Aetherdrift Limited Guide - Draft, Prerelease and Sealed!

Hello folks, how are you all doing?

2025 is here, and it's time to get ready for another new set.

Aetherdrift promises some very different gameplay, bringing a racing-theme to Magic while revisiting some planes. (Do you know the planes involved in the Grand Prix? Check out Nat's quiz)!

In this article, we will cover the mechanics, archetypes, mana fixing and removals available in Aetherdrift in context of the set's Limited gameplay. Time to see what Aetherdrift has in store for us and how we can make the most of the set!

Let's start by looking at the mechanics involved in the collection - in case you have any questions about the mechanics, we have here an excellent article explaining each one of them!

Mechanics

In Aetherdrift we have some twists on already known mechanics such as Affinity, Cycling, Crew and Saddle, and we have two new mechanics, which are Exhaust and Speed.

Affinity

Affinity is a mechanic that cares about the quantity you control of a certain type of permanent, reducing the spell's cost by 1 for each one of them on the field. In this set, specifically, we have cards with “Affinity for artifacts”.

The mechanic allows you to generate a lot of value, especially if your deck is within the artifact archetype, reducing their mana cost while increasing your board.

Cycling

Cycling is a very versatile ability, which allows us to discard a card and draw another.

It's great for reusing cards that aren't effective at that point in the game or aren't efficient for a given matchup.

Saddle - Mount

Saddle is a mechanic for Mount-type creatures, very similar to Crew, only it cannot be activated at instant speed. When activated, the creature gains new abilities. In the set, they all gain abilities that trigger when they attack.

Crew - Vehicle

Crew is an ability that allows you to transform Vehicle-type artifacts into creatures with a base power and resistance set on the card.

Exhaust

Exhaust is an activated ability, which can only be activated once, and cannot be used again while that same permanent is on the field.

Two important notes here: 1) effects that make the card leave and return to the field will reset it and allow a new activation. 2) after activation, before the ability resolves, there is a window for response, which brings and opportunity to remove the permanent or even counter ability's resolution.

Speed

Speed ​​is a progressive mechanic with four tiers. You start advancing on the tiers once you play a card with the “Start your engines!” ability, which will set your Speed level to 1.

To raise the level, all you need is for the opponent to lose life on your turn. This trigger happens only once per turn.

Upon reaching level 4, we achieve “Max Speed”, and as a result, cards with this ability have new effects.

Some cards will use whatever the current Speed is to calculate its effects:

Archetypes

Azorius Artifact Value

In the blue and white combination we have an archetype that will use artifacts to gain advantages in the game - These are spells with Affinity for artifacts such as Voyage Home, Gearseeker Serpent or Memory Guardian , taking advantage of the cost reduction that the archetype provides.

To do this, we will need to focus on setup in the first few turns:

Scrap Compactor is a good option, low cost, helps with affinity and acts as a removal as the game progresses.

Voyager Quickwelder in addition to being a creature with a significant body, and an artifact, it also has the ability to reduce the costs of artifact spells, which makes it a fundamental tool for the archetype.

Diversion Unit, in addition to providing evasion to dish out some damage and increase Speed, also has the ability to protect against our opponent's instants and sorceries. Thopter Fabricator combined with Aether Syphon provide a way to create Thopter Token every turn without spending resources from your hand.

Guidelight Synergist is a bomb within the archetype, its ability provides significant power-up and can win the game with a few attacks, being difficult to block due to its evasion.

Mendicant Core, Guidelight allows us to develop a strategy that involves reaching Max Speed ​​to be able to enhance the artifact cards we cast and also is an excellent finisher, being able to close the game in a few hits.

Mu Yanling, Wind Rider is a way to progress the archetype with their token and still have a way to maintain resources by drawing cards. Riptide Gearhulk is an exceptional card, slowing down the opponent. Its Prowess combined with Double Strike provides very significant damage potential.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Orzhov Max Speed Attrition

In black and white colors we will have an archetype focused on the Speed ​​mechanic and with a strategy looking for back and forth trades in resources. Therefore, we will use cards with Max Speed ​​and cards that have more than one effect.

Creatures that put more creatures on the field are also welcome, since there's also a death triggers subtheme.

Embalmed Ascendant does exactly all the effects we want. Nesting Bot is another interesting creature for the format, as it allows you to maintain a body, even after it dies.

