Aether Burst MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant
Released	2001-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Odyssey
Set code	ODY
Number	60
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Adam Rex

Key Takeaways

Aether Burst creates card advantage through disrupting opponent plays and reusing ETB effects.
Instant speed offers flexibility for reactive plays and protection from removal.
Despite mana demands, it’s a strategic play for tempo control and combo enablement.

Text of card

Return up to X target creatures to their owners' hands, where X is one plus the number of Æther Burst cards in all graveyards as you play Æther Burst.

As fleeting as a cephalid's promise.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Utilizing Aether Burst can lead to a subtle but potent card advantage. This bounce effect can effectively negate an opponent’s creature play, forcing them to spend another turn and mana to recast the creature, whilst you’ve used only a single card to disrupt their tempo.

Resource Acceleration: While Aether Burst doesn’t directly add mana, it facilitates resource acceleration by allowing you to reuse your own ETB (Enter The Battlefield) creatures. This can lead to gaining additional value from creatures that provide mana or other resources when they enter the battlefield or enable combos by resetting your own board.

Instant Speed: Aether Burst gains considerable flexibility from its instant speed. This allows for reactive plays during your opponent’s combat phase or at the end of their turn, keeping them guessing and unable to commit fully to their strategy. Plus, the instant speed adds a layer of protection for your creatures, enabling you to return a targeted creature to your hand in response to removal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: One of the drawbacks of Aether Burst is its demand for a card discard to activate the returning creature effect. This can become a strategic pitfall if your hand is depleted of cards, ultimately leaving you at a disadvantage with fewer options on subsequent turns.

Specific Mana Cost: Aether Burst requires both blue mana and generic mana to cast. This specific mana combination can restrict its inclusion in decks to those that run blue, potentially sidelining it in the face of multicolored strategies that might not favor blue mana-heavy compositions.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value that is not inconsiderable, Aether Burst might not be the first pick for players looking to optimize the efficiency of their deck’s mana curve. Other options are available that return creatures to hand for a lower cost or offer additional benefits, presenting a competitive alternative to this card in matching scenarios.

Reasons to Include Aether Burst in Your Collection

Versatility: Aether Burst offers flexibility in gameplay by providing a cost-effective way to return creatures to their owners’ hands. This can be useful in decks focused on bouncing opponents’ creatures as disruption or your own creatures for value re-entry effects.

Combo Potential: This card excels by enabling synergies within bounce and spell-based strategies. It pairs well with cards that have enter-the-battlefield effects or with those that reward you for casting multiple spells in a turn.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where tempo plays are critical, Aether Burst can be outstanding. By setting your opponents back while progressing your own board state, it can influence the pace and outcome of games, making it a strategic asset in various metagames.

How to Beat Aether Burst

Aether Burst is an intriguing card from the Odyssey set that can play a disruptive role in MTG matches by returning creatures to their owner’s hand. To counter this card effectively, it is essential to leverage strategies that mitigate the bounce-back effect or reduce its impact. One approach involves using creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects, so you still gain value even if they are returned to your hand. Cards like Thragtusk or Ravenous Chupacabra offer benefits upon being cast, which lessens the downside of Aether Burst.

Another strategy involves cards that either can’t be returned to the player’s hand or benefit from being in the hand, like Slippery Bogbonder or creatures with Madness. Additionally, instant-speed spells that grant your creatures hexproof or shroud temporarily, like Blossoming Defense or Siren Stormtamer’s ability, can prevent Aether Burst from targeting them. Last, prioritizing low casting cost creatures can help you redeploy them quickly if they do get bounced, keeping the tempo of your game plan.

Taking all these tactics into account, players can craft a gameplay dynamic that lessens the disruption caused by Aether Burst, enhancing their resilience against bounce-heavy strategies.

Cards like Aether Burst

Aether Burst is an intriguing bounce spell in the world of Magic: The Gathering, occupying a distinct niche akin to cards such as Unsummon and Vapor Snag. It allows for the return of a creature to its owner’s hand, yet what elevates Aether Burst is its potential for recursion. Each additional copy in your graveyard empowers the current one, potentially leading to a mass-temporary removal of threats if sequenced correctly throughout the game.

In contrast, Unsummon is a straightforward one-off at one mana. Its simplicity is its strength, allowing for a quick reaction at a low cost. Vapor Snag also returns a creature but inflicts an additional point of damage to its controller. Aether Burst doesn’t have such direct damage but can certainly cause massive tempo shifts over time, with each casting incrementally increasing in power.

When examining the utility and scalability of creature bounce spells, Aether Burst shines with its repeatable nature. While not as immediately impactful as Vapor Snag’s ping or as mana efficient as Unsummon, its strength lies in the late game where multiple copies can disrupt an opponent’s board state significantly in MTG.

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

Hypnotic Sprite // Mesmeric Glare - MTG Card versions

Accumulated Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Thassa's Intervention - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

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