The 1997 Weatherlight expansion introduced Volunteer Reserves as card number 29, a white uncommon Human Soldier creature featuring banding and cumulative upkeep mechanics.
1997 • Magic: The Gathering • Weatherlight
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$0.11
Designed by Kev Walker, this card is a notable piece of early Magic: The Gathering history, capturing the strategic depth and thematic storytelling that defined the game's formative years. Collectors often seek out Weatherlight set cards to complete their foundational collections or to explore the unique gameplay interactions available during this era. Volunteer Reserves functions as a versatile creature with a mana value of two, making it accessible for early-game plays. Its primary appeal lies in its banding ability, which allows players to group it with other creatures that possess banding to attack as a single unit. This mechanic grants control over how combat damage is distributed, offering strategic flexibility in both offensive and defensive scenarios. Additionally, the card carries a cumulative upkeep cost of one white mana, requiring players to continuously invest resources to keep it on the battlefield. This cost adds a layer of decision-making, as maintaining the creature requires balancing mana availability against its tactical benefits. For Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts, cards like Volunteer Reserves represent more than just gameplay utility; they are artifacts of a pivotal time in the game's evolution. Whether you are building a vintage collection, studying classic game design, or simply appreciate the artistry of Kev Walker, this uncommon card offers a tangible connection to the game's rich heritage.
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The catalog profile below summarizes the card identity, featured subject, and notable collectible traits.
The core identity of the card within the set.
The subject, team, league, and sport context tied to this card.
Featured
Volunteer Reserves
Game
Magic: The Gathering
Rarity, print treatment, and game-specific stats for this card.
Uncommon
Kev Walker
Card Stock
English
{1}{W}
Creature — Human Soldier
2 / 4
W
Abilities, attacks, oracle text, and flavor text printed on the card.
Banding (Any creatures with banding, and up to one without, can attack in a band. Bands are blocked as a group. If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature, you divide that creature's combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it's being blocked by or is blocking.) Cumulative upkeep {1} (At the beginning of your upkeep, put an age counter on this permanent, then sacrifice it unless you pay its upkeep cost for each age counter on it.)
"I'm always a little leery of anyone who offers to kill other people for free." —Gerrard of the *Weatherlight*