Aether Rift MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Released	2000-10-02
Set symbol
Set name	Invasion
Set code	INV
Number	227
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Heather Hudson

Key Takeaways

Aether Rift can provide card advantage by cheating out costly creatures without their mana cost.
Its demand for random discards brings unpredictability, potentially discarding key cards.
Variably rewarding, Aether Rift’s impact hinges on its synergy within a particular deck structure.

Text of card

At the beginning of your upkeep, discard a card at random from your hand. If you discard a creature card this way, put that card into play unless any player pays 5 life.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Aether Rift card gives you the opportunity to potentially put a creature card into play at the beginning of your upkeep. This can turn into a significant card advantage as you bypass the necessity to cast high mana cost creatures.

Resource Acceleration: Aether Rift enables you to capitalize on unused resources efficiently. By discarding a card, you channel otherwise wasted cards in your hand into a potential threat on the board, which can accelerate the pressure you apply on your opponent.

Instant Speed: Though Aether Rift itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it impacts the game in a way that instant-speed cards can be more freely cast. Knowing that Aether Rift could churn out a creature at the beginning of your upkeep allows you to manage your resources with more confidence, saving your instants for optimal moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aether Rift’s activation necessitates discarding a card at random, potentially causing you to lose valuable hand assets unintentionally. This random discard can disrupt strategic plays and lead to a disadvantageous position.

Specific Mana Cost: Aether Rift demands a precise mana arrangement to cast—two generic, one red, and one green—which can pose a challenge in multicolored decks. This requirement can restrict deck flexibility and delay your overall game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four mana investment to cast Aether Rift, players might find this cost steep for the unpredictable return on investment. There are alternative cards that allow for a more controlled or less costly effect, making them potentially more appealing in competitive play.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Aether Rift offers a unique interaction with your graveyard, allowing you to potentially play creatures for free. This trait comes in handy in various deck builds, particularly those centered around graveyard synergy and surprise plays.

Combo Potential: This card excels when paired with creatures that have enter-the-battlefield or leave-the-battlefield effects. It also serves as a key component in decks designed to manipulate the top cards of the library, ensuring you get the most value when Aether Rift triggers.

Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, having a card that can disrupt opponent strategies by unpredictably throwing out creatures can give you an edge. Aether Rift is particularly useful when the meta is stagnant or predictable, as it introduces an element of chaos that can turn the tides in your favor.

How to beat Aether Rift

The Aether Rift enchantment in Magic: The Gathering presents players with a unique set of challenges. This card allows players to potentially cheat high-cost creatures into play, which can be a game-changer. However, its unpredictability, which requires the player to discard at random, means that it can also backfire if essential cards are tossed aside. Its success heavily relies on building a deck with a favorable distribution of high impact creatures.

To counter Aether Rift effectively, having removal spells ready is a key strategy. Enchantment removal spells like Naturalize or Disenchant are direct answers to quickly dismantle Aether Rift’s board influence. Additionally, graveyard disruption tools like Relic of Progenitus or Bojuka Bog help mitigate the advantage gained from the creatures that the Aether Rift ability puts into play. Hand disruption also plays a role, as Thoughtseize and Duress can extract Aether Rift from an opponent’s hand before they have the opportunity to use it.

Overall, understanding your opponent’s deck build and maintaining flexible responses are crucial when facing Aether Rift. Successfully managing these factors equips players to navigate around the chaotic nature of Aether Rift and come out ahead in the match.

Cards like Aether Rift

Aether Rift is a unique enchantment in Magic: The Gathering that finds a niche among cards that manipulate the top of the library. Aether Rift allows players to potentially cheat creatures into play, reminiscent of the famed sneak attack mechanics. Cards like Lurking Predators share this ability to surprise opponents with creatures, yet do so by leveraging opponents’ spells. Where Aether Rift requires a hand discard to gamble on a free creature, Lurking Predators ensures a creature presence whenever an opponent casts a spell.

Close comparisons can be made with Selvala’s Stampede, which bypasses mana costs for creatures or permanents by putting them directly onto the battlefield. However, Selvala’s Stampede offers choices from hand or library, unlike the random nature of Aether Rift. Lastly, Elvish Piper is another card that dodges hefty mana costs by putting a creature from hand onto the battlefield for a single green mana, albeit one at a time and requiring the creature be in hand already.

Each of these cards brings its strategy to the table, but Aether Rift stands out for its high-risk, high-reward potential, making it a compelling choice for players who enjoy a bit of chance with their strategies.

Cards similar to Aether Rift by color, type and mana cost

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Invigorating Hot Spring - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aether Rift MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Aether Rift and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aether Rift has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	First, the card is discarded. Then, in turn order, each player is given the option to pay 5 life. Then, if no player paid 5 life, the card is put onto the battlefield from the graveyard.
2009-10-01	The card is actually discard, so anything which triggers on a discard will trigger. Such abilities will wait to go on the stack until after this ability has completely resolved.