Last updated on February 28, 2025
Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied | Illustration by Valera Lutfullina
Aetherdrift is fast approaching the MTG realm, or approaching at max speed, if you will. As avid MTG players, we’re dying to get our hands on the new cardboard. Whether you’re looking to go to the DFT Prerelease or start brewing your new Standard or EDH decks, you’ll be looking for the top cards with the most potential.
The wait is finally over: Here are the best cards to look for in Aetherdrift. If you’re an aggro, midrange, or control player, there’s something good for you, no doubt about that!
Before we begin….
A Note on Max Speed
Far Fortune, End Boss | Illustration by Justine Jones
Max speed is one of the main new mechanics of the set, and one that clearly wants you to be aggressive, or have a consistent way to deal damage. Like many other mechanics like threshold or metalcraft, these cards excel when you have max speed. I’ll rank the cards considering the bridge between a speed lower than 4 and max speed, as well as how they fit a “max speed game plan.”
#45. Diversion Unit
Having a counterspell attached to a good flying creature is usually good in Constructed MTG, and in this case, you don’t even need to tap it. It’s limited in its application as a weaker Dispel, but you can sacrifice Diversion Unit to protect your team from a wrath, or to protect a better card from removal. The aggressive robot deck will want a few of these.
#44. Grim Bauble
Grim Bauble looks well-positioned to be a part of UB Fear of Isolation decks. It’s also a way to add utility and artifacts to your decks. It’s not bad for delirium decks, or for decks that want a critical mass of artifacts, either.
#43. Intimidation Tactics
Adding cycling to a discard effect is very cool, and improves the card when you draw it and your opponent doesn’t have cards in hand. Cycling is rough, though, and Standard already has Dreams of Steel and Oil that serves a similar function. Intimidation Tactics has potential, but it’ll be a metagame call above all else.
#42. Marauding Mako
Red Flourishing Fox can be an interesting Constructed playable if cycling is ever a deck in Standard, or to add more redundancy to other cycling decks in older formats.
#41. Broadside Barrage
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Refute, it's that drawing and discarding makes a ton of difference in these “draw-go” spells. Broadside Barrage is an interesting removal spell for a UR spells-matter control deck, especially given that this set supports the “discard theme” in these colors. You’re not just trading one-for-one, but also digging deeper into your deck.
#40. Molt Tender
Molt Tender is a very safe Deathrite Shaman, but it’s an interesting graveyard enabler, as well as a mana fixer. I expect it to be interesting in reanimator builds or even delirium ones.
#39. Cloudspire Captain
It’s hard not to include Cloudspire Captain in your mounts/vehicle deck, especially in an EDH setting. It’s going to be a lord for your creatures, and even crews/saddles as if it has 4 power. You can say it’s a mix of an enabler and a payoff for mounts/vehicles.
#38. Defend the Rider
It’s incredible how versatile combat tricks are these days. With Defend the Rider, not only can you protect a key permanent, but you can also make a Pilot and crew a vehicle at instant speed. People will be afraid to attack into your vehicle if you have a green mana open.
#37. Tune Up
Tune Up is like a Refurbish, a card that sees play alongside giant artifacts. It’s a little better, though, because you’ll turn any “reanimated” vehicle into a permanent creature. Or you can cheat out your classic artifacts like Portal to Phyrexia or Darksteel Forge.
#36. Momentum Breaker
I’ve said that Grim Bauble would be a good addition to UB decks, but what about Momentum Breaker? It’s basically a permanent that’s also an edict effect that can’t miss. It’s very hard for your opponent not to have a creature, a vehicle, or cards in hand. With cards like Tithing Blade, you can at least play around it with vehicles. I’d say it’s horrible against tokens, but these effects usually are anyway.
#35. Regal Imperiosaur
Big body? check. Good creature type: check. Boosts your other dinosaurs? Ditto. Regal Imperiosaur is one of the best lords I’ve ever seen, as it’s not just a 2/2 boring creature. This card is playable by itself and awesome with more dinos around.
#34. Push the Limit
This card will Push the Limit of your curve, and it requires you to have a packed graveyard. Once you cast it, the game might as well be over. My favorite aspect of this sorcery is that it’s an effect that we usually see in RB, so now we can have this in mono-red now, too.
#33. Full Throttle
Bad things will happen if you cast Full Throttle. It’s hard to think that a player won’t win a game after having two additional combat steps. One of the better “extra-attack” spells we’ve seen in a while.
#32. Broodheart Engine
Broodheart Engine gives you a free surveil every turn, so you can select cards you want and bin the undesired (or very expensive ones). It also comes with a free reanimate, so it’s an enabler and payoff for the graveyard decks in one card.
#31. Cursecloth Wrappings
And speaking or reanimate, Cursecloth Wrappings reminds me of Whip of Erebos, in the sense that it’s repeatable reanimation. You’ll already buff your zombies, so hello zombie typal EDH decks. Embalmed cards also count as zombies and tokens, so this card fits myriad different decks depending on which synergies you want to trigger.
#30. Chandra, Spark Hunter
It’s hard not to rate a planeswalker among the top 10 cards of the set, so that shows how confident (not) I am that this card will be a meta-defining one. Chandra, Spark Hunter has potential, though, but that'll depend on which vehicles accompany Chandra in her quest. This is also a very aggressive planeswalker design, so it defends itself fairly poorly – you can’t simply cast Chandra and remove a threat, a near-and-dear ability for playable walkers.
#29. Spectacular Pileup
Wraths these days have heavy competition in Sunfall and Day of Judgment, but this white sorcery has a few tricks up its sleeve. Spectacular Pileup solves the problems control decks have when they’re facing cards like Esika's Chariot, in that you’ll kill the tokens, but the vehicle stays and then make more tokens. It also blanks indestructible, so depending on the current meta, this card can see a lot of Standard play, at least.
#28. Count on Luck
The biggest problem with Count on Luck is that you need to be mono-red for this to be good, but then again, the deck is its natural home. I don’t think mono-red players are starting this card in their initial 60, but it’s awesome in your sideboard as a way to fight midrange and control builds.
#27. Skyseer’s Chariot
I think WotC’s taking the “white vehicles ands mounts” aggressive deck very seriously. Skyseer's Chariot is a serviceable beater as well as a disruptive element. You can also easily crew it, and a 3/3 flying vigilance creature on the attack is no joke.
#26. Marketback Walker
We now have a Hangarback Walker that draws cards instead? Neat. Marketback Walker is good at different points in the curve: If you cast it for 4 mana, you can have a 2/2 that dies into two cards, and so on. The bigger this construct is, the less your opponents will want to block it. It can also become a repository for infinite mana combos, so you sac it, draw all your cards, and win via whatever Laboratory Maniac combo you can swing.
#25. Mu Yanling, Wind Rider
I like that Mu Yanling, Wind Rider provides an immediate impact when it enters, like Enduring Curiosity. It also comes with its own Vehicle token as well as a 2/4 body that can crew it. The only deterrent to this card is that Enduring Curiosity provides better and more consistent card draw, but still, it provides too much value on its own.
#24. Gas Guzzler
One-drop creatures with start your engines are awesome, and you’ll want as many as you can in an aggressive deck so that you can reap the mechanic’s reward as fast as possible. A 2/1 for 1 is nice to have in such a deck, and Gas Guzzler becomes a repeatable sacrifice outlet that draws cards once you hit max speed. It works very well with a certain sacrifice fodder card coming up next.
#23. Bloodghast
Bloodghast is an interesting Standard reprint. With the actual MTG power level creep and good graveyard hate, I’m not even sure that this card will be good. Still, if there’s a powerful aggressive deck, or even a good vampire-type one, this card will be there. We also have a fetch land in Standard in the form of Fabled Passage, and even a Demolition Field can squeeze out another landfall trigger.
#22. The Speed Demon
The Speed Demon will draw you some cards on top of an already good body. This flying demon comes with its own Phyrexian Arena attached. Well, a few of them, depending on your speed. Look to pair it with other black staples like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse or Unholy Annex.
#21. Lifecraft Engine
They’ve managed to add typal benefits to vehicle cards, folks. Lifecraft Engine is a flexible lord you can include in your decks, and it even gives the typal benefits to your other vehicles. While you’re boosting your other creatures, it becomes easier to crew this card as well.
#20. Valor’s Flagship
Valor's Flagship is the closest Parhelion II card ever printed, and it has more utility as a cycling card in draw-go decks. If you want to reanimate it, you can cycle it and sometimes surprise your opponents with instant-speed Pilots that crew powerful vehicles.
#19. Amonkhet Raceway
I can see playing Amonkhet Raceway mainly as a “start your engines enabler” for all kinds of aggressive decks, especially red ones. Giving haste to all creatures that enter after you have max speed is very good, and it’s an effect that’s very useful to aggressive decks on turns 5 and beyond.
#18. Guardian Sunmare
Strengthening the top-end of vehicle/mount decks is Guardian Sunmare. Tutoring 3-drops and putting them on the battlefield is huge, and you can get creatures that draw you cards, enchantment removal, and even planeswalkers. This card has many applications and the value is there, so better find 4 power to saddle it!
#17. District Mascot
The play pattern with District Mascot will often be to cast this turn 1, then saddle it on turn 2 with something and attack with a 2/2, which is a very solid aggro start. Each creature coming later will further solidify this card, offering green cards pseudo-haste. There’s even a second Naturalize function which will be useful from time to time.
#16. Burnout Bashtronaut
If there’s a strong goblin deck or a strong aggressive start your engines deck, it starts with four Burnout Bashtronaut. It’s building your speed from the get-go, and it has menace, so it'll probably help you damage your foes in the long run, especially on the early turns. There’s also an “unlimited firebreathing” on this card, so in later turns, it can bash for 2-3. And don’t even get me started on the pump power + double strike combo.
#15. Hazoret, Godseeker
The name Hazoret strikes fear in many MTG players, as Hazoret the Fervent was a Constructed staple across many formats. Hazoret, Godseeker is a little different though, as you need to jump through more hoops to attack with it. Still, it’s a card that'll help you get to max speed and dish out some damage via its activated ability, and it’s good at different points of the curve. I see this as a 3-drop in disguise, as you really want to cast it, activate its ability, and get in.
#14. Kolodin, Triumph Caster
This card does so much. With Kolodin, Triumph Caster, you’ll be hurling vehicles and saddled mounts at your opponents in no time. It’s a good combo with cards like Salvation Engine, Boommobile, Caustic Bronco, and the like. It’s probably not happening that much in Constructed MTG, but imagine this + Autarch Mammoth – a 5/5 haste that produces two 3/3 elephants is approaching Titan/Overlord efficiency.
#13. Mendicant Core, Guidelight
If there’s a “affinity-like” artifact deck in formats like Standard, then Mendicant Core, Guidelight will be there. This card can easily attack as a 3/3 or 4/3 for just 2 mana, and with max speed, you get to copy artifacts for cheap–just icing on the cake.
#12. Draconautics Engineer
What I said about Burnout Bashtronaut applies here as well. Draconautics Engineer provides a lot of value in an aggressive goblin deck, giving haste to your other creatures, easily becoming a 3/3, and later making a dragon. It’s not even legendary, so you can run multiples of this card.
#11. Howlsquad Heavy
The final goblin from this list is also a very important one. Drawing good comparisons to Goblin Rabblemaster, Howlsquad Heavy combines giving haste to your creatures and making a token every turn. With good goblins like Krenko, Mob Boss, Krenko, Baron of Tin Street, and Searslicer Goblin around, it’s hard not to think of this card as a role-player.
#10. Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied
One of the most powerful cards from the set and also one of the most enigmatic ones, Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied is a tough nut to crack. It has a giant indestructible body that will draw you some cards, but at the same time, you won’t be able to attack or block during some turns. It’s probably going to require ways to put additional counters on it like Snakeskin Veil, but either way, if you’re not dying, this god will stabilize you in the long run.
#9. Debris Beetle
Debris Beetle has one of the best features of Siege Rhino. Coming down on turn 3 or 4 and immediately draining for 3 stabilizes your board, but unlike Rhino, it can't block without help. Crew 2 isn’t the worst, and once you crew it, you have a 6/6 trample creature at your disposal. It’s an interesting threat that survives wraths and pressures enemy players, and it should see some play in Rock decks.
