Volrath's Shapeshifter

Creature - Shapeshifter 0/1, 1UU (3)
As long as Volrath's Shapeshifter is in play and the top card of your graveyard is a creature card, Volrath's Shapeshifter has the full text of that card, and has the text "{2}: Discard a card." (Volrath's Shapeshifter has that card's name, mana cost, color, types, abilities, power and toughness.)
{2}: Discard a card.¹
Illus. Ron Spencer

Crystal Keep Rulings Summaries

• This card is no longer a copy card (see Rule 503). It now simply sets its own characteristics based on a characteristic setting ability (which is a special kind of continuous effect). [D'Angelo 2003/09/08]
• If the top card in your graveyard isn't a creature card (meaning a "Creature" or "Artifact Creature"), then it's just a 0/1 blue creature. [D'Angelo 1999/06/01] Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• If the top card in your graveyard is a creature card, this card uses the listed characteristics, including color and artifact nature. But, this card keeps the granted ability in addition to those from the card being copied. [Barclay 1998/02/27]
• If the top card in the graveyard has any asterisks (*) in the power/toughness, then those values are considered to be zero unless the card also has a characteristic setting ability that sets the value for these asterisks, in which case the Shapeshifter also gets that ability and sets the values. For example, a Nightmare or Keldon Warlord will have their power/toughness set as appropriate. [DeLaney 1998/07/17] But a Clone, Vesuvan Doppelganger, or Shapeshifter results in a 0 value for the *. [D'Angelo 1999/01/26]
• If the top card in the graveyard has any other undefined characteristics, then those characteristics are not acquired and the shapeshifter uses the characteristic from its own card. [Barclay 1998/02/27]
• If the top card in your graveyard is a creature at the time this card comes into play, it comes into play with the appropriate characteristics of that card and will trigger any of its own (or others) comes into play abilities as appropriate. [D'Angelo 1999/06/01] It will not apply any "as comes into play" text on the creature card, however. [D'Angelo 2001/08/31]
• When it changes forms, you do not play any "comes into play" abilities of the cards it copies. [D'Angelo 1998/06/05]
• A copy (such as a Clone) of a Volrath's Shapeshifter will have the shapeshifting ability. [D'Angelo 2003/07/01]
• Note - Also see Copying Objects, Rule 503.

Format Legality	Legal in Vintage, Legacy Banned in Extended, Standard
Printings (1/6)	Stronghold (Rare)