Aerathi Berserker MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Berserker
Abilities	Rampage
Released	1994-06-01
Set symbol
Set name	Legends
Set code	LEG
Power	2
Toughness	4
Number	131
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Melissa A. Benson

Key Takeaways

Enhances card advantage and accelerates resources, providing strategic gameplay benefits.
Demands specific mana and a card discard, potentially limiting its deck versatility.
Combines aggression with the potential for strategic combat roles across various MTG deck types.

Text of card

Rampage: 3

Ærathi children who show promise are left to survive for a year in the wilderness. Those who return are shown the way of the Berserker.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The fierce Aerathi Berserker brings a dynamic edge to the battlefield. In the art of war, gaining an upper hand in resources translates to a higher chance of victory. Aerathi Berserker helps to bolster your hand, making sure you are always prepared with options as you command your strategy forward.

Resource Acceleration: Adept at shifting the tides of battle, the raw power of Aerathi Berserker can quickly accelerate your resources. As this creature storms into the fray, its presence on the field can crack open opportunities to marshal more powerful spells and allies earlier than expected, giving you a crushing lead over your opponent.

Instant Speed: The ability to act at instant speed is where Aerathi Berserker shines, granting the agility to adapt fluidly to the unfolding game. This key trait allows you to respond with precision, unleashing the berserker’s might exactly when it’s most advantageous, thereby keeping your adversaries on their toes and pressuring their defenses.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Aerathi Berserker requires you to part with an additional card from your hand to leverage its full potential. This prerequisite can put you at a disadvantage, particularly when your hand is already running thin on cards, reducing your ability to respond to opponents’ moves.

Specific Mana Cost: Its effectiveness is tied to a specific mana cost, precisely requiring both red and generic mana. This composition may restrict its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce the necessary red mana, potentially sidelining it in more diverse mana-base strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a closer look, the mana investment to get the Aerathi Berserker on the battlefield is notable. For a creature card, its cost might outweigh its benefits when measured against other options that provide similar or better impact for less mana, allowing for more efficient play sequencing.

Reasons to Include Aerathi Berserker in Your Collection

Versatility: Aerathi Berserker is a flexible card that can adapt to a wide array of strategies. In aggressive decks, its ability to gain power makes it a formidable threat that can rapidly lower your opponent’s life total. Its potential as a recurring beater also makes it relevant in mid-range builds.

Combo Potential: The Berserker pairs well with effects that increase the number of attackers, multiplying its impact on the game. It also synergizes with cards that manipulate combat damage, maximizing the potential of its combat prowess.

Meta-Relevance: With a battlefield full of creature-based strategies, Aerathi Berserker stands out as a must-answer threat. Its constant pressure aligns well against various control and tempo decks, making it a worthwhile addition to collections aimed at competitive play.

How to beat

Overcoming an Aerathi Berserker in your MTG matchup requires strategic foresight and timely interference. This powerful creature becomes a massive threat once renowned, bringing with it the lethal ability to decimate your life total swiftly. Its 3/1 stats seem manageable at first glance, but once its renown 2 ability is triggered, coping with this 5/3 force on the battlefield becomes a crucial objective.

To effectively disrupt Aerathi Berserker’s momentum, immediate removal spells are your best allies. Utilizing targeted removal such as Path to Exile or Fatal Push before it can become renowned prevents not only the power boost but also the subsequent damage to your game plan. Alternatively, if it has already gained renown, board wipes like Wrath of God can reset the playing field. Prioritizing the Berserker with instant-speed interaction is key to ensuring that this formidable threat doesn’t overrun you.

While facing the raw power of an Aerathi Berserker, always be prepared to act quickly. Assess your resources and counter strategically, and you might just weather the storm that this aggressive creature brings to the fray in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Aerathi Berserker

Aerathi Berserker is an intriguing creature card that fits within the realm of red’s aggression in Magic: The Gathering. When comparing it to peers like Goblin Piker, both cards share the baseline of being low-cost, high-impact creatures designed to apply early pressure to opponents. Yet, Aerathi Berserker has the lauded ability to grow in power due to the renowned rampage mechanic, exponentially increasing its threat level when blocked by multiple creatures.

Another comparable card is Bloodrock Cyclops, a creature that similarly revels in its inability to hold back, forced to attack each turn if able. While Aerathi Berserker doesn’t share this relentless assault trait, it compensates with the potential for significant attack power increments, which Bloodrock Cyclops lacks. On the other hand, Frenzied Goblin is also worth noting in this discussion, offering a way to manipulate blockers and allow your attackers to press onward unhindered; however, it doesn’t match the raw power that Aerathi Berserker can accumulate over a battle.

In essence, Aerathi Berserker occupies a unique space among red creatures, blending the capacity for aggressive starts with a scaling threat that can quickly become a focal point for opponents to deal with. Its ability to capitalize on multiple blockers sets it apart in a way that can turn the tides of combat in a player’s favor.

Cards similar to Aerathi Berserker by color, type and mana cost

Balduvian War-Makers - MTG Card versions

Flowstone Salamander - MTG Card versions

Ma Chao, Western Warrior - MTG Card versions

Dwarven Strike Force - MTG Card versions

Volatile Arsonist // Dire-Strain Anarchist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aerathi Berserker MTG card by a specific set like Legends, 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 Aerathi Berserker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aerathi Berserker has restrictions

Format	Legality
Oldschool	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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