Magic: The Gathering’s Yoni Skolnik Reveals Aetherdrift’s Influence on Outlaws of Thunder Junction

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Summary

  • Aetherdrift and Outlaws of Thunder Junction are connected, with the former influencing mechanics like Saddle and Mounts.
  • Aetherdrift’s focus on vehicles applies thematically to specific factions, but not the Alacrian Quickbeasts.
  • Aetherdrift’s Saddle and Mount mechanics were created before Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

2025 will see four more Magic: The Gathering (MTG) Standard-legal sets released, but this year got off to an exciting start with Innistrad Remastered in January and Aetherdrift a month ago. While Aetherdrift departs from the usual aesthetics and themes of most MTG sets, it brilliantly captures the essence of a multiplanar death race fantasy through its card collection, featuring racing teams and their vehicles. The vehicles in Aetherdrift’s MTG edition faced some obstacles due to the card type not being particularly popular among fans previously. However, not all fans may realize that the first Standard-legal set of the year can be seen as a precursor to Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

During an interview with Yoni Skolnik, the Principal Designer at Wizards of the Coast and Lead Designer of Aetherdrift, Game Rant discovered that while Outlaws of Thunder Junction is set to be released in April 2024, one of its key features actually originated from Aetherdrift. The mechanics of Saddle and Mounts, which were a significant part of the Western-themed set Outlaws of Thunder Junction, were initially conceived for Aetherdrift, not Outlaws of Thunder Junction. In other words, Aetherdrift was the birthplace of these unique gameplay mechanics that later found their way into Outlaws of Thunder Junction.

Magic: The Gathering’s Mounts and Saddle Didn’t Truly Come With Outlaws of Thunder Junction

In many games like tabletop games, trading card games, and video games, it’s not uncommon for updates or expansions to include mechanics that were initially thought up while creating content for the game in the future. For instance, in Magic: The Gathering’s Aetherdrift set, Skolnik revealed that the Saddle and Mount combination meant for the death race expansion was already prepared, allowing Outlaws of Thunder Junction to utilize it even though Aetherdrift was released 10 months later.

In intriguing fashion, Aetherdrift’s emphasis on vehicles aligns well with factions where it resonates thematically and logically within their background. For instance, the Alacrian Quickbeasts, a Selesnya team combining Green and White colors, are an ideal match given their swift Quickbeasts that dominate the Ghirapur Grand Prix race tracks. The head of this faction is Caradora, who mounts the powerful Lagorin Quickbeast, symbolizing the application of Mount and Creature cards within the context of Magic: The Gathering.

How Mounts and Saddle Compare to Vehicles and Crew in MTG

In my humble opinion as a moviegoer of Magic: The Gathering sets, Aetherdrift boasts a smaller cast compared to Outlaws of Thunder Junction, with 13 creatures versus the latter’s impressive 17. Among these beings, you’ll find four Green, six White, two Red, and one dual-colored Green and White. The former set, however, takes the lead in terms of sheer numbers, which aligns well with their distinct themes.

What sets Aetherdrift apart is its extensive collection of vehicles, a record-breaking number within Magic: The Gathering expansions. Skolnik, a key player in this universe, hinted that cards like the Hulldrifter were designed to breathe new life into the vehicle card type, offering more intrigue and diversity. Interestingly enough, one might liken these living mounts to vehicles – hence their exclusion from the Artifact category.

To elaborate, both Saddles and Vehicles share comparable regulations regarding Mounts and vehicles. A Saddle can be triggered when you tap Creatures that you manage, whose power equals or surpasses the Saddle’s value on a specific Mount, thereby activating the corresponding effect stated on the card. In contrast, players must Crew vehicles by providing them with a certain amount of power or more to transform them into Creatures. This parallel makes it intriguing to observe how the mechanics of Outlaws of Thunder Junction’s Wild West are expanded in the Aetherdrift multiplanar death race scenario.

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2025-03-14 04:04