Cavern of Souls

Cavern of Souls first appeared in Avacyn Restored (AVR), 4 May 2012. The original record is AVR #226, at rare, illustrated by Cliff Childs. Original finish availability: nonfoil, traditional foil.

Use the curated shortlist for meaningful edition differences, then the shared explorer for the wider catalogue. Editorial records reviewed 4 November 2026; current prices and legality can change.

Cavern of Souls is a Land with no mana cost and a colourless colour identity. As it enters, you choose a creature type. It can tap for colourless mana, or for one mana of any colour restricted to casting a creature spell of that chosen type.

Only the mana from that second ability gives the relevant creature spell protection from being countered. It does not make every spell uncounterable, and choosing “artifact” is not valid because artifact is a card type, not a creature type. These rules are shared across the printings.

Avacyn Restored #226 debuted on 4 May 2012 at rare with Cliff Childs art and both nonfoil and foil finishes. Modern Masters 2017 #232 changes the painting to Richard Wright’s at mythic rare. Ultimate Masters #237 reuses Wright’s illustration, while Ultimate Box Topper #U32 offers its expanded presentation in foil.

Zendikar Rising Expeditions #22 introduces Sam Burley’s interpretation in 2020. Double Masters 2022 then provides regular #320, Drew Tucker’s borderless #402 and the Wright-art foil-etched #569. Those three 2X2 numbers are variants of one release, not three chronologically separate reprints.

In 2023 the Realms and Relics treatment presents Cavern as Path of the Dead, credited to Logan Feliciano. LTC #362 and surge foil #392 preserve the underlying Cavern of Souls identity. The Lost Caverns of Ixalan later adds Alayna Danner’s regular #269, Pedro Correa’s borderless #345 and colour-specific neon records.

Cliff Childs versus Richard Wright: AVR #226 is the debut image; MM3 #232, UMA #237 and regular 2X2 #320 belong to the later Wright artwork family. A Masters set name does not alone identify a new illustration.

Drew Tucker and Sam Burley: borderless 2X2 #402 and Expedition ZNE #22 are separate artistic alternatives. “Borderless” and “Expedition” describe their presentation, not interchangeable finishes.

Logan Feliciano: Path of the Dead gives the card a Middle-earth location and alternate display name. Match LTC #362 or #392 to the Cavern of Souls rules identity rather than searching only for the location name.

Alayna Danner and Pedro Correa: LCI #269 and #345 have different artists. The neon family builds on Correa’s borderless concept with colour-specific artwork adjustments; the three-colour #410a is one precisely identified example, not every premium Cavern.

Most regular and borderless rows shortlisted here offer nonfoil and traditional foil. PUMA #U32 is foil-only. ZNE #22 can be nonfoil or foil; an Expedition frame does not automatically prove a foil surface.

2X2 #569 is etched foil only. It uses Richard Wright’s artwork, unlike Drew Tucker’s borderless #402. LTC #392 is surge foil only, sharing the Path of the Dead concept with ordinary #362. Selecting a traditional-foil #362 does not produce #392.

LCI #410a is a three-colour Cosmium neon-ink foil. Wizards’ collecting guide explains that neon versions pair ink colours with altered artwork. These are physical treatment variants, not colours of mana the land produces. Other neon records belong in the live explorer; identify their individual number, ink colour and actual photograph before buying.

For the first printing: AVR #226 preserves Childs’s original art. Choose the finish separately; both nonfoil and foil exist.

For a conventional deck copy: compare the regular Masters and LCI records in equivalent condition. Pick the art and legibility you prefer before assuming a premium frame is necessary.

For a borderless art collection: start with Tucker’s 2X2 #402 and Correa’s LCI #345. They offer genuinely different illustrations without requiring neon ink.

For Middle-earth: compare LTC #362 with #392 if surge foil specifically matters. Both are Path of the Dead; neither is Ancient Tomb’s Balin’s Tomb treatment.

For a finish collection: compare 2X2 #569 etched, LTC #392 surge and LCI #410a neon as separate product records. Their finish names are not substitutes for each other.

Our artwork-led starting point is Double Masters 2022 #402 nonfoil. Tucker’s illustration makes the difference from the debut obvious while leaving finish out of the initial decision. Compare it directly with AVR #226 to see which interpretation you prefer.

If your collection is built around fictional locations, Path of the Dead #362 is the next useful comparison. Choose #392 only when surge foil is part of the goal. A good version choice starts with the picture you want to keep looking at, not an assumed value ranking.

Ancient Tomb — Compare another land’s original, Expeditions and Middle-earth treatments.

Gaea's Cradle — Explore a much narrower paper history and its early Judge foil.

The Great Henge — Compare another creature-focused card’s artistic and premium options.

Browse the complete Card Guides directory. For deck work, the shared Build a Deck action passes the selected printing to Deck Studio, where current legality and role eligibility are checked independently of this editorial guide.

Reviewed 4 November 2026 against accessible catalogue records and indexed catalogue extracts, with official product or policy references where applicable. Existing ManaScout text was audited rather than treated as evidence. Direct Scryfall API access was unavailable during this editorial review; the shared live explorer continues to use its existing integration.

• Catalogue: Avacyn Restored (AVR) #226
• Catalogue: Modern Masters 2017 (MM3) #232
• Catalogue: Ultimate Masters (UMA) #237
• Catalogue: Ultimate Box Topper (PUMA) #U32
• Catalogue: Zendikar Rising Expeditions (ZNE) #22
• Catalogue: Double Masters 2022 (2X2) #320
• Catalogue: Double Masters 2022 (2X2) #402
• Catalogue: Double Masters 2022 (2X2) #569
• Catalogue: Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC) #362
• Catalogue: Tales of Middle-earth Commander (LTC) #392
• Catalogue: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) #269
• Catalogue: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) #345
• Catalogue: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan (LCI) #410a
• Wizards: collecting The Lost Caverns of Ixalan and Cosmium neon ink
• mtgnexus.com: 73640 cavern of souls
• magery.com: cavern of souls
• magery.com: cavern of souls 410a