Soulherder
Creature — Spirit
Whenever a creature is exiled from the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
At the beginning of your end step, you may exile another target creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- UW
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #1634
Soulherder turns every end step into a free enters-the-battlefield trigger, and it grows itself in the process — that's a two-card engine the moment you pair it with something like Archaeomancer. The cost is two mana and a body that needs to survive a turn cycle, which is a real ask in Commander but trivially worth it in any deck built around flicker.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ranar the Ever-Watchful
Ranar the Ever-Watchful generates a 1/1 Spirit token every time a permanent is exiled and returned, so Soulherder's end-step flicker becomes a free token factory bolted onto whatever ETB you're already looping.
Niko, Light of Hope
Niko, Light of Hope cares about Shards and tokens entering the battlefield, and Soulherder gives the deck a repeatable way to generate both value and board presence without spending a card each turn.
Roon of the Hidden Realm
Roon of the Hidden Realm is already the definitive flicker commander, and Soulherder adds a second axis — an on-board outlet that doesn't tap and grows larger the longer the game goes.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward // Candlekeep Sage
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward // Candlekeep Sage exiles your own permanents as part of its ability, and Soulherder lets you stack additional flicker triggers on top of that engine each turn cycle.
Brago, King Eternal
Brago, King Eternal already flickers your whole board on a combat step, and Soulherder provides a redundant, uncounterable flicker outlet for the turns Brago can't connect or isn't on the battlefield.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Commander is where Soulherder lives — the format's longer game gives it time to grow, and 100-card singleton means ETB-heavy decks need every redundant flicker piece they can find. In Legacy and Vintage it's technically legal but outclassed by faster engines and hasn't found a competitive foothold. Modern is the most plausible constructed home; Azorius or bant flicker shells can use Soulherder as a three-mana threat that compounds value, though it remains a fringe player rather than a staple. Pioneer and Standard legality are off the table, and Pauper can't run it since it's uncommon.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Azor, the LawbringerSoulherder
Opponents can't cast instant spells during their turns; Opponents can't cast sorcery spells; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Wernog, Rider's ChaplainTime SieveAcademy ManufactorSoulherder
Infinite turns; Lock
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data isn't available for Soulherder in this context, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the live number. It's an uncommon from a widely opened set, which historically keeps copies accessible well under a dollar — worth grabbing a copy or two if you're building any blue-white flicker shell.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Archaeomancer
- Ranar the Ever-Watchful
- Niko, Light of Hope
- Roon of the Hidden Realm
- Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward // Candlekeep Sage
- Brago, King Eternal
- Time Warp
- Azor, the Lawbringer
- Wernog, Rider's Chaplain
- Time Sieve
- Academy Manufactor
- Temporal Manipulation
- Eternal Witness
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.