Wayward Soul MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wayward Soul is designed to help you stay ahead in the game by allowing subtle deck manipulation. Each time it swings into action, you’re given the opportunity to place a creature on top of your library, essentially ensuring that your next draw could strengthen your hand and your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wayward Soul itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its potential synergy with library and graveyard mechanics can indirectly fuel your strategies. If combined with cards that benefit from cycling creatures through the library, you could essentially ramp up the resources at your disposal.

Instant Speed: The strength of Wayward Soul lies in its ability to disrupt at instant speed. It can dodge removal spells or unfavorable blocks by bouncing to the top of your library, allowing you strategic flexibility during the heat of battle. This can be an unexpectedly powerful move, keeping your opponents guessing and your key creatures safe.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wayward Soul forces the player to discard another card when casting it. This can be a significant setback, particularly if your hand is already depleted or filled with crucial components of your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Wayward Soul necessitates two blue mana, which can restrict deck-building options and make it less flexible when you’re trying to stabilize your mana base in multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost involving four mana, Wayward Soul can be considered mana-intensive for its abilities. Considering other creatures or spells at a similar cost might provide more impactful board presence or utility.

Reasons to Include Wayward Soul in Your Collection

Versatility: Wayward Soul brings flexibility to the table with its ability to constantly bounce back to the owner’s hand. This makes it a resilient threat that can dodge removal and persist through board wipes, making it suitable for various decks that seek to maintain board presence.

Combo Potential: This card can play a key role in decks that leverage ETB (Enter the Battlefield) effects or require a creature to be returned to the hand as part of a combo. The recurring nature of Wayward Soul enables repeatable triggers that can be exploited for strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where control and tempo play a significant role, Wayward Soul can be a thorn in the side of opponents. The ability to disrupt traditional combat calculations while offering a continuous aerial threat makes it a card worth considering in the current meta.

How to Beat

Dealing with Wayward Soul on the battlefield can be a vexing challenge for many players. The card’s ability to evade permanent solutions makes it a resilient foe. Unlike other creatures, it doesn’t stay put and can be difficult to lock down due to its capability to bounce back to its owner’s hand. To effectively counteract Wayward Soul, it’s essential to employ strategies that aren’t based on targeting or that can operate at the speed of instant spells.

Utilizing board wipes can be a successful strategy, as they remove all creatures on the battlefield without targeting specific ones. This means that even if Wayward Soul is bounced back to the hand, it will still need to be recast, costing valuable mana and tempo. Another tactic involves deploying spells or abilities that force the opponent to sacrifice a creature. Since these methods don’t target directly, Wayward Soul can’t dodge the effect through its bounce ability. Lastly, implementing counterspells at the right moment can be very effective, as they prevent Wayward Soul from entering the battlefield altogether. Adequate timing and smart mana management are crucial to ensure that you have the necessary resources to execute these plays when the opportunity arises.