Image courtesy of Scryfall.com
Soar Elevates Casual Formats with Flying Tempo and Precision
Blue has always thrived on clever timing, precise disruption, and the art of turning a single moment into a strategic edge. Soar, a Mirage-era aura, embodies that ethos in a compact, flavorful package. For players in casual circles—whether you’re brewing a laid-back Commander table, tinkering with a Pauper cube, or just dabbling in a friendly Legacy duel—the aura delivers a tempo kick that feels almost mischievous in its elegance 🧙♂️🔥. It’s not the flashiest card in the drawer, but it’s the kind that makes you grin as you watch a creature take flight and tilt the rug of the game in your favor 💎⚔️.
What Soar actually does
- Mana cost: {1}{U} — a blue tempo investment that asks you to think about timing rather than raw power.
- Type and enchantment: Enchantment — Aura. Enchant a creature, which keeps the spell's impact focused and easy to fit into a casual game plan 🎨.
- Flash-like casting: You may cast this spell as though it had flash. If you cast it any time a sorcery couldn't have been cast, the controller of the permanent it becomes sacrifices it at the beginning of the next cleanup step.
- Effect on the enchanted creature: Enchanted creature gets +0/+1 and has flying. A modest buffer that effectively upgrades a ground creature into a legitimate aerial threat, widening your attack options and keeping fliers relevant in slower metas 🧙♂️.
That last line is the heart of Soar’s appeal. A +0/+1 boost to a creature that now flies can swing for damage when the ground is blocked or when a single evasive strike is all you need to close out a game. The catch—casting Soar on an opponent’s end step or at any time you wouldn’t normally cast a sorcery creates a temporary, high-wire moment. The aura will be sacrificed at the next cleanup if you overreach, which is precisely the tempo trade-off that makes casual environments so lively 🔥.
“Would you give up your hands to fly? That is what the birds have done.” — The One Thousand Questions
Flavor aside, the card’s impact on casual play is real. Soar doesn’t merely push a creature into the air; it invites a series of small, well-timed plays that can surprise, punish overextension, and keep the pace of a match brisk and interactive ⚔️. It’s the sort of spell that invites players to discuss timing, sequencing, and risk assessment—classic hallmarks of blue’s identity in a relaxed setting 🧠🎲.
Why Soar matters in casual formats
Soar’s ability to grant a single creature flying-and-evade ground blocks makes it a strong candidate for blue-centric Commander decks. It’s a low-cost way to push through with a resilient flyer or to rescue a stalled board, all while keeping the plan flexible in table politics. Its flash-like clause lets you deploy it when it matters most without tipping your hand too early 🧙♂️. - Pauper and budget-friendly play: As a Mirage common, Soar is perfectly aligned with pauper-centric casuals. You can slot it into blue-leaning pauper decks to gain tempo, fly-in pressure, and a subtle disruption layer, all for a pittance in mana investment 💎.
- Legacy and Vintage curiosity: In older, non-Modern environments, Soar remains legal and can slot into prism-like blue decks that prize countermagic, card draw, and tempo. It’s not a game-breaking piece, but it compounds value at a pace that suits a long, drawn-out duel of wits 🧙♂️⚔️.
In casual playgroups, the aura also shines as a breathing room card—a way to keep your board relevant when matchups swing against you. The +0/+1 boost is enough to push a lone creature through a blocker and let a bigger spell resolve, or to force a creature to trade in a controlled way that preserves your strategic rhythm 🧙♂️🎨.
Deck-building angles and practical tips
- Target the right creature: Soar is most effective on creatures that already punch above their weight or have relevant utility. A small flying body with a built-in advantage becomes a stubborn problem for opponents who must respect the aerial threat.
- Pair with evasive or resilient partners: Creations that have natural evasion or have protection from certain archetypes can benefit disproportionately from a single enchantment, making it harder for opponents to answer without committing more resources.
- Use timing to your advantage: Casting Soar on your opponent’s end step or during combat can flip the tempo in your favor, but remember the sacrifice clause if you cast it at an illegal time. That risk is part of the puzzle—and the delight—at casual tables 🧭.
- Cube and draft-friendly memory: In a blue-dominant cube or draft environment, Soar delivers a compact tempo swing that rewards smart sequencing and body-blow decisions, creating memorable late-game turns 🎲.
Flavor, art, and the nostalgia factor
Tony Roberts’ art for Soar captures that classic Mirage-era charm—the quiet confidence of blue magic, the sense of air and possibility, and a reminder that even simple auras can carry big meaning in the grander tapestry of MTG. The flavor text’s introspective question about flight mirrors the card’s mechanical design: flight is a strategic upgrade, but the real value comes from knowing when to unleash it and when to wait for a better window 🔥🎨.
Collector notes and market vibe
Soar sits with a modest price tag, reflecting its common rarity and age, but its value to casual play can be priceless. Scryfall data places typical USD prices around the low range for a Mirage common, with nonfoil versions representing accessible entry points for many players. The true worth, of course, lies in the stories you tell at the table—the last-minute flying strike, the miscast timing, the “one more turn” moment that makes a casual night feel legendary 🧙♂️💎.
For those who love keeping their decks compact and expressive, Soar is a prime example of how a single enchantment can shape a format’s personality without tipping the balance into overpowered territory. It’s blue’s quiet seduction: a delicate tempo play that asks you to read the board and time your spellcraft just right—one of those little touches that makes Magic feel timeless 🎲⚔️.
If you’re plotting your next casual night, consider scribbling Soar into a blue-centric theme and watch your games take flight. And if you’re browsing gear for your desk or gaming setup, a neon mouse pad to keep your fingers nimble during those clutch turns might be just the vibe you need—a small daily ritual that keeps the MTG spirit alive between rounds.🧙♂️🔥