Soul Conduit MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	2011-05-13
Set symbol
Set name	New Phyrexia
Set code	NPH
Number	158
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Brad Rigney

Key Takeaways

It provides a second chance at victory by swapping life totals at critical moments in the game.
Flexibility comes from instant-speed activation, allowing for surprise plays and game dynamics control.
The high opportunity cost and specific mana needs require thoughtful deckbuilding and play strategies.

Text of card

, : Two target players exchange life totals.

"You have an unhealthy attachment to your selfhood. I can help you with that." —Malcator, Executor of Synthesis

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Soul Conduit offers a unique form of card advantage by effectively “drawing” you into a new life total. This can turn the tables in games where you’re behind, giving you a second chance at victory.

Resource Acceleration: Utilizing Soul Conduit in conjunction with life-gain strategies accelerates your resources by putting you in a position where your life can be used as a tool for controlling the game’s dynamic.

Instant Speed: Although not an instant itself, Soul Conduit can be activated at instant speed. This flexibility allows you to wait until the most opportune moment, such as in response to a lethal attack or damaging spell, to swap life totals and stay in the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Soul Conduit means having to lose precious cards from your hand, making it a risky choice when your in-game resources are dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: With a precise mana requirement that includes both generic and Phyrexian mana, Soul Conduit may challenge your deck’s flexibility, as tapping life points can often be a double-edged sword.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Trading six mana to switch life totals might sound intriguing, but consider the opportunity cost—other cards could provide more immediate impact or board control at a lower cost.

Reasons to Include Soul Conduit in Your Collection

Versatility: Soul Conduit offers a unique ability to exchange life totals, making it a versatile option for decks designed around life manipulation or as a silver bullet in metas with life-gain strategies.

Combo Potential: This card holds immense combo potential, pairing well with effects that manipulate life totals or with cards that benefit from sudden life total changes, setting the stage for surprising wins.

Meta-Relevance: Given its capacity to overturn the tables on an opponent’s victory march, Soul Conduit can be particularly relevant in metas where games tend to reach higher life totals, or where stabilizing at a low life is common.

How to beat

Soul Conduit presents a unique challenge on the battlefield in MTG. This artifact has the power to switch life totals, which can turn the tide of a game. To counter this strategy, it’s critical to keep an eye on the mana your opponent has available. Since activating Soul Conduit requires a significant amount of mana, pressuring your opponent’s resources can prevent the activation of this game-altering ability.

Disruption is another effective tactic. Cards that force your opponent to discard or that give you the ability to destroy or exile artifacts will undermine the presence of Soul Conduit. A timely play of cards like Naturalize or Disenchant can neutralize Soul Conduit before it becomes a threat. Additionally, counterspells are your ally in this scenario, allowing you to prevent the artifact from even entering the battlefield.

One other strategy is to minimize its impact by managing your life total proactively. Lifegain decks that can quickly recover lost life put you out of danger from life-swapping effects. By using these methods, you can ensure that Soul Conduit doesn’t reverse your fortunes and remain in control of the game’s outcome.

Cards like Soul Conduit

The Soul Conduit card offers a unique twist in the landscape of life-total manipulation within Magic: The Gathering. It draws a parallel with the iconic card, Mirror Universe, as both facilitate a sudden switch in life totals. Similar to Soul Conduit, Mirror Universe also provides a game-altering effect. However, Mirror Universe has a higher cost and requires a full round before activation, whereas Soul Conduit has the advantage of immediate impact, at the expense of six mana and two to activate.

Visiting a more recent comparison, Axis of Mortality from the Ixalan set allows players to exchange life totals at the beginning of their upkeep. This continuous effect can potentially offer more strategic depth over several turns, although it’s locked to a specific phase of the game unlike the direct control provided by Soul Conduit. Magus of the Mirror, another comparable card, functions similarly to Mirror Universe but as a creature, it can be more vulnerable to removal spells.

Assessing the capabilities and limitations of these life-total swapping cards shows where Soul Conduit stands. For players aiming for that climactic moment of turning the tables instantly, this artifact might be their go-to choice in MTG, especially with its straightforward activation poised for dramatic comebacks.

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

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Soul Conduit 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 Soul Conduit and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Soul Conduit 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 Conduit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2011-06-01	If a player can’t gain life, that player can’t exchange life totals with a player with a higher life total. If a player can’t lose life, that player can’t exchange life totals with a player with a lower life total. In either of these cases, neither player’s life total will change.
2011-06-01	If one of the targeted players is an illegal target when the activated ability tries to resolve, the exchange won’t happen. Neither player’s life total will change.
2011-06-01	In a Two-Headed Giant game, each player is considered to have the same life total as their team. If the two targeted players are on different teams, the teams will end up exchanging life totals. If the two targeted players are teammates, nothing will happen.
2011-06-01	When the life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player’s previous life total. For example, if Player A has 5 life and Player B has 3 life before the exchange, Player A will lose 2 life and Player B will gain 2 life. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them.