MTG Nightsoil Kami: Color Distribution Heatmaps for Deck Insight

In TCG ·

Nightsoil Kami card art from Saviors of Kamigawa

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Nightsoil Kami and Color Distribution Heatmaps: A Green Wheelhouse

For fans who nerd out on color distribution heatmaps, Nightsoil Kami is a perfect litmus test for green-driven deck insight. This 6-mana behemoth from Saviors of Kamigawa isn’t just a big body with a lush mana cost; it embodies the green philosophy of ramp, resilience, and late-game inevitability. With a 6/4 stat line, it boats staying power on the battlefield, and its Soulshift 5 ability invites a gravitational pull toward the graveyard where Spirits linger like embers ready to spark a new flame. 🧙‍♂️🔥💎

What heatmaps teach us about green decks—and Nightsoil Kami

Color distribution heatmaps visualize how often a deck taps for each color across its turns, revealing bottlenecks, ramp opportunities, and color-splash risks. When you place Nightsoil Kami into a heatmap-focused analysis, you immediately see two truths about green decks: first, the demand for mana acceleration and mana sources; second, the stealthy value of churn—how often a card goes to the graveyard and triggers a plan. Nightsoil Kami’s mana cost of {4}{G}{G} sits squarely in the “need reliable double-green early” zone, which heatmaps reveal as a concentration of green sources in the first several turns, followed by a steady stream of Verdant mana to power its tougher commitments. The Soulshift mechanic further nudges the map toward the graveyard as a recurring engine—when Nightsoil Kami dies, you may return a Spirit with mana value 5 or less to your hand. That is not just flavor; it’s a deck-building prompt. ⚔️🎨

Breaking down the card’s role in a heatmap-driven strategy

  • Mana curve alignment: With a CMC of 6, Nightsoil Kami makes a strong case for a green ramp plan that smooths the early turns. Heatmaps will show how often you can reach 6 mana by turn 5 or 6, which is the sweet spot where this card truly shines.
  • Graveyard value: Soulshift 5 makes the graveyard a resource hub. In heatmaps, you’ll look for synergy lines with Spirit-heavy engines—the more your deck populates Spirits, the more meaningful the mana-value recursion becomes on turns when Nightsoil Kami finally re-enters your hand as a follow-up threat.
  • Green identity and resilience: The color identity is green, so your heatmap will emphasize ramp and land drops, with a bias toward Forest mana sources, checklands, and other ramp accelerants. Nightsoil Kami rewards you for leaning into that ramp and using the graveyard as a secondary card pool.
  • Board presence and recurrences: The 6/4 toughness is sturdy, especially in formats where combat tricks and removal swing swings. Heatmaps can help you time push moments where Nightsoil Kami lands safely while you set up the Soulshift engine for a late-game swing. 🧙‍♂️

Flavor, art, and design sense

Jim Nelson’s illustration for Nightsoil Kami captures the evergreen hush and the cycle of life and decay that green magic loves to explore. The “soil” in its name hints at a burial ground turned sanctuary—a theme that resonates with Soulshift’s tone of returning life from the grave, almost like green mana coaxing renewal from the dirt. The card’s frame and typography reflect Kamigawa’s era while remaining readable at a glance, a reminder that even complex mechanics like Soulshift can be conveyed with clarity. The juxtaposition of a fierce spirit with the quiet patience of green memory makes the card a talking point at the table, especially when you drop it and watch a plan start to germinate. 🎨🪄

Deck-building considerations: green heatmaps in practice

In a deck that leans into Nightsoil Kami, think about ways to maximize green mana sources without diluting the Spirit synergy. Card draw, ramp spells, and resilient creatures should align with a heatmap that shows consistent green mana availability in the early turns, followed by the ability to push into a late-game engine with Soulshift triggers. The synergy between a robust green base and Nightsoil Kami’s ability to rebound a Spirit from the graveyard creates a recurive loop that heatmaps love to quantify—your deck’s resilience becomes a measurable curve, not just a vibe. And yes, you can lean into other Spirits to maximize the Soulshift payoff, turning each “death” into a strategic opportunity rather than a mere loss. 🧙‍♂️⚔️

From a collector and design perspective, Nightsoil Kami sits in a unique space. It’s a common rarity from Saviors of Kamigawa, printed in both foil and non-foil versions, and it demonstrates how a midrange green creature can deliver lasting value beyond the battlefield. Its price remains approachable, making it a friendly inclusion for casual and casual-competitive green builds. The card also highlights how green’s strength often lies in lowering the friction to value—ramp, recursion, and staying power—rather than big single-turn miracles. This is part of what makes heatmaps so compelling: they translate a deck’s philosophy into tangible, interpretable data. 💎

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Nightsoil Kami

Nightsoil Kami

{4}{G}{G}
Creature — Spirit

Soulshift 5 (When this creature dies, you may return target Spirit card with mana value 5 or less from your graveyard to your hand.)

ID: 5902f863-171e-4bb2-9d48-2c679d41f1a9

Oracle ID: 2efd1c86-41ba-4b86-bf63-e60e3263cb06

Multiverse IDs: 88815

TCGPlayer ID: 12496

Cardmarket ID: 12724

Colors: G

Color Identity: G

Keywords: Soulshift

Rarity: Common

Released: 2005-06-03

Artist: Jim Nelson

Frame: 2003

Border: black

EDHRec Rank: 25737

Set: Saviors of Kamigawa (sok)

Collector #: 139

Legalities

  • Standard — not_legal
  • Future — not_legal
  • Historic — not_legal
  • Timeless — not_legal
  • Gladiator — not_legal
  • Pioneer — not_legal
  • Modern — legal
  • Legacy — legal
  • Pauper — legal
  • Vintage — legal
  • Penny — legal
  • Commander — legal
  • Oathbreaker — legal
  • Standardbrawl — not_legal
  • Brawl — not_legal
  • Alchemy — not_legal
  • Paupercommander — legal
  • Duel — legal
  • Oldschool — not_legal
  • Premodern — not_legal
  • Predh — legal

Prices

  • USD: 0.09
  • EUR: 0.10
  • EUR_FOIL: 0.35
  • TIX: 0.04
Last updated: 2025-11-14