Aura Shards MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityUncommon
TypeEnchantment

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables ongoing artifact and enchantment removal, bolstering board control with creature summons.
  2. Demands specific mana colors and careful hand management, limiting deck inclusion.
  3. Substantial synergy and meta relevance make it a worthy addition to most collections.

Text of card

Whenever a creature comes into play under your control, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.

Gaea forged her soldiers into self-wielding weapons that struck down all impurities.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aura Shards enables continuous removal of opponents’ artifacts and enchantments whenever you deploy a creature, setting you a step ahead in maintaining board control without expending additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: By systematically dismantling the resource base of your rivals, Aura Shards effectively slows them down, allowing you to capitalize on the increased pace of your own game plan.

Instant Speed: While Aura Shards itself isn’t cast at instant speed, its trigger is instantaneous upon any creature entering the battlefield under your control, providing you with a reactive tool throughout the entirety of the match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Aura Shards provides a substantial benefit in enchantment-heavy decks, it’s worth noting that playing it requires careful hand management. In situations where your hand is depleted, its presence does not directly replenish your resources, potentially leaving you at a disadvantage if you can’t capitalize on its trigger.

Specific Mana Cost: Aura Shards mandates a specific color combination of green and white mana. This requirement can restrict its inclusion to only those decks that can reliably produce both colors, therefore limiting its versatility across the wider range of decks in the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While not overly expensive, the three-mana cost of Aura Shards can be considered high for its immediate impact when compared to other lower-cost removal options. This becomes particularly noticeable in faster-paced games where early resource allocation can be critical.


Reasons to Include Aura Shards in Your Collection

Versatility: Aura Shards is a powerful enchantment that can seamlessly integrate into various Commander and casual decks. Its ability to remove artifacts and enchantments upon creature arrival makes it a dynamic tool for board control.

Combo Potential: Known for its synergistic capabilities, Aura Shards allows players to demolish opponents’ defenses with frequent creature summoning. It aligns perfectly with token-heavy strategies, turning each creature into a potential threat to any problematic nonland permanent.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where artifacts and enchantments are prevalent, Aura Shards remains highly relevant. It can tilt the balance in your favor by eliminating key pieces of your opponents’ strategy, maintaining its status as a must-have in metas dominated by these permanents.


How to beat

Aura Shards has become a name feared on the battlefield due to its ability to wreak havoc on opponents’ artifacts and enchantments whenever a creature enters your side. This infamous card from Magic the Gathering can quickly disrupt opponents’ strategies if left unchecked.

To counteract Aura Shards, focus on control and removal strategies. Cards with the capability to exile enchantments such as Oblivion Ring or Disenchant can efficiently neutralize Aura Shards before it becomes a recurring threat. Additionally, employing counter spells when Aura Shards is cast can prevent it from ever hitting the field. Since Aura Shards’ strength lies in creature summoning, limiting creature abilities with cards such as Torpor Orb or utilizing sweepers like Supreme Verdict to keep the board clear can also undermine its potential.

Understanding when to time your removal and counters while maintaining a balance of threats on your board is key. A strategic approach to managing your resources against Aura Shards can ensure its powerful effect doesn’t dominate the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Whether you’re harnessing Aura Shards’ potential to disrupt your foes’ game plans or seeking ways to shield your strategy against it, every card choice is a calculated step towards victory in Magic the Gathering. Tailoring your deck to synergize with or combat this enchantment is crucial for board dominance. Dive deeper with us to refine your approaches and unearth advanced tactics. Embrace the challenges Aura Shards presents and turn them into stepping stones on your path to becoming a formidable player. Your MTG journey is ever-evolving, so let’s continue the quest for prowess and knowledge together.


Cards like Aura Shards

Aura Shards is a known powerhouse within the Magic: The Gathering multiverse, celebrated for its ability to systematically dismantle opponents’ artifacts and enchantments. This enchantment is reminiscent of classics like Disenchant and Naturalize, both of which are direct single-target removal cards for artifacts and enchantments. However, Aura Shards augments this function by triggering its effect whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, potentially leading to multiple destructions in one turn, compared to the one-time use of its counterparts.

Parallel effects can be seen in cards like Sundering Growth, which also destroys artifacts or enchantments and poses an added Populate benefit. However, unlike Aura Shards, its use is a one-off event requiring a spell slot. Creeping Corrosion stands out as another similar card that can clear the board of artifacts in one sweeping gesture but lacks the repeating value and enchantment removal offered by Aura Shards. Despite these comparisons, Aura Shards holds its ground as a uniquely persistent threat, a boon for decks heavy with creatures and a bane for artifact and enchantment reliant adversaries.

It is clear that in terms of continuous utility and synergy with creature strategies, Aura Shards offers a dynamic that is both versatile and relentless, making it a highly valued card among players who favor the long game and incremental advantage.

Disenchant - MTG Card versions
Naturalize - MTG Card versions
Sundering Growth - MTG Card versions
Creeping Corrosion - MTG Card versions
Disenchant - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Naturalize - Onslaught (ONS)
Sundering Growth - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Creeping Corrosion - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Cards similar to Aura Shards by color, type and mana cost

Wellspring - MTG Card versions
Armadillo Cloak - MTG Card versions
Dueling Grounds - MTG Card versions
Shield of the Oversoul - MTG Card versions
Sigil of the Nayan Gods - MTG Card versions
Unflinching Courage - MTG Card versions
Battle for Bretagard - MTG Card versions
Fall of the Impostor - MTG Card versions
Captured by Lagacs - MTG Card versions
Calix, Guided by Fate - MTG Card versions
Wellspring - Mirage (MIR)
Armadillo Cloak - The List (PLST)
Dueling Grounds - Invasion (INV)
Shield of the Oversoul - The List (PLST)
Sigil of the Nayan Gods - Alara Reborn (ARB)
Unflinching Courage - The List (PLST)
Battle for Bretagard - Commander Masters (CMM)
Fall of the Impostor - Kaldheim (KHM)
Captured by Lagacs - Jumpstart: Historic Horizons (J21)
Calix, Guided by Fate - March of the Machine: The Aftermath (MAT)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aura Shards MTG card by a specific set like Invasion and Commander 2011, 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 Aura Shards and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Aura Shards Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2000-10-02 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Ron Spencer.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12000-10-02InvasionINV 2331997normalblackRon Spencer
22011-06-17Commander 2011CMD 1822003normalblackRon Spencer
32019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 13922003normalblackRon Spencer
42020-09-26The ListPLST CMD-1822003normalblackRon Spencer
52020-09-26The ListPLST INV-2331997normalblackRon Spencer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aura Shards has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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