Aether Tradewinds MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Enables reuse of enter-the-battlefield effects or protects assets by bouncing your own permanents.
  2. A tactical instant, giving players control over the timing of plays and opponent disruption.
  3. Despite mana cost concerns, its combo potential and meta relevance offer considerable deck utility.

Text of card

Return target permanent you control and target permanent you don't control to their owners' hands.

"The wind smells of misfortune. Check your knots." —Anitan, Ondu cleric


Card Pros

Card Advantage: One critical aspect of Aether Tradewinds lies in its ability to return a permanent you control to your hand. This can be utilized to reuse enter-the-battlefield effects, saving your valuable assets from removal or simply resetting cards for another strategic play.

Resource Acceleration: While Aether Tradewinds does not directly accelerate resources in the typical sense of providing extra mana, it can indirectly contribute to resource management. By bouncing your own permanents, it can help mitigate mana costs for replaying those cards at critical moments or disrupting opponent tempo.

Instant Speed: The instant speed nature of Aether Tradewinds offers flexibility in gameplay. You can disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn or at the end of turn, keeping your mana available for responses until it’s absolutely necessary to cast it. The ability to choose the timing of Aether Tradewinds gives players a tactical advantage in the ever-changing landscape of a match.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The functionality of Aether Tradewinds does not directly involve discarding, but to fully utilize this card, strategically choosing what to bounce back to your hand is crucial. This may lead to discarding valuable cards later, as it can inadvertently inflate your hand size, thus leading to a discard at the end of your turn.

Specific Mana Cost: Aether Tradewinds has a specific mana cost requirement that includes one blue mana. This cost can pose a limitation for decks that do not run blue or have a flexible mana base, potentially relegating this card to strictly blue-containing decks or those with the necessary mana fixing.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including one blue, Aether Tradewinds competes with other bounce spells. Considering the available options, some MTG players may find the cost on the higher side for the effect of returning just a permanent each from yourself and your opponent to their owners’ hands. Alternative bounce spells or different forms of board control might provide more value or versatility for the same or a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Aether Tradewinds stands out for its ability to interact with both your own permanents and those of your opponents. This card can be seamlessly integrated into decks that thrive on bouncing key pieces back to hand to reuse their enter the battlefield effects, or to disrupt opponents’ strategies.

Combo Potential: The sheer potential of Aether Tradewinds in combo-centric decks is notable. It can be the linchpin in complex plays, allowing you to reset or reuse permanents with potent abilities, or to save your assets from adverse effects or imminent destruction.

Meta-Relevance: With shifting metas, control elements like Aether Tradewinds remain relevant. It can counteract aggressive token strategies or dismantle intricate setups crafted by your opponents, making it an adaptable card in various competitive scenarios.


How to beat

Aether Tradewinds presents an interesting tactical advantage in MTG, allowing players to return a target permanent they control and a target permanent they don’t control back to their owners’ hands. This can disrupt your opponent’s board state and potentially save one of your own key pieces at a critical moment. It’s typically played in decks that capitalize on enter-the-battlefield effects or in those aiming to bounce back opponent’s threats, delaying their game plan.

To effectively counter Aether Tradewinds, timing and strategic resource management are essential. Prioritize maintaining available mana for instant-speed interaction that can either negate the spell or mitigate its impact. Employing counterspells is the most direct method to foil Aether Tradewinds. Additionally, focus on developing a resilient board state that can quickly recover from the tempo loss. Cards with indestructible or those that can be easily recast will help in maintaining your board presence, despite your opponent’s attempt to unsettle it with Aether Tradewinds.

Overall, overcoming Aether Tradewinds requires planning ahead, reserving interaction for key moments, and building a board that can withstand temporary setbacks. With a well-thought-out approach, this card can be stripped of its potential to cause significant disruption in your game plan.


Cards like Aether Tradewinds

Aether Tradewinds holds its ground among the selection of bounce spells available to players of Magic: The Gathering. When examining cards like Into the Roil, we find that both offer the ability to return nonland permanents to their owner’s hand. Aether Tradewinds distinguishes itself by allowing you to bounce an additional permanent you control, which can be leveraged for beneficial replay effects.

Comparatively, Unsummon is another alternative, providing a lower-cost option to bounce creatures back to hand. Whilst it may lack the versatility of also targeting artifacts or enchantments, the reduced mana cost is pivotal in fast-paced matches where tempo is key. Echoing Truth, on the other hand, has the unique upside of potentially handling multiple copies of a permanent, thanks to its sweeping effect. This could be a game-changer in matches against token strategies or decks that rely on duplicates.

To summarize, Aether Tradewinds delivers a versatile and tactical choice within the arsenal of available bounce spells in Magic: The Gathering. Despite not being the cheapest in mana cost, the dual-target nature provides additional layers of strategy and combo potential for innovative players.

Into the Roil - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Echoing Truth - MTG Card versions
Into the Roil - Zendikar (ZEN)
Unsummon - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Echoing Truth - Darksteel (DST)

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

Mana Short - MTG Card versions
Psionic Blast - MTG Card versions
Capsize - MTG Card versions
Forbid - MTG Card versions
Frantic Search - MTG Card versions
Exclude - MTG Card versions
Hibernation - MTG Card versions
Circular Logic - MTG Card versions
Keep Watch - MTG Card versions
Archmage's Charm - MTG Card versions
Commander's Insight - MTG Card versions
Catalog - MTG Card versions
Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions
Murmurs from Beyond - MTG Card versions
Dream Fracture - MTG Card versions
Oona's Grace - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Deluge - MTG Card versions
Stoic Rebuttal - MTG Card versions
Dissipate - MTG Card versions
Mana Short - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Psionic Blast - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Capsize - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Forbid - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Frantic Search - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Exclude - Invasion (INV)
Hibernation - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Circular Logic - World Championship Decks 2003 (WC03)
Keep Watch - Judgment (JUD)
Archmage's Charm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Commander's Insight - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Catalog - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Thirst for Knowledge - World Championship Decks 2004 (WC04)
Murmurs from Beyond - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Dream Fracture - Eventide (EVE)
Oona's Grace - Eventide (EVE)
Cancel - Ixalan (XLN)
Deluge - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Stoic Rebuttal - Modern Masters 2015 (MM2)
Dissipate - Innistrad (ISD)

Where to buy

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

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Aether Tradewinds Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2010-02-05 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-02-05WorldwakeWWK 242003normalblackKieran Yanner
22014-06-06ConspiracyCNS 892003normalblackKieran Yanner
32016-09-30KaladeshKLD 382015normalblackLius Lasahido
42019-11-07Mystery BoosterMB1 2832015normalblackLius Lasahido
52020-09-26The ListPLST KLD-382015normalblackLius Lasahido
62020-11-12Kaladesh RemasteredKLR 412015normalblackLius Lasahido

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aether Tradewinds has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-09-20 If one target permanent becomes an illegal target, the other will be returned to its owner's hand. If both targets become illegal, Aether Tradewinds won't resolve.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks