Soulcoil Viper MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Snake |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 120 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Allen Douglas |
Text of card
, , Sacrifice Soulcoil Viper: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield with a finality counter on it. Activate only as a sorcery. (If a creature with a finality counter on it would die, exile it instead.)
"As the snake sheds its skin to be born anew, we cast off death to rise as servants of Aclazotz." —Vito, Church of Dusk heretic
Cards like Soulcoil Viper
Soulcoil Viper is an intriguing Magic: The Gathering card that nestles itself into the world of devious serpents. Analogous to other snake cards like Wasteland Viper, both offer a creature that can give your opponent’s creatures a headache. However, Soulcoil Viper slides in with an additional layer of flexibility due to its nature of being a modal double-faced card, enabling players to choose between a tricky creature or a land when it’s most advantageous.
Mimicking the viper theme, River Boa presents itself as another reptilian rival. Despite it lacking the modality of Soulcoil Viper, it compensates with its ability to easily regenerate, making it a persistent threat on the board. In contrast, Ohran Viper’s strength is in its capacity to draw cards for each creature it damages, offering a different kind of value from Soulcoil Viper’s land versatility. The subtle differences in these snake cards highlight the variety of strategic plays available to MTG enthusiasts.
In essence, while examining the adaptability versus power and control aspects of these creatures, Soulcoil Viper certifies its place in MTG as a multifaceted and resourceful asset capable of squeezing into different game states smoothly.
Cards similar to Soulcoil Viper by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Soulcoil Viper can slither its way into your match, offering strategic card advantage with its enter-the-battlefield effect. This creates a favorable shift in hand dynamics, potentially placing you a step ahead of your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: If resource ramp-up is part of your strategy, this reptilian reanimator might be your new best friend. Deploying it effectively could lead to a surge in your mana resources, enabling quicker execution of high-cost spells or a multifaceted turn.
Instant Speed: The ability to cast Soulcoil Viper at instant speed offers a tactical edge. It provides the flexibility to react to an opponent’s moves, keep your options open, and maximize your mana efficiency. It’s not just about what you play, but when you play it that can turn the tides of a duel.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Soulcoil Viper comes with a precondition of discarding another card, which can be particularly taxing on your hand when resources are already stretched thin.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting requirements for Soulcoil Viper demand a particular combination of mana, often necessitating a dedicated deck build to seamlessly accommodate it. This can be restrictive, especially for players favoring flexible mana bases.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With Soulcoil Viper requiring a significant amount of mana, its cost-to-benefit ratio may not be as favorable when compared to other creatures or spells with similar or lower casting costs. This can be problematic when trying to maintain tempo against opponents.
Reasons to Include Soulcoil Viper in Your Collection
Versatility: Soulcoil Viper stands out as a versatile inclusion, capable of adjusting to various play styles. Its deathtouch ability makes it a formidable blocker against larger creatures, while its ability to generate card advantage fits into strategies that favor a longer game.
Combo Potential: With a suite of abilities, Soulcoil Viper interacts well with cards that capitalize on +1/+1 counters or utilize graveyard synergies. Its death-trigger ability offers tantalizing possibilities for decks that thrive on recycling resources or benefiting from creature deaths.
Meta-Relevance: In an environment where creature-based aggro decks are prevalent, Soulcoil Viper’s presence can shape the battlefield, deterring attacks and forcing opponents to navigate around its lethal potential. Its synergistic nature also ensures it remains a relevant card in evolving metas.
How to beat Soulcoil Viper
Soulcoil Viper slithers into the battlefield as a creature to reckon with for its versatile abilities. Possessing a combination of deathtouch, which eliminates any creature it deals damage to, and lifelink, allowing its controller to gain life equivalent to the damage dealt, this serpent can be a real headache for opponents. It demands a strategic approach to overcome, unlike other straightforward threats.
To effectively counteract Soulcoil Viper, removal spells that don’t involve direct combat, such as exile or bounce effects, become crucial. Utilizing spells like Path to Exile ensures that the viper doesn’t trigger its nasty deathtouch. It’s also wise to keep instant-speed interaction handy, as you can address it without getting entangled during your own attacks. Sweepers can clear the viper without risking individual creatures, while enchantments that neutralize creature abilities can reduce it to a harmless blocker. In essence, timing and choice of removal are key to subduing this slinky adversary.
Exploring multiple avenues of removal spells, from the typical destroy-based to more sophisticated options offering exile or transforming abilities, solidifies a player’s defense against the challenge that Soulcoil Viper presents. Crafting a game plan that includes these options ensures a better position against the viper’s potent combination of abilities. Thus, with clever deck building and strategic play, one can navigate the threats posed by Soulcoil Viper and maintain control over the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soulcoil Viper MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Soulcoil Viper 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soulcoil Viper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soulcoil Viper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-11-10 | Because you choose the target of Soulcoil Viper's ability before you pay the cost of sacrificing it, Soulcoil Viper can't be the target of its own ability. |
| 2023-11-10 | Finality counters aren't keyword counters, and a finality counter doesn't give any abilities to the permanent it's on. If that permanent loses its abilities and then would go to a graveyard, it will still be exiled instead. |
| 2023-11-10 | Finality counters don't stop permanents from going to zones other than the graveyard from the battlefield. For example, if a permanent with a finality counter on it would be put into its owner's hand from the battlefield, it does so normally. |
| 2023-11-10 | Finality counters work on any permanent, not only creatures. If a permanent with a finality counter on it would go to a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead. |
| 2023-11-10 | Multiple finality counters on a single permanent are redundant. |