Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship MTG Card

Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship - March of the Machine

Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Legendary Artifact — Vehicle
Abilities	Crew,Flying
Released	2023-04-21
Set symbol
Set name	March of the Machine
Set code	MOM
Power	*
Toughness	4
Number	234
Frame	2015
Layout	Transform
Border	Black
Illustred by	Leon Tukker

Key Takeaways

Card advantage is prominent with Aetherwing replenishing hands for strategic depth in MTG.
The Golden-Scale Flagship excels in resource acceleration and dynamic instant-speed responses.
Aetherwing’s discard and specific mana cost requirements challenge deck construction.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship 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 Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship and other MTG cards:

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Text of card

Flying Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship's power is equal to the number of artifacts you control. Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.)

Inspired by the grace of Ixalan's pterodons, Saheeli built one of her own.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With the Invasion of Kaladesh, players accrue substantial card advantage through abilities of cards such as Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship, which replenishes your hand, keeping you poised for strategic plays.

Resource Acceleration: The Golden-Scale Flagship boosts resource acceleration by potentially unlocking additional mana resources, allowing for a faster and more daunting board presence.

Instant Speed: The versatility of instant-speed cards in this set, including the flagship, provides the edge of adaptability, responding to threats or capitalizing on opportunities in the blink of an eye.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship requires a card to be discarded when you cast it. This could potentially set you back, especially when your hand is already diminished or when every card matters for your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Its cost demands a strict combination of energy resources, which can be restrictive and require a deck to be built around or heavily feature the colors of Kaladesh to maximize effectiveness. This might not seamlessly fit into existing deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Considering the mana investment put into summoning the Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship, its stats and abilities need to be impactful. Yet the cost may be steep when evaluating the benefits in the fast-paced environment of competitive play, where lower cost cards provide quicker and often more versatile responses to the board state.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Invasion of Kaladesh and its standout card, Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship, bring a remarkable adaptability to your deck. They offer dynamic play across multiple archetypes, enhancing strategies like artifact synergies and vehicle-based tactics.

Combo Potential: Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship unlocks a myriad of combo possibilities. Its ability to crew up and become a creature pairs seamlessly with cards that leverage artifacts, enabling intricate and potent interactions on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that evolves constantly, positioning your deck within the competitive environment is crucial. Invasion of Kaladesh cards like Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship remain particularly effective against an array of popular decks, maintaining their standing as a valuable asset in any collection.

How to beat

The Aetherwing, Golden-Scale flagship makes a compelling case for a potent board presence in the Invasion of Kaladesh’s thematic landscape in MTG. Its unique abilities can sway the course of the game, much like the renowned Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, hailing from the same plane of existence. Skysovereign’s entry instantly disrupts the field by dealing damage, but Aetherwing’s forte lies in its protective barriers and the potential to bolster its fleet.

Additionally, parallels can be drawn with Smuggler’s Copter, which offers agility in decking and attack strategies with its looting ability. Although Aetherwing doesn’t possess the same looting capacity, it compensates with superior defensive stats. One can also consider Heart of Kiran for comparison: it stands out with its crew cost linked to a planeswalker’s loyalty, yet Aetherwing remains unique with its emphasis on a more fortifying role than its aggressive counterparts.

In essence, Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship carves its niche within MTG as a defend-and-dominate card, suitable for players who prefer a strategized strengthened board state over immediate aggressive plays. Therefore, when confronting this juggernaut, anticipating its protective game and employing targeted removals or board wipes before its defenses are fully operational can be key to claiming victory.

Cards like Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship

In the vast universe of Magic: The Gathering, the Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship stands out as a significant force in decks focusing on air superiority. This card is akin to Smuggler’s Copter, both being flying vehicles requiring a creature to become operational. The Aetherwing requires more to crew but compensates with a more impactful presence on the board and the ability to possibly provide consistent energy counters.

Conversely, Heart of Kiran shares the flying trait and the lore of Kaladesh, while presenting itself as a potent threat faster due to its lower crew cost. Yet, Aetherwing’s unique mechanic of distributing energy among creatures gives it an edge in long-term strategy. Another pertinent counterpart would be Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, which offers an immediate board impact by dealing damage when entering the battlefield or attacking. While Skysovereign presents immediate value, Aetherwing favors a build-up of resources paving the way for a dynamic game.

Ultimately, these comparisons underline that each card carves its niche effectively within Magic: The Gathering. Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship, with its attributes, rightfully claims a place among aerial vehicular threats for players seeking to tip the scales in their favor throughout the game.

Skysovereign, Consul Flagship - MTG Card versions

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship has restrictions

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

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Invasion of Kaladesh // Aetherwing, Golden-Scale Flagship 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	A Siege’s controller can’t be its protector. If a Siege’s protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action.
2023-04-14	A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege’s controller can attack it.
2023-04-14	A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target “any target.”
2023-04-14	A battle’s “defense” is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters.
2023-04-14	As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector.
2023-04-14	As long as Aetherwing is still an artifact, its ability will count Aetherwing itself.
2023-04-14	Battles can’t attack or block, even if one also becomes a creature. If an attacking or blocking creature somehow becomes a battle in addition to being a creature, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14	Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it.
2023-04-14	If a Siege never had defense counters on it (perhaps because a permanent became a copy of one), it can’t have its last defense counter removed. It will be put into its owner’s graveyard. You won’t exile it or cast the other face.
2023-04-14	If a battle has no defense counters, and it isn’t the source of a triggered ability that has triggered but not yet left the stack, that battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action. This doesn’t cause a Siege’s intrinsic triggered ability to trigger.
2023-04-14	If a battle that’s being attacked somehow stops being a battle, it is removed from combat. Similarly, if its controller changes in the middle of combat, it is removed from combat.
2023-04-14	If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle’s protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner’s graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below).
2023-04-14	If a permanent that is represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it will be exiled as that Siege’s triggered ability resolves, then it will be cast transformed. Note that this applies only to transforming double-faced cards, not to modal double-faced cards that can normally be played using either face.
2023-04-14	If a token or a card that isn’t represented by a transforming double-faced card becomes a copy of a Siege, it can’t be cast as its triggered ability resolves. It will remain in exile. If it’s a token, it will cease to exist the next time state-based actions are performed.
2023-04-14	In a multiplayer game, if the protector of a battle leaves the game and that battle is not currently being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it as a state-based action. If it is being attacked, its controller chooses a new protector for it once no creatures are attacking it. This means that it continues to be attacked and can be dealt combat damage as normal.
2023-04-14	Only creatures controlled by a battle’s protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege’s controller can never assign creatures to block for it.
2023-04-14	Sieges each have an intrinsic triggered ability. That ability is “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.”