There has been some controversy on the MTGSalvation forums over Soul Ransom. Soul Ransom is, on first impression, an acceptable Limited card. They tap out to play their finisher. You steal the biggest guy in their deck and they have to deal with it somehow. Perhaps not in the way you would prefer, but somehow...
Would this card be any better for Constructed if it read simply, "Target player discards two cards. You draw two cards?" Would it be any better if it were a direct copy of Control Magic, save for the mana cost? Perhaps...
Soul Ransom's activated ability is better than a spell that makes your opponent discard two cards in a way: Soul Ransom's activated ability will ALWAYS snag two cards since discarding two cards is the cost of activating the ability. When you cast a spell that forces your opponent to discard two cards, they may cast one or more spells from their hand and may even end up discarding zero cards. The downside to Soul Ransom's activated ability is that they get to choose when to discard two cards.
With Soul Ransom, they are given an option, even if it isn't a particularly good one. Taking back their own creature at the cost of two cards in their hand on top of allowing their opponent to draw two cards, or dealing with Soul Ransom as though it were Control Magic. Giving the opponent an option is almost never a good idea, but in this case, I think it is less of a problem than people realize.
If you are either playing a deck that forces your opponent to discard cards or playing against a deck that plays out its spells as quickly as possible, giving the opponent this option is almost a non-issue. Rarely will they be out of topdeck mode any later than turn 5 in either case, even if they know what is coming and sandbag their lands accordingly. If they can threaten lethal with the creature you stole, are threatened lethal by the creature you stole, or have two dead cards to pitch to it, then and only then will they consider Soul Ransom's activated ability as an option for dealing with it.
If you are playing a deck packing plenty of sacrifice outlets, you can even keep them from getting their creature back once they activate Soul Ransom's ability.
Please let me know if I am wrong. I am (believe it or not) a fallible human being. Thanks!
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