Soul Foundry MTG Card
2003-10-02 - Number 246
2019-08-23 - Number 223
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Artifact |
| Abilities | Imprint |
Key Takeaways
- Soul Foundry grants ongoing creature production, turning a single card into a relentless creature factory.
- It lets you play creatures as tokens for less mana, preserving your hand and accelerating board state.
- By creating tokens at the end step, it opens up strategic flexibility and keeps opponents on their toes.
Text of card
Imprint When Soul Foundry comes into play, you may remove a creature card in your hand from the game. (The removed card is imprinted on this artifact.) , : Put a creature token into play that's a copy of the imprinted creature card. X is the converted mana cost of that card.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Soul Foundry offers a consistent stream of creatures to the battlefield. By imprinting a powerful creature card from your hand, you can then make tokens that are copies of that creature, effectively turning one card into many over the course of a game.
Resource Acceleration: This artifact can significantly accelerate your board presence without requiring additional cards from your hand. After the initial investment, you’re able to spend mana to create creature copies, essentially getting the effect of casting creatures for potentially less mana and without depleting your hand resources.
Instant Speed: While Soul Foundry itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it allows you to create creature tokens on your opponent’s end step, thus leaving your mana open during their turn. This flexibility can keep opponents guessing and allows you to adapt to the developing game state before committing to your strategy.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Soul Foundry comes with a strict requirement for mana input, needing four mana including two that must be generic. This specificity can restrict flexibility, particularly in decks that run on a tight mana curve or those that utilize multiple colors heavily.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The initial investment to get Soul Foundry on the battlefield is not insubstantial. For four mana, players may expect an immediate impact, whereas Soul Foundry’s value is contingent on long-term strategy and setup, which can be a hindrance in faster paced games.
Discard Requirement: Soul Foundry does not have a direct discard requirement; however, it requires imprinting a creature card from your hand, effectively removing that card from potential future use. This action can reduce your hand size and limit your options, especially if you’re unable to capitalize on the imprinted creature’s abilities effectively.
Reasons to Include Soul Foundry in Your Collection
Versatility: Soul Foundry stands out for its ability to mold into various deck builds. With the capacity to imprint any creature card from your hand, this artifact elevates your strategic options, allowing for the seamless generation of creature copies every turn.
Combo Potential: This card has enormous synergy with decks that capitalize on enter the battlefield (ETB) triggers or death effects. By repeatedly creating token copies of key creatures, you can repeatedly trigger these effects, fostering powerful combinations that can dominate the game.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, having a card that can adapt to various metagames is critical. Soul Foundry can churn out blockers in a creature-heavy meta or generate value creatures in more control-oriented or combo-based games. Its utility makes it a card worth considering as the meta shifts.
How to beat
Soul Foundry stands out as an intriguing artifact in the vast universe of artifacts in Magic the Gathering. With the ability to imprint a creature card and then create a token copy at the cost of mana equal to the imprinted creature’s mana cost, it introduces a unique dynamic to the battlefield. Nevertheless, despite its potential for building unequaled board presence, the fact that it requires a significant mana investment to both cast and activate, makes it vulnerable to well-timed disruption.
Specifically, ways to dismantle the strategy utilized by Soul Foundry involve the efficient use of removal spells targeting artifacts. Counterspells can prevent Soul Foundry from ever touching the battlefield, while artifact destruction such as Naturalize or Shatter can remove it after it has landed. Efficiently managing resources to keep mana open for these disruptive spells is key to overcoming a strategy reliant on Soul Foundry. Cards that can strip the imprinted creature from underneath Soul Foundry, like Deglamer or Unravel the Aether, directly nullify its utility without having to remove the artifact itself.
In essence, maintaining a balance between developing your own strategy and having the capability to interrupt your opponent’s key plays, like casting and utilizing Soul Foundry, could be the critical edge needed to triumph in a match within the realm of Magic the Gathering.
Cards like Soul Foundry
Soul Foundry is an intriguing artifact in the world of MTG, offering a unique replica effect not commonly found on other cards. Its closest analog is Mimic Vat, which also replicates creatures, but with a distinct difference. Mimic Vat requires a creature to die first and only copies it until the beginning of the next end step. Soul Foundry, in contrast, copies a creature card from your hand directly and doesn’t require it to be in the graveyard, providing a more sustained advantage.
Another parallel can be made with the card Prototype Portal. This artifact allows you to imprint an artifact card and make copies of it. While this does tap into the power of replication, it’s limited to artifact cards, making Soul Foundry more versatile since it can copy any creature card. Additionally, with Soul Foundry, the imprinted creature can be a force to reckon with in every turn, making it a potential game-changer in the long term.
The ability to churn out creature tokens turn after turn makes Soul Foundry a formidable tool, particularly when paired with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield effects. Whether you are looking to bolster your defenses or press the attack, Soul Foundry offers a level of consistency and strategic depth that enhances its value in creature-based decks.
Cards similar to Soul Foundry by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Soul Foundry MTG card by a specific set like Mirrodin and Commander 2019, 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 Foundry 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 Soul Foundry Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2003-10-02 and 2019-08-23. Illustrated by Arnie Swekel.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003-10-02 | Mirrodin | MRD | 246 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel | |
| 2 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 223 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Arnie Swekel |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Foundry has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Soul Foundry 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 | You do not get a chance to pay any optional costs, such as Kicker, on the imprinted card. |
| 2004-12-01 | Most creature tokens have no mana cost and a converted mana cost of 0, but a creature token put onto the battlefield by Soul Foundry has the same mana cost and converted mana cost as the card it copies. |
| 2004-12-01 | Soul Foundry puts a token copy of the imprinted card onto the battlefield. The token is put onto the battlefield, not cast. |
| 2004-12-01 | The token is an exact copy in every way, except that it’s a token, not a card. |