Zahur, Glory’s Past allows us to develop the sacrificial part of the deck, together with cards like Dune Drifter, Wickerfolk Indomitable or Bloodghast, allowing us to keep the engine running.

Pactdoll Terror is a way to cause damage to the opponent and advance to Max Speed. Risky Shortcut also goes the same route, albeit generating value in the process.

Risen Necroregent is an option to grow the board and close out the game. The Speed ​​Demon is the finisher we want in the archetype, in addition to being a relevant body on the field, with evasion and trample, it draws cards without depending on Max Speed. The value we can get from this card is enormous, but be very careful with your life points.

Ketramose, the New Dawn is a strong card on its own, also serving as a finisher. If it is combined with Wreck Remover it will start to generate a lot of value in the game.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Boros Vehicle/Mount Aggro

In Red and White colors we have an aggro archetype based on mounts and vehicles. In this archetype, we will want to make low-cost creatures and try to win the game as soon as possible. To do this, we will abuse the Saddle and Crew mechanics, in addition to using the pilots from the set to optimize these mechanics.

Cloudspire Coordinator allows us to increase our board while using vehicles/mounts and strengthening the overall gameplan.

Kolodin, Triumph Caster is an excellent card for the archetype, being able to reduce the balancing problem of creatures and vehicles.

Road Rage is an extremely efficient removal for the archetype, being able to remove 4-Toughness creatures without much difficulty.

Cloudspire Captain is the lord of the archetype, pumping both vehicles and mounts. Interface Ace allows you to activate 2 Saddles or Crews in the same turn using its toughness, generating a lot of value, in addition to being a creature with very high defense stats.

Bulwark Ox and Brightfield Glider are good early game options, while Unswerving Sloth and Dracosaur Auxiliary are excellent options to close out games.

Boommobile in addition to being a very strong vehicle, can be used to take advantage of surplus mana at the end of the game to deal direct damage to the opponent. Gastal Thrillroller is an excellent vehicle, not needing to be crewed on the turn it enters, and it also has considerable power, being able to trade up and then return from the graveyard.

Chandra, Spark Hunter is a way to take advantage of vehicles without having to tap your creatures, and you can also fix your hand by discarding excess lands. Rover Blades is a very versatile card, if combined with some power-increasing spells, being capable of finishing games very quickly.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Selesnya Vehicle/Mount Midrange

In green and white we have an archetype similar to Boros, but with less focus on the early game, instead seeking more of a midrange strategy to win the game.

The way it does that is by using creatures that speed up the game, such as Oviya, Automech Artisan, allowing higher-cost cards to be put on the field for a single mana.

Molt Tender is a way to both fix and ramp up the archetype's mana, allowing higher cost spells to be played earlier.

Point the Way, if combined with a slightly more aggressive strategy, can guarantee an excellent mana ramp, also improving our draws and facilitating the use of the archetype's spells.

Lumbering Worldwagon is another setup option for our game plan, advancing our mana and being a good aggression piece. Interface Ace is a way of holding back early aggressions, while also being a very relevant piece when we are still setting everything up to play our most impactful cards.

Sundial, Dawn Tyrant has an excellent body, being another way to delay aggros and becoming a significant offensive tool later on. Gloryheath Lynx is an option to ensure we reach the necessary land drops.

With the early turns defined, let's move on to the midgame.

Caradora, Heart of Alacria is an excellent option for finding the mount/vehicle for specific game states, such as Earthrumbler, Salvation Engine, Skyseer's Chariot or Detention Chariot .

Cloudspire Captain excels in the archetype, strengthening all the needed creatures.

District Mascot, Lagorin, Soul Of Alacria and Veteran Beastrider are good options for a more aggressive gameplan, also allowing you to progress your board.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Dimir Artifact Bleeder

In Blue and Black we have an archetype that will utilize artifacts to generate value, using a removal package to control the game while draining the opponent's life points.

Winter, Cursed Rider is a good control option, providing a way to clear the board after we've played out our artifacts.

Pactdoll Terror is a way to maintain pressure on the opponent and take advantage of possible interactions with Speed.

Thopter Fabricator is an excellent way to widen the board, also combining with Aether Syphon.

Grim Bauble is an excellent removal, especially combined with Hellish Sideswipe or Trade the Helm, as well as helping with the Affinity from Gearseeker Serpent and Memory Guardian.

