With the tabletop prerelease already underway and the digital set coming to MTG Arena on February 11, it's time for our usual guide to Aetherdrift's limited archetypes!
I've already written a couple of articles on Aetherdrift about the introduction of the 10 racing teams and the limited mechanics, which can be considered as a supplement to this, and I'll leave them here in case you want to delve deeper.
Aetherdrift limited can be divided into four macro themes, each of which includes two color pairs, while the remaining two have their own theme. I'll summarize them here, but don't worry because we'll go into them one by one!
- Max Speed (Rakdos, Orzhov)
- Vehicles & Mounts (Boros, Selesnya)
- Exhaust (Gruul, Simic)
- Artifacts (Azorius, Dimir)
- Cycling (Izzet)
- Graveyard (Golgari)
In addition to a reference theme, each archetype has been designated with its own strategy and game speed (after all, it’s a racing competition, right?), which we can divide into three groups:
- Fast aggro (Rakdos, Boros, Izzet)
- Midrange (Orzhov, Gruul, Selesnya, Golgari)
- Slow control (Azorius, Dimir, Simic)
All of this is shown and explained by signposts, multicolored cards belonging to each guild, whose mechanics and abilities represent the strategy and guidelines to follow to best build those specific colors.
As seems to have become the new standard since Duskmourn, each color pair has 2 signposts uncommon, in addition to 1 rare. Here in Aetherdrift, one of the two uncommons is always a Vehicle (or Mount), while the rare is always one of the team's captains.
But let's dive into the color pairs!
Rakdos: Max Speed Aggro
Team: The Endriders
Cards:
Bloodfell Caves, Amonkhet Raceway, Engine Rat, Dynamite Diver, Grim Bauble, Hellish Sideswipe, Intimidation Tactics, Endrider Catalyzer, Walking Sarcophagus, Burner Rocket, Momentum Breaker, Kickoff Celebrations, Mutant Surveyor, Gastal Raider, Grim Javelineer, Gastal Blockbuster, Goblin Surveyor, Endrider Spikespitter, Wickerfolk Indomitable, Pactdoll Terror, Risen Necroregent, Streaking Oilgorger.
Description:
Black-red is an aggressive beatdown deck that focuses on Start Your Engines! and Speed, aiming to reach Max Speed as soon as possible.
Gastal Thrillseeker is a good example, immediately bringing your speed up to 2 when it enters, thanks to its ping trigger combined with Start Your Engines!, while Apocalypse Runner takes care of making it grow even further, pushing creatures past blockers. Once Max Speed is online, Endrider Spikespitter and Risen Necroregent are your best uncommon payoffs.
Combo:
- Hellish Sideswipe + Grim Bauble / Dynamite Diver / Burner Rocket / Carrion Cruiser = The black sorcery is a powerful, cheap removal spell but requires you to sacrifice something. You can mitigate this drawback by sacrificing permanents that trigger in the graveyard or that have already triggered upon entering the battlefield (in the case of Vehicles, you also draw a card).
- Wickerfolk Indomitable + Kickoff Celebrations / Greasewrench Goblin / Thunderhead Gunner = Since Wickerfolk Indomitable can also be cast from the graveyard, you can discard it for value and then play it later by sacrificing one of the permanents seen above, to which I add Gilded Ghoda's Treasure token or Deathless Pilot.
- Apocalypse Runner + any 2/X creature + Rover Blades = By activating the Vehicle's ability on Rover Blades or a creature with power 2 equipped with Rover Blades, you can hit your opponent every turn with a 2/X unblockable, double strike, lifelink! If this creature has Exhaust, like Prowcatcher Specialist, you can also activate its ability after resolving the Vehicle's ability, and in that case it will still be unblockable until the end of turn even if its power has increased.
Boros: Vehicles and Mounts Aggro
Team: Cloudspire Racing Team
Cards:
Wind-Scarred Crag, Dynamite Diver, Brightfield Glider, Road Rage, Canyon Vaulter, Gloryheath Lynx, Gilded Ghoda, Interface Ace, Leonin Surveyor, Spotcycle Scouter, Burner Rocket, Cloudspire Captain, Daring Mechanic, Air Response Unit, Roadside Assistance, Rover Blades, Brightfield Mustang, Reckless Velocitaur, Clamorous Ironclad, Detention Chariot, Dracosaur Auxiliary.
