Whim of Volrath MTG Card


Whim of Volrath - Tempest
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityRare
TypeInstant
Abilities Buyback
Released1997-10-14
Set symbol
Set nameTempest
Set codeTMP
Number102
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byAnthony S. Waters

Key Takeaways

  1. Whim of Volrath can adjust gameplay by changing text on permanents to favor your strategy or disturb opponents.
  2. The card’s low mana cost and instant speed provide significant control over the pace and dynamics of the game.
  3. With the ability to copy instants and sorceries, Whim of Volrath enhances combo potential and adapts to shifting metas.

Text of card

Buyback (You may pay an additional when you play this spell. If you do, put it into your hand instead of your graveyard as part of the spell's effect.) Change the text of target permanent by replacing all instances of one color word or basic land type with another until end of turn.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Whim of Volrath facilitates the alteration of a single targeted permanent’s text, potentially disrupting your opponent’s strategy or enhancing your own plays, thus indirectly contributing to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly affecting resources, the low casting cost of Whim of Volrath enables a faster and more efficient use of mana, permitting strategic depth without compromising resource allocation.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Whim of Volrath at instant speed allows players to wait for the optimum moment to modify game conditions, respond to an opponent’s actions, or surprise them with an unexpected shift in strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Whim of Volrath comes with the necessity of discarding a card, leading to a potential decrease in hand advantage. This can be particularly detrimental in game states where maintaining card options is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue and generic mana, the card’s cost is exacting, demanding commitment to blue mana sources within a deck’s construction. This might cause consistency issues in multicolored decks or limit its inclusion to blue-centric strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of three, including a full blue, Whim of Volrath’s Buyback ability – which allows it to be reused – is costly. As such, players may find the investment steep when compared with other spells that offer the same or similar flexibility for less mana.


Reasons to Include Whim of Volrath in Your Collection

Versatility: Whim of Volrath offers an incredible level of flexibility for players, allowing for the copying of any instant or sorcery spell you control. This means it can easily fit into various decks, providing strategic depth and reactive potential regardless of your playing style.

Combo Potential: For combo enthusiasts, Whim of Volrath is a gem. Its ability to duplicate key spells can unlock a multitude of combinations, propelling your win condition forward or disrupting opponents at critical moments. Utilize it to double down on game-changing effects or to simply get more value out of your instants and sorceries.

Meta-Relevance: With the constantly shifting landscape of competitive play, having a card that can adapt to various metas is essential. Whim of Volrath’s adaptability ensures that it can remain a relevant part of your arsenal, matching pace with an ever-evolving meta and providing answers to prevalent strategies.


How to beat

Whim of Volrath is a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal, introducing elements of surprise and adaptability in the game. Its ability to copy any instant, sorcery, or permanent spell with a new target is a game-changer, but defeating it is all about timing and strategic planning. Anticipating your opponent’s moves and holding onto countermeasures until Whim of Volrath is cast can nullify its impact significantly.

Playing instant-speed spells that can’t be easily redirected, or using spells with multiple targets to dilute the effectiveness of a single-target change, are smart ways to weaken its power. It would help if you also considered the value of holding up mana for counterspells to address it directly or utilizing abilities that limit spell targets, like shroud or hexproof, to protect your key cards. By carefully navigating around your opponent’s potential for trickery, you can ensure that Whim of Volrath doesn’t disrupt your path to victory.

So while Whim of Volrath presents a unique challenge, understanding that its strength lies in the element of surprise and preparing for its use can turn the tides in your favor and keep you in control of the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Gaining the upper hand in MTG is often about the nuanced plays, the subtle twists that can turn a game around. With cards like Whim of Volrath at your disposal, the ability to manipulate in-game text is an undervalued tactic that can surprise competitors and yield substantial benefits. Whether you’re augmenting your strategic edge or need a wildcard to thwart opposing strategies, this card provides. By incorporating Whim of Volrath into your collection, you unlock new potential in your deck. So dive deeper, refine your gameplay, and tailor your deck with us as we explore more strategic insights that will enhance your MTG experience.


Cards like Whim of Volrath

Whim of Volrath brings versatility to the table as a unique instant spell in MTG. Its nearest comparable card is Twiddle, which also allows you to tap or untap target artifact, creature, or land. However, Whim of Volrath enhances this concept with its ability to copy and alter any permanent spell’s text by changing the words themselves. A fascinating facet not seen in Twiddle.

Another related spell is the classical Control Magic, allowing you to gain control of a target creature, much like how Whim of Volrath can change the game’s dynamics by manipulating text. Nevertheless, Whim’s capacity to effectively rewrite spells grants players a tailored approach that Control Magic can’t match. Shuffle into this mix a card like Mind Bend, with its power to swap one basic land type for another in the text of a permanent or spell. Like Whim of Volrath, it gives players intricate control but is confined only to land types, not the breadth of text alterations Whim offers.

Assessing the scope of effects these spells have on the game, Whim of Volrath undoubtedly stands out within its category for its rare capability of text alteration, directly impacting varied game situations in MTG.

Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Control Magic - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Control Magic - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Mind Bend - Mirage (MIR)

Cards similar to Whim of Volrath by color, type and mana cost

Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Winter's Chill - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Envelop - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Jump - Magic 2010 (M10)
Sleight of Mind - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Unsummon - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Siren's Call - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Power Sink - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Blue Elemental Blast - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Magical Hack - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Twiddle - Introductory Two-Player Set (ITP)
Riptide - The Dark (DRK)
Winter's Chill - Ice Age (ICE)
Mind Bend - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Spell Blast - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Denied! - Unglued (UGL)
Hydroblast - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Whispers of the Muse - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Ertai's Trickery - Planeshift (PLS)
Force Spike - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Opt - Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
Envelop - Judgment (JUD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Whim of Volrath MTG card by a specific set like Tempest, 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 Whim of Volrath and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Whim of Volrath has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Whim of Volrath card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2004-10-04 Alters all occurrences of the chosen word in the text box and the type line of the given card.
2004-10-04 Can target a card with no appropriate words on it, or even one with no words at all.
2004-10-04 It can be used to change a land’s type from one basic land type to another. For example, Forest can be changed to Island so it produces blue mana. It doesn’t change the name of any permanent.
2004-10-04 It can’t change a word to the same word. It must be a different word.
2004-10-04 It only changes what is printed on the card (or set on a token when it was created or set by a copy effect). It will not change any effects that are on the permanent.
2004-10-04 You can’t change proper nouns (i.e. card names) such as “Island Fish Jasconius”.
2004-10-04 You choose the words to change on resolution.

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