Soul-Scar Mage

Creature — Human Wizard

Prowess

If a source you control would deal noncombat damage to a creature an opponent controls, put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature instead.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (50)

TheoryCrafter on FLING THE BURN

2 weeks ago

Have you considered Soul-Scar Mage? This will not only give them Wither, it will practically make most of your instants, sorceries and activated abilities board wipes once All Will Be One enters the battlefield.

May I also recommend cards that don't target including, but not limited to Anger of the Gods, Blazing Volley and Scouring Sands to get around cards that grant some sort of Hexproof, Protection, Shroud and/or Ward?

Plus, with all the looting going on you may want to consider cards with Flashback(including, but not limited to Increasing Vengeance, Past in Flames and Seize the Storm) and Madness(including, but not limited to, Avacyn's Judgment and Fiery Temper).

Other cards to consider are Bearer of the Heavens(if you're feeling really spiteful), Burning Anger and Toralf, God of Fury  ^Flip.

I hope this helps. Thank you for reading me out. Happy Hunting!

lespaul977 on mono red burn needs help

1 month ago

Hi RockIV! I know there are a lot of mono-red burn decks that don’t run many creatures so I don’t think you’re off-base for only running 11. There are some cards that might be fun to add, like Thermo-Alchemist and Guttersnipe, but I don’t thing you’re “wrong” by any means. I run a few more creatures in my Stomp. Burn. Destroy. V2.0 deck (which isn’t the best example of a competitive deck), but that’s just what I prefer. Play what is fun for you.

As far as other solid creatures go, you’ve already got Monastery Swiftspear, which is a great 1-drop, but Ghitu Lavarunner and Soul-Scar Mage are also good 1-drop options if you do decide to add some more creatures.

It looks like you have a lot of cool burn cards in your deck, but a lot of them cost 2. I think it might be a good idea to take a look at Shock (as well as similar cards like Play with Fire) and Skewer the Critics, and other cards you can get out for 1 mana. Also, I’ve had good luck with Light Up the Stage in my burn deck as a nice way to get some card advantage.

Best of luck on the build! I have a lot of fun with burn decks, and I’m sure you will too.

DreadKhan on Rocks Monored burn

1 month ago

I have a Legacy Mono-Red Burn deck, but it only runs 1 card that's not in Modern. Mine can win early, but it's got an ungodly number of 3 drops instead of just running all 1 drops. I think some of the cards I run that might be worth a look for you include: Dragon's Rage Channeler is great if you've got too many lands or not enough, I don't worry too much about it's ceiling, just getting to Surveil over and over can be very good value in some situations. That said, I do run Seal of Fire, which is sneakily useful, it sits but if they try to 'deal' with it you just use it, and it's an Enchantment for DRC. I also run Vexing Devil, it's a so-so card later game, but it's a huge effect turn 1, 3 toughness is high enough that it doesn't trade with most 1 and even 2 drops, meaning most decks are either wasting cards on it or taking 4 damage for R. In rare matches it's terrible obviously. Risk Factor is another Browbeat, it's instant which is huge, and it can be cast from the graveyard once, which is actually pretty huge in practice. Cards like Browbeat and Risk Factor are amazing with stuff like Fury, but that's a pricey card! I've rarely been too unhappy with Ball Lightning, it's very sensitive to First Strike blockers, but getting 6 damage for RRR feels incredible. I use Flame Slash as dedicated 'creature burn', though I only use x2, not sure if you run into a lot of 4-7 toughness bodies that need burning though.

I like Grim Lavamancer more than Hellspark Elemental, the two 3/1 Elementals are both good cards but 3 power is low enough that it ends up walled evenutally and they become dead cards, as Burn is very bad at removing bigger blockers, I find if you can get a flying Dragon's Rage Channeler it's a much, much better card. Lavamancer is almost certainly better than the Viashino, but I think DRC does even more work. That said, DRC and Lavamancer work together EXTREMELY well obviously, even if Lavamancer might turn it 'off' eventually, just the Surveil is a lot of value if you're feeding your Lavamancer/clearing situationally bad cards (that said I run 10 3 drops and have more lands, so I have more 'bad' cards).

