Volrath's Stronghold MTG Card


Provides card advantage by consistently retrieving creatures from the graveyard to the library. Resource acceleration occurs without direct mana generation or reduced casting costs. Instant speed activation allows for surprise plays and maximized mana efficiency.
Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Land

Text of card

oc T: Add one colorless mana to your mana pool. o1o B, oc T: Put target creature card from your graveyard on top of your library.

The seed of a world's evil.


Cards like Volrath's Stronghold

Volrath’s Stronghold stands as a unique land in Magic: The Gathering, resonating with players who seek ways to bring creatures back from their graveyard. Similar to other graveyard utility lands like Academy Ruins, Volrath’s Stronghold offers reusability of key creatures, albeit Academy Ruins targets artifacts. The Stronghold’s power is in its precise creature reanimation, allowing it to stand out from simple regrowth effects or bulk reanimation like that found in cards such as Patriarch’s Bidding.

Comparing it to creature-focused cards, Elixir of Immortality also brings back cards from the graveyard but shuffles them into one’s library rather than placing them on top. This dilutes the immediacy of utility that Volrath’s Stronghold provides by ensuring a known creature can be redrawn next. Mortuary Mire has a similar effect to the Stronghold, putting a creature on top of the library, but as it enters the battlefield, and it’s a one-time effect unlike the repeatable utility the stronghold grants.

It’s this repeatable, controlled recursion that makes Volrath’s Stronghold a favorite. It doesn’t have the wide-reaching impact of a spell like Living Death but its individual precision makes it a staple in strategies that hinge on key creatures and synergizes excellently in commander-centric decks.

Academy Ruins - MTG Card versions
Elixir of Immortality - MTG Card versions
Mortuary Mire - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions
Academy Ruins - MTG Card versions
Elixir of Immortality - MTG Card versions
Mortuary Mire - MTG Card versions
Patriarch's Bidding - MTG Card versions
Living Death - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Volrath's Stronghold by color, type and mana cost

Swamp - MTG Card versions
Spawning Pool - MTG Card versions
Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt - MTG Card versions
Lake of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - MTG Card versions
Cabal Coffers - MTG Card versions
Crypt of Agadeem - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Salvage - MTG Card versions
Bojuka Bog - MTG Card versions
Ifnir Deadlands - MTG Card versions
Barren Moor - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Tower - MTG Card versions
Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince - MTG Card versions
Snow-Covered Swamp - MTG Card versions
Hostile Hostel // Creeping Inn - MTG Card versions
Polluted Mire - MTG Card versions
The Black Gate - MTG Card versions
Barad-dûr - MTG Card versions
Thriving Moor - MTG Card versions
Swamp - MTG Card versions
Spawning Pool - MTG Card versions
Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt - MTG Card versions
Lake of the Dead - MTG Card versions
Takenuma, Abandoned Mire - MTG Card versions
Cabal Coffers - MTG Card versions
Crypt of Agadeem - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Salvage - MTG Card versions
Bojuka Bog - MTG Card versions
Ifnir Deadlands - MTG Card versions
Barren Moor - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Tower - MTG Card versions
Westvale Abbey // Ormendahl, Profane Prince - MTG Card versions
Snow-Covered Swamp - MTG Card versions
Hostile Hostel // Creeping Inn - MTG Card versions
Polluted Mire - MTG Card versions
The Black Gate - MTG Card versions
Barad-dûr - MTG Card versions
Thriving Moor - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Volrath's Stronghold. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
ZombiesZombies LegacyNic Fit*HALF PRICE FRIDAY* $1K - Legacy - SCG CON Atlanta - Friday - 1:30 pm
Rakdos GoblinsRakdos Goblins LegacyGoblinsTOPdeck.Ru - 2024 Legacy Championship
The RockThe Rock PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Mono-Black AggroMono-Black Aggro LegacyMono-Black ScamCircuito Legacy Catarinense | Temporada 2024 | Etapa 1
Cradle ControlCradle Control LegacyCradle ControlLegacy League 2023-12-18
GolgariGolgari Free formMiddle School World Championships
GoblinsGoblins PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
Golgari OathGolgari Oath PremodernEternal Weekend Europe 2023 Premodern Mainevent
AlurenAluren LegacyAluren$5K - Legacy - SCG CON Pittsburgh - Sunday - 9:30 am

