Aetherflux Reservoir MTG Card


Aetherflux Reservoir provides scaling life gain with each spell, offering a persistent advantage throughout the game. The artifact’s ability to convert life into damage creates a significant win condition by threatening lethal strikes. Countering Aetherflux Reservoir involves artifact destruction, life total control, and strategic counterspell usage.
Card setsReleased in 8 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Text of card

Whenever you cast a spell, you gain 1 life for each spell you've cast this turn. Pay 50 life: Aetherflux Reservoir deals 50 damage to any target.

While most power is used for ordinary, everyday tasks, one shouldn't underestimate its potential for the extraordinary.


Cards like Aetherflux Reservoir

Aetherflux Reservoir is a unique artifact in Magic: The Gathering that stands out in the realm of life-drawing cards. It shares a lineage with cards like Batterskull, a lifelinking equipment that bolsters your life total. But where Aetherflux Reservoir shines is its ability to drastically impact your life total with every spell you cast. Batterskull, in contrast, is dependable but slow, incrementing your life total by 4 with each attack.

An interesting comparison could be made with Beacon of Immortality. Both cards excel in their own lifelinking domains. Beacon doubles your life total, an effect Aetherflux Reservoir can mimic with a fairly loaded hand of spells. The distinction lies in that Beacon is a one-time use spell, while Aetherflux Reservoir’s continuous effect, if properly exploited, can swing games in your favor swiftly.

The parallel with Tendrils of Agony is somewhat proximate, yet different. Tendrils of Agony deals damage while providing life – similar to Aetherflux Reservoir’s ability. The contrast is that it’s non-repeatable and its damage potential is limited to the number of cards in hand. Aetherflux Reservoir in employee could serve as a lethal strike against your opponent, turning a surplus of life into a deadly weapon.

Batterskull - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Immortality - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Agony - MTG Card versions
Batterskull - MTG Card versions
Beacon of Immortality - MTG Card versions
Tendrils of Agony - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Aetherflux Reservoir by color, type and mana cost

Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Lich's Tomb - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Jade Idol - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Juggernaut - MTG Card versions
Jade Monolith - MTG Card versions
Dancing Scimitar - MTG Card versions
Grinning Totem - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Processor - MTG Card versions
Patagia Golem - MTG Card versions
Lodestone Myr - MTG Card versions
Lich's Tomb - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Ironworks - MTG Card versions
Jade Idol - MTG Card versions
Ur-Golem's Eye - MTG Card versions
Jester's Cap - MTG Card versions
Bottled Cloister - MTG Card versions
Rod of Ruin - MTG Card versions
Gnarled Effigy - MTG Card versions
Scrapbasket - MTG Card versions
Magnetic Mine - MTG Card versions
Icy Manipulator - MTG Card versions
Eye of Doom - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

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

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Abzan Amalia ComboAbzan Amalia Combo PioneerAbzan Amalia ComboPioneer Challenge 32 2024-05-03 (1)
4c Amalia Combo4c Amalia Combo Pioneer4c Amalia ComboPioneer Super Qualifier 2024-05-04

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aetherflux Reservoir’s triggered ability grants a potent advantage by gaining life each time you cast a spell, maintaining resource benefits throughout game progress. As the lifegain scales with the number of spells cast, with the reservoir, you can essentially fill your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Playing Aetherflux Reservoir accelerates the power state of your game by accumulating an escalating life total. This stored resource can then be enacted in a lethal strike for 50 life, creating a substantial threat that puts pressure on opponents.

Instant Speed: Though the reservoir itself is not instant, it triggers with every spell you cast, including instants. This can lead to instantaneous life gain and potential game-end within a single turn, if played wisely with your instants stored in hand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Aetherflux Reservoir card doesn’t have a clear discard requirement. However, since it’s an artifact, it’ll stay on the battlefield unless you have a method of returning it to your hand. This can lead to its removal by your opponent’s artifact destruction card.

