Legacy: Aetherdrift Review

Greetings, Legacy community! Buckle up, put your helmets on, and start your engines: the big race is about to begin! Aetherdrift, which features a race across three planes, namely Amonkhet, Avishkar (previously called Kaladesh), and Muraganda, is a cross between Speed Racer and a Death Race, and, as such, also features high-speed vehicles.

As usual, this is a Standard-focused set, so we might not find anything in it for Legacy. But taking a look won't hurt. Let's go!

There are two new mechanics in Aetherdrift: Speed (Start Your Engines) and Exhaust. Cycling has also returned, as well as certain mechanics from the three planes we'll visit: Exert and Afflict from Amonkhet, Energy and Servo Tokens from Avishkar, and creatures without abilities from Muraganda.

Honestly, the new mechanics seem too slow for Legacy - Speed, ironically, is one of the slowest mechanics I've ever seen: you'll need at least 4 turns to reach maximum speed! If you'd like to see more about this set, check out our full spoiler coverage.

Basri, Tomorrow’s Champion

Wizards of the Coast has been pushing Cats for a while now. Eventually, they might create enough synergies to make this archetype viable. Basri is just another engine for this build.

Salvation Engine

For 5 mana, a card has to basically win the game in Legacy. Well, in decks that swarm the board with Thopters, this card could actually be a finisher, or, at least, make the board oppressive and eventually win the game if you Crew it. Crew 6 is a lot, but keep in mind its +2/+2 buff makes Crewing it with artifact creature tokens easier.

Caelorna, Coral Tyrant

Recently, a few players unearthed an obscure card from the last Jumpstart set, released in Octorber, 2024, Plagon, Lord of the Beach, and started testing out decks with it. And do you know what this Starfish likes? Big butts - and Caelorna, I cannot lie, has a big one for just 2 mana!

Mindspring Merfolk

Considering Harbinger of the Seas put Merfolks back into the format, seeing more viable Merfolks brings joy to my heart. You can simply buff Mindspring Merfolk early on with your Lords and enjoy its great body, or draw more with it cards later on.

Repurposing Bay

This card is the love child of Birthing Pod and Transmute Artifact. We explored its potential thoroughly in this article.

Roadside Blowout

Considering decks with Delver of Secrets are once again gaining space in the format, you'll often see this card cost 1 mana, and its effect usually costs 3.

Transit Mage

This card completes the TR Mage cycle (Trinket Mage, Tribute Mage, Trophy Mage, and Treasure Mage), and seems to have been made to tutor The One Ring in decks with Coveted Jewel. Eventually, it will also find you Paradox Engine.

Unstoppable Plan

We also discussed this enchantment in a recent article: it is a great engine for a deck with many artifacts and activated abilities, like The One Ring and Grim Monolith.

Vnwxt, Verbose Host

The only reason we had to mention this card is Plagon, Lord of the Beach's recent popularity.

Waxen Shapethief

On its own, this card doesn't look like much: it's just another blue Clone-like card like many others. However, later on, when we look at multicolored cards, you'll see why we had to mention it.

The Last Ride

This is Death's Shadow, Vehicle version. We can't ignore the fact you can use it as more copies of Death's Shadow in its original archetype. However, another interesting detail is that you can already play this card on turn 1, even before you can make it a real threat, unlike Death's Shadow.

It can even create card advantage for you when you and your opponent are battling for resources, and you can conveniently Crew it with Orcish Bowmasters.

Chandra, Spark Hunter

This card is interesting: on an empty board, you can either use it to put in play a token that can already attack for 3, or cycle dead cards and build a solid Loyalty 6. I don't know if it would be decent in Red Stompy, considering they already play lots of 4-costs, but the idea is valid. Painter can also use this card well, either by creating artifacts or discarding cards.

It gets bonus points for the iconic reference to Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira slide.

Greasewrench Goblin

I'm old enough to remember when Jackal Pup was the most aggressive Red could be. Now, this Goblin might never even see play. In any case, it gives you an aggressive body that can get rid of junk (as in, useless lands) so you can find better cards.

Howlsquad Heavy

As Goblin Rabblemaster proved to us, this type of creature can see play in Red Stompy. It is particularly interesting with Rabblemaster itself. The only issue is that this version recently lost space, and many lists don't even use Rabblemaster now. Howlsquad might just encourage us to play this version again.

Marauding Mako

Jund Madness always pops in and out of the meta, and this card plays really well with cards like Burning Inquiry, Faithless Looting, and Goblin Lore. It might be the engine this deck needed to be more consistent.

Molt Tender

No, guys, this isn't the return of Deathrite Shaman, not in the slightest.

Webstrike Elite

A lesson that Boseiju, Who Endures taught us is the importance of artifact/enchantment removals that are, at the same time, versatile and uncounterable. This card is a solid body that can handle Dragon's Rage Channeler and Delver of Secrets in some matches, and is also a removal for annoying cards that, as a bonus, draws cards too.

Coalstoke Gearhulk

This Gearkulk gave me the idea of a new archetype similar to the good, old days of Gyruda, Doom of Depths before the Companion rule changed: the goal is to fill your graveyard with creatures with Clone effects that cost 4 or less. Whenever they enter your battlefield with Haste, you'll copy Gearhulk, and return another copy with Haste. Will it be viable? I don't know, but it is something to consider.

Ketramose, the New Dawn

Firstly, please note that this card takes into consideration the cards both players exiled, so if your opponent gets carried away with their Delves, they might unknowingly activate this Orzhov God. While Inactive, Ketramose is an engine that draws cards from basically any white removal or effects that create value when you exile cards from your graveyard.

Once it is active, this God is powerful, difficult to answer, and also restores life. Orzhov Death and Taxes is a rising deck that can find space for this card.

Mendicant Core, Guidelight

Wizards of the Coast also seems to be pushing artifact creature swarm. In that archetype, this card will be quite powerful. Its Max Speed ability is great, but, unfortunately, you can't really use Max Speed in Legacy that easily.

Voyage Home

In Legacy, Affinity is a relatively common mechanic, so we're basically discussing a 2-mana sorcery that draws 3 cards and gives you 3 life. It seems okay in the right deck.

Adaptive Omnitool

To play and equip this card, you'll need 5 mana, but it turns any small creature into a war machine that also draws cards in the right deck.

Monument to Endurance

I mentioned Jund Madness before, right? This card will also create a lot of value in that archetype. Will it see play? I don't know, but it's worth a try.

Stridehangar Automaton

This card was also made to enable a deck that can swarm the board with Thopters. It is particularly cool with Sai, Master Thopterist.

Radiant Lotus

I caught myself thinking this card could be a great mana engine, but then I remembered Krark-Clan Ironworks is basically better in nearly everything, and it doesn't see play in Legacy even then.

The Aetherspark

This is a planeswalker you can tutor with Stoneforge Mystic, which is very novel and clearly stands out. With a creature in play, it will be difficult to remove through combat, and you can quickly stack it with counters to draw more cards with its second ability. We'll just have to wait and see if it is better than simply playing a Kaldra Compleat.

Another advantage it has over Kaldra is that, when your opponent kills Stoneforge, you'll get stuck with this equipment in your hand. On the other side, if that happens to Aetherspark, you can easily play it again and attach it to any allied creature already in play.

I don't believe Aetherdrift will change Legacy, but this set brought interesting cards for a few archetypes that were a bit forgotten.

An 8-Cast that focuses more on filling the board with Thopters can benefit from this set. Jund Madness will have more cool things to try. The Aetherspark can be a very popular choice with Stoneforge Mystic.

What did you think of this set? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!