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Volrath’s Stronghold offers sustained card advantage by allowing you to return creature cards from your graveyard to the top of your library. This provides a consistent way to reuse valuable creatures and maintain pressure on your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly producing mana or lowering costs, Volrath’s Stronghold accelerates your resources by effectively drawing you a creature card every turn. This bypasses mana expenditures on draw spells and invests it into playing creatures instead.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Volrath’s Stronghold can be used at the end of your opponent’s turn, which maximizes your mana efficiency. By waiting until the last moment, you maintain the element of surprise, holding up mana for instant-speed responses and only using the stronghold if no immediate threats need addressing.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the ability of Volrath’s Stronghold to return creatures from your graveyard to the top of your library is potent, it’s important to note that this can sometimes come at the cost of card advantage. If your hand is already depleted, this requirement might hinder your ability to maintain a strong board presence.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific mana arrangement – one black and one colorless – which can sometimes complicate your mana base, particularly in multicolored decks that are already juggling various mana needs.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When assessing the utility of Volrath’s Stronghold, consider that its activation cost is somewhat steep, especially when you’re in a pinch for mana. While the stronghold’s unique ability is irrefutable, the cost of activation must be weighed against other potential plays each turn.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Volrath’s Stronghold offers a reliable way to bring creatures back from the graveyard, making it a solid addition to any black deck that makes use of a significant creature base. Its flexibility in preserving your key creatures can give you an enduring advantage over your opponent.

Combo Potential: This land is a powerhouse in any combo-centric deck that recurs creatures for repeated effects. Pairing Volrath’s Stronghold with cards that have enter-the-battlefield triggers or sacrifice benefits can create a loop, enabling strategies that can overwhelm adversaries.

Meta-Relevance: Given the stronghold’s ability to thwart opponent’s attempts to permanently deal with your creatures, it remains relevant, especially in formats where creature-based strategies are dominant. Its intrinsic value grows in metas where control and graveyard interaction play a critical role.


How to Beat Volrath’s Stronghold

Volrath’s Stronghold is a potent land card found in some Magic: The Gathering decks, revered for its ability to put creatures from a player’s graveyard on top of their library. To effectively counter this strategic advantage, players should consider using land destruction cards to neutralize the stronghold or graveyard manipulation spells that can exile or shuffle the graveyard into the library, thereby disrupting your opponent’s plans.

Strategies like these require precision timing and awareness of the opponent’s potential creatures that could return to their hand. Bojuka Bog is an exemplary card, as it exiles an opponent’s graveyard and can throw a wrench in their recovery tactics. Leyline of the Void is another effective counter, as it stops creatures from ever hitting the graveyard in the first place, circumventing the stronghold’s ability entirely. When planning your deck, incorporating these countermeasures can greatly improve your chances against decks that leverage Volrath’s Stronghold’s recursive power.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Volrath's Stronghold MTG card by a specific set like Stronghold and World Championship Decks 1998, 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 Volrath's Stronghold and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Volrath's Stronghold Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 1998-03-02 and 2015-05-06. Illustrated by Kev Walker.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-03-02StrongholdSTH 1431997NormalBlackKev Walker
21998-08-12World Championship Decks 1998WC98 bs1431997NormalGoldKev Walker
31999-08-04World Championship Decks 1999WC99 js1431997NormalGoldKev Walker
42015-05-06Tempest RemasteredTPR 2482015NormalBlackKev Walker

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Volrath's Stronghold has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal