Cauldron of Souls — ruling 1

If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won’t trigger and the card won’t return to the battlefield. That’s because persist checks the creature’s existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 2

If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 3

The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 4

If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they’ll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 5

If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can’t return to the battlefield.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 6

When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 7

If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player’s persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player’s persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.

Cauldron of Souls — ruling 8

If a nontoken creature that gains persist this way is put into a graveyard, that card will be returned to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it. However, because it’s a new object with no relation to its previous existence, the returned creature will not have persist.

Cauldron of Souls : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Cauldron of Souls is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

: Choose any number of target creatures. Each of those creatures gains persist until end of turn. (When it dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)

Complete guide

Cauldron of Souls is a powerful defensive artifact that offers a second life to your army. By granting your creatures persist, you can ensure that a board wipe or a bad block isn't the end of your game plan. It is a staple in recursion strategies that value enters-the-battlefield effects.

What it Does

Cauldron of Souls allows you to tap it to target any number of creatures. These creatures gain the persist keyword until the end of the turn. Persist is a triggered ability that checks the creature just before it leaves the battlefield; if it had no -1/-1 counters on it when it died, it returns to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter.

How it Resolves Step by Step

First, you activate the ability by tapping the Cauldron and choosing your targets. Once the ability resolves, those creatures gain persist. If a targeted creature dies later that turn, the game checks its status. If it had no -1/-1 counters, the persist ability triggers and goes on the stack. When the trigger resolves, the card is put back onto the battlefield from the graveyard. It is now a brand new object and will no longer have persist unless you activate the Cauldron again.

Common Mistakes

One common error involves tokens; while persist will trigger for a token, the token ceases to exist in the graveyard and cannot return. Additionally, remember that persist only works if the creature had no -1/-1 counters. If a creature with a +1/+1 counter takes enough -1/-1 counters to die, the game sees both types of counters on it at the moment of death. Because it still had a -1/-1 counter on it at that final moment, persist will not trigger.

When to Play It

This artifact is best utilized in response to a spell that destroys multiple creatures, or before entering a combat phase where you expect to lose your attackers. It is particularly potent in decks with creatures that have 'enters the battlefield' abilities, as you will get to trigger those abilities twice.

Interaction examples

Doubling Value with Golems

Solemn Simulacrum

If you target Solemn Simulacrum with Cauldron of Souls and then it dies, its own 'dies' trigger goes on the stack alongside the persist trigger. You draw a card, then Solemn Simulacrum returns to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. Because it entered the battlefield again, its first ability triggers, allowing you to search for another basic land.

Persisting Through a Board Wipe

Solemn Simulacrum

Suppose your opponent casts a spell to destroy all creatures. In response, you tap Cauldron of Souls targeting your Solemn Simulacrum. The Simulacrum gains persist. When the board wipe resolves, the Simulacrum dies and persist triggers. It returns to the battlefield as a new object, ready to provide more value, though it will be slightly weaker due to the -1/-1 counter.

Non-Creature Interaction

The One Ring

If you target a creature that is also an artifact with Cauldron of Souls, and it later dies, persist will still function even if it wasn't a creature in the graveyard. However, note that Cauldron of Souls cannot target non-creature permanents like The One Ring. Even if The One Ring is being destroyed, the Cauldron can only protect permanents that are currently creatures.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Cauldron of Souls

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner’s graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won’t trigger and the card won’t return to the battlefield. That’s because persist checks the creature’s existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they’ll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can’t return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it’s a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player’s persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player’s persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
If a nontoken creature that gains persist this way is put into a graveyard, that card will be returned to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter on it. However, because it’s a new object with no relation to its previous existence, the returned creature will not have persist.
No other card is named in this ruling.