Volrath's Shapeshifter MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Volrath’s Shapeshifter has a strategic edge providing continual card advantage. By discarding a creature card with a potent ability, you essentially gain access to that ability, therefore optimizing every card in your hand and turning potential dead draws into versatile threats or answers.

Resource Acceleration: The Shapeshifter can adapt on the fly without additional mana costs after its on the battlefield. This quality translates to a form of resource acceleration since you do not need to deploy extra mana to summon a new creature when the board state changes. Your mana is free for other strategic plays or for maintaining a solid defense.

Instant Speed: The ability to discard a creature card at instant speed gives Volrath’s Shapeshifter the flexibility to surprise an opponent during combat or in response to removal, effectively navigating around attempts to neutralize it and potentially creating favorable interactions on the fly.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Volrath’s Shapeshifter’s potency hinges on having creatures in the graveyard, necessitating a card discard which can exhaust your hand when you need resources the most.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost demands both blue and generic mana, potentially complicating its inclusion outside of blue-centric or dual-colored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total of three mana for a card that relies on graveyard synergy, it may be deemed inefficient compared to other graveyard-utilizing cards with lower cost or more immediate impact.

Reasons to Include Volrath’s Shapeshifter in Your Collection

Versatility: Volrath’s Shapeshifter not only shifts its form to copy creatures in your graveyard, but also adapts to changing gameplay, making it a dynamic asset in various decks that hinge on creature-based strategies.

Combo Potential: This card excels in combo arrangements, pairing exceptionally well with high-power creatures that can lead to powerful, game-changing effects once the Shapeshifter takes on their abilities and characteristics.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to continually adapt to the most threatening creature in your graveyard, Volrath’s Shapeshifter remains a relevant choice across various meta environments, particularly where graveyard manipulation is advantageous.

How to Beat Volrath’s Shapeshifter

Volrath’s Shapeshifter is a unique creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering, known for its ability to take on the characteristics of the top creature card in its controller’s graveyard. Its strength lies in its versatility, as it can become a powerful creature at will, dependent on graveyard mechanics. To overcome this shapeshifting adversary, smart graveyard management is essential. Tactics include employing graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Leyline of the Void to remove its power source. Alternatively, one can use instant-speed removal such as Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile, targeting the Shapeshifter during the upkeep before the opponent has a chance to change the top card of their graveyard.

Another successful strategy is the use of exile effects to neutralize the creature directly. Cards like Scavenging Ooze not only deal with the Shapeshifter itself but also control the graveyard’s content, preventing the opponent from setting up lethal combinations. Strategic planning and maintaining control over both graveyards often will secure the victory against a deck that centers around Volrath’s Shapeshifter.