Volo's Journal MTG Card

Volo’s Journal provides card draws, accelerating your game through additional strategic options. Instant speed reactions with this card offer tactical advantages during gameplay. Discarding for activation and specific mana costs are notable cons for this card.

Volo's Journal - Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate

Type	Token Legendary Artifact
Abilities	Hexproof
Released	2022-06-10
Set symbol
Set name	Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate
Set code	CLB
Number	18
Frame	2015
Layout	Token
Border	Black
Illustred by	Zoltan Boros

Text of card

Hexproof Whenever you cast a creature spell, note one of its creature types that hasn't been noted for this artifact.

Cards like Volo's Journal

Volo’s Journal stands out in the pantheon of MTG artifacts for its ability to potentially boost a player’s draw every turn. Comparable in functionality to the Staff of Nin, Volo’s Journal doesn’t require mana to tap for a card draw, but instead, it depends on the variety of creature types under your control. While Staff of Nin provides a steady one-card-per-turn advantage, Volo’s Journal’s utility can fluctuate depending on the creature types present.

Moving to The Immortal Sun, another MTG artifact, it suppresses opponents’ planeswalkers and buffs your creatures, in addition to the added card draw. Volo’s Journal offers none of these advantages but instead revolves around its own unique passive condition for card advantage. One might also look at Alhammarret’s Archive, which doubles the effect of life gain and card draw, but unlike Volo’s Journal, it doesn’t offer the ability to draw cards independently.

Assessing these relations sheds light on where Volo’s Journal fits in the spectrum of card advantage artifacts. Its potential for multiple card draws in a single turn, contingent on a deck’s creature variety, gives it a unique position that, while situational, can be a game-changer in the right MTG deck build.

Alhammarret's Archive - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Crafting an in-depth strategy with Volo’s Journal is easier when you benefit from additional draws. This artifact not only contributes to your grip on the game by refilling your hand but can potentially overwhelm your opponent with the surplus of options it provides.

Resource Acceleration: Accelerating your resources is key in the fast-paced world of MTG. Volo’s Journal assists in ramping up your mana pool, allowing for the execution of powerful plays sooner. It’s like hitting the gas pedal on your game plan, ensuring that you stay ahead of the competition.

Instant Speed: The utility of instant speed with Volo’s Journal cannot be overstated. The flexibility to react to an opponent’s move or to simply maximize the use of your mana each turn is a significant tactical advantage. This kind of responsiveness can often be the difference between a close defeat and an exhilarating victory.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One major downside of Volo’s Journal is that initiating its ability involves discarding a card. This can be particularly unfavorable during late-game scenarios where your hand size might be dwindling and every card holds significant strategic importance. Losing a potential game-changer in the hopes of drawing into something better is a risk that may not always pay off.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a dedicated set of mana colors, Volo’s Journal may not seamlessly fit into every deck archetype. Its demanding mana cost means that it is better suited to decks that can readily produce the necessary mana or that are heavily aligned with its color identity, potentially limiting its universality and application in a varied meta.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a card that offers incremental advantage over time, Volo’s Journal comes with a comparatively hefty mana investment. In formats where tempo and efficiency are key, allocating that much mana for an asset that doesn’t have an immediate and impactful presence on the board might put the player at a disadvantage against more agile and fast-paced strategies.

Reasons to Include Volo’s Journal in Your Collection

Versatility: Volo’s Journal has a broad application across numerous deck archetypes, able to deliver consistent value in deck-building adventures and in decks that crave a steady card advantage.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on artifact synergies or the unearthing of certain creature types, unlocking new avenues for inventive gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: As the ever-evolving metagame shifts, Volo’s Journal remains a relevant piece, adept at adapting its utility to counter various popular strategies while providing a card selection edge.

How to beat

Volo’s Journal is an intriguing new asset teeming with potential for deck builders in Magic: The Gathering. Its capacity to access powerful creatures and perpetuate a cycle of discovery in your library is impressive. Trekking into unexplored territories with Volo’s Journal in play can feel like a daunting challenge. To dismantle the advantage it offers, a strategic approach is necessary.

Targeted artifact removal spells are the most direct method to counteract Volo’s Journal. Considering Green sees considerable play in current formats, leveraging options such as Naturalize or Return to Nature can swiftly eliminate the threat. Not only do these spells disrupt the immediate benefits that Volo’s Journal provides, but they also hinder the long-term value it can accumulate.

Fostering a swift pace of play and maintaining pressure on your opponent can also contribute to overcoming the journal’s influence. By forcing your adversary to react defensively, there’s often less opportunity for them to fully exploit Volo’s Journal. This proactive style, accompanied by judicious use of removal spells, can effectively diminish the card’s impact and steer the game’s trajectory in your favor.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volo's Journal MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate, 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 Volo's Journal and other MTG cards:

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