<p>You will be able to replace each draw with Words of Waste, however you will still discard the full amount. Additionally, you will have to activate Words before Varina's ability resolves as it creates a replacement effect</p>

<p>From the Gatherer Rulings for Varina:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The number of cards you discard and the amount of life you gain are both equal to the number of Zombies you attack with, <strong>even if you draw a different number of cards somehow</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p><sup>emphasis mine</sup></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-11T20:29:07.393Z
2018-10-11T20:29:07.393Z
Veskah
<p>Words of Waste lets you replace any number of cards that Varina would have you draw with with making your opponents discard cards. If you end up needing to discard more cards than you have in your hand, you simply discard your whole hand.</p>

<p>Words of Waste's ability creates a replacement effect that replaces the next time you would draw a card. If you activate it more than once, it replaces that many card draws. So, to use it with Varina, you have to activate it before Varina's ability resolves. If you attack with 3 zombies, you can activate the ability 3 times, then when Varina's ability resolves, each opponent has to discard 3 cards, then you have to discard 3 cards and you gain 3 life.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-11T20:28:51.813Z
2018-10-11T20:28:51.813Z
murgatroid99
<h2>You may stack any number of Words of Waste replacement effects ahead of time.</h2>

<p>From the Gatherer Rulings on Words of Waste</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If multiple Words have been used prior to drawing a card, then you can choose which one to apply (and use up) each time you draw a card.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The ruling is meant to clarify how the replacement effects of <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[%22words%20of%22]" rel="nofollow noreferrer">multiple different Words enchantments</a> interact with each other, but it also makes it clear that you can have multiple Words of Wastes effects stacked up, and each draw will "use up" one of the effects until they are all gone.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-12T00:54:58.610Z
2018-10-12T00:54:58.610Z
Arcanist Lupus
<p>You have to pay the mana and activate and resolve the Words' ability before any card drawing happens, which is to say before Varina's triggered ability resolves. You can activate the Words three times, though, which would replace all the draws.</p>

<p>Note that this doesn't affect the number of cards you discard or the amount of life you gain. Specifically, the Gatherer rulings on Varina says</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The number of cards you discard and the amount of life you gain are both equal to the number of Zombies you attack with, even if you draw a different number of cards somehow.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-11T20:32:57.923Z
2018-10-11T20:32:57.923Z
Arthur
<p>How does <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWords%20of%20Waste%5d">Words of Waste</a> interact with <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bVarina%2c%20Lich%20Queen%5d">Varina, Lich Queen</a>?</p>

<p>Because you have to draw and discard that many cards.</p>

<p>so if you draw 3 and discard 3, can you only use 1 mana for Words of Waste, since the Varina's ability has to complete?</p>

<p>or can you draw cards. pay 1 for each card. then discard.</p>

<magic-the-gathering><mtg-commander>
How does Words of Waste interact with Varina, Lich Queen?
Mike Harley
# How does Words of Waste interact with Varina, Lich Queen?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-11)

How does [Words of Waste](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWords%20of%20Waste%5d) interact with [Varina, Lich Queen](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bVarina%2c%20Lich%20Queen%5d)?

Because you have to draw and discard that many cards.

so if you draw 3 and discard 3, can you only use 1 mana for Words of Waste, since the Varina's ability has to complete?

or can you draw cards. pay 1 for each card. then discard.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, mtg-commander


---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-10-11. Score: 3

You will be able to replace each draw with Words of Waste, however you will still discard the full amount. Additionally, you will have to activate Words before Varina's ability resolves as it creates a replacement effect

From the Gatherer Rulings for Varina:

> The number of cards you discard and the amount of life you gain are both equal to the number of Zombies you attack with, **even if you draw a different number of cards somehow**

emphasis mine


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-10-11. Score: 1

Words of Waste lets you replace any number of cards that Varina would have you draw with with making your opponents discard cards. If you end up needing to discard more cards than you have in your hand, you simply discard your whole hand.

Words of Waste's ability creates a replacement effect that replaces the next time you would draw a card. If you activate it more than once, it replaces that many card draws. So, to use it with Varina, you have to activate it before Varina's ability resolves. If you attack with 3 zombies, you can activate the ability 3 times, then when Varina's ability resolves, each opponent has to discard 3 cards, then you have to discard 3 cards and you gain 3 life.


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-10-12. Score: 1

## You may stack any number of Words of Waste replacement effects ahead of time.

From the Gatherer Rulings on Words of Waste

> If multiple Words have been used prior to drawing a card, then you can choose which one to apply (and use up) each time you draw a card.

The ruling is meant to clarify how the replacement effects of [multiple different Words enchantments](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[%22words%20of%22]) interact with each other, but it also makes it clear that you can have multiple Words of Wastes effects stacked up, and each draw will "use up" one of the effects until they are all gone.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-10-11. Score: 0

You have to pay the mana and activate and resolve the Words' ability before any card drawing happens, which is to say before Varina's triggered ability resolves. You can activate the Words three times, though, which would replace all the draws.

Note that this doesn't affect the number of cards you discard or the amount of life you gain. Specifically, the Gatherer rulings on Varina says

> The number of cards you discard and the amount of life you gain are both equal to the number of Zombies you attack with, even if you draw a different number of cards somehow.


---

