Void Squall MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Abilities | Rebound |
| Released | 2015-03-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dragons of Tarkir |
| Set code | DTK |
| Number | 83 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | James Paick |
Key Takeaways
- It shines in tempos, bouncing nonland permanents and disrupting opponent strategies at instant speed.
- Difficult to cast in non-blue decks and the discard requirement can be a strategic disadvantage.
- Valuable for its flexibility and combo potential, especially in decks that synergize with bounce effects.
Text of card
Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Rebound (If you cast this spell from your hand, exile it as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast this card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Void Squall offers a unique tactical edge by returning a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand. This not only disrupts your opponent’s board but can also result in card advantage if the target is a token which will cease to exist once it leaves the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: In certain decks, especially those leveraging return-to-hand mechanics, Void Squall can act as a resource accelerator. By bouncing your own permanents with enter-the-battlefield effects, you can reuse these effects to gain more value over time.
Instant Speed: The strength of Void Squall is amplified by its ability to be cast at instant speed, which provides flexibility in gameplay. You can strategically choose the most opportune moment—be it during your opponent’s end step, in response to an attack, or in anticipation of an opposing combo—to maximize its impact.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the context of gameplay dynamics, Void Squall necessitates discarding another card, which can be a strategic setback. This is particularly challenging when your hand is already stretched thin, effectively diminishing your ability to maintain card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Void Squall’s casting cost requires both colorless and blue mana, which can be cumbersome for decks that aren’t tailored to produce this combination efficiently. Consequently, this narrows the spectrum of decks in which the card can be optimally included without risking mana inconsistencies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When assessing the value of any card, the mana investment is a critical factor. With Void Squall’s casting cost sitting at a notable five mana, it competes with other impactful spells and capabilities available at this cost tier, which can sometimes offer either more versatile or more powerful effects.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Void Squall offers flexibility to your deck with its ability to temporarily clear the board of problematic nonland permanents. This can be crucial in decks that need time to establish their board presence or disrupt opponent strategies.
Combo Potential: As a card with a rebound mechanic, it ensures a repeated effect without requiring additional mana on the following turn. This trait can be intelligently paired with cards that capitalize on casting spells or those that benefit from bounce effects to create powerful interactions.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo can determine the winner, Void Squall holds its ground. It is particularly effective in environments where tempo plays are key to outpacing opponents, making it a tactical choice against decks that rely heavily on permanents.
How to beat
Void Squall is a card that challenges players to think strategically about their deck’s composition and their in-game decisions. This powerful sorcery can disrupt the opponent’s board by returning a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, effectively setting them back and potentially ruining their plans. Understanding its role in tempo plays is critical for formulating a plan to overcome its effects.
To beat Void Squall, it’s vital to build a deck with efficient spells and abilities that can be cast or activated at instant speed, allowing you to recover quickly from the setback. Cards with flash or those that can be played at opportune moments minimize the tempo loss caused by Void Squall. Inclusion of low-cost permanents also reduces the impact, ensuring that replaying your cards won’t consume your entire turn.
Moreover, cards with enter-the-battlefield effects can actually benefit from being returned to your hand, giving you repeat value each time you recast them. Diversifying your threats ensures that Void Squall cannot disrupt all your plans at once, ultimately weakening its potential to monopolize the game.
Cards like Void Squall
Void Squall is an intriguing option within the tempo cards in MTG, reminiscent of other bounce spells that aim to disrupt opponents by returning their permanents to hand. When examining how Void Squall lines up with its peers, one might consider cards such as Unsummon or Vapor Snag. Unsummon allows you to return a creature to its owner’s hand at a very low cost, enabling quick reactivity but lacking the card’s nonland stipulation.
Another comparable card is Boomerang, which matches Void Squall in the ability to target any nonland permanent but at a significantly lower mana value as an instant. This makes Boomerang a more versatile choice for immediate interference. Into the Roil is also part of this comparison, offering return effects at both basic and kicker cost, with the added advantage of drawing a card when kicked. This can provide additional value over Void Squall’s singular effect.
While each spell in this category brings unique elements to the table, Void Squall’s own balance between cost and versatility must be carefully weighed against these others. It holds its ground in the realm of tempo plays, giving MTG players another tool to control the flow of the game.
Cards similar to Void Squall by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Void Squall MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Void Squall 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 MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Void Squall has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Void Squall card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | As long as you cast a spell with rebound from your hand, rebound will work regardless of whether you paid its mana cost or an alternative cost you were permitted to pay. |
| 2015-02-25 | At the beginning of your upkeep, all delayed triggered abilities created by rebound effects trigger. You may handle them in any order. If you want to cast a card this way, you do so as part of the resolution of its delayed triggered ability. Timing restrictions based on the card’s type (if it’s a sorcery) are ignored. Other restrictions, such as “Cast -his spell] only during combat,” must be followed. |
| 2015-02-25 | Casting the card again due to the delayed triggered ability is optional. If you choose not to cast the card, or if you can’t (perhaps because there are no legal targets available), the card will stay exiled. You won’t get another chance to cast it on a future turn. |
| 2015-02-25 | If a replacement effect (such as the one created by Rest in Peace) would cause a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand to be put somewhere other than into your graveyard as it resolves, you can choose whether to apply the rebound effect or the other effect as the spell resolves. |
| 2015-02-25 | If a spell with rebound that you cast from your hand doesn’t resolve for any reason (either because another spell or ability counters it or because all its targets are illegal as it tries to resolve), none of its effects will happen, including rebound. The spell will be put into its owner’s graveyard and you won’t get to cast it again on your next turn. |
| 2015-02-25 | If you cast a card from exile this way, it will go to its owner’s graveyard when it resolves, fails to resolve, or is countered. It won’t go back to exile. |
| 2015-02-25 | If you cast a spell with rebound from any zone other than your hand (including your opponent’s hand), rebound will have no effect. |
| 2015-02-25 | Rebound will have no effect on copies of spells because you don’t cast them from your hand. |
