Aetherdrift Commander Decks: Are They Worth It?

Last updated on February 18, 2025

Nissa, Worldsoul Speaker | Illustration by Magali Villeneuve

Is… is it safe to come out yet?

Foundations, Pioneer Masters, Innistrad Remastered…. Basically an entire eon just passed without any new Commander precons. What’s a lowly 100-card enthusiast to do?

Yes, Commander players, the drought is over, and we’re back to the cycle of endless precons, this time with a duo of decks from Aetherdrift. This “death race” set takes place across three distinct MTG planes, and each Commander deck focuses on one specific plane and the themes and mechanics we’ve come to associate with them.

Let’s shift into gear, floor it, and drift full throttle into Aetherdrift Commander! (I drive automatic; I don’t really know what any of those words mean)

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All About Aetherdrift

Chandra, Spark Hunter | Illustration by Devin Elle Kurtz

Aetherdrift Commander (DRC) is a product aligned with the main Aetherdrift set (DFT). There’s nothing really new or novel about this product release, and it just further serves to expand the number of Commander precons available to new and veteran players.

Best for Value

Top Pick

Best for Fun; Best for Competitive EDH

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Living Energy (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) Green/Blue/Red Deck

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Eternal Might (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) White/Blue/Black Deck

Price not available

$44.95

-

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Best for Value

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Living Energy (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) Green/Blue/Red Deck

Price not available

-

Buy on Amazon

Top Pick

Best for Fun; Best for Competitive EDH

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Eternal Might (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) White/Blue/Black Deck

$44.95

Buy on Amazon

Each deck comes with the following:

• 100 total cards, each with 10 new-to-Magic cards.
• 2 Foil commanders, each with borderless art
• 10 Double-sided tokens
• 1 Collector Booster Sample Pack
• 1 Reference Card
• 1 Deck Box

What Is Aetherdrift?

Aetherdrift is Magic’s take on the “death race” genre, made possible by the Omenpaths that allow for interplanar travel in Magic’s current lore. It’s a vehicle-forward set, even more so than original Kaladesh, and it features factions of racers all competing for the reward of The Aetherspark, some sort of powerful artifact that contains a planeswalker spark.

Aetherdrift’s worldbuilding is unique, in that this single set actually spans three different planes: Amonkhet, Avishkar (formerly Kaladesh), and Muraganda. It’s still got that character mashup goofiness of sets like March of the Machine and Outlaws of Thunder Junction, but we’re checking in on multiple planes at once here.

How Does Aetherdrift Compare to Other Commander Products?

The most immediate thing you’ll notice is that there are only two precons for this set, something we didn't see at all in 2024. From what I understand, this is the norm moving forward. That’s perfectly fine, but it’s a bit strange here, since both decks focus on a single setting, leaving out Muraganda completely. Ironically, Muraganda would’ve been the most interesting of the three planes to see a fully themed Commander deck around, though I admit a 100-card “vanillas matter” precon might not be the hit I want it to be.

It's also worth noting that these precons don’t really play into the main themes of the set. There’s no vehicle precon, and likewise, there’s no energy in the main set. I like that Commander decks can explore themes that won't work in Standard, but it means someone who’s picking up a precon isn’t likely to get much from the main set to alter either deck.

Should I Buy Aetherdrift?

This will always depend on how much the themes of the individual decks resonate with you, but I’m mostly a pass on these. I’ll get into deck-specific details below, but these two offerings don’t stand out all that much. We’ve got an energy precon and a zombie precon. Both cool in their own right, but they’re literally themes we’ve had at least twice each already.

If you follow any of my Commander deck reviews, you’ll know that the only way I give precons a passing grade these days is if they do something unique to stand out from the hundreds of other Commander precons. At first glance, these two do not, aside from switching up the color paradigm associated with their themes (Temur () energy and Esper () zombies aren’t even new concepts). We’ll see if my initial assessment holds up after reviewing these two decks.

Living Energy

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

An energy-focused Commander deck? How novel! Or at least, that’s what I’d be saying if we didn’t see two energy decks just last year. That’s a double-edged sword: On one hand, energy players are eating good and have tons of options in that space now. On the other, the novelty’s far gone. While this precon might get points for individual card quality, it gets very few points for innovation.

Anyway, on to the deck….

Living Energy is a Temur () deck focused on energy counters. It has more of a “big splashy plays” vibe that feels slightly different from the more incremental approach of Creative Energy from Modern Horizons 3 Commander or Science! from the Fallout Commander decks. That makes sense, given the addition of green to the formula.

