Aetherdrift: Magic’s Wild Racing Adventure!

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Summary

  • Aetherdrift introduces unique mechanics like “Start your engines!” and “Exhaust” tied to speed and one-time abilities.
  • The Aetherdrift set features ten teams mirroring Ravnica Guilds, with each having distinct color pairings and leaders.
  • Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift features special treatment for Basic Lands, with Frist-Place Box Toppers containing Gold Foil Racetrack Basic Lands.

Surprisingly, the unveiling of the Aetherdrift set for Magic: The Gathering ignited quite a buzz across the internet, stirring up both admiration and controversy. For some enthusiasts, the idea resonates strongly, while others argue it feels incongruous within the Magic Multiverse. Interestingly, Wizards of the Coast has been consistently pushing the boundaries with diverse themes from one set to another – think of the adorable creatures in Bloomburrow contrasted with the demonic forces in Duskmourn. Aetherdrift is simply a fresh take on the classic Magic narrative, presenting an unusual yet captivating tale centered around a multiplanar Grand Prix and the highly coveted prize: a Planeswalker Spark.

In everyday terms, Aetherdrift is not your typical Magic: The Gathering game, as it combines elements of a high-speed Grand Prix and a life-threatening race within a card game, all while passing with flying colors. This unique blend includes fresh mechanics tied to speed and racing, the comeback of Saddle Up from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, along with an abundance of Vehicle cards. All Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts have something exciting to look forward to in Aetherdrift. Game Rant recently got a sneak peek at Aetherdrift during an online panel, revealing some exclusive cards that will be released on February 14, 2025.

Magic: The Gathering’s Aetherdrift New Mechanics Explained

Aetherdrift introduces two new mechanics in Magic: The Gathering. These are the following:

  • Start your engines!
  • Exhaust

Get ready to rev up! The concept revolves around accumulating speed, a fresh stat for players to monitor. Initially, when speed is zero for any player, a card with “Get ready to rev up!” grants 1 speed, and this can be boosted by 1 every time an opponent loses health during the owner’s turn, reaching a maximum of 4. Various cards profit from max speed or hitting particular speed levels, making speed management crucial within the Aetherdrift cycle, and mastering it can lead to significant advantages.

Conversely, there’s the Exhaust mechanic, which offers significant payoffs only once but cannot be repeated except through strategies such as flashing back permanents or returning them to their owner’s hand for reuse. A card exemplifying this mechanic is Loot, the Pathfinder, a mythic Temur MTG creature with a 2/4 Legendary status. This card has double strike, vigilance, and haste. Loot’s Exhaust function offers three distinct uses, all tied to its color identity: Green gives a player an additional three mana of any single color, Blue enables the owner to draw three cards, and Red inflicts three damage on any target. These are potent abilities that perfectly align with racing themes.

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift – Meet The Ten Teams

In Aetherdrift, there are a total of ten teams, similar to the guilds in Ravnica regarding color combinations. These are the teams you’ll find:

1. The White-Blue Sovereigns
2. The Black-Red Saboteurs
3. The Green-White Protectors
4. The Red-Green Savages
5. The Blue-Black Conspirators
6. The White-Black Inquisitors
7. The Green-Black Swarmers
8. The Colorless Mechanists
9. The Multicolor Architects
10. The Artifact Adepts.

  • Guidelight Voyagers – White and Blue color identity. One of the leaders is Mendicant Core, Guidelight, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Guidelight Pathmaker
  • Speed Demons – Blue and Black color identity. One of the leaders is Winter, Cursed Rider, and one of the team’s Vehicles is The Last Ride
  • The Endriders – Black and Red color identity. One of the leaders is Far Fortune, End Boss, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Apocalypse Runner
  • Goblin Rocketeers – Red and Green color identity. One of the leaders is Redshift, Rocketeer Chief, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Boommobile
  • Alacrian Quickbeasts – Green and White color identity. One of the leaders is Caradora, Heart of Alacria, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Lagorin, Soul of Alacria (which is actually a mount, meaning a creature with Saddle Up)
  • The Champions of Amonkhet – White and Black color identity. One of the leaders is Zahur, Glory’s Past, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Cryptcaller Chariot
  • The Speedbrood – Black and Green color identity. One of the leaders is Aatchik, Emerald Radian, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Thunderous Velocipede
  • Aether Rangers – Green and Blue color identity. One of the leaders is Sita Varma, Masked Racer, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Rangers’ Aetherhive
  • Chordatan Keelhaulers – Blue and Red color identity. One of the leaders is Captain Howler, Sea Scourge, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Boosted Sloop
  • Cloudspire Racing Team – Red and White color identity. One of the leaders is Kolodin, Triumph Caster, and one of the team’s Vehicles is Cloudspire Skycycle

Magic: The Gathering’s Aetherdrift is Wise to ‘Steal’ a Pokemon TCG Feature

In the Aetherdrift expansion for Magic: The Gathering, the basic lands are receiving two unique enhancements. These lands, known as “Basic Lands,” will offer players an immersive experience by allowing them to witness the cross-continental race across Avishkar, Amonkhet, and Muraganda from the perspective of one of the competing teams’ drivers. This enriches the concept of a deadly race in the Trading Card Game, as it is expected that there will be tragic losses among the various racing teams.

As a movie buff, let me tell you this – it doesn’t stop there with Aetherdrift! It’s also got First-Place Box Toppers that are quite the catch. These exclusive booster packs come bundled with booster boxes from the Aetherdrift set and could potentially hold one of the new Gold Foil Racetrack Basic Lands. These cards, I reckon, will be among the most coveted and prized possessions from Aetherdrift, as they can seamlessly blend into any deck for any format. Plus, their golden finish and unique artwork make them a must-have for every collector!

In essence, Aetherdrift’s gold treatment resembles the Gold Cards in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (PTCG), which are unique rares found across all sets and have a golden finish. These often depict characters, items, or Pokémon from the series. Given the racing themes and competitive nature of Aetherdrift, this gold treatment seems fitting. Moreover, Magic: The Gathering might want to continue this practice in future expansions, as it elevates even Basic Lands to valuable chase cards, similar to how some less valuable cards in PTCG sets become sought-after due to their unique attributes.

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2025-01-21 20:25