Volrath's Curse MTG Card
1997-10-14 - Number 101
2015-05-06 - Number 77
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Enchantment — Aura |
| Abilities | Enchant |
Text of card
Enchanted creature cannot attack, block, or play any ability requiring an activation cost. That creature's controller may sacrifice a permanent to ignore this ability until end of turn. o1o U: Return Volrath's Curse to owner's hand.
Cards like Volrath's Curse
Volrath’s Curse is a unique addition to the array of enchantment auras in Magic: The Gathering, standing in line with other control options such as Claustrophobia. While both cards are used to lock down and disable creatures, Volrath’s Curse offers flexibility, allowing you to move it to a new creature if the enchanted one is not on the battlefield. On the contrary, Claustrophobia lacks this adaptive reuse mechanism.
Analogous to Volrath’s Curse in its control ambitions is Narcolepsy. Narcolepsy taps the enchanted creature at the upkeep of every turn, consistently neutralizing the threat without the option of reassignment. It’s worth noting that Volrath’s Curse requires mana investment every turn to keep the creature pinned, unlike Narcolepsy’s one-time cost.
Assessing their utilities, Volrath’s Curse carves a distinct position within creature control enchantments thanks to its versatile handling and reusability, despite the recurring costs to maintain the lock, presenting MTG players with strategic depth in managing threats on the battlefield.
Cards similar to Volrath's Curse by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Volrath’s Curse grants a continuous ability to return to your hand when the enchanted creature dies, often ensuring a recurring means to control the battlefield and maintain card advantage over your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: The affordable casting cost of Volrath’s Curse streamlines your play, allowing you to deploy threats or additional control elements swiftly. This efficiency can snowball into a lead, aiding you to outpace your rivals in resource development.
Instant Speed: Castable at instant speed, Volrath’s Curse gives you the flexibility to respond to threats on the fly without hindering your ability to commit other spells during your turn. This adaptability can keep opponents off-balance and unsure of your capabilities.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: With Volrath’s Curse, players must forfeit another card from their hand to unleash its capabilities. In intense matchups, where each card’s value is paramount, this prerequisite can be detrimental, particularly if your hand is already dwindling in size.
Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Volrath’s Curse is not negligible, requiring both blue mana and additional generic mana. This specific cost can be restrictive, confining it primarily to blue-centric or blue-inclusive decks, potentially excluding it from color-diverse strategies or multicolored decks that cannot reliably produce blue mana.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When analyzing the balance between mana investment and the card’s impact, Volrath’s Curse might not be the most efficient option available. At three mana for its intended control effect, players may find other cards that provide similar or superior utility without the same level of resource commitment.
Reasons to Include Volrath’s Curse in Your Collection
Versatility: Volrath’s Curse is an adaptable addition, effortlessly slotting into decks that capitalize on enchantment synergies, as well as those that seek to control opponent’s key creatures with repeated bounce effects.
Combo Potential: This aura card has the innate ability to return to your hand, setting the stage for interactions with cards that gain advantages each time you cast a spell or an enchantment, thus offering numerous combo avenues.
Meta-Relevance: Should the playing environment favor games with a multitude of pivotal creatures, Volrath’s Curse can disrupt opponents’ strategies by continually locking down their crucial creatures, maintaining its relevance in such meta conditions.
How to beat Volrath’s Curse
Within the strategy game of Magic: The Gathering, Volrath’s Curse demands particular attention due to its ability to keep an opposing creature in perpetual limbo, returning to the owner’s hand whenever it’s targeted. This can disrupt an opponent’s board presence and tempo, making it a frustrating obstacle to overcome. To effectively counter this, one must employ tactics that avoid targeting such as using board wipes or global effects that can remove creatures without singling them out.
Another strategy involves outpacing the enchantment’s effect by focusing on low-cost creatures or those with beneficial enter-the-battlefield abilities. This way, even if Volrath’s Curse forces a creature back to your hand, you can play it again without significant loss of tempo or even gain advantage from recurring the creature’s ability. Alternatively, one can use enchantment removal spells that can dispatch Volrath’s Curse before it locks down your key creature, allowing you to proceed with your game plan unhampered.
Tackling Volrath’s Curse in MTG is a challenge, but with the right approach and a calibrated deck, players can mitigate its restrictive grip and maintain the upper hand in the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Volrath's Curse MTG card by a specific set like Tempest and Tempest Remastered, 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 Volrath's Curse and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
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- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Printings
The Volrath's Curse Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1997-10-14 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Daren Bader.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1997-10-14 | Tempest | TMP | 101 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Daren Bader | |
| 2 | 2015-05-06 | Tempest Remastered | TPR | 77 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Daren Bader |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Volrath's Curse has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Volrath's Curse card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | If the creature this card is on is sacrificed to this card, this card is put into the graveyard before the ability to unsummon it can be used. |
| 2016-06-08 | Activated abilities contain a colon. They’re generally written “ -ost: -ffect].” Some keywords are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. |