Soul Spike 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
You may exile two black cards from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Soul Spike deals 4 damage to any target and you gain 4 life.
Complete guide
Soul Spike is a powerful black instant that offers a devastating swing in life totals. It is famous for its alternative casting cost, allowing you to bypass its high mana requirement by exiling cards from your hand. This versatility makes it a staple in aggressive and combo decks that need to finish off an opponent or stabilize their own life.
What Soul Spike Does
At its core, Soul Spike is a 'drain' spell that deals 4 damage to any target and grants you 4 life. While its mana cost is 7 total, you can cast it for free by exiling two black cards from your hand. This alternative cost is paid at the same time you would pay mana, providing a surprise factor that few opponents expect when you are tapped out.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you announce Soul Spike and choose its target. Next, you choose whether to pay {5}{B}{B} or exile two black cards from your hand; note that you cannot exile Soul Spike to pay for its own cost as it is on the stack during this step. Once costs are paid, the spell waits for priority to pass. Upon resolution, it deals 4 damage to the target. If the target is still legal, you then gain 4 life. If the target becomes illegal before resolution, the entire spell fails and you gain no life.
Common Mistakes
Players often forget that the alternative cost still counts as casting the spell. Even if you pay zero mana, the spell's mana value remains 7. This is crucial when interacting with effects that care about mana value. Additionally, you cannot use one of the two black cards you are exiling to pay for other costs; they are consumed specifically for the alternative cost requirement.
When to Play It
Soul Spike is best utilized as a finisher or a defensive tool when you have an abundance of black cards. Because it targets 'any target,' it can remove a problematic creature or planeswalker while keeping you alive. In high-stakes matches, it serves as a 'free' way to punish an opponent who thinks they are safe because your lands are tapped.
Interaction examples
Not of This WorldIf an opponent targets your creature with Soul Spike, its mana value is 7 regardless of whether they paid mana or exiled cards. This satisfies the conditions for Not of This World, potentially allowing your opponent to counter Soul Spike for free if your creature has power 7 or greater.
Curtains' CallBoth Soul Spike and Curtains' Call have high mana values (7 and 6 respectively). If you are playing a format where mana value matters, such as having a triggered ability that checks for spells with mana value 5 or greater, casting Soul Spike for its alternative cost will still trigger that ability, just as Curtains' Call would even if its cost was reduced by the Undaunted mechanic.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Soul Spike
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You may pay the alternative cost rather than the card’s mana cost. Any additional costs are paid as normal.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you don’t have two cards of the right color in your hand, you can’t choose to cast the spell using the alternative cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t exile a card from your hand to pay for itself. At the time you would pay costs, that card is on the stack, not in your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Soul Spike
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.