Description:
Red-white is an aggro deck that relies heavily on synergies with Vehicles mainly, but also with Mounts, characterized by Pilots who can handle both of them.
The risk of having so many Vehicles is not having enough creatures to crew them and Cloudspire Coordinator comes to the rescue, making sure that each means of transport has its own Pilot! Cloudspire Skycycle and Cloudspire Captain take care of strengthening the team, while expert pilots such as Canyon Vaulter and Reckless Velocitaur stand out, offering particular abilities to the means they drive!
Combo:
- Gastal Blockbuster + Dynamite Diver / Nesting Bot = Manic Vandal would have been a bit too much for this set full of Vehicles and artifacts, but Gastal Blockbuster is no less if you sacrifice value creatures that cancel out its drawback!
- Gilded Ghoda + Guidelight Synergist = Like the Goblin token from Fable of the Mirror-Breaker, a saddled Gilded Ghoda puts a Treasure token per attack. Easy, cheap artifacts to pump Guidelight Synergist!
- Reckless Velocitaur + Rover Blades = The Equipment Vehicle is already good, but why not make it better? If you crew it with Reckless Velocitaur, it attacks as a 4/2 double strike and trample!
- Push the Limit + Detention Chariot / Clamorous Ironclad / Skybox Ferry = Push the Limit is a powerful finisher that revives all Vehicles and Mounts for a single alpha strike! Make things easier by filling the graveyard quickly with Vehicles' Cycling ability!
Izzet: Discard Aggro
Team: The Keelhaulers
Cards:
Swiftwater Cliffs, Avishkar Raceway, Marauding Mako, Greasewrench Goblin, Scrounging Skyray, Slick Imitator, Stall Out, Skycrash, Kickoff Celebrations, Magmakin Artillerist, Keen Buccaneer, Glitch Ghost Surveyor, Goblin Surveyor, Fuel the Flames, Howler's Heavy, Wreck Remover, Clamorous Ironclad, Trip Up, Thunderhead Gunner, Skybox Ferry, Trade the Helm, Push the Limit.
Description:
Blue-red is an aggressive deck that cares about discarding cards and relies on the Cycling mechanic so as to get card selection, different types of boosts, and value from the graveyard.
Boosted Sloop is the uncommon version of Smuggler's Copter, sadly with menace and no flying but still useful for the purpose of making as many attacks as possible. This is because for each card discarded, its two best payoffs Marauding Mako and Scrounging Skyray benefit, becoming huge in no time, as does Magmakin Artillerist, dealing direct damage to the opponent.
Combo:
- Goblin Surveyor / Glitch Ghost Surveyor + Kickoff Celebrations / Keen Buccaneer / Thunderhead Gunner = There is a cycle of commons called “Surveyor” that, with Max Speed, can be exiled from the graveyard to draw a card. They are particularly useful for gaining value with any loot effect.
- Aether Syphon + Boosted Sloop / any Cycling card = Aether Syphon mills your opponent every time you draw a card and can become a real win condition if combined with the continuous draw-discard by Boosted Sloop and/or many Cycling cards.
- Trip Up + Aether Syphon = Speaking of Aether Syphon, Trip Up allows you to put a dangerous threat, most of the time, on top of your opponent's deck. By casting it in your upkeep, the permanent is milled away in draw step with Aether Siphon's trigger, getting the effect of a real removal spell.
- Trade the Helm + Gilded Ghoda = The blue sorcery lets you trade a piece with your opponent, but you often don't have enough bad stuff to give them. The Treasure you created earlier with Gilded Ghoda might be a good present, as it's not particularly valuable at that stage of the game.
Gruul: Exhaust Midrange
Team: The Goblin Rocketeers
Cards:
Rugged Highlands, Dynamite Diver, Greasewrench Goblin, Stampeding Scurryfoot, Greenbelt Guardian, Prowcatcher Specialist, Beastrider Vanguard, Burner Rocket, Pit Automaton, Elvish Refueler, Adrenaline Jockey, Pacesetter Paragon, Goblin Surveyor, Loxodon Surveyor, Camera Launcher, Fang Guardian, Hazard of the Dunes, Spire Mechcycle, Terrian, World Tyrant, Migrating Ketradon.
Description:
Red-green is a midrange deck that relies on the Exhaust mechanic, mainly to make creatures huge and Vehicles permanently animated.
