Whim of Volrath 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
Buyback(You may pay an additional
Complete guide
Whim of Volrath is a versatile blue instant that allows you to rewrite the rules of the battlefield on the fly. By altering color words or basic land types, you can disrupt your opponent's strategy or fix your own mana while ensuring the card returns to your hand for future use.
Color and Land Manipulation
This spell allows you to target any permanent and swap one color word for another (like 'Red' to 'Blue') or one basic land type for another (like 'Forest' to 'Island'). This effect lasts until the end of the turn and can affect both the text box and the type line of the permanent. You cannot change card names or proper nouns, but you can certainly change the mana a land produces by altering its basic land type.
The Buyback Mechanic
When casting Whim of Volrath, you may choose to pay an additional {2} mana for the Buyback cost. If the spell resolves successfully while the Buyback cost was paid, the card is put back into your hand instead of your graveyard. This makes it a repeatable tool for controlling the board state across multiple turns.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you cast the spell and choose a target permanent, optionally paying the {2} Buyback cost. During resolution, you choose which color word or basic land type to change and what to replace it with. The change is applied immediately to the permanent's printed text, type line, or token attributes. Finally, if Buyback was paid, the physical card returns to your hand; otherwise, it goes to your graveyard.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is trying to change a word into the exact same word, which is not allowed. Additionally, note that Whim of Volrath only changes printed text or text set by copy effects; it does not change words within existing continuous effects applied by other spells. If the target permanent leaves the battlefield or becomes illegal before resolution, the entire spell fails and you will not get the card back via Buyback.
Interaction examples
CounterspellIf you cast Whim of Volrath with Buyback and your opponent casts Counterspell targeting it, Whim of Volrath will be moved to the graveyard. Buyback only functions if the spell resolves successfully; if it is countered, the card does not return to your hand.
An Offer You Can't RefuseYou can target an opponent's land to change its type from 'Mountain' to 'Island' to prevent them from casting red spells. If they attempt to stop you with An Offer You Can't Refuse, your spell is countered, but you will at least receive two Treasure tokens as a consolation, even though you lost the Whim of Volrath.
You target your own Plains and choose to change 'Plains' to 'Swamp'. Until the end of the turn, that land is now a Swamp, loses its inherent ability to tap for white mana, and can now be tapped for black mana. Because it is still the same permanent, it retains its name 'Plains' but functions entirely as a Swamp.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Whim of Volrath
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Can target a card with no appropriate words on it, or even one with no words at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
It can’t change a word to the same word. It must be a different word.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Alters all occurrences of the chosen word in the text box and the type line of the given card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
It only changes what is printed on the card (or set on a token when it was created or set by a copy effect). It will not change any effects that are on the permanent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
You choose the words to change on resolution.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t change proper nouns (i.e. card names) such as “Island Fish Jasconius”.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
It can be used to change a land’s type from one basic land type to another. For example, Forest can be changed to Island so it produces blue mana. It doesn’t change the name of any permanent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Orvar, the All-Form + Peregrine Drake + Whim of Volrath
- 1Activate up to five lands you control by tapping them, adding at least
. - 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Peregrine Drake.
- 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a token copy of Peregrine Drake.
- 4The Peregrine Drake token enters the battlefield, untapping up to five lands.
- 5Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
- 7Once you have infinite mana, you can target any permanents you control in step 2 to create infinite token copies of them.
Orvar, the All-Form + Spark Double + Whim of Volrath
- 1Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Spark Double.
- 2Orvar triggers, creating a token copy of Spark Double that enters the battlefield as a nonlegendary token copy of Orvar.
- 3Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 4Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting any Island that enters the battlefield untapped.
- 5Orvar, Spark Double and the Spark Double token trigger, creating three token copies of the Island.
- 6Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 7Activate the Island tokens by tapping them, adding .
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Orvar, the All-Form + Sakashima of a Thousand Faces + Whim of Volrath
- 1Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Sakashima of a Thousand Faces.
- 2Orvar triggers, creating a token copy of Sakashima of a Thousand Faces that enters the battlefield as a token copy of Orvar.
- 3Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 4Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting any Island that enters the battlefield untapped.
- 5Orvar, Sakashima of a Thousand Faces and the Sakashima of a Thousand Faces token trigger, creating three token copies of the Island.
- 6Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 7Activate the Island tokens by tapping them, adding .
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Orvar, the All-Form + Whim of Volrath + Coveted Jewel
- 1Activate Coveted Jewel by tapping it, adding .
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Coveted Jewel.
- 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a token copy of Coveted Jewel.
- 4When the copy of Coveted Jewel enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing you to draw three cards.
- 5Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Orvar, the All-Form + Whim of Volrath + Gilded Lotus
- 1Activate Gilded Lotus by tapping it, adding .
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Gilded Lotus.
- 3Orvar's first ability triggers, creating a copy of Gilded Lotus.
- 4Resolve Whim of Volrath, changing nothing and returning it to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
Orvar, the All-Form + Treachery + Whim of Volrath
- 1Activate up to five lands you control by tapping them, adding at least .
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Treachery.
- 3Orvar's first ability triggers, causing you to create a copy of Treachery and attach it to any creature.
- 4The Treachery token enters the battlefield, causing you to untap up to five lands.
- 5Resolve Whim of Volrath, changing nothing and returning it to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
- 7Once you have infinite mana, you can target any other permanents you control in step 2 to get infinite token copies of them.
Throne of Eldraine + Vesuvan Duplimancy + Whim of Volrath
- 1Activate Throne of Eldraine by tapping it, adding that can only be spent to cast monoblue spells.
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying , targeting Throne of Eldraine.
- 3Vesuvan Duplimancy triggers, creating a nonlegendary token copy of Throne of Eldraine. Choose "Blue" as the token enters.
- 4Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 5Repeat, tapping the Throne of Eldraine token instead.
Displacer Kitten + Whim of Volrath + Coveted Jewel
- 1Activate Coveted Jewel by tapping it, adding .
- 2Cast Whim of Volrath with buyback by paying .
- 3Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Coveted Jewel.
- 4Coveted Jewel enters the battlefield, causing you to draw three cards.
- 5Resolve Whim of Volrath, returning it to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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