Shi'ar SoldierHow it works & interactions with other cards

What it Does

Shi'ar Soldier is a 2/2 creature with Flying that costs two mana. Its primary utility comes from its activated ability: for one blue mana and tapping the Soldier, you can return another target permanent you control to your hand. This ability is restricted to your own turn, meaning you cannot use it to respond to threats during an opponent's turn, but it serves as an excellent tool for resetting your own board state.

How it Resolves Step by Step

To activate the ability, you first ensure it is your turn and that Shi'ar Soldier does not have summoning sickness. You pay one blue mana and tap Shi'ar Soldier as the cost, then choose another target permanent you control. When the ability resolves, the targeted permanent is moved from the battlefield to your hand. If the target becomes illegal before the ability resolves (for example, if it is destroyed in response), the ability will fail and nothing happens.

Common Mistakes

The most frequent error players make is trying to use Shi'ar Soldier to save a creature during an opponent's combat phase or end step. The text explicitly states 'Activate only during your turn,' which limits its defensive capabilities to your own main phases or combat. Additionally, remember that it targets 'another' permanent, so Shi'ar Soldier cannot target itself to return to your hand.

When to Play It

Shi'ar Soldier shines in scenarios where you want to re-trigger 'enters-the-battlefield' abilities or clear harmful Auras from your permanents. It is also useful for picking up artifact creatures that you wish to recast for a lower cost or for different benefits. Since it has Flying, it can also serve as a reliable early-game attacker if your opponent lacks reach or flying blockers.

Interaction examples

Resetting Mana Sources

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your Ornithopter of Paradise is targeted by an opponent's sorcery-speed removal spell on your turn, you can pay {U} and tap Shi'ar Soldier to return the Ornithopter of Paradise to your hand. This saves your mana-producer so you can recast it later rather than letting it go to the graveyard.

Synergizing with Cost Reduction

Foundry Inspector

With Foundry Inspector on the battlefield, your artifact spells cost {1} less. You can use Shi'ar Soldier to return an artifact creature to your hand and then immediately recast it for a reduced price. This allows you to trigger effects that happen when you cast a spell or when a creature enters the battlefield multiple times in a single turn.