Aeon Engine MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Artifact
Released	2019-08-23
Set symbol
Set name	Commander 2019
Set code	C19
Number	52
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Ralph Horsley

Key Takeaways

Aeon Engine offers a rare effect, reversing turn order, disrupting opponents and providing strategic advantages.
While costly to play, its unique ability can be central to a commanding presence in control-focused decks.
Understanding its strengths and weaknesses ensures optimal inclusion in decks and effective counterplay strategies.

Text of card

Aeon Engine enters the battlefield tapped. , Exile Aeon Engine: Reverse the game's turn order. (For example, if play had proceeded clockwise around the table, it now goes counterclockwise.)

"Paradox? Eh, we'll worry about that yesterday." —Edorin, the Timesmith

Card Pros

Card Advantage: By reversing the game’s turn order, Aeon Engine can throw opponents off balance, essentially negating their planned plays and potentially leading to a card advantage if they are forced to discard due to hand size.

Resource Acceleration: While Aeon Engine itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, manipulating turns can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by delaying opponents’ developments and giving you an extra draw or untap phase.

Instant Speed: Although Aeon Engine is not an instant, the fact that it can be activated at any player’s end step makes it flexible and can create surprise shifts in the game’s momentum when least expected, similar to the benefits of instant speed actions.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aeon Engine’s utilization doesn’t involve discarding cards directly, but its activation requires a full turn cycle to pass due to it exiling itself. This can equate to a discard in tempo, as you essentially forfeit your turn’s play to future-proof your strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: Aeon Engine demands a precise infusion of colorless mana, making it a card that consistently asks for a large amount of one type of resource. In multicolored decks or those running on tight color requirements, this can be a constrictive factor.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a hefty five mana to bring into play, Aeon Engine is a considerable investment for its singular yet potent effect. While the impact on the game’s turn order can be substantial, evaluating whether this cost aligns with the deck’s curve is crucial, especially when there might be other cards offering immediate payoff or flexibility.

Reasons to Include Aeon Engine in Your Collection

Versatility: Aeon Engine is not restricted to a single deck archetype. Its ability to reverse the game’s turn order can disrupt opponents’ strategies and offer you an unexpected edge, making it a versatile tool for various decks aiming to control the pace of the match.

Combo Potential: This card’s unique effect can serve as a part of powerful combinations, particularly in Commander where exploiting the turn order can lead to game-winning situations or allowing you to capitalize on extra turns you’ve generated.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games often pivot on a critical turn, Aeon Engine can effectively negate an opponent’s carefully planned sequence or disrupt the synchronicity of their deck’s performance, making it a relevant addition in a strategically complex meta.

How to beat

Aeon Engine is an intriguing artifact that has a unique place within the realm of Magic: The Gathering. Its main purpose is to reverse the game’s turn order, which can lead to disorienting changes in gameplay dynamics. When trying to tackle this peculiar card, players should consider baiting out the Engine’s activation before committing to significant plays. Given its symmetry, Aeon Engine affects all players equally, so timing its use to your advantage or being prepared to counter its activation with spells like Negate is key.

It’s important to note that the Engine exiles itself upon activation. This built-in obsolescence means that it’s a one-off disruptive tactic. Knowing this, you can plan your strategies accordingly, holding back cards or strategies until after the Engine has been used. Alternatively, using removal spells like Disenchant to target and eliminate the Aeon Engine before it can be activated effectively neutralizes its threat. Adaptability is your greatest ally against this card’s potential to warp the natural game flow.

Overall, Aeon Engine offers a unique challenge but is manageable if approached with a strategy that emphasizes timing, resource conservation, and decisive counterplay. Anticipation and the right counterspells or removals are your best tools when dealing with this twist in the turn order.

Cards like Aeon Engine

Aeon Engine stands out in the realm of artifacts in Magic: The Gathering, serving as a unique game-changer. It’s often mentioned in discussions alongside Time Reversal, as both cards feature the ability to reshuffle hands and graveyards into libraries. Aeon Engine, however, introduces a twist to the conventional flow of the game by reversing the turn order, a rare effect in MTG. Time Reversal offers a simpler approach, focusing on giving players a fresh hand of cards and starting anew.

Vedalken Orrery is another artifact that reshapes game dynamics by allowing you to cast spells at times you normally couldn’t. Although it doesn’t directly interact with turn order like Aeon Engine, it significantly affects game pacing and strategy by blurring the lines between phases. Teferi’s Puzzle Box might also come to mind, which forges an environment of unpredictability with its ability to recycle each player’s hand every turn, fostering a different type of chaos than Aeon Engine’s turn inversion.

Ultimately, Aeon Engine carves its own niche in MTG with its ability to disrupt the status quo of turn sequences, a property that distinguishes it from other artifacts that alter game flow or hand composition.

Cards similar to Aeon Engine by color, type and mana cost

The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aeon Engine MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2019, 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 Aeon Engine and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aeon Engine has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-08-23	If the game’s turn order is reversed again, it will return to the default order used at the beginning of the game.
2019-08-23	If the turn order is reversed during a two-player game, or during a multiplayer game that only has two players left, it has no noticeable effect on the game.
2019-08-23	If the turn order is reversed during an extra turn, the next non-extra turn will be taken by the next player in turn order from the last player who took a non-extra turn. The order of any pending extra turns isn’t affected.
2019-08-23	This effect reverses the turn order for players established at the beginning of the game. While the order is reversed, anything that cares about this order (such as determining in what order choices are made) will use the new order.