In my experience, I don't love Eidolon as much as other people, it's small so it's easily outclassed (and sucks if you can't swing in each turn), and it hits you as well if you need to remove something that can kill it. I use Flame Rift as an alternative that always shaves 4 off everyone, it's better vs some decks fwiw. I also find Guide can cost you a surprisingly large number of games when you help your opponent dig through multiple lands for a solution. I run Vexing Devil over it, but enough people run Guide that it's obviously not a bad card. There is also Soul-Scar Mage, which feels pretty nice with Lavamancer and synergizes with Swiftspear, and technically Young Pyromancer still exists. If you ever get two out it feels pretty good, but 3 is like stubbing a toe, they limit how many other creatures you can run. Young Pyromancer might be a valid sideboard card, along with something like Goblin Chainwhirler maybe, if people 'go wide' in your area it's a nice card to switch in.

TheoryCrafter on Phyrexia: All Will Be One …

1 month ago

My thoughts on this set:

Melira, the Living Cure should've been able to remove poison counters even if the ability was similar to Leeches.

All Will Be One and Soul-Scar Mage together just turned a lot of cheap cards pinging all creatures on the battlefield into board wipes. And if you happen to have Bonfire of the Damned to cast you could end up winning the game.

I know the stories explained it, but I would love to had seen cards explaining how Lukka and Nissa were compleated. Though compleating Nissa kinda irks me because the story she was in in The Brothers War implied she survived the war with New Phyrexia.

Nahiri, the Unforgiving and Bladegraft Aspirant could end up vital in Boros reconfigure decks.

I like Corrupted. A good way to take advantage of poison without directly using it to win. Vishgraz, the Doomhive is the poison Commander we deserve.

Only sacrifice to draw a card?? 5 of the Sphere lands feel underwheling compared to the rest.

If you are building a oil counter deck for an eternal format, make sure to add Nesting Grounds to the deck.

In Superfriends decks, Ichormoon Gauntlet and Kasmina, Enigma Sage together could result in multiple -12 activations in a turn.

With Vraska a primarily black Planeswalker and Tyvar also a {BG} Planeswalker, it fits that she got the monoblack card. Anyone else notice the similarities between the ultimates of Vraska, Betrayal's Sting and Vraska, Relic Seeker?

As happy as I am Terramorphic Expanse got reprinted into Standard, I think Evolving Wilds would've made for a more flavorful choice.

Thrun was declared the last Troll BEFORE the Phyrexians rose. So what's with Oil-Gorger Troll?

Kaito, Dancing Shadow should be a staple in Etrata, the Silencer decks.

apparentlyasian on Ghyrson Starn, Ping Ping Boom

3 months ago

wanzkarat -1/-1 counters are stronger than damage on creatures usually. A damage based deck struggles with indestructible creatures so Soul-Scar Mage enables you to kill gods, etc. Pinging damage is also inherently small so it struggles with high toughness creatures. The -1/-1 counters stick around so if Ghyrson can't kill a Colossal Dreadmaw this turn, it could the next.

TheoryCrafter on Boros Burn

5 months ago

Have you considered Soul-Scar Mage? Even if it ends up as a sideboard option, it would be useful against creatures with indestructible. Happy Hunting!

JustJohn97 on Budget Burn

5 months ago

wallisface Thanks for the suggestion! Seal of Fire is an interesting idea! The purpose of Guttersnipe was to take advantage of its trigger to deal noncombat damage. I'm not committed to it, but I considered using it to get additional value out of Lava Dart and other instants/sorceries. It does pair well with the ability of Chandra's Incinerator, but I admit it's on the cutting board and one of the reasons I'm looking for replacements within the community lol! If I remove Guttersnipe I may be looking to replace Lava Dart as well....

My thinking with Soul-Scar Mage was to get around indestructible or whittle down large creatures. Additionally I considered using it against protection from red in conjunction with Anger of the Gods, but I'm realizing as I type this it would likely be a niche situation where both are needed. Concerning indestructible or large creatures, I could see Soul-Scar Mage doing real work with Chandra's Incinerator if they're both on the battlefield. To be honest though I don't know the prevalence of these strategies or how well this might answer them....

Thanks again for your suggestion though, much appreciated!

wallisface on Budget Burn

5 months ago

Seal of Fire is a card that works great alongside Chandra's Incinerator, as its another option to allow you to cast it turn 2. I’d suggest finding room for a playset if them.

Your mainboard looks pretty solid, except for Guttersnipe… that card is pretty universally bad and i’d suggest cutting it.

Your sideboard also looks really solid. The only odd choice there is Soul-Scar Mage - i don’t see when you’d be bringing this into the deck. If it doesn’t fit in the mainboard i wouldn’t put it into the side.