Soulfire Eruption 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
Choose any number of target creatures, planeswalkers, and/or players. For each of them, exile the top card of your library, then Soulfire Eruption deals damage equal to that card's mana value to that permanent or player. You may play the exiled cards until the end of your next turn.
Complete guide
Soulfire Eruption is a high-cost sorcery that turns your library into a rain of fire while providing immense card advantage. By exiling cards to blast targets, it offers a dramatic way to clear a path and refill your hand for the following turn. This nine-mana investment is often a game-ending play in formats like Commander.
Unpacking the Eruption
When you cast Soulfire Eruption, you choose any number of targets including creatures, planeswalkers, and players. The spell does not deal a set amount of damage; instead, it exiles cards one by one to determine the impact. You get to keep those exiled cards accessible for casting or playing as lands until the end of your next turn, making it both a board wipe and a massive draw spell.
Resolution Step-by-Step
As the spell resolves, you handle targets in turn order. First, you look at targets controlled by the active player (usually you). You choose the order of these specific targets. For the first target, exile the top card of your library; Soulfire Eruption deals damage equal to that card's mana value to that target. Repeat this for every target in the group before moving to the next player's permanents. No player can take actions or cast spells between these individual damage events.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is forgetting that you must follow normal timing rules for the exiled cards. If you exile a sorcery like Blasphemous Act, you cannot cast it immediately while Soulfire Eruption is resolving; you must wait for your main phase. Additionally, if you exile a land, you can only play it if you have an unused land play for the turn. Lastly, if a card leaves exile (by being cast) and later returns to exile, Soulfire Eruption no longer grants you permission to play it.
When to Play It
Because of its high mana cost, Soulfire Eruption is best used when you have plenty of mana and several high-mana value cards remaining in your deck. It is particularly effective in decks that can manipulate the top of the library, allowing you to ensure high-damage hits against your opponents' most dangerous threats.
Interaction examples
Blasphemous ActIf you target an opponent's creature and the top card of your library is Blasphemous Act, Soulfire Eruption will deal 9 damage to that creature. Even though Blasphemous Act often costs less to cast, its mana value is always determined by the symbols in its corner, which total 9. You can then cast that Blasphemous Act from exile later in the turn.
Call Forth the TempestExiling Call Forth the Tempest with Soulfire Eruption results in 8 damage to the chosen target. Since you have until the end of your next turn to play the exiled card, you can cast Call Forth the Tempest on your next turn to trigger its Cascade abilities and clear the board of any surviving enemy creatures.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Soulfire Eruption
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
As Soulfire Eruption resolves, if you have chosen multiple targets (and we really hope you have), those targets will be handled one at a time in turn order. Start with targets that are either the player whose turn it is (probably you) or permanents that player controls. You choose the relative order of targets within that group. For whichever target you select first, exile the top card of your library, then Soulfire Eruption deals damage to that target. Repeat this process for each subsequent target in the group. After that group is done, move on to targets that are either the next player in turn order or permanents they control. Again, you choose the relative order of targets in that group. Repeat the whole process for each other player.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Nothing can happen in between the damage being dealt to each target, and no player can choose to take actions. Any abilities that trigger while Soulfire Eruption is resolving go on the stack after Soulfire Eruption finishes resolving.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If you're playing with the top card of your library revealed (perhaps because of Courser of Kruphix), you'll see the new top card of your library after each time a card is exiled while Soulfire Eruption's ability is resolving. Notably, you'll see which card is on top of your library before selecting from among the targets in each group. For example: in a three-player game, you're playing with the top card of your library revealed and you cast Soulfire Eruption targeting your two opponents and a creature controlled by the last opponent in turn order. You exile the top card of your library and Soulfire Eruption deals damage to the first opponent. You'll see the new top card of your library before selecting whether the next target will be the last opponent or the creature they control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Soulfire Eruption doesn't change when you can play the exiled cards. For example, if you exile a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase. If you exile a land card, you can play it only during your main phase and only if you have an available land play remaining.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Playing an exiled card causes it to leave exile. Soulfire Eruption won't let you play it multiple times, even if the card later returns to exile somehow.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Soulfire Eruption
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.