Aethertide Whale MTG Card
2017-01-20 - Number 27
2017-01-20 - Number 27s
2024-06-14 - Number 175
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Whale |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Flying When Aethertide Whale enters the battlefield, you get (six energy counters). Pay : Return Aethertide Whale to its owner's hand.
"To survive up here, I've learned when to use my harpoon and when to just enjoy the view." —Kadhu, skywhaler
Cards like Aethertide Whale
Aethertide Whale emerges from the depths of Magic: The Gathering as a creature that fans of big blue flyers will appreciate. Much like its leviathan kin, Stormtide Leviathan, the Whale carries a significant impact on the board due to its sizable form and impactful abilities. However, Aethertide Whale has an energy-based mechanic which differs from Stormtide’s game-altering presence that prevents creatures from attacking unless they have flying or islandwalk.
Glint-Nest Crane is another creature card that synergizes with energy counters, offering a slight build toward card advantage by potentially drawing an artifact into your hand. While it doesn’t dominate the skies like Aethertide Whale, the Crane serves as an early play that can shape your mid to late-game strategies. Conversely, Conduit of Storms presents an energy counter buildup with the potential to transform into a formidable creature, though it lacks the aerial supremacy and built-in recursion that the Whale provides.
In the context of blue creature cards with substantial board presence and intrinsic value, Aethertide Whale maintains a unique position. Its energy-centric mechanic and self-bouncing ability grant a level of resilience and long-term viability, giving it a distinct niche within the pantheon of MTG’s high-cost blue creatures.
Cards similar to Aethertide Whale by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Aethertide Whale brings a distinct card advantage through its ability to return to your hand and re-enter the battlefield for repeatable energy counter extraction. This looping mechanism ensures a steady influx of resources, which can be pivotal for maintaining dominance over the course of a match.
Resource Acceleration: This high-flying Leviathan bolsters your energy reserves by providing six energy counters upon entry. These energy counters are key in activating various energy-related effects, propelling your gameplay and giving you the upper hand by ramping up your available resources in a flash.
Instant Speed: While Aethertide Whale itself isn’t an instant, it synergizes well with instant speed spells in your deck. It allows you to preserve energy counters and strategically decide when to bounce it back to your hand, thus keeping mana open for immediate responses or end-of-turn plays that can surprise and unsettle your opponent.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: Aethertide Whale demands a specific combination of mana, including double blue, which can be challenging for multi-color decks to accommodate consistently.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a requirement of six mana to summon, the Aethertide Whale may be considered a steep investment, especially in formats where tempo plays a crucial role.
Discard Requirement: To utilize its ability to return to your hand, this creature obliges you to pay energy counters, which may inadvertently direct you to discard other valuable cards in scenarios where you must choose between energy generation and card retention.
Reasons to Include Aethertide Whale in Your Collection
Versatility: Aethertide Whale is a flexible addition to various blue-based decks. Its flying ability offers a solid defensive option, while its energy generation supports strategies focused on energy counters.
Combo Potential: This creature has excellent synergy with cards that exploit energy. By returning Aethertide Whale to your hand, you can repeatedly generate energy, thus fueling numerous combos and interactions within your deck.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where controlling the board is key, Aethertide Whale shines. Its repeated energy creation and potential for multiple recasts can outpace many standard threats, maintaining its relevance in various metas.
How to Beat Aethertide Whale
The battlefield presence of Aethertide Whale can often feel overwhelming due to its resilience and its potential for repeated energy generation. Its ability to return to a player’s hand can make it seem daunting to remove permanently. However, direct removal spells that don’t destroy but rather exile, such as Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares, can handle the whale efficiently by bypassing its return ability altogether.
Strategy is key when confronting this giant of the skies. For those running counter spells, waiting for the whale to be cast, and then denying it entry to the battlefield can save resources rather than attempting to deal with it once it’s already generating energy. Resource denial or limiting the energy pool available to your opponent can also be effective, as the whale’s strength hinges on its ability to utilize energy. Cards like Damping Sphere frustrate the energy-focused decks that Aethertide Whale commonly resides in.
A well-prepared player doesn’t just consider the immediate threat but also the recurring challenges a card like Aethertide Whale presents. Balancing a mixture of removal, counterspells, and resource denial transforms what could be a leviathan-sized problem into a manageable challenge.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aethertide Whale MTG card by a specific set like Aether Revolt and Aether Revolt 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 Aethertide Whale 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
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Printings
The Aethertide Whale Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2017-01-20 and 2024-06-14. Illustrated by Steven Belledin.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt | AER | 27 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 2 | 2017-01-20 | Aether Revolt Promos | PAER | 27s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin | |
| 3 | 2024-06-14 | Modern Horizons 3 Commander | M3C | 175 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Steven Belledin |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aethertide Whale 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 Aethertide Whale 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. |