Pointed Discussion

No matter how they play it, you get card advantage! Very Dimir

I think this seems very good, because a 2UB for a mind control is very good and 2UB to draw 2 and make your opponent discard 2 is very good. The one thing is that it's another card that gives your opponent the option, which have a history of being worse than originally thought. But you just never know. I still think it's great.

It might be useful, SOMETIMES, just because it's a control magic if they have an empty hand, but it also gives them options. I would not run a spell for 4 mana that draws me 2 and makes them discard 2. Image if you declare an important attack and they activate the second ability before declaring blockers. That would destroy you... Sadly, a 3/5

I desperately want to like this card. The flavor is magnificent, and both effects are powerful. But it's simply too much of a liability. If vexing devil didn't give your opponent a choice, then it wouldn't just be powerful--it would be straight up broken. However this card is different from the average spell that gives your opponents options in a critical way: your opponent doesn't have to choose immediately. Not only does your opponent have a choice with this card, but they have time to choose, and can make that choice whenever they want. Even in the middle of your combat phase. Because of this, any advantage reaped from your ill gotten gains must always play around the possibility that your foe will suddenly revoke your shiny new toy. At a steep price, perhaps, but the potential is always there. And that's often the difference between winning and losing. One of the most important rules that I have learned regarding any game of strategy is that the threat is often more powerful than the execution itself. Don't underestimate it.

I really like this Control Magic variant! A smart opponent will almost never "pay the ransom", as that would be +2 card advantage for you, so it's essentially a harder to cast Control Magic.

Yeah giving your opponents options is never good, but then again neither is +3 cards for you if you were to ask your opponent. (-the aura, +2 cards for you, -2 cards for them)

Drawing this against Reanimate, Unburial rites decks will make you mehface. I think in general there are just better 4 mana spells even Clone (or other similar cards) would be more effective despite its lack of removal and the discard/draw in many cases (I know, oversimplification of cards). Evil Twin. Still a fun and flavorful card... Making them sac their own critters for the ransom of three of their cards, one of yours and you draw two.

A top decking opponent will hate this though. Could be interesting in multiplayer and edh.

Also would be fun against some of the standard biggies: Thragtusk, Angel of serenity (that jacked your cards). Also... Stealing a rare worldspine wurm... Get a little sumtinsumtin plus the four card advantage (if they sac it, and I doubt they would). The more I talk the more I like this card despite its flaws. True love? Maybe a sideboard. Choice is still bad though.

I really don't get what the complaints are all about.

You and I both know Control Magic would never get reprinted in standard. So now you have a control magic instead of a Mind Control.

Now, you say it's a problem because they can pay off the second effect.
You do realize that effect is a 4-card swing, right?
It's Consult the Necrosages x2 on one card.

They're screwed either way, and either way this is a great card.

I love cards that give opponent's choices that they'll regret in retrospect either way.

When I look at this I think of Nicol Bolas. Mind control with 4CMC? I love it with any drawbacks you add to it.

Wow, that 'jek just got ransomed!
This is where Dimir kidnappers come in, except that the victims' minds are the ones being ransomed.

@ Tiggurix: The OPTION to take back the creature (at instant speed nontheless) gives the opponent an exceptional amount of flexibility.

Whereas a card that cost this much and drew you two while making them discard two would be bad? No, it would rock, and everybody would complain about powercreep. This negates the main drawback of discard that costs more than 3 CMC, namely whether or not they have cards in hand. They will always lose two cards. I would cast this hoping for them to destroy it, any number of times I get to use the creature is icing on the cake. Know what else is instant speed? Most black removal and unsummons, which I probably just drew when this bought it. Just plan any attack knowing the enchanted creature could switch sides, and have a response. Not really complicated. Love this card.

"(...) Only any opponent may activate this ability."

Meh.
Like that, it's just worse than Control Magic since your opponent solely gets to decide between the lesser evil (having one of his creatures on your side, or getting a Mindculling).

Don't get me wrong, a card that's "a bit worse than Control Magic" is still great.
But it would be a lot more interesting without that line.

If you would have been allowed to activate this ability as well, you admittedly wouldn't get a card advantage, but could still have made use of it (either because you desperately wanted to discard something, draw new cards or simply get rid of the creature - like Lord of the Pit, after running out of creatures to sacrifice).

This card saved me at the prerelease, All i took was a Basilica Guards to steal my opponent's extort trigger, but it was enough. He was just too afraid to give me the card advantage caused by taking his creature back.

This thing won me 4 matches in the prerelease. It was pretty sick. I ended up basically playing it as a draw spell. it slowed people down enough for me to just steal wins without much problem.

Fortunately, I only faced this once in the prerelease. My opponent stole my Rust Scarab , ciphered a Paranoid Delusions onto it and swung straight into my Ætherize.

Still, a potentially risky card for both parties. The caster has to deal with the possibility of losing the creature at any time at the opponent's discretion, while the victim has to either lose major card advantage or just deal with the loss of their best creature.

Steal their commander and give a four card advantage if they want their commander back? This is bad why?

This card gives to the opponent the option to sacrifice the enchantment or just let the creature be taken.
It's a very nice card.

Looks good...until you try to use it competitively. Or even in Limited.

IT'S A TWAP!

Play Pithing Needle naming this card, and your opponents can't pay the ransom even if they wanted to. (well, not without burning removal on a 1-drop artifact).

Underrated. The drawback isn't that bad to begin with since it's a 4 card difference for 4. At worst, they discard 2 unneeded lands late game, but you still gain 2 cards. If you're playing this along side other discard and/or shrieking affliction, then you're making bank. It'd be fun to make them think they're getting one over on you you by activating the ability to retain their creature, then you drop the shrieking affliction now that they're down two cards. Also, I can't wait for Soul Ransom to draw me in to another Soul Ransom.

I just love the idea of this card so much that I am probably going to try it no matter what, I will probably wait until I have a Devour Flesh or Rapid Hybridization in hand before playing but still.

Sacrifice the creature in response to your opponent activating the ability. You'll still draw two cards because the ability is on the stack, even if Soul Ransom goes into the graveyard before it resolves.

It's certainly not control magic, but it has some nice angles. This seems like it would be fun to play.

probably really good late game when your opponent has few cards in hand and just played a fatty. Definitely good in early game for card advantage. I'd play it :)

Play it on a great creature -- they'll discard two cards, you'll draw two cards, they'll get their creature back.
Play it on a bad creature -- you'll get a bad creature.

This is card advantage.

Psst!

Your opponent can only play the ability if they have two cards in their hand.

Treasury Thrull is a funny way of getting this back if your opponent chooses the get-out clause. Or, if your opponent kills his ex-comrade. In Draft this trick was a lot of fun to pull off.

Also, it's just a fabulous looking card overall. Cool cost for the effect, both outcomes reap benefits making it seem hilariously cruel AND that art is just beautifully striking.

Actually, this might be the very best of all worlds of a Control-Magic variant:


think of it this way-

A) if your opponent doesn't play around it and just lets you have the creature, it is "Control Magic if you control a Swamp.", which is nice and probably a good way to balance that card.

B) if your opponent is savvy to playing around this card- then it is "{4 mana}: Control Magic or you draw 4 cards, your opponent chooses." This is technically the worst it can be, but the Hymn to Tourach-stapled-to-Divination for just 4 mana is probably the cheapest bargain you can get Draw and Discard for, and Discarding is SLIGHTLY better than just Drawing if your opponent loses a really important card from their hand. (disruption) You also have the chance of just Drawing lands, which is less than beautiful after you've hit this much mana, but "Control Magic or Discard 2 + Draw 2" is still a good enough card. It's the worst mode and how most people have evaluated it, but it's far from the only thing that can happen when you cast this.

C) If your opponent ISN'T savvy to the various dangers the card presents and doesn't actually make up their mind whether to let you have A or B on the turn you cast it, but ACTUALLY lets you connect an Attack with your stolen creature and LATER decides to eat the Card Disadvantage more.....THEN you have played yourself a MEGA-BOMB of a spell for just 4 Mana.

D) Plus, if you're really good at MAGIC and have already built a bunch of decks, then you already know that anytime you steal a creature, you will sacrifice it if you can for so much gain. Altar of Dementia FRAKKING LOVES this card. o_o Easily I think this is better than Slave of Bolas, after thinking about everything. Well worth trading away haste for all this. :D

I would say that in terms of the upsides and downsides and all the things you can do that can happen, this card should actually be evaluated as "It'd be a lousy Planeswalker, but it's still kind of a Planeswalker. Since Planeswalkers and Enchantments are about as easy to remove (Walkers can be attacked after being cast, countermagic hits them equally, and Dreadbore now exists), and as a Control Magic effect, being an Aura isn't a downside."

I'm shocked this isn't rated higher. It's all upsides; Either your opponent destroys the creature or enchantment which is a plus to you or they take the damage or they give up mass card advantage to you. Awesome card.

If you are playing B/U, what is the chance of your opponent actually having cards in hand to deal with the sac effect? And even if they do, they are using two cards to remove one, and you gain two cards in return.

And remember Oona's Prowler? I wouldn't play Soul Ransom for pure control function, I'd use it as a lure, see if my opponent is foolish enough to do exactly that.

Also, Quest for the Nihil Stone and Bloodchief Ascension have great synergy with Soul Ransom. And counter spells such as Squelch is surprisingly punishing when your opponent wants to remove it via discard.

@Drewskithelegend
'All upsides' and 'has no drawbacks' are the worst de***ions for cards.

Hill giant has no drawbacks. Even chimney imp has no drawbacks.

Picture a 1/1 for 20 mana. It has no drawbacks except that it's horrendously bad.

This card may seem like all upsides, but keep in mind that the second ability there is actually worse than not being there. If mind control gained that second ability, it would be worse than it is without it.

All that said, I still like it. I think it's better than some people make it out to be. The real problem with it is that almost all creatures that are good are only good because when they enter the battlefield, they do crazy things.

Punisher cards aren't very good in general, but this has to be the strongest one I've ever seen. There are just too many combos with it, even in Standard alone. As long as your opponent is sees the ability to "pay the ransom" as a liability for you and tries to get clever with it (such as using the ransom as a combat trick), this can be even more powerful than Control Magic, an already too-powerful-for-modern-Magic card.

- Blink the creature with Cloudshift or Restoration Angel in response to your opponent paying the ransom. They'll discard 2, you'll draw 2 (the effect goes on stack, look it up), and you'll keep their creature permanently. Extra points if you stole their Thragtusk or Angel of Serenity.

- Bounce the creature with Orzhov Charm in response to them paying the ransom. They'll discard 2, you'll draw 2, you'll get Soul Ransom back to your hand, and they'll get their creature back to theirs. They'll probably be too scared to play the creature again, or you'll just steal it again!

- Sac the creature with Devour Flesh in response to them paying the ransom. Your opponent's most likely to pay the ransom when they don't care about card advantage and know they can push for game, but now your opponent down by 4 cards and you're out of lethal damage zone.

- Run Soul Ransom in multiples. If they pay the ransom, just steal the creature back next turn with another Soul Ransom. They'll probably run out of cards to discard after the first or second ransom while you keep on drawing more cards while still keeping their best creature.

- If you really need the effect to stick, run Rakdos's Return and other discard with Soul Ransom, or deter them from paying with sack-engines like Cartel Aristocrat. Playing it this way just makes the card Control Magic, which still is great, but not as exciting for me as the other above combos.

So I played this on my opponents Erebos when it was a creature. Because of a Shrieking Affliction and Agent of the Fates, it is still a creature only on my side. My opponent decides to discard two cards so I cast Disperse on the Soul Ransom after the activation cost is paid. Priceless..