Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Homunculus
Abilities Transform
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. It’s a mana accelerator early on, transforming into a potent late-game creature.
  2. Homunculus shines in instant/sorcery-heavy decks with its mana tap ability.
  3. Reduces spell costs post-transformation, bolstering combo opportunities.

Text of card

: Add to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast an instant or sorcery spell. At the beginning of your upkeep, if there are three or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, transform Curious Homunculus.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Curious Homunculus in play, you can get ahead by tapping it for a mana boost when casting instant or sorcery spells. As the game progresses and it transforms into Voracious Reader, this ability enhances your spell-slinging potency, helping you churn through your deck and access more of your resources.

Resource Acceleration: The initial mana ability provided by Curious Homunculus is a form of resource acceleration that can be crucial, especially in the early to mid-game. This added value becomes increasingly impactful, reducing the costs of your instants and sorceries and allowing you to play more efficiently.

Instant Speed: The nature of Curious Homunculus rewards strategies that heavily rely on instants and sorceries. By allowing you to tap it for mana at instant speed, you can adapt more fluidly to threats, opportunities, and the ever-changing landscape of the battlefield, keeping your opponents always on their toes.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Curious Homunculus comes with a predetermined color requirement, which is blue. This restricts flexibility in deck building, particularly for those wanting to utilize the card in a multicolor strategy that may not prioritize blue mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Curious Homunculus features a cost-reduction ability for instants and sorceries, its initial casting cost is somewhat high for its 1/1 base stats. This can make the card less appealing compared to other two-mana creatures that offer more immediate board impact.

Discard Requirement: Although Curious Homunculus itself does not mandate discarding as a cost, it does compel players to have a substantial number of instants and sorceries in hand to exploit its transformation into Voracious Reader. This could result in hands being depleted faster than desired, indirectly pressuring players to part with cards to maintain an empty hand for maximum efficiency.


Reasons to Include Curious Homunculus in Your Collection

Versatility: Curious Homunculus is a card that serves multiple roles in a deck. It’s an early-game mana accelerator that flips into a more powerful creature in the later stages of the game. Its ability to tap for mana can help cast a variety of spells sooner than your opponents expect, making it a flexible addition to any blue-centric deck.

Combo Potential: Post-transformation, Curious Homunculus becomes Voracious Reader, which reduces the cost of instants and sorceries. This can lead to powerful combos by casting multiple spells in a single turn, especially in spellslinger decks that aim to cast numerous instants and sorceries to overwhelm opponents.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where spells matter and the pace is quick, Curious Homunculus can shine. Its transformation condition is often easily met in decks that prioritize casting a high volume of spells, making it a relevant creature in both its forms for decks looking to maintain tempo and control through spellcasting.


How to beat

The Curious Homunculus is an intriguing card that poses a challenge on the battlefield with its ability to flip into Voracious Reader, thus this little wizard can catch any opponent off guard. To tackle this transformation, timing is key. Interact with this creature before it becomes a bigger problem. Removal spells are your best friends here; instant speed removals, like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, can dispatch the homunculus before it flips or in response to the trigger. Board wipes are another solution, capable of resetting the playing field.

Also consider the power of counter spells. The Curious Homunculus grants cost reductions for instants and sorceries which can turn the tide of the game if left unchecked. By denying its transformation or countering key spells it aims to reduce, you can maintain control over the game’s flow. Be mindful of your resources; carefully pick which spells to counter and when to use your removal. By keeping the pressure up and denying the homunculus time to thrive, you can extinguish the curiosity and keep the upper hand in your MTG matches.


BurnMana Recommendations

The Curious Homunculus is a nimble and crafty player in the world of MTG, offering both challenge and opportunity. Harnessing its mana-boosting prowess effectively can be a game-changer, particularly in blue-centric or spellslinger decks. Its evolution into Voracious Reader pushes the boundaries, enabling breathtaking combos and cost efficiencies. As you strategize your next game plan, consider how integrating this card could add an extra layer of ingenuity to your deck. Stay ahead of the curve and let the Curious Homunculus propel your spellcasting to new heights. Eager to explore the full potential of this versatile card? Dive into our detailed insights and tips to optimize your gameplay with Curious Homunculus.


Cards like Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader

Curious Homunculus holds a noteworthy spot among mana accelerants in Magic: The Gathering. When pitted against other cards like Baral, Chief of Compliance, the Homunculus resembles Baral’s cost-reduction ability for instants and sorceries. While Baral offers a broader cost reduction and looting capability upon countering spells, the Curious Homunculus has the unique ability to transform into Voracious Reader, providing an even more significant cost reduction under the right circumstances.

Likewise, Goblin Electromancer shares synergy with spellslinger decks, offering a constant reduction in spell costs. Although it doesn’t transform for greater power like the Homunculus, its reliable cost reduction from the get-go can be crucial for fast-paced games. Mana accelerants such as these are fundamental choices for decks focusing on casting numerous instants and sorceries.

Considering versatility and potential growth, the Curious Homunculus appeals to players keen on evolving their board state. As it stands among its counterparts, this card not only aids in casting spells more quickly but also promises a more powerful creature form as a game progresses, providing both early-game utility and mid-to-late game threat.

Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions
Goblin Electromancer - MTG Card versions
Baral, Chief of Compliance - MTG Card versions
Goblin Electromancer - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader MTG card by a specific set like Eldritch Moon and Shadows over Innistrad 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 Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by Filip Burburan.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 542015TransformBlackFilip Burburan
22023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 582015TransformBlackFilip Burburan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Curious Homunculus // Voracious Reader has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-07-13 Abilities that reduce the cost of a spell apply after abilities that raise them. For example, Borrowed Malevolence with both modes chosen costs to cast if you control Voracious Reader.
2016-07-13 For more information on double-faced cards, see the Shadows over Innistrad mechanics article (http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/shadows-over-innistrad-mechanics).
2016-07-13 If an instant or sorcery spell has in its mana cost, choose the value for X first, and then reduce the cost by . For example, Dark Salvation with X chosen as 2 costs to cast if you control Voracious Reader.
2016-07-13 If you activate Curious Homunculus’s mana ability in response to its triggered ability, you can spend that mana to cast an instant spell during your upkeep after it has transformed into Voracious Reader. If you don’t spend the mana, it will leave your mana pool before your draw step begins; you can’t use it to cast the card you draw or to cast a sorcery.
2016-07-13 If you don’t have enough instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard as your upkeep begins, Curious Homunculus’s last ability doesn’t trigger. If you don’t have enough as the ability resolves, the ability has no effect.
2016-07-13 Mana from Curious Homunculus’s first ability can be spent to cast a spell that has generic mana in its additional cost, such as Borrowed Malevolence with both modes chosen. It can’t be spent to pay costs during a spell’s resolution, such as the cost Convolute prompts a player to pay.

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