Carnival of SoulsHow it works & interactions with other cards

The Price of Admission

The core mechanic of Carnival of Souls is a triggered ability that fires whenever any creature enters the battlefield. This is not limited to your own creatures; if an opponent plays a creature, or if an effect creates a token, the ability will trigger. Every single time this happens, you lose 1 life and add one black mana ({B}) to your mana pool.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, a creature enters the battlefield through casting, flickering, or token creation. This immediately puts the Carnival of Souls trigger on the stack. When the trigger resolves, you perform both actions simultaneously: your life total decreases by 1, and your mana pool increases by {B}. Because this is a triggered ability and not a mana ability, it uses the stack and can be responded to, but the life loss cannot be avoided once the ability begins to resolve.

Common Pitfalls

The most important thing to remember is that this effect is not optional. You cannot choose to skip the mana generation to save your life total. If 20 creatures enter the battlefield while you have 15 life, you will lose the game before you can even spend the mana unless you have a way to stop the triggers. Additionally, since the mana is added as a triggered ability, you cannot use it to pay for the spell that triggered it, as the creature must already be on the battlefield for the trigger to exist.

When to Host the Carnival

This card shines in decks that can convert raw mana into life gain or immediate victory. It is particularly potent in 'Aristocrat' strategies where you are already benefitting from creatures entering and dying. It works best when you have a mana sink or a way to ensure the life loss doesn't reach zero before your opponents do.

Interaction examples

The Shapeshifter's Toll

Black Market Connections

During your first main phase, you choose the 'Hire a Mercenary' mode on Black Market Connections. As the ability resolves, you lose 3 life and create a 3/2 Shapeshifter token. Because a creature entered the battlefield, Carnival of Souls triggers. You then lose 1 additional life and add {B} to your mana pool, resulting in a total loss of 4 life for the turn.

Accumulating Attrition

Phyrexian Arena

If you have both enchantments out, you start your upkeep by drawing a card and losing 1 life from Phyrexian Arena. If you then cast a creature spell during your main phase, Carnival of Souls triggers upon its entry. You lose another 1 life and gain {B}. Between these two cards, your resources (cards and mana) grow quickly, but your life total will drop by at least 2 each turn you play a creature.

Token Swarms

If you play a spell that creates three 1/1 soldier tokens, Carnival of Souls will trigger three separate times. You will lose a total of 3 life and add {B}{B}{B} to your mana pool. You must track each trigger individually on the stack, and you will have the mana available to spend after each trigger resolves.