Aethersquall Ancient MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 39
2016-09-30 - Number 39s
2024-06-14 - Number 174
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Leviathan |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Text of card
Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, you get (three energy counters). Pay : Return all other creatures to their owners' hands. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.
Cards like Aethersquall Ancient
Aethersquall Ancient flies into the realm of Magic: The Gathering as an imposing blue Leviathan. It shares the airborne dominance with cards like Stormtide Leviathan, which also commands the skies and the seas with its islandwalk ability. Aethersquall Ancient’s unique feature, however, is its ability to sweep the board clean of other creatures and start the game anew. While it doesn’t lock out the lands like Stormtide Leviathan, the Ancient’s energy-based board resetting capability is a remarkable control mechanism in its own right.
Analogous behemoths, such as Archetype of Imagination, grant creatures you control the power of flight, creating an unassailable air force. But it lacks Aethersquall Ancient’s disruptive upheaval, offering a different strategic advantage. Engulf the Shore offers a similar bounce effect to that of Aethersquall Ancient’s ability but is tied to the number of Islands you control rather than an energy reserve, presenting a case for adaptability in land-heavy decks.
Surveying these immense leviathans and impactful sorceries, Aethersquall Ancient has a distinctive seat amongst blue’s control arsenal, combining the might of its brethren with a unique capability to reset the board, an essential trait for players aiming to commandeer the late game.
Cards similar to Aethersquall Ancient by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Aethersquall Ancient takes center stage in decks that care about maintaining a full grip of cards. This Leviathan’s ability to clear the battlefield and return to your hand ensures that you’re never without an imposing threat, while its repeatable bounce effect can provide continual advantage each time it swings into action.
Resource Acceleration: The breath of the Ancient is a siren call to energy counters, a resource for powering up numerous strategies. In your deck, this massive creature can be the key to unlocking powerful plays earlier than usual, especially in energy-focused builds that exploit its ability to harness this unique MTG mechanic effectively.
Instant Speed: Aethersquall Ancient does not operate at instant speed itself; however, its ability can generate disruptive plays during your upkeep. This timing allows you to prepare during your turn, keeping opponents on their toes and potentially clearing the way for a devastating offense or setting up for what comes next. Its synergy with other instant-speed interactions makes it a formidable addition to any arsenal.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Aethersquall Ancient demands a considerable hand size to effectively utilize its ability, where discarding becomes a costly price for triggering its potent effect. This can compromise your play if you are already at a resource disadvantage.
Specific Mana Cost: The triple blue mana cost to cast Aethersquall Ancient is quite restrictive and requires a dedicated commitment to blue mana sources. This could be a limiting factor in multi-colored decks that may not consistently have the necessary blue mana available.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, Aethersquall Ancient sits at a higher tier on the mana curve. Cards with lower mana costs may offer quicker board presence or effects, potentially leaving you vulnerable in the fast-paced early game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Aethersquall Ancient offers a flexible solution for blue-based decks, adept at controlling the board with its powerful bounce ability. This Leviathan is not just a threat but a reset button that can align with various deck-building strategies.
Combo Potential: With its unique energy mechanic, Aethersquall Ancient can be the cornerstone in energy-themed decks or work synergistically with other cards that utilize or generate energy counters, potentially unlocking devastating combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame that favors proactive creature strategies, Aethersquall Ancient serves as a formidable deterrent. Its recurring board sweep can repeatedly unsettle opponents’ boards, maintaining a state of advantage for its controller.
How to beat
Aethersquall Ancient can be a dominating presence on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This flying leviathan has the power to disrupt the board by returning all other creatures to their owners’ hands. Effective counterstrategies are a necessity when facing this formidable opponent. Unlike Big Score, which manipulates card advantage in a player’s favor, Aethersquall Ancient directly affects the board state, making traditional removal spells less effective since it can potentially bounce back repeatedly.
One method to tackle this challenge is employing exile or instant-speed removal spells such as Path to Exile before the opponent accumulates enough energy to activate its ability. Cards with the “cannot be countered” clause also present a reliable way to maintain pressure. Additionally, leveraging graveyard recursion can turn the Ancient’s bounce effect to your advantage, by using the return of creatures as an opportunity to redeploy effects when they enter the battlefield again. Managing your resources effectively and anticipating the Ancient’s activation can turn the tide of the match in your favor.
Understanding and preparing for the impact of heavy hitters like Aethersquall Ancient can improve your defense and ensure that your MTG gameplay remains competitive even when significant threats loom on the horizon.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aethersquall Ancient MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Promos, 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 Aethersquall Ancient and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Aethersquall Ancient Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by Sam Burley.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 39 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Burley | |
| 2 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh Promos | PKLD | 39s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Burley | |
| 3 | 2024-06-14 | Modern Horizons 3 Commander | M3C | 174 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Sam Burley |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aethersquall Ancient has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aethersquall Ancient card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can't pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |