Aetherdrift Artifact Brings Mario Kart’s Most Notorious Item to Magic

Last updated on January 28, 2025

Spikeshell Harrier | Illustration by Alfonso Santano

We’ve had a lot of pop culture reference cards lately in MTG, to the chagrin of some. Cards like Killer's Mask, High Noon, and Sophia, Dogged Detective invoke that feeling of familiarity for players who grew up on Jason films, tumbleweed Westerns, and Scooby Doo reruns. If you’ve played MTG consistently for the last few years, then no doubt you’ve had this reaction:

Not all reference cards are created equal though! Duskmourn and Outlaws of Thunder Junction were full of them, but responses to them online were largely milquetoast. Some like Acrobatic Cheerleader were even greeted with outright derision. The problem is summed up perfectly by this timeless Peter Griffin quote:

Just being “a thing you know that is now on a Magic card” isn’t enough. A good reference must be tasteful. It must be on theme. It must be unexpected. And ideally, it should reference something beloved in its context. Behold… a good reference card comes this way!

Spikeshell Harrier

This one might look familiar. But first, what does the card do mechanically?

• It’s a 4/4 robot turtle for .
• When it enters, you get to bounce a creature or Vehicle an opponent controls.
• If that opponent’s speed is greater than each other player’s speed, reduce that opponent’s speed by 1. (This effect can’t reduce their speed below 1)

So Aetherdrift is a racing-themed set, and here we have a blue turtle that can slow down the lead car (and only the lead car). Where have you seen this one before?

What separates this reference from junk like Acrobatic Cheerleader is a proper lack of insistence. The reference is solely in the art and mechanics, and Spikeshell Harrier‘s name gives it a crucial bit of plausible deniability. If it were named “Blue Shell Saboteur” or something, where would the fun in that be?

As for the card’s power level, well, it seems excellent in Limited. Even without knowing exactly how to value the speed reduction, it’s essentially a beefier Bigfin Bouncer that can also target Vehicles. It doesn’t have the rate or function to see play in Constructed formats, but Spikeshell Harrier is still a lovable little guy. So when you open it in Sealed next weekend, you should genuinely consider splashing it!