•After two decades without a reprint, Magic: The Gathering players are getting another chance to acquire Soul Spike, the powerful black instant first printed in 2006’s Coldsnap. Wizards of the Coast is bringing back the roughly $18 card as part of a new Secret Lair drop inspired by Reality Fracture.
Announced on October 13, Strange School features five mono-black cards with macabre, manga-inspired artwork from Japanese artists and illustrators. Soul Spike is arguably the most interesting inclusion, though the drop also contains several other valuable reprints. The collection will retail for $29.99 in non-foil and $39.99 in traditional foil.
Soul Spike Is Finally Getting Another Magic Printing After 20 Years
Originally released in July 2006, Soul Spike is a seven-mana black instant that deals four damage to any target while gaining its controller four life. That doesn’t sound particularly impressive for seven mana, but there’s an important catch: Players can exile two black cards from their hand instead of paying the card’s mana cost.
Suddenly, dealing four damage and gaining four life without spending a single mana sounds considerably more appealing, even if it means sacrificing some card advantage along the way.
Soul Spike has found a particularly comfortable home in Modern’s Necrodominance decks, which use the powerful enchantment to pay life in order to draw an abundance of cards. Soul Spike offers an excellent way to convert those extra black cards into damage while replenishing some of that precious life total.
Beyond its playability, the card’s price stems from a lack of reprints. The card has never received another paper printing since Coldsnap, leaving players with a single, increasingly scarce version. According to current market price, a non-foil copy commands approximately $17.57, while original foils are substantially more expensive.
Older Magic cards have enjoyed extraordinary secondary-market attention lately. Previously overlooked cards have found new life in Commander, while Reality Fracture has already helped send older planeswalkers soaring in price. Soul Spike’s value is a straightforward combination of genuine competitive demand and two decades without a reprint.
Soul Spike Isn’t the Only Valuable Reprint in Strange School
Soul Spike might be the headliner, but Strange School has plenty more to offer. The five-card drop contains Sign in Blood, Soul Spike, Thoughtseize, Bitter Ordeal, and Attrition.
Bitter Ordeal is another particularly welcome inclusion, with its original Future Sight printing (replete with the striking “future” frame) commanding roughly $26. Attrition isn’t far behind at approximately $19, meaning these two cards and Soul Spike alone collectively cost considerably more than the $29.99 asking price for the non-foil drop.
The black-and-white manga aesthetic is another selling point, leaning into the darker atmosphere of Hexhaven, Reality Fracture’s distinctly sinister take on Strixhaven.
Wizards also announced a second Reality Fracture-themed drop, Duality Distorted, featuring Thoughtseize, Desperate Ritual, Pyroblast, and Tribute to the World Tree. This four-card collection brings back several established Magic artists to reinterpret their earlier artwork, complete with always desirable retro frames. Like Strange School, it will cost $29.99 in non-foil or $39.99 in traditional foil.
Both drops will be available individually through the Secret Lair Chaos Vault, alongside three larger packages incorporating the Reality Fracture Secret Lair Bundle. These range from $159.98 for the non-foil package to $234.99 for the Everything Edition, which includes foil and non-foil copies of both new drops.
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