Wayward Soul MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Abilities Flying
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Wayward Soul offers subtle deck manipulation, potentially strengthening your draw during the game.
  2. The card’s synergy with library mechanics can indirectly boost your strategic resources.
  3. Instant speed disruption allows Wayward Soul to be a flexible, strategic asset in battle.

Text of card

Flying oo U Put Wayward Soul on top of owner's library.

"no home no heart no hope" —Stronghold graffito


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.


Cards like Wayward Soul

Wayward Soul is a unique creature card in the rich tapestry of Magic: The Gathering. When examined alongside its contemporaries in the category of creatures with evasion abilities, Wayward Soul provides a mix of unpredictability and control. Suspended in the same orbit is a card like Mist Raven. This creature also prides itself on its ability to return to the owner’s hand, though it forces the return of another creature to its owner’s hand on casting. However, unlike the reactive nature of Mist Raven, Wayward Soul decides when to slip away, offering strategic flexibility.

Stormfront Pegasus, another creature with a different kind of evasion in the form of flying, may hit the battlefield with less complexity compared to Wayward Soul. Yet, it doesn’t offer the player the same control over board presence. Aquamoeba serves as another example, boasting the ability to alter its power and toughness while also returning to the hand, albeit at the cost of discarding a card, which Wayward Soul avoids. The subtleties between these cards highlight the subtle dance of player control versus card utility.

Identifying these nuances is essential for players looking to finely tune their decks. Wayward Soul may just find its niche among those who appreciate a creature that can weave in and out of play, teasing out tactical advantages turn by turn.

Mist Raven - MTG Card versions
Stormfront Pegasus - MTG Card versions
Aquamoeba - MTG Card versions
Mist Raven - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Stormfront Pegasus - Magic 2010 (M10)
Aquamoeba - Torment (TOR)

Cards similar to Wayward Soul by color, type and mana cost

Phantasmal Forces - MTG Card versions
Phantom Monster - MTG Card versions
Wall of Vapor - MTG Card versions
Tradewind Rider - MTG Card versions
Archivist - MTG Card versions
Extravagant Spirit - MTG Card versions
Thieving Magpie - MTG Card versions
Inga Rune-Eyes - MTG Card versions
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - MTG Card versions
Laboratory Drudge - MTG Card versions
Undercover Operative - MTG Card versions
Hisoka, Minamo Sensei - MTG Card versions
Johnny, Combo Player - MTG Card versions
Dream Prowler - MTG Card versions
Clone - MTG Card versions
Cytoplast Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Crookclaw Transmuter - MTG Card versions
Dreamborn Muse - MTG Card versions
Turtleshell Changeling - MTG Card versions
Sower of Temptation - MTG Card versions
Phantasmal Forces - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Phantom Monster - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Wall of Vapor - Chronicles (CHR)
Tradewind Rider - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Archivist - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Extravagant Spirit - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Thieving Magpie - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Inga Rune-Eyes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Laboratory Drudge - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undercover Operative - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Hisoka, Minamo Sensei - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Johnny, Combo Player - Unhinged (UNH)
Dream Prowler - Tempest Remastered (TPR)
Clone - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Cytoplast Manipulator - Dissension (DIS)
Crookclaw Transmuter - Time Spiral (TSP)
Dreamborn Muse - Tenth Edition (10E)
Turtleshell Changeling - Lorwyn (LRW)
Sower of Temptation - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wayward Soul MTG card by a specific set like Exodus and Beatdown Box 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 Wayward Soul and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wayward Soul Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-06-15 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-06-15ExodusEXO 511997normalblackM. W. Kaluta & DiTerlizzi
22000-10-01Beatdown Box SetBTD 181997normalwhiteM. W. Kaluta & DiTerlizzi
32015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 782015normalblackM. W. Kaluta & DiTerlizzi

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wayward Soul has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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