The face commander is Saheeli, Radiant Creator, which has some artifact/artificer synergy, but it reads very similarly to Satya, Aetherflux Genius. Like, they’re not exactly the same, but wow are they very similar. Pia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic is the alternate commander, which pushes you closer to the artifact-centric energy territory of Dr. Madison Li and the Science! precon. I’m not inspired by either of these legends, and they don’t really open up new archetypes that didn’t exist before.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

I’ll lead with the caveat that I’m not considering new-to-Magic cards when it comes to financial analysis. Their preorder prices are always out of whack and fluctuate tremendously after release.

Let’s focus on reprints here. Living Energy has six cards in the $2-5 range and seven in the $5-10 range. For big-hitter money cards, we’ve got Elder Gargaroth at $13 (not sure why it’s in this deck, but sure), and Academy Ruins at $16. Retrofitter Foundry is also a notable $9. This is great value overall, so this is definitely a justifiable pick-up on reprint value alone.

I’ll once again complain that the mana bases for these decks are weak. Functional, but Wizards continues to give us half-baked, low-value mana fixing. My country for a triome one time, Wizards! Where else are you going to reprint those?

Now let’s explore some new cards. There are a few artifact-centric payoffs that feel like they have a home in Commander moving forward. Adaptive Omnitool combines card advantage with a Cranial Plating-style payoff, while Stridehangar Automaton gives you a little extra token generation on top of the usual artifact trinkets. Aetheric Amplifier has the word double on it a few times, which is always juicy. The energy cards are largely a miss, unless you’re playing energy (obviously?), in which case they’re all considerations. Nissa, Worldsoul Speaker has definitely caught the most buzz of the bunch.

I do appreciate the conscious effort to make precons feel more internally cohesive by pushing more original art on reprints. Reprints with new art include: Reality Shift, Chain Reaction, Chaos Warp, Druid of Purification, Arcane Signet, Chromatic Lantern, Duplicant, Lightning Greaves, Sol Ring, Command Tower, and Academy Ruins.

The Verdict

I mean, meh?

I’d be really into Living Energy if we didn’t have two energy decks within a year of this release already. There’s very little new going on here, and it feels like you could scrap this deck to make those other two better, since people probably already have them. I don’t really see how branching into green changed the formula much, especially since the deck kept the artifact angle of the Science! precon. You might argue that this gives a home to green energy cards from Kaladesh, but were you dying to play Longtusk Cub and Bristling Hydra in EDH?

I would’ve loved to see a vehicle precon here instead. I know we got one with Neon Dynasty Commander, but if we’re going to focus a precon on Avishkar, why not focus on a mechanic that’s also a headliner of the main set? This just feels super disjointed from Aetherdrift proper.

The value definitely saves it from being a complete miss, since the reprints are pretty good across the board, and a few of the artifact-centric new-comers will see play outside the deck. But overall, I’m unenthused by Living Energy without some significant upgrades.

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Living Energy (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) Green/Blue/Red Deck

• READY, SET, CHARGE!—Join artificer extraordinaire Saheeli to stockpile energy, then charge up your artifact creatures for a big finish with this Red-Green-Blue Aetherdrift Commander Deck
• 2 FOIL BORDERLESS COMMANDERS—Every Aetherdrift Commander Deck includes 2 Traditional Foil Legendary Creature cards featuring Borderless art
• INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—Each deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
• COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alternate-border Aetherdrift cards
• THRILLING MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue

Buy on Amazon

Eternal Might

Deck

Commander, Theme, and Strategy

It’s a zombie deck, folks! You’ve seen this before, though the twist here is that the deck cares more about discard synergy and creating tokens than it does about sacrifice, like the Undead Unleashed deck from Midnight Hunt Commander. If you’ve ever played anything even remotely resembling a zombie Commander deck, Eternal Might should look very familiar.

The face commander is Temmet, Naktamun's Will, which seems insanely powerful to me. Not only are zombies very capable of going wide, but it’s also just not that hard to draw a bunch of cards and pump your creatures, even if you’re just looting. Between your draw for turn and the loot when you attack, zombies are usually getting a base +2/+2 on your turn, and often more than that. Hashaton, Scarab's Fist also looks powerful, allowing you to make 4/4 copies of creatures that you discard. Hashaton is an excellent commander that's likely to branch away from this precon and do its own powerful things, but Temmet’s definitely a contender for top-tier zombie commanders now.

Strategically? Play zombies and attack. There are token synergies in the mix here, but this is more of a go-wide beatdown deck than an aristocratic zombie strategy. I’m happy to see that because it takes a tired theme and reimagines it, even by just a little bit, whereas the energy deck just feels like more of the same all the way through.

Notable Cards: Reprints and $$

Eternal Might boasts nine cards in the $2-5 range, four in the $5-10 range, and three big-money cards at or above $10. The Scarab God ($11) is wildly popular, while Unholy Grotto ($10) and Rot Hulk ($26!) are zombie-centric enough that they won’t see play that often. This is also the first easily-accessible reprint of Rot Hulk, so this precon printing might drop that price a bit.

The value’s definitely here and comparable to Living Energy, though the good reprints from the energy deck are just a bit more applicable outside their precon. Great blueprint for a zombie deck here, though!

How about the new zombies? Well, there are specific zombie payoffs like Lost Monarch of Ifnir and Prophet of the Scarab, but many of the new additions here are just generically strong for different archetypes. On Wings of Gold and Renewed Solidarity have broad token and/or typal potential, and Accursed Duneyard is bound to show up in decks that can make use of its Swarmyard-like ability.

And I normally don't factor this in, but the new art on cards in this deck is outstanding. The Zombie Master and Grave Titan stand out to me. Aside from those, there’s also new art for Swords to Plowshares, Commence the Endgame, Corpse Augur, Cryptbreaker, Gravecrawler, Midnight Reaper, Murderous Rider, Sol Ring, Command Tower, and Path of Ancestry. I appreciate the cohesive aesthetic too, with cards like Bontu's Monument and the cycling deserts making an appearance.

The Verdict

Eternal Might might’ve won me over. I’m not thrilled about “zombies-matter” as the theme of a 2025 Commander precon, but at least they did something different. The focus on discard payoffs and tokens sets it apart from previous zombie precons, the art is excellent, and the reprint value’s great. While it’s not exactly novel, it’s still very good, and it has the more powerful commanders of the set. I’ll give it my seal of approval. And hey, Eternal Might's a pretty easy precon to upgrade, too.

Sale

Magic: The Gathering Aetherdrift Commander Deck - Eternal Might (100-Card Deck, 2-Card Collector Booster Sample Pack + Accessories) White/Blue/Black Deck

• GUIDE THE DEAD TO GLORY—On the plane of Amonkhet, the dead never rest; burn through cards and grow your mummy army with this White-Blue-Black Aetherdrift Commander deck
• 2 FOIL BORDERLESS COMMANDERS—Every Aetherdrift Commander Deck includes 2 Traditional Foil Legendary Creature cards featuring Borderless art
• INTRODUCES 10 COMMANDER CARDS—Each deck introduces 10 never-before-seen Commander cards to Magic: The Gathering
• COLLECT SPECIAL TREATMENT CARDS—Each deck also comes with a 2-card Collector Booster Sample Pack containing 2 alternate-border Aetherdrift cards
• THRILLING MULTIPLAYER BATTLES—Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, an epic, free-for-all battle full of strategic plays and social intrigue

$44.95

Buy on Amazon

The Best Aetherdrift Deck

For Value

I’m actually going to give this category to Living Energy because I feel like it should win something, and it wins out on one key metric. The reprint value of both decks is actually pretty close, and they both have just the right number of money reprints. But Living Energy brings us staples that are more universally applicable to other Commander decks, while most of Eternal Might’s reprints are reserved for zombie decks.

For Competitive EDH

Eternal Might, 100%. Not only does this deck just have better commanders and a more heavily-supported theme, but it’s also just full of strong cards.

Of course, precons are basically never poised for cEDH, but there’s probably a world where Hashaton, Scarab's Fist makes it at competitive tables, and a fully zombified Temmet, Naktamun's Will deck can probably hang with high-power casual tables, too.

For Fun

Another win for the zombies. I feel like they managed to do something newish with zombies here, which is hard to do, and I don’t see a lot of merit to the energy deck outside of further supporting the other 2024 energy precons.

Victory Lap

Thornwood Falls | Illustration Eddie Mendoza

If you followed me from top to bottom, you might’ve noticed a bit of a tonal shift. I started off with the named themes of the decks, which I was completely unexcited about, and having actually evaluated the decks and everything they offer, I’m only half-unexcited. Eternal Might’s pulling some heavy lifting here: Outside of some good reprints and few new cards, I don’t see why Living Energy even exists. I know they’re trying to explore themes in EDH precons that don’t exactly fit in Standard sets, but this should’ve been a vehicle or Muraganda-themed deck. Zombies pulled me out of the slump, though.

Overall, this is probably one of the lesser offerings as far as precon line-ups go. These are the types of decks you get if you’re literally starting as a Commander player, or if you’re scrapping them for pieces for a deck with the same theme. Outside those two scenarios, they’re a pass.

Do you agree with that though? Are you excited to pick up either one of these decks? Any new cards in particular that catch your attention? Let me know in the comments below, or on the Draftsim Discord/Twitter!

As always, thanks for making Draftsim your #1 stop for all things Magic!

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