With all the new spoilers coming out of MagicCon Chicago, I think it's time to take one last look at Aetherdrift.
Over the last two weeks I covered the commons & uncommons from the set, which you can see here, but now it's time take a look at the bulk rares from this set!
Before we get started, I define bulk rares as follows: a rare, usually under $1, that often gets overlooked during deckbuilding, and by default doesn't see much play.
Now that that's out of the way, let's take a look at some of these budget finds!
Waxen Shapethief
First up today, we have another entry in a long line of clones with Waxen Shapethief. For four mana, it can come down as a copy of any artifact or creature you control; on top of that, it has cycling for two! If that wasn't enough, it also has flash, which means that you can hold this up and deploy it when the moment is best for you!
Even though the Shapethief only copies things on your board, the fact that it can come down as a copy of two different card types sets this apart from other clones. If you're already running Clever Impersonator in your decks to double your own effects, then this new card most likely will get the same job done, all at flash speed!
Mishra, Eminent One would be an interesting commander for Waxen Shapethief. Mishra creates token copies of your artifacts that you'll have to sacrifice at the end of your turn, that's where you can play some tricks with the Shapethief. If you cast it while that token is still around, you can copy it and basically dodge that sacrifice trigger (the token will still have to go poof). Having this clone come in as a 4/4 Darksteel Forge sounds pretty great to me!
Count on Luck
Up next, we have red's impulsive take on Phyrexian Arena, Count on Luck! For three red mana, you get an enchantment that exiles the top card of your library on your upkeep, and you can play that card this turn. Yes, I know that mana cost is rough to cast in a deck with two or more colors, but this effect is going to be more sought after in red-centric decks anyway.
Exiled card advantage was something I had to warm up to when it started to get more and more prevalent in card design, and I'm so happy I did! Yes, you have to play those cards within a limited timeframe, but the thrill of hitting something perfect off the top of your library is hard to replicate. If you have a mono-red deck, or even a two-color deck where red is the primary color, give this bulk rare a try!
A commander that synergizes perfectly with this new enchantment is Laelia, the Blade Reforged! She gets counters whenever you send cards from your library or graveyard to exile, so Count on Luck triggering on your upkeep means you'll get that buff right away. That just means you'll be churning through your deck as fast as possible and pushing that red aggro to the max... if you get a little lucky, of course.
Lumbering Worldwagon
Lumbering Worldwagon is a card I overlooked at first, but now that it's on my radar, I think it should be on everyone else's! It is a three-mana Vehicle that ramps a basic land onto your field when it enters and when it attacks. It has crew 4, and its power is equal to the number of lands you control, so that makes it a pretty hearty beater for when you want to trigger its ramp ability again.
Cultivate is a staple in the format, which is also a three-mana ramp spell that finds you multiple lands. Where Lumbering Worldwagon excels is the possibility to search for a basic land on each of your turns. Imagine casting this, then attacking for the next three turns; that's a total of four additional lands on your board, all while hitting your opponents for a lot of damage!
I know it doesn't need any more help, but Omnath, Locus of Creation would love this card. Not only does it find you more lands, which is what you want in this deck, but since its crew is four, that just means Omnath can hop right in! Playing a land for turn and then ramping another one with the Worldwagon means that you will be on your way to getting all three triggers from your commander!
Spectacular Pileup
Board wipes are a must-have in Commander, but it takes a lot for a new one to break through the ranks, especially in white. In my opinion, Spectacular Pileup does just that! For five mana, each creature and Vehicle loses indestructible, then each is destroyed. It also has cycling for two mana, which helps in the early game when you don't need it or in the late game when you're already ahead.
The ability to remove indestructible is incredibly powerful since there's a lot of board protection spells that would just fall flat against Spectacular Pileup. Staples like Heroic Intervention and Unbreakable Formation don't have the same potency since, even if you cast them in response to the sweeper, the permanents will still lose their protection once the Pileup resolves!
Sefris of the Hidden Ways is a commander that doesn't really bat an eye when your creatures die. The ability to destroy the board and then later recur some of those creatures means that you can bounce back faster than the rest of the table. On top of that, Sefris is only three mana, so recasting her after you reset the board is relatively easy!
Gas Guzzler
It's not a bird, it's not a plane, and it's not Ben Stiller, it's Gas Guzzler. For one mana you get a 2/1 Vampire Rogue that starts your engines! Once you hit max speed, it gains the ability to pay one black mana, sacrifice another creature or Vehicle, and draw a card. Turning it into basically Vampiric Rites on a stick is a great payoff for upping your speed.
I've talked about it before, but black is a great color for upping your speed in Commander. All of its life drain effects, paired with Gas Guzzler coming down on turn one, makes it very likely that you will hit max speed by turn four, which is right around the time a lot of Aristocrats decks want to be sacrificing their creatures for value anyway. Sure, this won't fit in most decks, but this silly guy can do a lot of work in the right home.
Another Vampire that cares about sacrificing is Carmen, Cruel Skymarcher! Getting a counter and gaining a life is great when paired with Gas Guzzler, but that ability to bring things back from the graveyard is a great one-two punch. Sac a creature to draw a card, then bring it right back when you move to your attack step; that's a great way to lock down the board.
Lifecraft Engine
It's Aetherdrift, so of course we need to talk about another Vehicle! Lifecraft Engine is three mana to cast, and it comes with an interesting ability: it turns all your Vehicles into the creature type of your choice, then gives them all +1/+1. This was one of the first cards spoiled for the set, and while it's very powerful, it's a bit of a head-scratcher in terms of what the best use for it is.
Anthems are very strong in creature-based decks, and just using Lifecraft Engine as a three-mana way to give your board a boost isn't too bad. On top of that, it can also be turned into a creature and add to your growing army. The fact that it will turn your Vehicles into that creature type is just gravy, but in cases like Cryptcaller Chariot, you can get a big boost by turning that into a Zombie as well!
Here's a suggestion that comes from a deck in my personal collection. Kykar, Wind's Fury helms a deck that I call 'Spirits in Cars' which does exactly what you think it does, flooding the board with ghosts and Vehicles! So, playing a Lifecraft Engine and naming "Spirits" feels like a perfect combo in that kind of list. Even if your deck doesn't revolve around Vehicles, I still think buffing your whole board with this new card is still a useful inclusion!
Explosive Getaway
Closing things out this week is another board wipe with upside! Explosive Getaway is a five-mana sorcery that allows you to blink a creature or artifact until end of turn, then it deals four damage to each creature. While this won't be a complete board clear in some games, four damage is nothing to scoff at. A large number of the top played commanders on EDHREC will perish once you cast this spell, which feels like good value!
Since you get to blink one of your creatures or artifacts in this situation, you can both save something from that damage while also reusing a strong enters ability. Casting Explosive Getaway and then blinking a Solemn Simulacrum, Charming Scoundrel, or even a Loran of the Third Path means that you will be getting value on top of keeping part of your board!
A deck that would both benefit from that blink, as well as possibly surviving that four-damage sweeper, would be one built around Pantlaza, Sun-Favored. You can blink your commander to save it, then deal all that damage to the rest of the board and keep some of your big dinos alive! Plus, if your deck runs a lot of cards that have Enrage, like Ripjaw Raptor, you can get a whole bunch of triggers once this sweeper resolves.
The Wrap Up!
Well, Magic players, I hope you enjoyed this time we've spent together looking through the bulk of Aetherdrift! Even though this set was fast & furious, it seems like the upcoming sets are flying in as quickly as possible, which makes me think it's time to wave the checkered flag on this one, so the next time you crack open a pack of Aetherdrift, I hope you enjoy every card you see, from the commons up to the rares!
