Consuming Aetherborn MTG Card

Grants card advantage through draw and sets pace with resource acceleration via creature removal. Flexible instant speed play allows for dynamic board control and surprise tactics. Demands deliberate strategy as discard and specific mana costs can hinder its effectiveness.

Consuming Aetherborn - March of the Machine

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Aetherborn Vampire
Abilities	Backup,Lifelink
Released	2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set name	March of the Machine
Set code	MOM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	97
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Aldo Domínguez

Text of card

Backup 1 (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following ability until end of turn.) Lifelink

Doji found the Phyrexian's essence foul, but every drop added an hour to their life.

Understanding the Value of Consuming Aetherborn

In the diverse ecosystem of MTG creatures, Consuming Aetherborn emerges as a unique entity with its set of abilities. Often compared to other two-drop creatures, such as Gifted Aetherborn, Consuming Aetherborn has its own role to play on the battlefield. While both share the Aetherborn designation and a similar mana cost, Consuming Aetherborn’s impact varies with its specialized abilities that cater to specific strategies.

Cards like Consuming Aetherborn

Consuming Aetherborn shares similarities with creatures like Vampire Nighthawk, both having deathtouch, which allows them to destroy any creature they deal damage to, regardless of power. Vampire Nighthawk takes this further by also having flying and lifelink, offering both aerial offense and defensive longevity. Yet, Consuming Aetherborn’s ingest ability adds a layer of strategy, enabling players to manipulate opponents’ resources by exiling the top card of their library. This feature can disrupt opponents’ plans and pairs well with processors, creatures that allow you to put cards an opponent owns from exile into their graveyard for an advantage.

Moving into a wider comparison, Narnam Renegade also demands attention. It holds deathtouch as well, becoming a powerful one-drop with revolt triggered, potentially offering early game control. While Narnam Renegade excels in rapid deployment and defensive roles, Consuming Aetherborn’s ingest ability is tailored for a more synergistic approach within decks focused on exile and processing. Although these cards share the deathtouch trait, their applications differ significantly, tailored to the needs of varied deck archetypes.

Discerning MTG players will recognize the niche Consuming Aetherborn fills, providing strategic depth to decks that capitalize on exile mechanics. When selecting this card over its counterparts, MTG enthusiasts are often looking to enhance those specific interactions rather than solely relying on standalone power.

Cards similar to Consuming Aetherborn by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Consuming Aetherborn gives you consistent access to additional cards. This can prove to be an ally in longer matches where maintaining a healthy hand size is pivotal to outmaneuvering your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: This versatile card also acts as a catalyst for resource acceleration. By potentially removing an opponent’s creature, you pave the way for more direct attacks, accelerating your path to victory.

Instant Speed: The ability to utilize Consuming Aetherborn at instant speed is an invaluable asset, enabling reactive play to alter the state of the board at crucial moments, often catching your adversary off-guard.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Consuming Aetherborn card play is often contingent upon a discard action. This caveat can be a strategic setback as it potentially depletes your hand, leaving you with fewer options for future turns. Being compelled to discard can be particularly taxing when your hand is already running thin, putting you at a disadvantage in maintaining card advantage against your opponent.

Specific Mana Cost: Consuming Aetherborn demands a specific blend of mana colors for its casting, which can be restrictive. Players running a multi-color deck may find that fitting Consuming Aetherborn into their mana curve is challenging, especially if the deck’s mana base is not perfectly tuned to accommodate such requirements. This sometimes results in Consuming Aetherborn being a dead card in hand during crucial moments of gameplay.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Additionally, the mana expense to summon Consuming Aetherborn is considerable when assessed alongside other options available in the format. Consideration must be given to whether the benefit reaped from its activation truly outweighs its casting cost, as decks often aim for the utmost efficiency in cost-to-effect ratios. Players might opt for alternatives that bring similar or better value for less mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Consuming Aetherborn fits seamlessly into a variety of decks, aligning well with those that capitalize on lifelink and deathtouch abilities. Its dual nature provides defensive stability and offensive opportunities, making it a flexible pick for many strategies.

Combo Potential: This card has excellent synergy with cards that benefit from death triggers or life gain. The lifelink aspect enables combos with cards that scale with life-gained while its deathtouch can enable easy removal of opposing creatures to pave the way for your strategy.

Meta-Relevance: With its inherent abilities, Consuming Aetherborn proves to be a valuable asset, especially in metas that favor aggressive creature-based strategies. Its deathtouch can deter attacks, while lifelink helps stabilize your life total, keeping you in the game longer against relentless assault.

How to beat Consuming Aetherborn

Overcoming Consuming Aetherborn in your Magic: The Gathering matchups requires a blend of strategy and card selection. This card can be challenging due to its lifelink ability, which allows its controller to gain life equal to the damage dealt. Additionally, its deathtouch characteristic means it can destroy any creature it blocks or is blocked by, regardless of that creature’s toughness.

To effectively counteract Consuming Aetherborn, consider using removal spells that don’t rely on dealing damage, as these will bypass the lifelink ability. Spells that exile or force a player to sacrifice a creature are particularly effective in this scenario. Board wipes that clear the field can also sidestep the deathtouch ability by not engaging it in combat. Additionally, cards that can counteract lifelink, such as those that prevent life gain or use lifeloss as a cost, can neutralize the Aetherborn’s advantage.

Strategy-wise, discouraging attacks by maintaining a strong defensive line or by using creatures with first strike to take it down before it can deal damage, are viable tactics. In essence, approach Consuming Aetherborn with a tactical mindset and a well-prepared deck to ensure it doesn’t consume your chances of victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Consuming Aetherborn MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine, 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 Consuming Aetherborn and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Consuming Aetherborn has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2023-04-14	Backup confers only abilities that are actually printed below it. Any abilities that are gained by the permanent are ignored, including abilities gained due to a resolving spell or ability or copy effects.
2023-04-14	If a backup ability causes another creature to gain abilities, the creature with backup will still have those abilities.
2023-04-14	If a backup ability targets the creature with backup, that creature will get +1/+1 counters, but it won’t gain additional abilities.
2023-04-14	If a permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a card with a backup ability or a token is created that is a copy of that card, the order of the printed abilities is maintained.
2023-04-14	The abilities that backup grants to the target creature are determined only once, at the time the ability triggers. They won’t change if the permanent with backup loses any abilities before the backup ability resolves.