Boom Scholar is the ideal payoff for this strategy since it makes every Exhaust ability, including its own, extremely cheap. As well as additional mana for activations, Rocketeer Boostbuggy provides, perhaps using those Treasure tokens for its own ability and therefore attacking autonomously without needing anyone to crew it. Elvish Refueler and Adrenaline Jockey are the other two best payoffs of the deck: making us ractivate one Exhaust ability on each of our turns, and powering up for each activation, respectively.
Combo:
- Greasewrench Goblin + Goblin Surveyor = Goblin Combo! Ok, you can take it as a bonus!
- Reckless Velocitaur + Alacrian Jaguar = You can cast these two on a curve, then attack with a huge 8/6 trample and vigilance, without much effort!
- Greenbelt Guardian + Elvish Refueler = Once again on the curve, you can play both of them and then activate Greenbelt Guardian's Exhaust ability on turn 4. As well as on turn 5 and turn 6. After a while, you will have a real huge monster on the battlefield, and you can use it as a finisher by attacking and giving it trample. You can make this easier by adding Boom Scholar.
- Pacesetter Paragon / Rover Blades + Burner Rocket / Bestow Greatness / Pedal to the Metal = Once you control a piece with double strike, you can deal an incredible amount of damage and/or take away enemy blockers by pumping it and giving it trample!
Selesnya: Vehicles and Mounts Midrange
Team: The Alacrian Quickbeasts
Cards:
Blossoming Sands, Brightfield Glider, Defend the Rider, Gloryheath Lynx, Canyon Vaulter, Interface Ace, Alacrian Armory, Venomsac Lagac, Beastrider Vanguard, Run Over, Cloudspire Captain, Daring Mechanic, Lotusguard Disciple, Veloheart Bike, Air Response Unit, Roadside Assistance, Brightfield Mustang, Fang Guardian, Rise from the Wreck, Alacrian Jaguar, Unswerving Sloth, Autarch Mammoth.
Description:
Green-white is a midrange deck that focuses mainly on Saddle and Mounts, but also Vehicles, in the opposite way to what happens in red-white.
Lagorin, Soul of Alacria is at its best when saddled, usually powering up with another Mount or Vehicle. As well as the team, it is also powered up by Veteran Beastrider, but that mainly calls defense to all creatures that attacked, saddled, or crewed on your turn. Creatures here grow huge and gain abilities when saddled, so untap effects like this one from Veteran Beastrider or Unswerving Sloth come in handy and make you want to saddle.
Combo:
- Venomsac Lagac + Run Over = Classic combo between a deathtoucher and a bite spell: you can kill any creature regardless of their size! You could also use Plow Through, which is a fight spell, but to prevent Venomsac Lagac from dying, you should attack while saddled first so that it becomes 2/4.
- Unswerving Sloth + Lagorin, Soul of Alacria / Roadside Assistance / Pride of the Road / Rover Blades = The Sloth is a big, indestructible attacker. Let's take advantage of this by turning it into an incredible threat by buffing it with +1/+1 counters, giving it lifelink, or double strike!
- Unswerving Sloth + Molt Tender / Pit Automaton / Veloheart Bike = Another use of Unswerving Sloth is to activate all the mana abilities of creatures, attack, and untap everything so you can use them again in your second main phase.
- Rise from the Wreck + Autarch Mammoth / Detention Chariot / Pothole Mole = The green sorcery can become a really powerful recursion spell if you maximize its targets. You don't necessarily have to wait for them to die, because some can be sent directly to the graveyard via Cycling or mill.
Orzhov: Max Speed Attrition
Team: The Champions of Amonkhet
Cards:
Scoured Barrens, Nesting Bot, Engine Rat, Lightwheel Enhancements, Canyon Vaulter, Leonin Surveyor, Deathless Pilot, Walking Sarcophagus, Momentum Breaker, Lotusguard Disciple, Grim Javelineer, Gastal Raider, Mutant Surveyor, Hour of Victory, Pride of the Road, Swiftwing Assailant, Pactdoll Terror, Risen Necroregent, Streaking Oilgorger, Back on Track, Detention Chariot, Shefet Archfiend.
Description:
White-Black is an aggressive deck that has the tools to grind into the late game, focusing on Start Your Engines! and Max Speed and building up an army of Zombies!
It all sums up Embalmed Ascendant, which is a great early drop because it puts two bodies for 3 mana but is equally good in the late game, with Max Speed online, draining your opponent's life for each of your creatures that die. As for Dune Drifter, it will be used most of the time to reanimate a piece from the graveyard and make value, but it can also be cast for 2 mana as a 3/3 Vehicle if desired. Its other two best payoffs for Max Speed are Pride of the Road and Risen Necroregent.
Combo:
- Shefet Archfiend + Back on Track = Cycle the Demon to revive him ahead of schedule! He will show you his gratitude by killing your newborn Pilot!
- Hellish Sideswipe + Nesting Bot / Grim Bauble = Along with Rakdos, Hellish Sideswipe finds the best synergies in Orzhov, with Nesting Bot to sacrifice.
- Embalmed Ascendant + Pactdoll Terror + Risen Necroregent = In addition to being three powerful creatures, they can be played on curve. Thanks to the ping effects, you can reach Max Speed quickly so as to create a 2/2 Zombie per turn, which drains 1 life both when it enters and when it dies!
Golgari: Graveyard
Team: The Speedbrood
Cards:
Jungle Hollow, Avishkar Raceway, Molt Tender, Locust Spray, Intimidation Tactics, Deathless Pilot, Wretched Doll, Wreckage Wickerfolk, Dredger's Insight, Pothole Mole, Loxodon Surveyor, Grim Javelineer, Mutant Surveyor, Carrion Cruiser, Rise from the Wreck, Ooze Patrol, Wickerfolk Indomitable, Earthrumbler, Back on Track, Chitin Gravestalker, Migrating Ketradon, Shefet Archfiend.
Description:
Black-green is a midrange recursion-centric deck that aims to fill the graveyard, using it as a resource to make value, reanimate a large threat, and drive synergies.
Broodheart Engine is able to fill it even by itself with a surveil per turn, then comboing off with its first ability perhaps reanimating something milled by itself. The target can also be a Vehicle like Thundering Broodwagon that however can end up in the graveyard autonomously thanks to Cycling. The other best payoffs of the deck are Earthrumbler, Carrion Cruiser, and Back on Track.
Combo:
- Dredger's Insight + Earthrumbler / Molt Tender = By exiling a card from your graveyard to animate the Vehicle or add mana, you gain 1 life per activation.
- Chitin Gravestalker + Molt Tender / Dredger's Insight / Pothole Mole = The same two cards just seen above can then be exploited for their other text! In fact, you can use them to auto mill your deck so as to discount Chitin Gravestalker. Dredger's Insight is particularly synergistic because it also helps you find it!
- Kalakscion, Hunger Tyrant + Greenbelt Guardian / Maximum Overdrive / Defend the Rider / Rover Blades = Kalakscion has a huge amount of power for only 3 mana, which should be exploited in combat by combining it with trample, indestructible, or double strike!
Azorius: Artifact Value
Team: The Guidelight Voyagers
Cards:
Tranquil Cove, Nesting Bot, Diversion Unit, Guidelight Optimizer, Interface Ace, Sundial, Dawn Tyrant, Midnight Mangler, Spotcycle Scouter, Ticket Tortoise, Transit Mage, Air Response Unit, Voyager Quickwelder, Camera Launcher, Guidelight Synergist, Nimble Thopterist, Tune Up, Broadcast Rambler, Spikeshell Harrier, Memory Guardian, Hulldrifter, Gearseeker Serpent.
Description:
White-blue is a slow, artifact control deck that aims to hold out in the early turns while simultaneously building up a board of artifact creatures, whose synergy between artifacts and Vehicles will then give you the upper hand in the late game.
Guidelight Pathmaker is a large Vehicle that fuels the artifact army by tutoring one and maybe putting a small one into play so that it can also crew it to block. To add synergy to the artifacts, here is also the little return of the Affinity mechanic, first seen in Mirrodin, which we find mainly in Voyage Home, reminiscent of Thoughtcast, and Memory Guardian, reminiscent of Somber Hoverguard.
Combo:
- Tune Up + Detention Chariot / Skybox Ferry = The white sorcery reanimates an artifact, and it can be cast as early as turn 4 on a previously cycled Vehicle.
- Guidelight Pathmaker + Guidelight Matrix = By tutoring Guidelight Matrix with Guidelight Pathmaker, you get a huge Vehicle that draws when it enters and can be crewed the next turn. However, if you need to block right away, you probably don't have enough mana, and Interface Ace or Diversion Unit are better choices.
- Trade the Helm + Bounce Off / Roadside Blowout / Spikeshell Harrier = Trade the Helm lets you steal an opponent's piece but have to give one in return. Once you give it away, you can return it to your hand with any bounce spell, gaining both permanents and leaving your opponent high and dry!
Dimir: Artifact Bleeder
Team: The Speed Demons
Cards:
Dismal Backwater, Grim Bauble, Hellish Sideswipe, Guidelight Optimizer, Diversion Unit, Midnight Mangler, Slick Imitator, Wreckage Wickerfolk, Wretched Doll, Glitch Ghost Surveyor, Transit Mage, Aether Syphon, Risky Shortcut, Wickerfolk Indomitable, Pactdoll Terror, Ripclaw Wrangler, Sabotage Strategist, Spikeshell Harrier, Memory Guardian, Hulldrifter, Gearseeker Serpent.
Description:
Blue-black is a slow stall control that focuses on filling the board with lots of artifacts to create a stalemate and then slowly plink away at your opponent's life total.
Haunt the Network shows this strategy by adding two Thopters to the board and draining some life from the opponent, which is prodded from different directions. Just like Haunted Hellride, which turns the stalemate situation to its advantage by constantly turning even the smallest attacker into an annoying threat that is hard to block and will slowly drag the opponent into the grave.
Combo:
- Transit Mage + Ripclaw Wrangler / Pactdoll Terror / Hulldrifter / Spikeshell Harrier = Not a combo, but a very strong synergy designed for this limited. Transit Mage tutors a Vehicle to animate and crew on curve, as well as powerful artifacts, virtually increasing the copies of them in your deck.
- Slick Imitator + Carrion Cruiser = With Max Speed and 4 mana, you can sacrifice Slick Imitator and copy Carrion Cruiser. The copy enters and returns Slick Imitator to your hand for extra value. The latter can then be played again to crew those Vehicles and copy a new spell!
- Trade the Helm + Grim Bauble = Your Grim Bauble is probably the best possible target for Trade the Helm, since it does absolutely nothing, aside from Affinity for Artifacts, if the opponent has no black mana.
Simic: Exhaust Ramp
Team: The Aether Rangers
Cards:
Thornwood Falls, Stampeding Scurryfoot, Point the Way, Greenbelt Guardian, Beastrider Vanguard, Skystreak Engineer, Rangers' Refueler, Pit Automaton, Keen Buccaneer, Elvish Refueler, Pothole Mole, Veloheart Bike, Marshals' Pathcruiser, Fang-Druid Summoner, Sabotage Strategist, Nimble Thopterist, Hazard of the Dunes, Hulldrifter, Terrian, World Tyrant, Migrating Ketradon.
Description:
Green-blue is a ramp deck that relies on constantly advancing mana to cast the biggest creatures and Vehicles, but most importantly to pay the most expensive Exhaust costs.
Skyserpent Seeker sums up the strategy, ramping two basic lands with its Exhaust ability, while Rangers' Aetherhive and Rangers' Refueler are the two best payoffs for this ability. Both are artifact Vehicles and Rangers' Aetherhive also allows you to build a few Thopters, thus also favoring the synergy between the artifacts strongly present in the blue color.
Combo:
- Fang-Druid Summoner + Terrian, World Tyrant / Jibbirik Omnivore = This is also not a combo but a very powerful natural synergy. Fang-Druid Summoner goes on curve with Terrian, World Tyrant, which, in addition to being a powerful attacker as is, can be further enhanced by Greenbelt Guardian's trample.
- Pit Automaton / Guidelight Optimizer + Beastrider Vanguard / Gearseeker Serpent = Pit Automaton is not only great with all Exhaust abilities with both of its abilities activated; it can also be used repeatedly for the generic ones, such as the activated abilities of Beastrider Vanguard and Gearseeker Serpent.
- Aether Syphon + Rangers' Refueler = The Vehicle draws a card whenever you activate an Exhaust ability. If you have a lot of them, you might consider bringing in Aether Syphon to pressure your opponent's library.
That’s all for today! There's a lot going on in this limited, between the new Speed system, one-time abilities, and dozens of vehicles around! Put your helmet on, players. It's time to race!