General [DFT/DRC] Aetherdrift Testing/Includes Thread!

[MilesOfficial]

I've really pulled back on this set, mostly for aesthetic reasons rather than for gameplay ones. I didn't like the Gearhulks much because of how much of a trap they felt like for my drafters either.

My two ride-or-dies remain some of the most pivotal cards in my Cube:



I love them. I've really tried to craft my Cube around them, even if their set symbol makes me physically ill.

There are two cards I have added since the set came out, the latter of which is thanks to the bunch of you:



Stock Up overcame its expansion symbol basically after the first time I cast it. Just a delight of a card draw spell to play, even if I'm sad to not have this kind of card dump into the graveyard. Like @shamizy said, Monument to Endurance has been a delightful build-around engine. I love discard effects so much, so I'm surprised it took me so long to bite the bullet on it.

I took out Basri for being yet another 2/1 for 1 that was clunkier and less interesting than other options. I took out the wrath with cycling because of the art/set symbol for more novel wrath effects. Scrounging Stingray truly stung to remove, but blue is really hard to make room in, and it just didn't hold its weight as much as cards that gave you a bigger advantage than a (potentially) big flying body. I still like the Verges and Greasewrench Goblin just fine...besides the art and set symbol.

The Aetherdrift plays extremely well but is way too complicated to read.

This set is really the epitome of why I can tolerate Ninja Turtles. Visually, at least I don't feel like Ninja Turtles is ruining my favorite worlds with cheap references and garish designs.

 

[Nanonox]

You guys nailed it with the worthwhile cards in the set. I'll add the other one I am playing



It doesn't look like much, but it's easy to underestimate 1 mana artifacts, especially ones that can bin itself. I find it tough to slot in removal in my most synergistic decks, but having the right card type goes a long way. Emry, Urza, Tinker, Thought Monitor, Welder, Engineer, Phelia, Flickerwisp, Tarmogoyf, Arcbound Ravager and so many more make great use of having a random artifact lying around.

 

[StrionicAdventurer]

My current favorite cube is running:


The set had a lot of interesting stuff if you're building a cube that plays with the graveyard. As for aesthetics, personally, if I had opened Captain Howler in a booster pack at age 11, I would have been hooked on this game for life. That's kind of my benchmark for a card, aesthetically speaking.

 

[MilesOfficial]

You guys nailed it with the worthwhile cards in the set. I'll add the other one I am playing



It doesn't look like much, but it's easy to underestimate 1 mana artifacts, especially ones that can bin itself. I find it tough to slot in removal in my most synergistic decks, but having the right card type goes a long way. Emry, Urza, Tinker, Thought Monitor, Welder, Engineer, Phelia, Flickerwisp, Tarmogoyf, Arcbound Ravager and so many more make great use of having a random artifact lying around.

I recently relented and put this in my list online...but then couldn't find it in my on-deck binder or bulk. I will absolutely play it once I remember to pick up another copy or brave the pits of my Aetherdrift RCQ bin or buy another copy.

I tried this out for a while and it just didn't do it for me. The sorcery speed and its inconsistency early game were worse than I expected, and as much as I think the design is excellent, it just couldn't keep up. It's a forever card for my Reject Cube, though!

I don't know why I would play this over Deathbonnet Sprout or Patchwork Beastie or Deathrite Shaman. I like the first two much better for milling cards, and Deathright for obvious reasons. I get that it does "both" but it requires so much working and tapping and tapping to do things that by the time it can actually be a mana dork, it's pretty hard to use. I played with it a lot in retail limited and didn't find it useful, but has it played better in your Cube?

if I had opened Captain Howler in a booster pack at age 11, I would have been hooked on this game for life

this is extremely fair

(I do like all the sharks in this set but just wish they didn't have the set symbol)

 

[ravnic]

There are a few cards from this set where I considered ALTERING THE SET SYMBOL with my acrylics, but in the end, nothing made it's way into my cube.

 

[LadyMapi]

I love this thing in any environment that has good ways of bouncing or flickering artifacts:



It turns out that sticking a Keening Stone activation on a cheaper artifact is pretty good, and figuring out the best way to do it multiple times makes for a nice little mini-game while deckbuilding.