Soul Read
Instant
Choose one —
• Counter target spell unless its controller pays 
.
• Draw two cards.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Jumpstart 2022
- Price
- $0.11
- EDHREC rank
- #15413
Soul Read replaces itself and then some — two cards for two mana at instant speed is the baseline, and Melek, Reforged Researcher turns that into a cascading advantage engine the moment you copy it. Bulk rare, not bulk power.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Melek, Reforged Researcher
Melek, Reforged Researcher cares about casting and copying instants and sorceries, and Soul Read does both jobs — it draws cards when you cast it and draws again when Melek copies it, compounding value off a single slot in the 99.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Soul Read earns its keep — instant-speed card draw that replaces itself fits cleanly into any Izzet or blue-heavy shell, and it scales up sharply in spell-copy decks. In Pauper it's legal and competitive with the format's common-based draw suite, though it faces stiff competition from Impulse and Consider at the same price point. Legacy and Vintage allow it, but neither format tolerates two-mana cantrips that don't also break the game open, so it doesn't see play there. Standard, Pioneer, and Modern aren't options, which keeps Soul Read squarely in the casual and Pauper conversation.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.11 bulk tier
At $0.11, Soul Read sits firmly in bulk territory — the kind of card you throw in a trade binder and don't think twice about. That price reflects its casual-format home more than its power level; in the right deck it punches well above a dime.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Melek, Reforged Researcher
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.