Volatile Rig MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact Creature — Construct
Abilities	Trample
Released	2012-10-05
Set symbol
Set name	Return to Ravnica
Set code	RTR
Power	4
Toughness	4
Number	236
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Mathias Kollros

Key Takeaways

Volatile Rig can clear the board, offering a significant advantage in controlling the game state.
Its instant speed ability adds a layer of unpredictability, posing a challenge for opponents.
However, its specific mana cost and potential liability in discard could limit its versatility.

Text of card

Trample Volatile Rig attacks each turn if able. Whenever Volatile Rig is dealt damage, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, sacrifice Volatile Rig. When Volatile Rig dies, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, it deals 4 damage to each creature and each player.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Volatile Rig is involved in a scrap, its detonation is not all downside. If successfully destroyed during combat or by an effect that doesn’t prevent its ability, it can potentially decimate your opponent’s board, leaving you in a dominant position with a clear path to victory. Additionally, its self-destruct sequence coerces your opponent into precarious blocks or risky plays to avoid its explosive consequences, potentially resulting in favorable trades for you.

Resource Acceleration: While Volatile Rig isn’t a direct source of resource acceleration, the aftermath of its random blast can inadvertently propel your game state forward. By clearing out multiple creatures or even planeswalkers, it sets the stage for your more powerful spells to dominate the field without opposition, thus accelerating your longer-term game plan.

Instant Speed: Volatile Rig’s ability activates at instant speed during the declare blockers step, giving you the flexibility to keep your opponents guessing. The unpredictability of its ability to possibly wipe out several creatures can also disrupt your adversary’s tactics, forcing them to play more conservatively or risk a board reset at a crucial moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: As a card that may cause you to discard, Volatile Rig can be a liability, especially when your hand is full of crucial spells you’d prefer to keep.

Specific Mana Cost: The rigid mana cost of Volatile Rig, requiring both red and colorless mana, means it fits only in specific deck types, potentially limiting its playability across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of four mana to get Volatile Rig onto the battlefield, you’ll find that it competes with other impactful cards at the same cost point. It’s vital to weigh its inclusion against other options that might provide immediate impact or value.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volatile Rig offers a unique approach to board control, capable of sliding into red-centric or artifact-based decks. Its potential to deal widespread damage helps keep opponents on edge, making it a notable threat in any game state.

Combo Potential: With its explosive ability, Volatile Rig can be a key piece in decks that capitalize on damaging effects or artifact synergies. Its interactions can set off a cascade of powerful reactions, particularly in a strategy focused on sacrificing artifacts for greater rewards.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to disrupt creature-heavy boards, Volatile Rig can have a significant impact against creature-focused strategies often found in the current meta. When used effectively, it can shift the balance of a game, making it a strategic pick for an adaptive collection.

How to beat Volatile Rig

Volatile Rig presents itself as a complex challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This artifact creature is known for its unpredictability, potentially dealing substantial damage during its forced detonation upon being dealt damage. To strategically navigate around Volatile Rig, savvy players need to consider certain tactics that minimize risk and capitalize on its reliance on chance.

Control decks can excel against Volatile Rig by using instant-speed removal spells. Eliminating the Rig during your own turn prevents the coin toss trigger, sidestepping potential collateral damage. Moreover, exiling the Rig rather than destroying it ensures that its last ability doesn’t have a chance to activate, maintaining board stability.

Another potent strategy is to employ enchantments or abilities that prevent damage. With damage prevention in effect, Volatile Rig can become nothing more than a harmless board presence. Additionally, cards offering choices beyond just damaging Volatile Rig are favorable. The key is to prioritize control over the coin toss; redirecting, nullifying, or even bypassing the damage can transform this chaotic adversary into a manageable obstacle within the game.

Cards like Volatile Rig

Volatile Rig is quite a unique artifact creature card within the Magic: The Gathering universe. Resembling cards like Goblin Kaboomist, both share the trait of potentially damaging all creatures and players when they meet certain conditions. However, Volatile Rig brings the element of risk to a whole new level with its coin-flipping ability upon destruction, leading to a possible board wipe or a benign end with no other consequence.

Another analogous card is Cursed Scroll, which also involves a random element to deal damage, though it’s far more controlled, targeting single creatures or players. Volatile Rig, inversely, is indiscriminate, with the potential for massive impact when luck isn’t in the player’s favor. Then there’s Ratchet Bomb, able to wipe out tokens and low-cost permanents as it ticks up. While Volatile Rig isn’t as predictable or as manipulable as Ratchet Bomb, it compensates with a beefier body capable of swinging in for damage.

In essence, Volatile Rig fits a special niche in Magic: The Gathering due to its unpredictable nature and the potential to dramatically sway the game. Its volatility keeps opponents on their toes and requires a specific type of strategic play to capitalize on its high-risk, high-reward profile.

Cards similar to Volatile Rig by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volatile Rig MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica, 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 Volatile Rig and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volatile Rig 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 Volatile Rig card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2012-10-01	If Volatile Rig is dealt damage by multiple sources at the same time (for example, multiple blocking creatures), its first triggered ability will trigger only once.