Soul of InnistradHow it works & interactions with other cards

Dual Recovery Options

Soul of Innistrad features two identical activated effects with different costs. While on the battlefield, you can pay five mana to return up to three creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. If the Soul itself has been destroyed, you can use its 'exile from graveyard' ability to get one final burst of value by returning three more creatures, effectively replacing itself.

Activating from the Graveyard

Exiling Soul of Innistrad is part of the cost for its second ability. This means once you announce the ability and pay the mana, the card is immediately moved to the exile zone. Your opponents cannot use graveyard hate, like a spell that exiles a specific card, to stop you from activating this ability once you have started the process.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is forgetting that the ability targets. You must choose up to three specific creature cards in your graveyard when you activate the ability. If all targeted cards are removed from the graveyard in response, the ability will fail to resolve. Additionally, remember that you cannot return Soul of Innistrad to your hand using its own exile ability, as it moves to the exile zone as a cost before the ability even goes on the stack.

When to Play It

This card excels in midrange and control decks that aim to win through attrition. It is best deployed when you have high-impact creatures in your graveyard that your opponent has already spent resources to kill. Because it has deathtouch, it is also a fantastic deterrent against large attackers, as it can trade with any creature regardless of its toughness.

Interaction examples

Draining the Opponent Repeatedly

Gray Merchant of Asphodel

If you have a Gray Merchant of Asphodel in your graveyard, you can use Soul of Innistrad to return it to your hand. After casting it again to drain your opponent's life, if the Merchant dies again, you can repeat the process. This creates a loop of life loss and life gain that is difficult for opponents to overcome.

Triggering Mass Damage

Syr Konrad, the Grim

With Syr Konrad, the Grim on the battlefield, activating Soul of Innistrad becomes even more lethal. When you return three creature cards from your graveyard to your hand, Syr Konrad triggers three times, dealing 3 damage to each opponent. If you use the Soul's exile ability, Syr Konrad triggers four times: once for the Soul leaving the graveyard as a cost, and three times for the creatures returned by the effect.