Aetherdrift Passes the Finish Line | Here are our 5 Favorite Cards from the Set

It's February 14th! First of all, happy Valentine's Day! Second, Magic the Gatherings' latest set, Aetherdrift, has skidded its way to store shelves to quite a bit of fanfare.

I got my hands on a collector box (the hits can be found over on our Instagram) and was impressed by the striking art, the synergy of the set itself, and how it can play off of cards in both the current standard and the beloved Commander format. So let's take a look at our 5 current favorite cards from Aetherdrift in no particular order.

Ketramose, the New Dawn

• Mana Cost: 1WB

• Key Features:

  • Indestructible

  • Lifelink

  • Menace

  • Card Draw

• Why is it on the List?: Look at that art! Ketramose is extremely versatile in Commander as there are countless options to make your opponents (or you) exile cards. With its lifelink ability you don't have to worry about the life lost from the card draw effect and having indestructible is just icing on the cake. A perfectly balanced entry to the commander scene.

Radiant Lotus

• Mana Cost: 6

• Key Features:

  • Mana Creation

  • Sack Outlet

• Why is it on the List?: Everyone loves a lotus. Though expensive (both in price and mana cost), Radiant Lotus isn't just a mana bomb. Letting players sacrifice artifacts can have ripple effects with abilities like Modular and cards like Blade of the Bloodchief. Sacrifice Cathodion? That 6 instant mana. Radiant Lotus should make its way into staple status pretty quickly.

  

  Unstoppable Plan

• Mana Cost: 2B

• Key Features:

  • Untap

• Why is it on the List?: Pretty easy one here. With Unstoppable Plan, you get all of your stuff back. This sets blue players up to have all of their mana to carry out their devious plans at will plus blockers and abilities to stop an oncoming assault.

Monument to Endurance

• Mana Cost: 3

• Key Features:

  • Card Draw

  • Token Creation

  • Ping Damage

Why is it on the List?: Discarding cards in Magic is extremely common, so why not get rewarded for it? Fitting in decks that utilize Green and blue, Monument to Endurance gifts you treasure, cards, or a stab wound to your opponents whenever you use basic cards like Opt. It easily fits in my Nekusar deck and will sure cause more groans than normal when it hits the board.

Loot, the Pathfinder

• Mana Cost: 2GBR

• Key Features:

  • Mana Creation

  • Card Draw

  • Ping Damage

• Why is it on the List?: Fine Wizards, I give up. I will love Loot ok? As the Magic execs are trying to force the Planeswalking Pikachu into every situation they have stumbled on a really great card. Exhaust is a new ability in Aetherdrift that can be used once per game. But bounce the creature? Exhaust resets. Pair with a card like Conjurer's Closet and you can use Loot's abilities over and over again.

Magic's Aetherdrift is a Pleasant Surprise

After my initial cold reaction to the premise of Aetherdrift, I have come away surprised by the set. With a lot of useful utility cards and boosts to commander, Aetherdrift should have a positive impact on the Magic the Gathering scene before everything is burnt to the ground by the incoming Dragons in April.

What do you think of the set so far? Drop a comment below!