Aetherdrift Highlights for Standard
We'll start with white and Voyager Glidecar, an artifact that costs 1 mana, is a Vehicle with Crew 1, and whose ability is very similar to Warden of the Inner Sky, even though it works a bit differently. The fact it can be a 2/3 is great, as it can put a lot of pressure on the board. It will be even more oppressive if we play it in a deck like Jeskai Convoke because then you'll be able to use its ability very easily.
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The only issue is Voyager only Scries when it enters, and not whenever its ability activates, like Warden of the Inner Sky. However, this Vehicle can dodge the main removals in the format, like Cut Down and Go For the Throat, much more easily.
I can see one or two copies of this card in Jeskai Convoke and similar decks.
This card is a creature that gives out counters and whose ability protects other creatures with counters. Furthermore, its cost is decent, and its body is very useful in combat. Bulwark Ox can be great with Optimistic Scavenger and other similar creatures, so it should create many possibilities in Standard.
Standard already has several powerful enchantments and auras, particularly Ethereal Armor. With this card, an aggro deck that focuses completely on auras, enchantments, and low-cost creatures that interact well with them, like Bogles, is closer and closer each day.
If we combine this with spot protection and the resources blue has to offer, like counters, this strategy might actually become viable in this format.
This creature enters play as a copy of any artifact or creature you control at instant speed for four mana. Furthermore, it has Cycling, so it will draw you a card, and you can Reanimate it later on from your graveyard. It definitely deserved a mention, particularly as, considering DFT will bring us another card that interacts really well with it (which we'll discuss later on), I'm sure we'll see this new Shapeshifter around quite a bit!
Spell Pierce will certainly add a lot to this format. It is a welcome reprint that will find space in multiple strategies, and might even make Bounce decks even stronger.
Speed is one of the new mechanics this set will bring us. In fact, several cards in it interact with Speed, and it is actually very versatile.
If you'd like to know more about it and the other new mechanics in this set, you can click here.
The Speed Demon is one of the best cards with this mechanic, not only because it is very impactful in combat, but also because you don't need to get to Max Speed to use its ability efficiently. Instead, you'll use this mechanic in a more well-rounded, progressive way.
An interesting detail is that The Speed Demon, besides great alongside Unholy Annex, is also excellent with Sheoldred, the Apocalypse.
Bloodghast will return to Standard with a new artwork, and, though I can't see its forever home in the format straight away, is still quite interesting. It can go in any deck that focuses on self-mill or Landfall, or even any aggro list that can take advantage of its ability, which brings it back from the graveyard.
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Gas Guzzler also interacts Speed and may find a place in decks that benefit from this mechanic, which will most likely start popping up soon. It might also be interesting in an Aristocrat or Sacrifice build.
This card works really well next to any creature you can bring back from the graveyard in some way, as it gives you twice the value in some cases - Bloodghast, for instance.
Momentum Breaker is another enchantment that will definitely show up in Bounce decks as a sort of Tithing Blade and a lifegain source that interacts with Speed. It is an excellent addition to most of the metagame.
Grim Bauble, in turn, is a lot simpler than Momentum Breaker, but, in a meta full of small, important creatures, I can't see why not use it. You might see it as part of the sideboard in Bounce decks, but it still deserves a shoutout.
Hazoret, Godseeker is a 5/3 with Indestructible and Haste. This is reason enough to mention it, but it also interacts with Speed, which means we'll be able to explore many ways of putting it in play as early as possible at Max Speed. Furthermore, considering some cards I already mentioned and some I'll mention soon, I believe this will be quite possible, particularly in aggro decks that can easily deal damage to get more Speed.
Burnout Bashtronaut is the perfect 1-drop to get more Speed, as it is a creature, has evasion, and can deal even more damage in the late game.
Howlsquad Heavy also deserves a mention. It is a Goblin, works with Speed, puts more creatures in play, and gives Haste to all Goblins you control. Furthermore, its ability is quite interesting: it gives you mana for each Goblin you control when you get to Max Speed!
Afterburner Expert should also add a lot to strategies with Abhorrent Oculus, as it is a 4/2 that returns from the graveyard whenever you activate Exhaust.
You can Reanimate it with Helping Hand or Recommission, or even put it in play with Oculus' Manifest Dread, activate its Exhaust, and then put the other copies in play too.
Oviya, Automech Artisan has two abilities that I find quite interesting in green decks. The first gives Trample to other attackers, and the second puts creatures in play directly from your hand for a very low cost. I believe some decks might play one or two copies of it to try to get as much as they can from these abilities. Particularly if they want to put huge creatures in play, like Atraxa, Grand Unifier, a lot earlier.
Webstrike Elite is probably the best card with Cycling in this set, as it is a 3/3 and costs 2 mana. This is quite relevant because it can block creatures with Flying, and it is an artifact/enchantment hate that you can play in your main deck without any issues.
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Now, let's discuss the new, best Gearhulk from this set: Coalstoke Gearhulk and its incredible interaction with the graveyard, particularly with Waxen Shapethief, which I mentioned earlier.
You can put Gearhulk on the board while four Waxen are in your graveyard, and then Reanimate them as a Gearhulk copy, repeating this process until you have 4 5/4 creatures with Menace, Deathtouch, and Haste in play. This, on its own, won't win the game, but might originate a new combo deck centered around this set.
In the right build, I believe we can have a lot of fun with this strategy!
Oildeep Gearhulk might not seem as interesting as the other Gearhulks, but its ability and color combination makes it perfect for Bounce decks.
Keep in mind you can target yourself with its ability and exchange a useless card for a new card. Furthermore, its Lifelink is quite relevant against aggro decks.
Ketramose, the New Dawn is a powerful 3-drop. It is a 4/4 for 3 mana with Menace, Lifelink, and Indestructible. Cards like Agatha's Soul Cauldron, Ghost Vacuum, and Rest in Peace work really well with it because they let you attack with it faster and create card advantage at the same time.
The greatest question we'll have to answer is how will we build around this card, and which decks need it or even can use it.
Zahur, Glory’s Past is another card that interacts with Max Speed and interacts really well with sacrifices, like Gas Guzzler, which can be a powerful card draw engine when you get to Max Speed.
It works even better alongside a creature like Bloodghast, which you can sacrifice to activate Surveil and then bring back when you put a land in play. At Max Speed, this can easily be problematic, particularly when you start to fill your board with 2/2 Zombie tokens.
Siege Rhino will return to Standard as Debris Beetle. This Vehicle does the same thing as Rhino, but you'll need to Crew it to make it a 6/6.
DFT will bring to this format the rest of the Verge Lands, which means we'll be able to refine many mana bases until they're just about perfect. They're an excellent addition.
Final Words
Aetherdrift will be out on February 14th, 2025. Take a look at our "spoilers" table to see more!
What do you think of this set so far? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.
Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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