The Last Ride has an excellent design for the archetype, as it manages to take advantage of low life points by being a finisher, while also generating card advantage when we are unable to use it as a creature.

Oildeep Gearhulk is an efficient card in a vacuum, allowing you to take something relevant from the opponent's hand and gaining a significant body with lifelink. Haunted Hellride is yet another form of combat damage aid, taking away the opponent's value to block by giving Deathtouch to the attacking creature.

Haunt the Network is a way to close the game, draining the opponent and increasing your board.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Izzet Discard Aggro

In the blue and red colors we have an archetype that interacts with self-discard effects. This means we will need both cards with discard or cycling effects and cards that have effects whenever you discard something.

Marauding Mako, Scrounging Skyray, Captain Howler, Sea Scourge and Magmakin Artillerist are the pieces we want to develop our game.

Chandra, Spark Hunter has good synergy with the archetype, with the ability to quickly ultimate her. Boosted Sloop and Fearless Swashbuckler are ways to maintain pressure while keeping the synergy gears turning.

Broadside Barrage is an excellent removal, which a lot of value in the archetype and also allowing you to select cards in hand.

If you're able to reach Max Speed, Aether Syphon can be a sure way to win the game by milling the opponent's deck.

Kickoff Celebrations is a way to activate the speed mechanic in the archetype. Since we draw a lot of cards, Thopter Fabricator is a good option to increase our board and be able to have evasion and damage.

Monument to Endurance is also perfect for maintaining resources and hitting the opponent.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Simic Exhaust Ramp

In green and blue we have the mana ramp archetype with a focus on using the Exhaust mechanic.

Skyserpent Seeker is one of the archetype's best ramps, also having the Exhaust mechanic as well.

Lumbering Worldwagon, Veloheart Bike and Molt Tender are other ramp options. Guidelight Optimizer and Pit Automaton appear as options for increasing mana availability for Exhaust.

Another thing the archetype needs are creatures with effects that trigger when we activate Exhaust.

Ranger’s Aetherhive, Ranger’s Refueler and Afterburner Expert are some ways to generate value when we activate the ability.

Elvish Refueler allows us to reuse any Exhaust, even if we've already activated it before, being a very important card for the archetype.

Sita Varma, Masked Racer is an excellent way to close out the game, increasing the power of your whole board.

Mindspring Merfolk manages to replenish our hand and become a relevant threat. Greenbelt Guardian is a way to overcome the opponent's blockers.

Mu Yanling, Wind Rider, March of the World Ooze and Sab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied are good cards on their own, being able to add value to the archetype albeit without specific synergy with it .

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Rakdos Max Speed Aggro

In black and red colors we will have an aggressive archetype that will make use of the Speed mechanic as a way to increase overall damage.

Gastal Thrillseeker already works as a way to increase the Speed ​​level, being able to attack right away if we are already at Max Speed.

Burnout Bashtronaut and Gas Guzzler are good aggressive options for the first turns.

Hazoret, Godseeker allows creatures to continue attacking without being blocked and thus increase your Speed ​​- and once you have Max Speed, ​​we can now attack with it.

Lightning Strike is a good option, working as removal for the first turns or being a way to deal direct damage to finish the game.

Far Fortune, End Boss allows us to increase damage when we reach max speed, making combat really favorable and ending the game soon afterwards. Its ability to deal damage just by attacking allows speed progression even in face of blockers.

Howlsquad Heavy is a way to keep pressuring the opponent, creating creatures every turn it remains on the field. After reaching Max Speed, it allows us to generate mana based on the number of goblins, boosting us and accelerating our game.

Gastal Raider is a way to protect ourselves from removals or spells that could disrupt our plan.

Count on Luck can be a way to maintain resources, but in order to use it efficiently, the deck needs to prioritize red mana.

The Speed ​​Demon is excellent, being a great top of the curve, with a good body, evasion and trample, and also replenishes our resources.

Bloodghast with its landfall ability can be an interesting option to keep pressure on the board.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Golgari Graveyard

In the colors black and green we have an archetype that will focus on the graveyard, with self-mill cards used at the early turns of the game, such as Dredger's Insight, Pothole Mole or Carrion Cruiser, to feed the graveyard and find whatever tools we need.

We'll need cards that care about the number of creatures in the graveyard, like Chitin Gravestalker, Ooze Patrol and Aatchik, Emerald Radian

Broodheart Engine is another way to power the graveyard, all the while filtering our draws, and allowing you to later reanimate something relevant.

