Soldevi Adnate 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

, Sacrifice a black or artifact creature: Add an amount of equal to the sacrificed creature's mana value.

Complete guide

Soldevi Adnate is a powerful mana engine for black decks, turning your creatures into immediate fuel for larger spells. By sacrificing your own units, this Human Cleric allows you to convert their mana value into a burst of black mana.

What It Does

Soldevi Adnate possesses a mana ability that requires tapping the Adnate and sacrificing a creature as a cost. The creature sacrificed must be either black, an artifact, or both. In return, you receive an amount of black mana equal to that creature's mana value, which is the total amount of mana in the upper right corner of the card.

How it Resolves Step by Step

First, you activate the ability by tapping Soldevi Adnate and choosing a legal creature to sacrifice. This is a cost, so your opponents cannot respond to the sacrifice itself. Because this is a mana ability, it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to; you simply receive the mana immediately. The mana value is determined by the card's mana cost, where X is considered 0 if the creature was on the battlefield.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is trying to sacrifice a creature that is neither black nor an artifact; if a creature is only green and non-artifact, it is not a legal choice. Additionally, remember that tokens usually have a mana value of 0 unless they are copies of another card, meaning they won't provide any mana when sacrificed to the Adnate.

When to Play It

This card is best used in decks that want to accelerate into high-cost spells or trigger 'dies' effects. Since the sacrifice is part of the cost, it is an excellent way to get value out of a creature that an opponent is trying to exile or destroy with a spell.

Interaction examples

Fueling the Artist

Blood Artist

If you control both cards, you can tap Soldevi Adnate to sacrifice Blood Artist. Since Blood Artist is a black creature with a mana value of 2, you immediately add two black mana to your mana pool. This also triggers Blood Artist's own ability, letting you drain an opponent for 1 life.

Artifact Acceleration

Ornithopter of Paradise

You can sacrifice Ornithopter of Paradise to Soldevi Adnate because the Thopter is an artifact creature. Even though it is colorless, it meets the 'artifact' requirement. You will add two black mana to your pool, which is the mana value of Ornithopter of Paradise.

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