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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Casting Volley of Boulders can provide a significant shift in the control of the game board. Though it doesn’t allow you to draw cards directly, it effectively deals with multiple creatures at once, potentially clearing out smaller threats on your opponent’s side of the field. This can equate to a form of card advantage, as you may eliminate numerous cards played by your opponent with just one from your hand.

Resource Acceleration: While this card itself doesn’t directly offer resource acceleration, its hefty mana cost can be turned into an advantage in decks that benefit from casting high-cost spells. Some archetypes, such as those playing with ramp strategies or spells that measure power off of the mana spent, can leverage the significant mana investment in Volley of Boulders for greater impacts or synergistic benefits.

Instant Speed: Although Volley of Boulders is cast at sorcery speed, it compensates with its overwhelming presence. This card’s design focuses on delivering a game-changing effect rather than the flexibility of instant speed. It’s tailored to be a heavy hitter during your own turn, setting up a board state that could heavily favor you when passing the turn to your opponent.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The card Volley of Boulders comes with no discard condition but demands a hefty toll of mana, which can be particularly taxing during crucial game phases when players need to maximize their resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Volley of Boulders requires a significant amount of red mana, making it potentially cumbersome in multicolored decks that can struggle to produce the exact mana distribution required to cast this spell.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that climbs to a total of eight mana, including six that must be red, the card stands on the expensive side of red’s spell spectrum. For such a large investment, players could debate whether the damage output equates to an efficient use of mana, especially when compared to other lower-cost spells or creatures that could offer similar or superior board impact over time.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volley of Boulders can be an adaptable addition to decks played in formats that allow for higher mana curves, such as Commander or Cube Draft. Its ability to deal widespread damage makes it useful in multiple scenarios, whether for clearing a board of smaller creatures or dealing direct damage to opponents.

Combo Potential: When paired with damage doublers or effects that copy spells, Volley of Boulders can quickly escalate in power. It also has synergy with effects that reduce the cost of spells or benefit from casting high-cost spells.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames with creature-heavy decks, this card can act as a powerful board wipe. Moreover, if the current meta includes decks that can ramp up quickly, Volley of Boulders can be a significant threat that can close out games or shift the tide in your favor.

How to beat

Volley of Boulders is a powerful finisher in Magic: The Gathering, especially known for its formidable ability to deal a massive amount of damage divided as you choose among any number of targets. The initial cost is steep, but the flashback mechanic allows for a second wave of impact, which can be daunting to overcome. However, there are strategies to mitigate the damage or even neutralize this card’s effect entirely.

One effective strategy is to use damage prevention spells or abilities that can absorb the brunt of the spell’s output. Cards like Healing Salve or specific creatures with protection from red can be critical in thwarting the damage. Another approach is to counter the spell outright. Counterspells can intercept both the original casting and an attempted flashback, provided you have the mana to do so. Additionally, removing the card from a player’s graveyard before they can use flashback disrupts the dual-use potential, making cards like Tormod’s Crypt invaluable. Proper timing and a keen understanding of your opponent’s strategy are essential when facing off against Volley of Boulders—anticipation and prevention will be your greatest assets.