Aerial Assault MTG Card

Aerial Assault serves as a removal card, providing both a tactical advantage and life gain. It’s limited by specific conditions for optimal use, and has a fairly high mana cost. In the right deck, its flexibility and combo potential make it a meta-relevant card.

Core Set 2020 (M20)
2019-07-12 - Number 1

Jumpstart (JMP)
2020-07-17 - Number 80

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Destroy target tapped creature. You gain 1 life for each creature you control with flying.

"Oh, you must be mistaken. Hawks are solitary hunters, you see." —Bunder Diedreck, ornithologist

Cards like Aerial Assault

Aerial Assault offers an interesting dynamic in the realm of removal spells for Magic: The Gathering players. Its direct comparison is often made with Pacifism, which similarly neutralizes threats by preventing a creature from attacking or blocking but doesn’t remove it from the battlefield. Aerial Assault steps ahead by actually destroying the targeted tapped creature, clearing the path for your strategy and granting you incremental life gain, based on the creature’s toughness.

Another card in this vein is Take Vengeance, which destroys a tapped creature at a lower cost but does not provide the added benefit of life gain that comes with Aerial Assault. Conversely, Murder provides a more versatile removal option, capable of destroying any creature irrespective of its state for an additional mana but lacks the life gain aspect of Aerial Assault.

When analyzing the benefits and drawbacks of these cards, Aerial Assault stands out for players who can afford its slightly higher mana cost in exchange for a dual benefit of creature control and life stabilization. Every card shines under different circumstances, but Aerial Assault is certainly powerful in decks that want to maintain control while bolstering their life total.

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Aerial Assault. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#	Name	Format	Archetype	Event
	Esper Aggro	Gladiator		Gladiator Games: We're Back

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aerial Assault enables you to remove an opponent’s creature, potentially disrupting their game plan. Doing so can often swing the board state in your favor, equivalently to drawing multiple cards because of the tempo you gain.

Resource Acceleration: Aerial Assault doesn’t directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, but by destroying tapped creatures, it helps in preserving your life total. In essence, it accelerates your game towards victory by reducing the need to use additional resources on defensive measures.

Instant Speed: While Aerial Assault operates at sorcery speed, its effect on the game can be immediate and impactful. Eliminating a threat as soon as it becomes vulnerable means you dictate the pace of the conflict, staying on the offensive and keeping your adversary on the back foot.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aerial Assault’s effectiveness is tied to the need for a tapped creature on the battlefield. Without this condition, the card sits idly in your hand, missing its potential impact.

Specific Mana Cost: Aerial Assault demands a stringent mana cost with its white mana requirement. This constraint can prove to be a stumbling block for multicolored decks favoring mana fluidity.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the removal of one tapped creature, Aerial Assault’s three-mana cost may feel steep. Players might find other removal spells that are more cost-effective and can target creatures regardless of their state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Aerial Assault offers flexibility as a removal option, slotting effectively into decks that focus on maintaining board control. As such, it can be a beneficial addition to white-based control or midrange decks that may require consistent answers to opposing creatures.

Combo Potential: As Aerial Assault gains you life equal to the creature’s toughness, it can be a key piece in life gain strategies or decks that activate abilities when life is gained. This opens up the potential for synergistic plays and can enhance deck performance across multiple turns.

Meta-Relevance: Aerial Assault can be particularly useful in formats where creatures play a central role. Given that many popular decks rely on creature-based strategies to secure victory, having a targeted removal that also provides life gain can give players an important edge in the current meta.

How to beat

Aerial Assault is an intriguing card to tackle in the strategy-savvy world of MTG. Primarily appearing in White decks, the card offers a combination of creature removal and life gain, two critical aspects that can impact the course of a game. Its requirement to control a creature with flying before you can gain life adds an additional layer to the game dynamics, pushing players to think ahead in terms of their board presence.

Counterplay involves ensuring the opponent’s access to flying creatures is limited or comes at a high cost. Using cards that can negate flying abilities or sweep the board clear of creatures before Aerial Assault can be leveraged ensures that its full potential is never realized. Cards like Plummet that target flying creatures directly or broader solutions like Wrath of God to clear the field are effective strategies. Moreover, having instant-speed removals enables players to react swiftly to any attempt to establish a board state primed for Aerial Assault.

Understanding the intricacies of timing and resource management will surely elevate a player’s ability to neutralize the threat of Aerial Assault, maintaining control over the game’s pace and direction.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aerial Assault MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and Jumpstart, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Aerial Assault and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Aerial Assault Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Dan Scott.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-07-12	Core Set 2020	M20		1	2015	Normal	Black	Dan Scott
2	2020-07-17	Jumpstart	JMP		80	2015	Normal	Black	Dan Scott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aerial Assault has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aerial Assault card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Any abilities that trigger as the target creature is destroyed won't resolve until after you've gained life.
2019-07-12	If any creatures were exiled "until" the target creature left the battlefield, those creatures will return before you gain life.
2019-07-12	If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Aerial Assault tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. You won't gain life. If the target is legal but is not destroyed (most likely because it has indestructible), you will gain life.