Specific Mana Cost: Aetherflux Reservoir requires four generic mana to cast. The lack of specific mana can complicate things, as your deck may not necessarily support quick accumulation of such resources. It is essential to properly balance your mana base to overcome this constraint.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Casting Aetherflux Reservoir delivers a high power effect. But, its relatively high mana cost means there are cheaper alternatives available in the MTG universe. Keep in mind, though, that such alternatives will likely not be able to defeat opponents in a single shot as Aetherflux Reservoir can.


Reasons to Include Aetherflux Reservoir in Your Collection

Versatility: Aetherflux Reservoir is one of a kind in the realm of artifacts. Its application extends to numerous deck styles, particularly those employing life-gain strategies. It couples seamlessly with other life gain cards, empowering your game with formidable defense and ramping up life points.

Combo Potential: With Aetherflux Reservoir in place, brace yourself for chain reactions that fuel your life total with every spell cast. It synergizes well with storm and spellslinger decks, escalating your life points exponentially. The 50 damage ability, while daunting in cost, could turn tables creating win conditions out of thin air.

Meta-Relevance: With the meta-game inundated with aggressive, quick wins strategies, Aetherflux Reservoir imposes an edge. It provides a substantial life buffer while also posing as a potential one-shot win condition. Thus, in a meta dominated by speedy, low-curve decks, this artifact emerges as a distinctive champion.


How to beat

The Aetherflux Reservoir, one of the notorious artifacts in Magic: The Gathering, is notorious due to its potent life-gaining mechanism and weaponized life total. Defeating a player using this card requires tactical and careful play.

One way to neutralize the threat of Aetherflux Reservoir is through card destruction spells like Shattering Spree or Disallow, which can directly eliminate the card from play.Naturalize, a popular choice in green decks, can also destroy a troublesome artifact like the Reservoir. Another strategy is to minimize the life gain of your opponent. Use aggressive cards to keep their life total in check and prevent their life total from reaching the dangerous 50-point threshold. Cards like Tainted Remedy that reverse life gain effects can aid in this strategy.

Counterspell strategies are also effective to stop the Reservoir’s ability activation. Cards like Negate or Cancel can stop the activation, buying you crucial time. Make sure to maintain a consistent pressure on your opponent’s life total and be ready to react when they try to go for a kill with Aetherflux Reservoir’s ability.

In conclusion, beating Aetherflux Reservoir in MTG involves a combination of artifact destruction, life total management, and effective counter tactics. It is a formidable card, but with the right tools and strategies, it can be overcome.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into MTG’s strategy with the dynamic Aetherflux Reservoir. This artifact offers a high-risk, high-reward game playstyle, meshing well with decks tailored around casting copious spells and life-gain mechanisms. Understanding its advantages can turn the tides of any match and having the know-how to disarm its powers is just as vital. Ready to master the strategic use of Aetherflux Reservoir or discover the perfect counterplay? Expand your knowledge and prepare for victory by joining our community for deeper insights and tips on how to optimize or tackle this potent card in your next MTG duel.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aetherflux Reservoir MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh Promos and Kaladesh, 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 Aetherflux Reservoir and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Aetherflux Reservoir Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12016-09-30Kaladesh PromosPKLD 192s2015NormalBlackCliff Childs
22016-09-30KaladeshKLD 1922015NormalBlackCliff Childs
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 15392015NormalBlackCliff Childs
42020-09-26The ListPLST KLD-1922015NormalBlackCliff Childs
52020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 2172015NormalBlackCliff Childs
62022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 651997NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
72022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 65z1997NormalBlackYeong-Hao Han
82022-11-18The Brothers' War Retro ArtifactsBRR 21997NormalBlackCliff Childs

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aetherflux Reservoir has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2016-09-20 Aetherflux Reservoir's first ability doesn't trigger when you cast Aetherflux Reservoir itself.
2016-09-20 The first ability counts spells you cast earlier in the turn even if you didn't control Aetherflux Reservoir as you cast them, and even if those spells were countered.
2016-09-20 The first ability counts the spell that caused it to trigger plus any other spells you cast earlier in the turn.
2016-09-20 The number of spells you've cast is counted only as Aetherflux Reservoir's triggered ability resolves. For example, if you cast a spell, then respond to the triggered ability with a second spell, you'll gain 4 life total.