#8. Ketramose, the New Dawn
Ketramose, the New Dawn just asks for one thing: Exile stuff. That can be done with good old Swords to Plowshares, Oblivion Ring effects, blink cards, you name it. Not to mention exiling graveyards too, so cards like Bojuka Bog or escape/delve cards are fair game. I’ve always loved Cling to Dust, so this card fits as well. In my opinion, this card is the most probable god to see play from this set. Just pay attention to the fact that you’ll lose a life each time you draw. The life payment is much more manageable in EDH, but in certain grindy Standard matches, you’ll praise Ketramose, no doubt.
#7. The Last Ride
Hey, it’s a vehicle Death's Shadow with an interesting upside. Nuff said. You can even regulate how much life you want to lose with The Last Ride’s Greed effect. It draws you cards, and later attacks as a massive 7/7, or bigger!
#6. Boommobile
Cards that enter and generate mana are very exploitable in MTG, and Boommobile has lots of potential. Think of all the activated abilities in Standard alone: creature lands, exhaust, class cards, cycling, disguise, mana sinks, the list goes on. It’s also one of the better vehicles to play in a format like Standard should a or vehicles deck exist.
#5. Loot, the Pathfinder
I’m not dismissing any card that can enter the battlefield, attack, and draw three cards later. Or, you know, turn a green mana into 3 of another color entirely. Loot, the Pathfinder has the stats to compete, at least in Standard. It also has great potential as a commander, seeing as you can build a deck to untap it, blink it, sacrifice it, and do it again when you recast this card from the command zone.
#4. Cycle of Gearhulks
Returning to MTG from the original Amonkhet are a Gearhulk cycle, this time in two colors with a harder cost. These are still pretty powerful cards, and I can easily see Riptide Gearhulk and Coalstone Gearhulk fitting decks with their colors. The other gearhulks are cool as well, but with niche applications. Brightglass Gearhulk has an interesting combo potential, depending on which cards it can fetch and how they interact.
#3. The Enemy Verge Lands
The cycle of Verge lands first introduced in Duskmourn: House of Horror is now complete. These lands excel when you have a base X color deck and want to splash a color Y. So, if you want to splash blue in your mono-red deck, Riverpyre Verge is perfect, since red is already your main color. More dual lands are always good, and these are also enabled by the tapped surveil lands or shock lands, considering that those have the land types as well.
#2. The Aetherspark
The greatest prize from Aetherdrift’s death race, The Aetherspark is here. Sadly, it doesn’t do anything on its own, besides cranking up loyalty counters, but if you can equip an evasive creature and strike, things start to happen. We have different play patterns with this card, one being to simply spread +1/+1 counters around, or equip, hit, and add massive amounts of loyalty counters, which in turn converts into cards. The best part is that the loyalty counter ability triggers on combat damage, not just damage to a player. Sometimes, you’ll hit with a big enough creature to generate 10 mana, too. It looks awesome in Voltron strategies.
#1. Radiant Lotus
The Lotus name, as well as the Mox name in MTG, are very prestigious, and people expect Radiant Lotus to be broken in some way. This card turns your artifacts into Black Lotus, so you can now sacrifice your boring Treasure or 1/1 token to generate 3 mana. Cheating a 6-mana artifact into play is hard but doable. Something like Archway of Innovation can help you improvise this card into play and sacrifice the same artifacts that were used for more mana. Just sacrificing 7-8 artifacts gives you enough mana to fire a lethal fireball at someone, and the Radiant Lotus can sac itself for mana, too.
Victory Lap
Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied | Illustration by Valera Lutfullina
That’s about it for the new Aetherdrift cards, folks! Lots of exciting new cards across all rarities and colors. I could discuss DFT cards all day here, and this list could easily have 60+ cards, but that’s all the time I have for today.
Have I missed any of the “can’t miss” cards? What are your favorite ones? Let me know in the comments section below, or shout at us on Draftsim Twitter/X.
Thanks for reading guys, and I’ll see you next time!
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