Soulscour MTG Card


Soulscour - Darksteel
Mana cost
Converted mana cost10
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2004-02-06
Set symbol
Set nameDarksteel
Set codeDST
Number14
Frame2003
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byKev Walker

Key Takeaways

  1. Soulscour’s ability to wipe the board can dramatically shift game advantage in your favor.
  2. Its ten-point mana cost and discard requirement imply its game-changing impact must be decisive.
  3. Despite limitations, its strategic inclusion in decks can offer specialized advantages in various formats.

Text of card

Destroy all nonartifact permanents.

"I have seen the end of times, a future in which all our kind are torn from this world." —Ushanti, leonin shaman


Card Pros

Card Advantage: In Magic the Gathering, establishing a card advantage is crucial, and Soulscour is no exception. This card has the potential to be a massive swing in your favor, leaving your opponents to rebuild from scratch while you maintain control.

Resource Acceleration: One of the key elements that can turn the tide in a game is the ability to ramp up resources. Soulscour doesn’t directly accelerate your mana like some other cards, but its ability to reset the board can indirectly contribute to a form of resource advantage by negating the investments made by your opponents in artifacts and creatures.

Instant Speed: Though Soulscour does not function at instant speed, having a game-changing card like this can feed into strategies that protect your key pieces while disrupting opponents at crucial moments. The sheer threat of a board wipe can alter the way your adversaries play, conserving instant speed removals or counter spells to use after you’ve committed Soulscour.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Soulscour brings a hefty price beyond its mana cost; it requires you to discard your entire hand. This can severely hamper your game plan, especially if Soulscour does not decisively turn the game in your favor in that moment.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a very particular mana investment — ten mana in total, which must include two white. It’s a card specifically suited to decks that can reliably produce large amounts of white mana, thus limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The ten mana needed to play Soulscour is one of the highest costs in the game. Considering the rate of mana accumulation per turn, it could take a significant portion of the game to play this card, and there are other lower-cost options that may clear the board or provide other advantages more efficiently.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Soulscour, being a powerful board wipe, can be a strategic addition to decks that thrive on resetting the board. Its universal nature against permanents makes it a potential game-changer in various formats, particularly for players looking to control the pace of the match.

Combo Potential: Soulscour offers synergy with strategies that revolve around indestructible creatures or artifacts. Its ability to clear the board while leaving your strategic assets untouched can turn the tide of a game to your favor.

Meta-Relevance: In game environments heavy with artifact-centric decks or those that develop formidable board states, Soulscour can serve as a crucial reset mechanism. Its relevance grows in a meta dominated by strategies that accumulate significant numbers of permanents, thus allowing for massive swings in board advantage.


How to beat Soulscour

Soulscour, a formidable card within the vast collection of Magic the Gathering, can be quite a challenge to face. This powerful artifact’s ability to clear the board leaves many players scrambling for a counter strategy. To come out on top against this card, smart deck inclusion and calculated plays are essential. For starters, running counterspells such as Negate or Counterspell helps ensure Soulscour never resolves. Protection for your key pieces is also crucial; cards like Boros Charm or Heroic Intervention grant indestructibility as a precaution against board wipes.

Another effective approach is to limit the resources of the opposing player, making the seven mana cost of Soulscour more demanding. Hand disruption spells like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can affect your opponent’s ability to cast it efficiently. Finally, having a robust sideboard plan is indispensable. Including versatile artifacts and enchantments removal such as Naturalize or Disenchant can give you the upper hand in the post-board games. Such preparations greatly improve your deck’s resilience and your chances of successfully betting Soulscour in the battlefield of Magic the Gathering.


Cards like Soulscour

Soulscour, renowned for its cataclysmic power in MTG, shares space with other formidable board wipes that offer game-altering effects. Notably, it can be likened to the devastating potential of Nevinyrral’s Disk, which also clears the battlefield. However, Soulscour’s absolute removal of all permanents except for lands for a hefty seven mana cost, elevates it to a unique status among such spells. Nevinyrral’s Disk, while able to destroy creatures, artifacts, and enchantments, allows for strategic setup as it doesn’t activate until a turn after it’s played.

Another parallel can be drawn with the spell Obliterate, which emphasizes the no-holds-barred approach to leveling the field, including lands. Although Obliterate leaves no room for reaction due to being uncounterable, the exclusion of lands from Soulscour’s purge adds a nuance of rebuilding potential post-calamity for the caster. Lastly, comparing it to the less costly Wrath of God, which eradicates all creatures without regeneration, illustrates Soulscour’s broader scope despite its higher casting cost.

In the landscape of MTG, evaluating these sweeping effects shows Soulscour as a double-edged sword. Its full-spectrum reset offers a powerful yet risky strategy that can profoundly influence the state of play.

Nevinyrral's Disk - MTG Card versions
Obliterate - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Nevinyrral's Disk - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Obliterate - Invasion (INV)
Wrath of God - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Cards similar to Soulscour by color, type and mana cost

Organic Extinction - MTG Card versions
Storm Herd - MTG Card versions
Everything Comes to Dust - MTG Card versions
Organic Extinction - Murders at Karlov Manor Commander (MKC)
Storm Herd - Starter Commander Decks (SCD)
Everything Comes to Dust - Doctor Who (WHO)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soulscour MTG card by a specific set like Darksteel, 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 Soulscour and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soulscour has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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