Debris Beetle is a good option for holding off aggros, gaining important life points to give us time and develop the gameplan.

Bloodghast is another good option, returning to the field whenever we play a land.

Cursecloth Wrappings allows us to take advantage of the graveyard, bringing back creatures and making them stronger.

Another way to setup the archetype is by grinding, making early-game trades to speed up graveyard-matter creatures while fending off the opponent's resources.

In a more attrition-focused style of play, The Last Ride is an interesting option for maintaining resources. Deathless Pilot is a good option for constant reuse.

Pactdoll Terror can be an interesting option with the strategy of reanimating creatures, especially with Bloodghast.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Gruul Exhaust Midrange

In the colors red and green we have an archetype based on the Exhaust mechanic, with the goal to setup a way to abuse the abilities and greatly increase your power on the board.

Boom Scholar is fundamental to the archetype, reducing the cost of the abilities. Rocketeer Boostbuggy is a good tool for increasing mana availability through treasures.

Elvish Refueler allows us to reuse the abilities, when you combine it with Draconautics Engineer it'll allows us to make 4/4 dragons. If we combine it with Boommobile we can reuse the direct damage, either to finish a game or to keep clearing the board.

Redshift, Rocketeer Chief is another way for us to generate more mana to activate Exhaust abilities.

Afterburner Expert is great for the archetype, allowing us to maintain pressure and eventually return it to the battlefield.

Pyrewood Gearhulk is a way to break board stalemates, providing both an increase in power and evasion for the entire board, while also being itself an excellent body.

Best Commons

Best Uncommons

Mana Fixing

Now that we reviewed all the archetypes, let's talk about the ways we can fix our colors.

Lands

In the set we have 10 color pairs available through gainlands, which greatly eases our access to two colors. Night Market is a land that allows us to choose the color it generates when played, making it a good option as well.

Colorless

Of the available artifacts, only Starting Column actually serves as mana fixing. Ticket Tortoise is another option, but it depends on the opponent having more lands than you, which has problems on its own.

Creatures/Vehicles

All mana-fixing options are found in Green:

Removals

Removals are a centerpiece in any Limited format, so we'll talk about the most important ones for each color.

Colorless

This colorless removal can deal with about 62% of the set's threats (including vehicles).

White

In white, a removal that draws attention is Collision Course, since it's particularly efficient for creature-centered archetypes.

Spectacular Pileup is also of note, as not even vehicles can escape this global, making it necessary to be attentive if the opponent is playing with it.

The other removals are mostly standard like we have in other sets.

It should be pointed out the absence of removals such as Pacifism and Oblivion Ring.

Blue

In blue we have the traditional Tempo plays, with the main outlier being Roadside Blowout, which is a bounce that hits vehicles, even if they're not creatures.

Another relevant one is Possession Engine, which takes control of the opponent's creature, but without allowing you to attack or block with it.

Black

Grim Bauble is an excellent removal, even if it kills only 38% of the set, it serves as fodder for us to cast Hellish Sideswipe.

Another relevant removal is Syphon Fuel which can answer indestructible creatures, and in total deals with 96% of the set's threats.

Red

In red, Lightning Strike draws attention for its versatility. Outpace Oblivion also draws attention for how much it does for its cost, being able to deal with 91% of the set's threats.

Aggressive decks should take note of Fuel the Flames, since it can be an instant speed global removal, so be prepared for it.

Green

In green, Plow Through draws attention since it's able to destroy artifacts, being an interesting choice in a set with an artifact-focused theme.

Run Over is worth mentioning due to the possibility of being played for 1 mana if we control a mount or a vehicle.

Aetherdrift certainly brings different gameplays, with a range of options that can make all the strategies very interesting.

There are good creatures and the mythic cards have a significant impact.

Another point of attention is the possibility of playing three colors: Boros and Selesnya for example have basically the same mechanics, and can thus be combined.

Likewise, other archetypes also follow the same trend, so a good tip for pre-releases is to be flexible if you have resources more spread out between colors.

For you, which archetype seems more interesting?

An archetype that I'm curious to see how it performs is Izzet Discard, which, being a strategy focused on cycling, makes it very easy to find the cards you need.

I hope you liked the article, if you have any questions, you can send them in the comments.

See you in the next article!