Soovril, Patient AntiquarianHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding Time Manipulation

Soovril's primary ability targets a nonland card in exile, but only if that card moved from your graveyard to exile during the current turn. When the ability resolves, you place two time counters on that card. Crucially, if the card doesn't already have suspend, Soovril grants it that keyword, ensuring it will eventually be cast as the counters are removed during your upkeep.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, ensure a card has moved from your graveyard to exile this turn through an effect like delve, flashback, or a specific exile-from-graveyard cost. Second, tap Soovril to target that card in the exile zone. Upon resolution, the card gains two time counters. If it didn't have suspend, it gains it now. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you will remove a counter; once the last is removed, you cast the spell without paying its mana cost.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is attempting to target a card that was exiled directly from the library or hand. Soovril specifically requires the card to have visited the graveyard first. Additionally, remember that Soovril cannot target land cards, as lands are played rather than cast, and suspend only applies to spells. If Soovril leaves the battlefield, the card in exile keeps suspend and its counters.

When to Activate

The best time to use Soovril is during your post-combat main phase after you have utilized a graveyard-exile effect. Because the ability requires the card to have been exiled 'this turn,' you cannot wait for a future turn cycle to bring back a card that was exiled previously. Using it on an opponent's turn is also possible if you have instant-speed ways to exile cards from your own graveyard.

Interaction examples

Protecting Your Assets

Esper Sentinel

If your Esper Sentinel is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, and you then use an effect to exile it (such as a card with delve or a scavenging ability), Soovril can target the Sentinel in exile. You place two time counters on it and it gains suspend. Two turns later, the Sentinel returns to the battlefield for free.

Resource Management

Professional Face-Breaker

While Professional Face-Breaker exiles cards from the library, those cards are not valid targets for Soovril. However, if you use the Treasure generated by Professional Face-Breaker to pay for a spell with Flashback, that spell is exiled from the graveyard as part of its resolution. Soovril can then target that spell in exile, putting two time counters on it so you can cast it again for free once the counters run out.