Aura Extraction MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Abilities	Cycling
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	5
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Luca Zontini

Key Takeaways

Instant speed and card advantage are central to Aura Extraction, letting players disrupt enemy strategies efficiently.
It requires careful resource management due to its specific mana and discard requirements, affecting gameplay pace.
The card’s utility and relevance in certain metas make it a versatile option for dealing with enchantments.

Text of card

Put target enchantment on top of its owner's library. Cycling (, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)

Every day, Order clerics contain as much of the Mirari's energy as possible, hoping to delay Otaria's demise.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aura Extraction gives players the tactical edge of potentially cycling out a threatening enchantment from an opponent’s board while drawing a card, thereby preserving hand superiority and shifting the scales in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: Aside from directly dealing with enchantments, it nuances your resource management, providing a replenishing effect by placing the employed land back into your hand. This action can be beneficial in a pinch, netting you an additional land drop for the next turn.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed functionality ensures that you can adapt to the battlefield dynamics on the fly. It allows you to respond to your opponent’s plays, disrupting their strategies and preserving your mana for the most opportune moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aura Extraction necessitates discarding a card alongside its casting cost. This can put players at a disadvantage, particularly if their hand is already depleted or if they’re holding onto key pieces of their strategy.

Specific Mana Cost: The precise mana cost to cast Aura Extraction includes white mana. This requirement means that the card is inherently less flexible and can primarily be included in decks that run white. For multi-colored decks, this could inflate the necessity for mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that includes two colorless and one white mana, Aura Extraction’s mana cost is on the high side when compared to other similar enchantment removal options. Decks aiming for speed and efficiency may find this cost-prohibitive, especially in the early stages of the game where tempo is crucial.

Reasons to Include Aura Extraction in Your Collection

Versatility: Aura Extraction offers the ability to disrupt your opponent’s game plan by removing enchantments, which can be key in a variety of matchups. It’s a flexible sideboard card for any deck facing enchantment-heavy strategies.

Combo Potential: This card can also serve as a cog in a control deck’s engine, potentially recycling other cards with its shuffle effect and keeping your deck stocked with the tools you need to maintain dominance on the board.

Meta-Relevance: In game formats where enchantments play a significant role, Aura Extraction’s ability to interact with the stack sets it apart. As metas evolve, having a card that can effectively answer enchantment-based threats becomes increasingly valuable.

How to Beat Aura Extraction

Aura Extraction is an intriguing spell that offers players in Magic: The Gathering a unique method to target enchantments. Its ability allows one to not only remove an enchantment but also to potentially reuse it by placing it on top of the owner’s library. Overcoming this card involves considering alternative strategies, such as focusing on instant-speed enchantment removal which doesn’t give the opponent the chance to re-draw their card.

One strategy involves employing cards like Disenchant, which allows you to remove enchantments without the downside of your opponent retrieving them. Alternately, playing around Aura Extraction by using cards that benefit from hitting the graveyard or have recursion abilities themselves, like Sun Titan, can be effective. These cards often turn Aura Extraction into a minor setback rather than a game-changer.

Utilizing exile effects is another solid plan. Cards with exile abilities, such as Anguished Unmaking or Erase, bypass Aura Extraction by ensuring enchantments don’t return to the library, thus eliminating the card’s advantage. Prioritizing enchantments that generate immediate value or have static abilities that affect the game upon entry will also minimize the impact of enchantment bounce strategies inherent in Aura Extraction’s design.

Cards like Aura Extraction

Aura Extraction is an intriguing utility card in the vast landscape of Magic: The Gathering. It aligns with the function of niche cards designed for aura control, such as Ray of Erasure, which enables a player to target and remove enchantments. While Ray of Erasure offers a more targeted removal at a lower cost, Aura Extraction adds a twist by allowing the caster to shuffle the enchantment into the owner’s library, possibly delaying its re-emergence.

In comparison, we have Fracturing Gust, which is more of a sweeping solution, destroying all artifacts and enchantments at once. However, unlike Aura Extraction, Fracturing Gust comes with a heftier mana requirement and an absence of choice in targets. Then, Invoke the Divine must be mentioned for its dual role – it not only destroys an artifact or enchantment but also gives its caster a life boost.

Each card presents a different strategy for enchantment management in the game. Aura Extraction may not be as instantaneously decisive as other options but offers a unique approach to artifact and enchantment interference within MTG. It provides a subtle yet effective way to disrupt opponents’ plans and maintain board control, which makes it an under-the-radar but valuable card in specific gameplay situations.

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

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aura Extraction MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Extraction and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aura Extraction has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	Cycling is an activated ability. Effects that interact with activated abilities (such as Stifle or Rings of Brighthearth) will interact with cycling. Effects that interact with spells (such as Remove Soul or Faerie Tauntings) will not.