Volrath, the Shapestealer
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put a -1/-1 counter on up to one target creature. {1}: Until your next turn, Volrath becomes a copy of target creature with a counter on it, except it's 7/5 and it has this ability.
How Volrath decks play in EDH
Volrath, the Shapestealer is a Sultai commander in blue, black and green costing 2BGU, and its legendary creature - phyrexian shapeshifter line shapes the whole deck around it. Its ability is narrow enough that the deck is usually built to protect it and repeat the effect, rather than to go wide. The cards below are the ones Volrath, the Shapestealer decks actually play most often, grouped by the job they do.
Most-played cards
20 cards · about $53.10Play rates from EDHREC. Prices from Scryfall, refreshed daily.
Ramp (1)
Card draw (3)
Removal (3)
Creatures (10)
Synergy & payoffs (2)
Lands (1)
Build the full 100
Grimoire generates a complete, Commander-legal Volrath, the Shapestealer decklist with a written strategy, a full mana base and live prices — from the whole card pool, or only from cards you already own.
Start with VolrathVolrath deck questions
What colours can I use in a Volrath, the Shapestealer deck?
Volrath, the Shapestealer has a Sultai colour identity, so every card in the deck must be blue, black and green or colourless. That includes mana symbols in rules text, not just casting cost.
What are the best cards for Volrath, the Shapestealer?
The cards played most often in Volrath, the Shapestealer decks include Elrond, Moon-Reader, Radagast of Rhosgobel, Beorn the Fierce. The full list of staples above is grouped by the job each card does, so you can see the deck's skeleton rather than just a pile of names.
How much does a Volrath, the Shapestealer deck cost?
The 20 most-played cards shown above come to roughly $53.10 at current market prices. A complete 100-card build costs more, and Grimoire can generate a budget version instead if you set a price ceiling.
Can I build a Volrath, the Shapestealer deck from cards I already own?
Yes. Import your collection into Grimoire and choose "my cards" when you build. The generator will only use cards you actually own, and the Missing Cards page shows what you would need to buy to finish any list.