Insatiable Souleater MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Artifact Creature — Phyrexian Beast
Released	2011-05-13
Set symbol
Set name	New Phyrexia
Set code	NPH
Power	5
Toughness	1
Number	140
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Dave Kendall

Key Takeaways

Flexibility with Phyrexian mana allows strategic deployment while preserving other resources.
Instant speed enhances threat level, surprising opponents during combat scenarios.
Dedication to green mana or life points is crucial for optimizing Insatiable Souleater’s potential.

Text of card

{PG}: Insatiable Souleater gains trample until end of turn. ({PG} can be paid with either or 2 life.)

"We thank the souleaters for culling our sick so that the strong may earn their triumphs." —Drones' hymn of gratitude

Card Pros

Card Advantage: What makes the Insatiable Souleater a significant addition to a player’s deck is its potential for tactical adaptability. Although it doesn’t directly let you draw more cards, its Phyrexian mana cost offers flexibility, allowing you to deploy other resources or spells while still getting a creature on the board.

Resource Acceleration: Insatiable Souleater may not produce additional mana or treasure, however, its low cost and alternate Phyrexian mana payment method effectively accelerate your board presence. By paying life instead of mana, you can develop your board state while keeping mana reserves for other crucial plays.

Instant Speed: This card interacts advantageously with instant speed mechanics. The ability to pump Insatiable Souleater at instant speed with life rather than mana can catch an opponent off-guard, making it a versatile threat during combat. This instant speed life payment also complements strategies that benefit from life total changes, integrating seamlessly with instant speed spells and abilities.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Insatiable Souleater doesn’t force a discard directly, players often need to sacrifice other cards or effects to facilitate the mana required for its phyrexian mana activation, potentially depleting valuable resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Insatiable Souleater’s inclusion in a deck demands a particular commitment to either green mana or life points to leverage its ability, making it less flexible in mana-diverse decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an effective cost that could amount to either two green mana and two life points or four life points outright, Insatiable Souleater competes with other creatures and spells which might provide greater value or lower-cost alternatives for similar effects.

Reasons to Include Insatiable Souleater in Your Collection

Versatility: Insatiable Souleater is not just another creature card. The flexibility of being able to gain infect as an option makes it a sneaky addition to decks that might not be entirely focused on poison counters but can use it as an alternative win condition.

Combo Potential: This card shines when paired with cards that increase creature power or provide additional combat phases. The potential to suddenly turn a benign board state into one that can lethally distribute poison counters cannot be understated.

Meta-Relevance: Given that speed and surprise can play crucial roles in today’s game, having Insatiable Souleater in your arsenal means you’re equipped to pivot strategies mid-game. It’s also particularly effective in environments where players may not always be prepared to deal with an unexpected infect creature.

How to beat Insatiable Souleater

Encountering the Insatiable Souleater in MTG gameplay requires tactical finesse due to its potential for life-point swings. This artifact creature offers flexibility with its Phyrexian mana ability, allowing a player to pay either mana or life points to grant it the coveted trample property until the end of the turn. This feature makes it a volatile adversary, especially in aggressive decks designed to exploit life totals for strategic gains.

To counteract the Souleater, it’s advisable to employ removal spells or creatures with abilities to neutralize it before it deals lethal damage. Strategic use of instant-speed spells like Doom Blade, or the inclusion of creatures with deathtouch or high toughness, can mitigate the threat it poses significantly. Furthermore, preventing it from amassing a board presence by limiting the life total exchanged for its abilities helps maintain control of the game.

Ultimately, foresight into the Souleater’s capabilities and including countering cards and strategies in your deck are essential. Recognizing the opportune moment to halt its advancement can ensure your triumph over this potentially game-altering card.

Cards like Insatiable Souleater

The Insatiable Souleater is an intriguing creature card in MTG that offers players the ability to gain life at a flexible cost mechanism. An equivalent card in the organic life gain category is the Vault Skirge. Both of these cards share the Phyrexian mana mechanic, allowing players to pay life instead of mana to cast them. The Vault Skirge starts off a bit weaker but has lifelink, presenting continuous life gain as opposed to the single-use life gain offered by Insatiable Souleater.

Voracious Hatchling also falls in a related vein, with life gain being tied to its lifelink ability, although it comes with a growing threat factor. Unlike Insatiable Souleater, it becomes stronger with every life gained from combat damage. Flesh-Eater Imp is another card that shares the Phyrexian mana aspect, enabling sacrifice plays for power boosts, although it does not directly offer life gain. It embodies a more strategic angle for players who favor board control over the life total.

In conclusion, while the Insatiable Souleater adds a one-time life gain advantage, other alternative cards introduce different edges to the life gain strategy, opening an array of tactical choices for players in the MTG battlefield.

Cards similar to Insatiable Souleater by color, type and mana cost

Trigon of Infestation - MTG Card versions

Jade Seedstones // Jadeheart Attendant - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Insatiable Souleater MTG card by a specific set like New Phyrexia, 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 Insatiable Souleater and other MTG cards: