How Mulldrifter Transformed into a Game-Changing Vehicle in Aetherdrift!

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The latest addition to Magic: The Gathering is an innovative collection titled Aetherdrift. This set revolves around a thrilling competition where participants race across various dimensions, with the ultimate goal being the acquisition of the Aetherpark, an artifact that sparks Planeswalker abilities in anyone who claims it. Aetherdrift represents Magic: The Gathering’s interpretation of death races within a trading card game, ensuring adherence to principles of aesthetics, themes, mechanics, and more. Although integrating the idea of a death race into a TCG might seem challenging regarding the actual gameplay structure, Magic: The Gathering introduces two novel mechanisms – “Start your engines!” and “Exhaust” – to convey Aetherdrift’s themes effectively.

At first, Wizards of the Coast’s Mark Rosewater oversaw Aetherdrift’s development. Later, Yoni Skolnik, a Game Designer at WotC and the Lead Designer for Aetherdrift, took over the set design. In an interview with Game Rant, Skolnik discussed the difficulties and rewards of designing cards like The Aetherspark, the main card in Aetherdrift, as well as vehicles, a card type that hasn’t been popular among fans historically. Notably, there’s a vehicle card that longtime fans might remember as being inspired by the original Mulldrifter – it’s called Hulldrifter.

How Aetherdrift’s Lead Designer Used Old Cards as Inspiration For Vehicles

It’s common for Magic: The Gathering cards to serve as a foundation for new ones, influencing elements like mechanics, names, creature types, and more. A prime example is the Mulldrifter card, a timeless favorite that debuted in the 2007 Lorwyn set, the first of its block, and remains one of the most adored planes in MTG to this day. Mulldrifter is a 5-mana, 2/2 Blue Creature that offers its owner the ability to draw two cards when it enters the battlefield. Its popularity stems from its Evoke mechanic, which enabled players to pay 3 mana instead, but at the cost of sacrificing Mulldrifter upon entry.

It’s worth noting that Magic: The Gathering’s return to Lorwyn will happen in 2026 with a new set.

Skolnik shared that Mulldrifter served as the primary influence for the design of a new card called Aetherdrift in Magic: The Gathering, specifically a vehicle. Since vehicles haven’t been widely favored since their debut, Skolnik mentioned that it was challenging to come up with ways to make them more engaging and valuable beyond just the Crew mechanic. As a result, Hulldrifter from Aetherdrift was designed to pay homage to Mulldrifter by featuring a potent enter-the-battlefield effect along with a stronger body than its 2/2 original form.

As a gamer, I find that Hulldrifter, unlike its counterpart Mulldrifter, doesn’t possess the Evoke ability, but it packs quite a punch with its draw effect paired with 3 power instead of the usual 2. Skolnik mentioned this was designed to “end games,” and considering Hulldrifter doesn’t have a cheaper 3 CMC alternative, it makes sense that it always costs 3 mana of any color and 2 Blue. The result is a 3/2 creature that draws two cards and crews for 3, making it stand out on the battlefield. The draw effect certainly gives Hulldrifter an intriguing edge right from the start, and it’s a nice nod to the original Mulldrifter.

Why Aetherdrift’s Vehicles Needed an Extra Punch in MTG

As a gamer, I’ve come to appreciate Skolnik’s insights into card design, especially when it comes to Aetherdrift. He suggests that this process enhances the versatility of cards like Hulldrifter, making them useful in various decks instead of just those focused on Crewing. Skolnik believes Hulldrifter is a fine representation of how cards of this type should be designed for Aetherdrift.

Whether vehicles will expand their influence beyond their current niche in Standard is yet to be determined, but Aetherdrift is certainly pushing the boundaries and exploring the full potential of these mechanical marvels. Given that Magic: The Gathering’s Aetherdrift set boasts the highest number of vehicles ever, it’s only natural that some of them would have effects tied to their color identity. This way, each vehicle can showcase its unique traits and capabilities.

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2025-03-11 20:15