Aether Theorist MTG Card
2016-09-30 - Number 37
2020-11-12 - Number 40
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Vedalken Rogue |
| Abilities | Scry |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Aether Theorist enables strategic draw filtering through its scry ability, enhancing draw quality.
- The flexibility of energy counters can accelerate gameplay, synergizing with energy-based cards.
- Though useful, Aether Theorist’s specific casting cost and higher mana investment may limit versatility.
Text of card
When Aether Theorist enters the battlefield, you get (three energy counters). , Pay : Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom of your library.)
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Aether Theorist provides valuable scry ability, enabling you to look at the top card of your library and decide whether to keep it there or put it at the bottom. This effectively filters your draws to improve the quality of the cards you pull into your hand.
Resource Acceleration: The energy counters that Aether Theorist generates can be a flexible resource, enhancing your ability to power up other energy-focused cards in your deck, thereby speeding up your game plan.
Instant Speed: While Aether Theorist’s scry ability itself is not at instant speed, the flexibility of using energy counters at any time gives you the advantage of making crucial decisions on the fly and in response to your opponent’s actions.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Aether Theorist may require the player to discard other potentially valuable cards to fully exploit its abilities. This could mean a tricky decision when you’re trying to maintain a hand with enough options for upcoming turns.
Specific Mana Cost: Aether Theorist demands a specific mana combination for casting. This requires blue mana, thereby potentially restricting its inclusion to decks that can consistently produce blue mana early in the game.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Aether Theorist can be a useful card to scry and anticipate future moves, its three mana cost might be on the higher side when considering other cards in this mana range that could provide immediate board presence or more impactful effects.
Reasons to Include Aether Theorist in Your Collection
Versatility: Aether Theorist offers flexibility to a variety of blue-based decks. It’s an ideal early-game play that helps smooth out draws and sets up your game plan with its scry ability.
Combo Potential: The energy counters provided by Aether Theorist can feed into energy-based combos or powers up other energy-dependent cards, creating synergy within the deck.
Meta-Relevance: In an MTG environment that emphasizes strategic setup and control, Aether Theorist can offer critical insight into future turns, keeping your plays aligned with the evolving board state.
How to beat
Aether Theorist is a blue creature card that brings a strategic edge to any player’s deck, primarily due to its energy counter generation and ability to scry. Its utility lies in foreseeing potential draws and shaping your game plan. However, facing it across the table requires a nuanced approach to negate its advantage. Take note that direct removal spells are often the most efficient way to manage this pesky creature.
Utilize spot removal cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile to dispatch Aether Theorist swiftly before it can accumulate too much value over time. Another tactic is to exhaust their energy reserves through disruptive cards such as Shieldbreaker, effectively lowering the Theorist’s impact. Countering it upon casting is also practical through spells like Spell Pierce, which prevents its abilities from ever taking effect. Cards that strip opponents’ hand, like Thoughtseize, can also proactively address threats like Aether Theorist before they hit the battlefield.
In essence, prompt and decisive action through targeted removal or disruption can ensure Aether Theorist’s scrying capabilities don’t tilt the scales in your opponent’s favor, keeping the tide of the game firmly under control.
Cards like Aether Theorist
Aether Theorist is an intriguing card in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering, serving as a useful tool for players looking to scry and set up their draws. With its ability to peek into the future, it draws comparisons to Omenspeaker, a creature that also allows for scrying upon entering the battlefield. However, while Omenspeaker provides a one-time scry of two when it enters the battlefield, Aether Theorist offers repeated scry actions, although it requires energy counters to do so.
Another card that operates in the same visionary space is Augury Owl, known for its ability to scry three, giving a deeper look into upcoming draws. Unlike Aether Theorist, which has the flexibility of scrying across multiple turns, Augury Owl’s scry happens instantly and only once. Then there’s the Sigiled Starfish, affectionately called “Patrick” by some in the community. This creature can scry every single turn, providing a consistent setup for the player’s draw phase, much like the Theorist, but without the need for energy.
While comparing these cards, Aether Theorist emerges as a card with a unique energy mechanic, allowing for strategic planning and offering a good balance between card filtering and board presence.
Cards similar to Aether Theorist by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Aether Theorist MTG card by a specific set like Kaladesh and Kaladesh Remastered, 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 Theorist and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Aether Theorist Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-09-30 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Lucas Graciano.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 37 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lucas Graciano | |
| 2 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 40 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lucas Graciano |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Aether Theorist has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aether Theorist 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. |
