, it includes a discard cost and specific mana requirements.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Soul Search. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

Name	Format	Archetype	Event
Orzhov Flash	Standard	Orzhov Flash	Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 1, 2024
Orzhov Aggro	Pioneer	Orzhov Midrange	UOL MKM Pioneer League
Niv to Light	Pioneer	Niv to Light	Pioneer Challenge 64 2024-02-16
Orzhov Midrange	Standard	Orzhov Midrange	Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 11, 2024

Text of card

Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. Exile that card. If the card's mana value is 1 or less, create a 1/1 white and black Spirit creature token with flying.

Taking a secret to your grave still doesn't make it safe from the Orzhov.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Soul Search card is a boon for players aiming to maintain the upper hand in card resources. Its capability to bring creatures from your graveyard straight to your hand ensures you never run out of options, keeping your deck’s momentum alive and kicking.

Resource Acceleration: Fuel your battlefield presence rapidly by converting graveyard inhabitants into active assets. Soul Search supports strategic depth by offering alternative ways to utilize your graveyard as a resource, potentially accelerating your game plan significantly.

Instant Speed: Flexibility is key in the fast-paced world of MTG, and Soul Search thrives by operating on instant speed. This allows for reactive play, making it possible to respond to your opponents’ moves precisely when you need to, without wasting any turns. Such versatility can often turn the tides in a close match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Soul Search necessitates discarding a card upon activation, which could deplete your hand when you least afford to lose resources.

Specific Mana Cost: The spell’s mana cost demands two black mana, which may not seamlessly fit into decks with a diverse color palette, potentially limiting its universality.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring three mana to cast places Soul Search at a notable cost tier, where players may expect a more impactful game presence compared to less expensive alternatives available in the format.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Soul Search not only serves as a flexible tutor for creatures, but its graveyard interaction allows for strategic plays across different archetypes. Whether it’s in a control shell aiming to secure key pieces, or an aggressive setup looking to reanimate a threat, Soul Search seamlessly adapts to the deck’s theme.

Combo Potential: This card shines in decks aiming to proliferate combos. As it sifts through the library for creature cards or enables graveyard strategies, it can unearth the perfect piece for your game-winning combination, making it a must-have for players who enjoy crafting intricate gameplay sequences.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where toolbox strategies or graveyard synergies are prevalent, Soul Search proves to be a valuable asset. Its ability to fetch creatures based on the evolving battlefield conditions keeps your deck responsive and competitive, thus aligning well with a wide range of meta scenarios.

How to Beat Soul Search

Overcoming the strategic nuances of Soul Search in Magic: The Gathering requires precise deck management and an understanding of graveyard interactions. This nuanced card manipulates the graveyard, giving players access to creatures that have been buried in their deck. To counteract Soul Search’s advantages, players should consider incorporating cards that exile or shuffle graveyard contents back into the library.

Consider running cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void, which can swiftly remove creatures from the graveyard, thus nullifying the benefits granted by Soul Search. Furthermore, maintaining pressure with a fast-paced aggro deck can surpass the window of opportunity Soul Search provides, as the card demands time to set up and execute its strategy.

By focusing on controlling the flow of the graveyard and applying constant pressure, players can effectively dampen the impact of Soul Search, turning its potential for card advantage into a moot point. Successfully maneuvering around this card’s capabilities translates into maintaining the upper hand in your Magic: The Gathering matchups.

Cards like Soul Search

In the vast panorama of Magic: The Gathering, Soul Search stands as an interest-sparking addition among creature tutoring cards. Soul Search enables players to delve deep into their library to find a creature card akin to the functionality of other tutoring spells but with a distinctive twist of exiling three cards from their graveyard. This graveyard interaction creates a unique pathway not unlike Grisly Salvage, which also mills cards and retrieves a creature or land. However, where Soul Search requires a cost of two mana and the exile of three cards, Grisly Salvage presents an immediate selection from among the top five cards of the library.

Considering Diabolic Tutor, the differences become even starker. While Diabolic Tutor allows the searching of any card without the prerequisite of a graveyard interaction, it comes with a heftier mana cost at four. This emphasizes the balance between resource expenditure and strategic depth that Soul Search offers. Entomb is another relative, allowing a player to search for any card and place it directly into the graveyard, setting up for potential reanimation plays, differing from Soul Search’s intent to provide hand advantage.

Ultimately, Soul Search may appeal to players who have a synergy with graveyard mechanics and seek cost-efficient ways to secure creature cards, making it a potential staple in decks that capitalize on its unique tutoring method.

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

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soul Search MTG card by a specific set like Murders at Karlov Manor, 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 Search and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Search has restrictions

Format	Legality
Standard	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Standardbrawl	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Future	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal