Soulhunter Rakshasa MTG Card
2018-07-14 - Number 35
2020-08-13 - Number 62
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Demon |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 5 |
Key Takeaways
- Soulhunter Rakshasa excels in creating card advantage while impacting the board state significantly.
- Instant speed functionality affords players vital flexibility and strategic depth during gameplay.
- Its higher mana cost and specific requirements, however, may limit its playability in certain decks.
Text of card
Soulhunter Rakshasa can't block. When Soulhunter Rakshasa enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, it deals 1 damage to target opponent for each Swamp you control.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When discussing the strengths of Soulhunter Rakshasa, one cannot overlook its potential to create significant card advantage. The ability to impact the board while providing options for future plays is what makes this card a strategic part of deck building.
Resource Acceleration: Soulhunter Rakshasa offers a unique form of resource acceleration. This powerful creature can shift the balance of the game by quickly advancing your board state, giving players the upper hand in tight situations.
Instant Speed: The capability to operate at instant speed gives players the flexibility to react during the opponent’s turn. This adaptability is critical in a dynamic game environment, allowing players to make strategic decisions on the fly while keeping their opponents guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Soulhunter Rakshasa comes with a necessary discard action from your hand, which can detract from your card advantage. For players looking to maintain a full grip of options, this cost can be a considerable setback, particularly if your hand is already running low on cards.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise mana allocation, with black mana being a prerequisite for casting it. If your deck doesn’t consistently produce the necessary black mana, Soulhunter Rakshasa might linger in your hand unplayed, causing hiccups in your strategy during crucial turns.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment for Soulhunter Rakshasa is on the upper end, which can make it less appealing compared to lower-cost creatures. In faster-paced games or against aggressive strategies, having a four-mana creature could be too slow, giving your opponents the upper hand while you’re still setting up your board.
Reasons to Include Soulhunter Rakshasa in Your Collection
Versatility: Soulhunter Rakshasa offers a flexible role in black-based decks. With its robust stat line and impactful abilities, it can be a strong stand-alone threat or act as a vital component in creature-focused strategies.
Combo Potential: Its life payment ability works well in decks that harness life as a resource. This card can synergize with effects that benefit from life changes, opening up avenues for powerful combos.
Meta-Relevance: In an ever-shifting MTG landscape, the card’s utility to potentially remove key opponents’ creatures is significant. Given its relevance in the current meta, the card can be an essential tool in disrupting your opponents’ plans and maintaining board control.
How to beat Soulhunter Rakshasa
Soulhunter Rakshasa joins the arena of imposing creatures within the MTG universe. Overcoming this fearsome card requires tactical finesse and the right counters. While its power and toughness make it a substantial threat, it’s ultimately not invincible. Strategies like direct removal spells are effective; cards such as Doom Blade or Murder can dispatch it regardless of its strength.
As an alternative, use exile effects that can bypass the Rakshasa’s formidable presence. Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares offer clean solutions without triggering possible death-related abilities. Keeping in mind its converted mana cost, countermagic like Negate or Essence Scatter can prevent the Rakshasa from hitting the board in the first place—often a more resource-efficient approach. Board wipes like Day of Judgment or Wrath of God also clear the way, handling Soulhunter Rakshasa along with other potential threats on the table.
The key is to keep a diverse array of answers in your deck, ensuring that you can address not only Soulhunter Rakshasa but any sizable creatures your opponent plays. Adaptability and prediction, thus, become your allies in dealing with such powerful cards in MTG.
Cards like Soulhunter Rakshasa
Soulhunter Rakshasa is an intriguing creature card that invites comparisons with others of its ilk in Magic: The Gathering. Taking a look at Nightmare, another creature that thrives on swamps, we notice a key difference: Nightmare’s power and toughness ebb and flow with the number of swamps you control, while Soulhunter Rakshasa’s stats are fixed, emphasizing stability over variability.
Then there’s the card Dread Presence, which capitalizes on swamp control but with an altogether different twist — generating value through card draw or life loss whenever a swamp enters under your control. Unlike Soulhunter Rakshasa, it offers long-term utility rather than presenting a formidable body on the board. Comparatively, Squelching Leeches also expands in strength with the number of swamps you govern. However, it lacks the immediate impact of Soulhunter Rakshasa’s daunting presence.
In sum, while examining the competitive landscape of swamp-loving creatures, it becomes evident that Soulhunter Rakshasa holds its own. It brings a reliable force to the table without the dependency on the quantity of swamps, separating itself as a solid pick in decks seeking muscle over strategic flexibility.
Cards similar to Soulhunter Rakshasa by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soulhunter Rakshasa MTG card by a specific set like Arena New Player Experience Extras and Arena Beginner Set, 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 Soulhunter Rakshasa and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Soulhunter Rakshasa Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Caio Monteiro.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-07-14 | Arena New Player Experience Extras | XANA | 35 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Caio Monteiro | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Arena Beginner Set | ANB | 62 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Caio Monteiro |
