Aerial Engineer MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Artificer |
| Released | 2018-07-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2019 |
| Set code | M19 |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 211 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Zoltan Boros |
Text of card
As long as you control an artifact, Aerial Engineer gets +2/+0 and has flying.
The best of their trade know every bolt of their rigs, stem to stern.
Understanding Aerial Engineer
Aerial Engineer steps into the arena of Magic: The Gathering as a nuanced artifact synergy creature, reminiscent of its counterpart, Gearsmith Prodigy. However, Aerial Engineer elevates the game plan with its ability to grant a substantial power boost to not just itself but other flying artefacts as well. Where Gearsmith Prodigy leans on a singular plus one to attack, Aerial Engineer promises a beefier advantage whenever you control an artifact, a subtle yet impactful difference for artifact-centric decks.
Cards like Aerial Engineer
Aerial Engineer finds its kinship among cards with artifact dependent abilities. Skilled Animator is a strong parallel, turning an artifact into a formidable creature with power and toughness of five. While both cards feed off the artifact presence, Skilled Animator requires no color commitment and activates instantly. However, Aerial Engineer offers a recurring benefit, strengthening itself and other flyers turn after turn. Artificer’s Assistant, similarly synergizes with artifacts, permitting scry upon casting an artifact spell, providing more strategic deck manipulation but without the combat prowess that Aerial Engineer adds to the board.
When considering performance in artifact-focused decks, Aerial Engineer showcases its might among peers, making it a considerable asset for those looking to fortify their aerial forces in-game.
Cards similar to Aerial Engineer by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: If you’re running a deck with a significant number of artifacts, Aerial Engineer provides you with a powerful creature that becomes a formidable presence on the board. This MTG card shines in strategies focused on artifacts, which often allow for repeatable effects or synergies, effectively giving you more value out of each card played.
Resource Acceleration: Aerial Engineer requires a dedicated artifact deck to fully utilize its ability, which encourages the inclusion of mana rocks and other artifact-based sources of acceleration. By integrating such artifacts, you ramp up your resources, enabling faster deployment of threats and improving your board state significantly earlier in the match. This can lead to early overwhelming advantages against your opponents.
Instant Speed: In a deck optimized for Aerial Engineer, artifacts can sometimes be flashed into play at instant speed. This allows a savvy player to suddenly activate the Engineer’s +2/+0 ability during combat or at the end of an opponent’s turn, which can catch an opponent off guard and change the tide of the game.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Innovating a new artifact each turn can be challenging, making Aerial Engineer’s synergy-dependent buff inconsistent. Without reliable artifact creation or retrieval from your graveyard, its full potential is often untapped.
Specific Mana Cost: Aerial Engineer’s blue and white mana cost demands a strict two-color commitment, which can strain mana bases in more color-diverse decks. Ensuring the correct mana balance to deploy it on curve may be a hurdle for some deck architectures.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: For four mana, Aerial Engineer’s stats and conditional ability can fall short compared to other four-cost creatures that offer immediate impact. In a fast-paced game, its requirement for another artifact on the battlefield to be effective might slow down your strategy.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Aerial Engineer thrives in decks looking to maximize artifact synergies. Ideal for those desiring a dynamic board presence, particularly in artifact-centered builds that can consistently trigger its ability.
Combo Potential: This card pairs seamlessly with a variety of artifact creatures and equipment, potentially unlocking powerful bonuses each turn. In the right deck, Aerial Engineer elevates your game by leveraging these interactions for enhanced combat performance.
Meta-Relevance: With the ever-shifting MTG landscape, Aerial Engineer can be a strategic fit in environments where artifact decks are prominent. Its synergy with other artifacts makes it a solid choice for players aiming to remain competitive within such scenarios.
How to beat
Aerial Engineer can be a formidable presence in any MTG deck that leverages the synergy between artifacts and creatures. This card gains a significant power boost when teamed up with an artifact, presenting a challenge to opponents who are unprepared. The key to overcoming Aerial Engineer lies in disrupting the artifact synergy. By targeting and removing artifacts from play, the Engineer’s strength diminishes, effectively neutralizing the threat it poses.
Artifact removal spells like Abrade or Disenchant can swiftly deal with the problematic artifacts thus turning Aerial Engineer into a less terrifying foe. Alternatively, cards that switch off abilities, such as Phyrexian Revoker, can prevent Aerial Engineer from getting its power and toughness increase. Since the Engineer requires support to be effective, keeping the battlefield clear of artifacts, or at least keeping their numbers in check, can blunt an opponent’s strategy and give you the upper hand.
Remember, in a game of MTG, staying one step ahead of your adversary’s strategies is crucial. Thus, understanding and anticipating the interplay between cards like Aerial Engineer and artifacts will allow you to assert dominance on the battlefield and lead you towards victory. Keep your removal handy and play with foresight to dismantle any artifact-based strategy that comes your way.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aerial Engineer MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2019, 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 Engineer and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aerial Engineer has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |