Volition Reins MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
| Released | 2010-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Scars of Mirrodin |
| Set code | SOM |
| Number | 53 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | normal |
| Border | black |
| Illustred by | Svetlin Velinov |
Key Takeaways
- Grants control of any permanent, offering a versatile edge in numerous board situations.
- Demands a heavy blue mana investment, which may limit its deck inclusion options.
- Despite its high mana cost, its strategic impact on gameplay can be profound.
Text of card
Enchant permanent When Volition Reins enters the battlefield, if enchanted permanent is tapped, untap it. You control enchanted permanent.
"Glorifying the will is a mistake. It is simply one more force to be mastered."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Volition Reins is a potent tool for shifting the balance of power on the board. When played, it not only removes a key asset from your opponent but also grants you control of that asset. This can swiftly turn the tide of a game and provides significant card advantage as it is a two-for-one scenario where you essentially gain a card while your opponent loses one.
Resource Acceleration: While Volition Reins does not directly produce mana or tokens, controlling an opponent’s mana-producing permanent or other resource-generating asset can effectively accelerate your resources. By seizing a crucial land, artifact, or creature, you maintain your resources while potentially disrupting your opponent’s resource base, making it a subtle but impactful form of acceleration.
Instant Speed: Although Volition Reins is a sorcery, its strategic impact can rival that of an instant. The ability to take control of any permanent at the right moment during your turn allows for dramatic swings and complicated plays that can catch an opponent off guard. Timing the play of Volition Reins is crucial, as it can dismantle your opponent’s strategy or steal their most threatening threat at a pivotal time.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Volition Reins doesn’t directly cause a discard, it’s a blue heavy card that often requires you to be selective about hand management, potentially compelling you to forego other plays or discard cards for strategic purposes.
Specific Mana Cost: Volition Reins requires a specific array of mana to cast—three blue mana points as part of its six total mana cost. This can be restrictive as it demands a significant blue mana base, making it less flexible for multi-colored decks not heavily invested in blue.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of six mana, Volition Reins comes into play later in the game. This can be prohibitive especially when faster-paced decks aim to settle the game before such a heavy investment pays off. There are options available that accomplish similar control measures at a lower cost, leading players to consider alternatives for quicker board impact.
Reasons to Include Volition Reins in Your Collection
Versatility: Volition Reins serves as a flexible answer to a variety of permanents on the battlefield. Whether you need to take control of a problematic creature, an impactful artifact, or a powerful planeswalker, this card adjusts to your needs and can shift the tide of the game in your favor.
Combo Potential: Beyond its immediate effect, Volition Reins can be part of combo-enabling scenarios. It pairs well with sacrifice outlets or effects that capitalize on controlling opponents’ permanents, amplifying its value within your deck’s synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In game environments where singular powerful nonland permanents dictate the pace of play, Volition Reins can be a game-changer. It not only neutralizes threats but also turns them to your advantage, making it a noteworthy inclusion in formats where such strategies prevail.
How to beat
When facing the strategic challenge posed by Volition Reins in the Magic: The Gathering realm, understanding the intricacies of this control card can be the key to overcoming its grasp. This enchantment has the distinct ability to seize control of any permanent—not just creatures, but lands, artefacts, and even other enchantments. However, like all powerful spells, it comes with a pivotal weakness—its six-mana casting cost, three of which need to be blue.
To circumvent this card’s effects, one may opt to prioritize low-cost removal or counterspells, keeping valuable mana at the ready to thwart the Volition Reins before it can even attach to a target. Cards like Dispel or Negate can be effective here, as they specifically target noncreature spells. Another method is to focus on maintaining a lean battlefield, rendering Volition Reins less impactful upon resolving. If it does manage to resolve, having a backup like Homeward Path or any instant-speed bounce spells can provide a solution to regain control of your stolen permanents.
Ultimately, adaptation and preemptive strategy form the cornerstone of any duel in Magic: The Gathering, and those concepts apply perfectly when mitigating the influence of high-cost control cards like Volition Reins.
Cards like Volition Reins
Volition Reins is a control spell in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to seize ownership of any permanent, not just creatures, which is an aspect that makes it a potent tool in a player’s arsenal. When compared to similar cards, it stands out due to its flexibility and the additional upsides it brings to the table. Mind Control, for instance, lets a player gain control of a target creature for less mana, but lacks the ability to grab any type of permanent and the untap bonus that comes with Volition Reins.
Control Magic is another comparable card that can take over creatures, and while it comes at a lower cost, it cannot target non-creature permanents, limiting its versatility when compared to Volition Reins. Take Possession is a pricier alternative with a split second ability that prevents opponents from responding, but it also focuses solely on creatures. Volition Reins’ ability to untap the controlled permanent and use it right away gives it an edge over Take Possession and similar control spells.
Assessing the broader spectrum of control spells, Volition Reins showcases a unique set of advantages by offering direct and immediate influence over any permanent on the battlefield, which certainly justifies its place in decks designed around strategy and manipulation.
Cards similar to Volition Reins by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Volition Reins MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Volition Reins and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See Magic products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Volition Reins has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Volition Reins card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2011-01-01 | Gaining control of a permanent doesn’t cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it. |
| 2011-01-01 | If the enchanted permanent is untapped as Volition Reins enters the battlefield, the triggered ability won’t trigger at all. |
| 2011-01-01 | Volition Reins may target and may enchant an untapped permanent. |
