Vadrok, Apex of Thunder

one blue mana one red mana one white mana Legendary Creature — Elemental Dinosaur CatPower and toughness3/3

Mutate one generic mana one white or blue mana one red mana (If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.)

Flying, first strike

Whenever this creature mutates, you may cast target noncreature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard without paying its mana cost.

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Vadrok, Apex of Thunder rulings

2020-04-17
If you wish to cast the target card, you do so as part of the resolution of Vadrok’s ability. You can’t wait to cast it later. Timing permissions based on a card’s type are ignored.
2020-04-17
If you cast a spell “without paying its mana cost,” you can’t choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Swallow Whole, those must be paid to cast the card.
2020-04-17
If a spell has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Vadrok, Apex of Thunder keyword rules

Flying Rule 702.9

Flying is an evasion ability.

A creature with flying can’t be blocked except by creatures with flying and/or reach. A creature with flying can block a creature with or without flying. (See rule , “Declare Blockers Step,” and rule , “Reach.”)

Multiple instances of flying on the same creature are redundant.

Mutate Rule 702.140

Mutate appears on some creature cards. It represents a static ability that functions while the spell with mutate is on the stack. “Mutate [cost]” means “You may pay [cost] rather than pay this spell’s mana cost. If you do, it becomes a mutating creature spell and targets a non-Human creature with the same owner as this spell.” Casting a spell using its mutate ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs (see and –h).

As a mutating creature spell begins resolving, if its target is illegal, it ceases to be a mutating creature spell and continues resolving as a creature spell and will be put onto the battlefield under the control of the spell’s controller.

As a mutating creature spell resolves, if its target is legal, it doesn’t enter the battlefield. Rather, it merges with the target creature and becomes one object represented by more than one card or token (see rule , “Merging with Permanents”). The spell’s controller chooses whether the spell is put on top of the creature or on the bottom. The resulting permanent is a mutated permanent.

An ability that triggers whenever a creature mutates triggers when a spell merges with a creature as a result of a resolving mutating creature spell.

A mutated permanent has all abilities of each card and token that represents it. Its other characteristics are derived from the topmost card or token.

Any effect that refers to or modifies the mutating creature spell refers to or modifies the mutated permanent it merges with as it resolves.

First strike Rule 702.7

First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule , “Combat Damage Step.”)

If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike (see rule ) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step.

Giving first strike to a creature without it after combat damage has already been dealt in the first combat damage step won’t preclude that creature from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step. Removing first strike from a creature after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step won’t allow it to also assign combat damage in the second combat damage step (unless the creature has double strike).

Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.