Volrath's Shapeshifter

Creature - Shapeshifter 0/1, 1UU (3)
As long as 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

Gatherer Card Rulings [Nov 2009]

• 10/4/2004: 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.
• 10/4/2004: If the top card in your graveyard is a creature card, this card uses the listed characteristics, including color and any other types. But, this card keeps the granted ability in addition to those from the card being copied.
• 10/4/2004: When it changes forms, any "enters the battlefield" abilities of the card it "copies" do not trigger.
• 10/4/2004: A copy of a Volrath's Shapeshifter will have the shapeshifting ability.
• 10/4/2004: If the top card in your graveyard is a creature at the time this card enters the battlefield, it enters the battlefield with the appropriate characteristics of that card and will trigger any of its own (or others) enters the battlefield abilities as appropriate. It will not apply any "as enters the battlefield" text on the creature card, however.
• 10/4/2004: If the top card in your graveyard isn't a creature card (meaning a card with the type Creature, which may or may not have other types such as Artifact or Enchantment), then it's just a 0/1 blue creature. Older cards of type Summon are also Creature cards.
• 8/1/2008: The ability that sets its characteristics is a text-changing effect.

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