Valley Floodcaller is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Flash You may cast noncreature spells as though they had flash. Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Birds, Frogs, Otters, and Rats you control get +1/+1 until end of turn. Untap them.
Complete guide
Valley Floodcaller is a versatile Otter Wizard that grants your noncreature spells the speed of an instant while bolstering your animal army. It serves as both a strategic enabler and a powerful combat trick, allowing you to react to your opponent's moves with precision. Whether you are playing Rats, Frogs, or fellow Otters, this creature ensures your board stays ready for both offense and defense.
Unlocking Flash Speed
The primary utility of Valley Floodcaller is its static ability that lets you cast noncreature spells as though they had flash. This applies to any noncreature card in any zone you have permission to cast from, such as your hand, the graveyard via flashback, or exile. However, this does not speed up activated abilities; if an ability says you can only use it 'any time you could cast a sorcery,' Valley Floodcaller does not change that restriction.
The Untap and Buff Trigger
Every time you cast a noncreature spell, a triggered ability goes on the stack. When this resolves, all Birds, Frogs, Otters, and Rats you control receive +1/+1 and, crucially, are untapped. This happens after you pay the costs for the spell but before the spell itself resolves. This can be used to surprise an opponent with unexpected blockers or to reuse creatures that have activated abilities requiring them to tap.
Strategic Timing
Since Valley Floodcaller itself has flash, you can cast it at the end of an opponent's turn or in response to an attack. Once it is on the battlefield, all your enchantments, artifacts, planeswalkers, and sorceries can be cast at instant speed. Use this to cast a sorcery-speed removal spell during your opponent's combat phase to maximize the +1/+1 buff and untap your creatures for favorable blocks.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Otter' chosen as the creature type, Valley Floodcaller's ability will trigger twice whenever you cast a noncreature spell. Your Birds, Frogs, Otters, and Rats will get a total of +2/+2 and be untapped twice (though the second untap is usually redundant unless you have a way to tap them in between triggers).
Solemn SimulacrumWhile Valley Floodcaller allows you to cast noncreature spells as though they had flash, it does not affect artifact creatures like Solemn Simulacrum. Even though Solemn Simulacrum is an artifact, its 'Creature' type means it does not benefit from the flash-granting ability and must be cast during your main phase when the stack is empty.
Imagine you have several Rats that just attacked and are now tapped. During your opponent's turn, they declare attackers. You can cast a noncreature spell (like an Artifact or Sorcery) at instant speed thanks to Valley Floodcaller. This triggers the Floodcaller, giving your Rats +1/+1 and untapping them, allowing them to block the incoming attack.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Valley Floodcaller
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Valley Floodcaller’s second ability applies to noncreature cards in any zone, provided something is allowing you to cast them. For example, you could cast a sorcery with flashback as though it had flash.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Valley Floodcaller’s second ability has no effect on abilities that you can activate “any time you could cast a sorcery.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Valley Floodcaller + Retraction Helix
- 1Cast Retraction Helix by paying
, targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness. - 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Retraction Helix.
- 4Cast the noncreature permanent by paying
. - 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate the creature targeted by Retraction Helix by tapping it, returning the noncreature permanent cast in step 4 from the battlefield to your hand.
- 7Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Retraction Helix + Sol Ring
- 1Cast Retraction Helix by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Retraction Helix.
- 4Cast Sol Ring by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Sol Ring by tapping it, adding
. - 7Activate the creature targeted by Retraction Helix by tapping it, returning Sol Ring from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Retraction Helix + Mana Vault
- 1Cast Retraction Helix by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Retraction Helix.
- 4Cast Mana Vault by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Mana Vault by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate the creature targeted by Retraction Helix by tapping it, returning Mana Vault from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Banishing Knack
- 1Cast Banishing Knack by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Banishing Knack.
- 4Cast the noncreature permanent by paying .
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate the creature targeted by Banishing Knack by tapping it, returning the noncreature permanent cast in step 4 from the battlefield to your hand.
- 7Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Banishing Knack + Sol Ring
- 1Cast Banishing Knack by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Banishing Knack.
- 4Cast Sol Ring by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Sol Ring by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate the creature targeted by Banishing Knack by tapping it, returning Sol Ring from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Banishing Knack + Mana Vault
- 1Cast Banishing Knack by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Banishing Knack.
- 4Cast Mana Vault by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Mana Vault by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate the creature targeted by Banishing Knack by tapping it, returning Mana Vault from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Retraction Helix + Grim Monolith
- 1Cast Retraction Helix by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Retraction Helix.
- 4Cast Grim Monolith by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Grim Monolith by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate the creature targeted by Retraction Helix by tapping it, returning Grim Monolith from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Valley Floodcaller + Retraction Helix + Basalt Monolith
- 1Cast Retraction Helix by paying , targeting a Bird, Rat, Otter and/or Frog you control that does not have summoning sickness.
- 2Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 3Resolve Retraction Helix.
- 4Cast Basalt Monolith by paying its mana cost.
- 5Valley Floodcaller triggers, giving Birds, Otters, Frogs and Rats you control +1/+1 until end of turn and untapping them.
- 6Activate Basalt Monolith's first ability by tapping it, adding .
- 7Activate the creature targeted by Retraction Helix by tapping it, returning Basalt Monolith from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Valley Floodcaller
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.