Aetherdrift Instant-Speed Tricks
This is a list of all the instant-speed tricks in Aetherdrift. Each color is sorted by converted mana cost.
- You might see more conditional removal and pump spells than in other limited formats because many of them have Cycling and can replace themselves if they are not useful.
- Aetherdrift has 41 Vehicles along with a number of ways to remove them at instant speed. White has Ride's End, Blue has Bounce Off and Trip Up, Black has Spin Out, Red has Crash and Burn and Skycrash, and Green has Broken Wings and Webstrike Elite. These are in addition to regular instant-speed creature removal.
- Several cards in the set can change the outcome of combat without costing you a card. Red and Green each have a permanent with flash that also pumps another creature (Burner Rocket and Fang Guardian, respectively), while Blue and Green each have a card that affects combat when cycled (Howler's Heavy and Agonasaur Rex, respectively). (White does have Basri, Tomorrow's Champion but that's a Rare and only protects the five Cats in the set.)
- It's worth being aware of the two instants that can protect creatures from destroy effects: Maximum Overdrive and Defend the Rider.
- For a change, Red and Green have more instant-speed tricks than White and Blue. (They have eight each, while White has five and Blue has six.)
| Color | Mana Cost | Card | Rarity | Type | Oracle Text | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White |  |
Lightshield Parry |  |
Instant | Target creature gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | |
 / |
Ride's End | |
Instant | This spell costs {3} less to cast if it targets a tapped permanent. Exile target creature or Vehicle. | ||
|
Gallant Strike |  |
Instant | Destroy target creature with toughness 4 or greater. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | ||
 |
Basri, Tomorrow's Champion |  |
Creature | {W}, {T}, Exert Basri: Create a 1/1 white Cat creature token with lifelink. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.) Cycling {2}{W} ({2}{W}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, Cats you control gain hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. | ||
 |
Valor's Flagship |  |
Artifact | Flying, first strike, lifelink Crew 3 Cycling {X}{2}{W} ({X}{2}{W}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, create X 1/1 colorless Pilot creature tokens with "This token saddles Mounts and crews Vehicles as though its power were 2 greater." | X 1/1 Pilots | |
| Blue |  |
Bounce Off | |
Instant | Return target creature or Vehicle to its owner's hand. | |
|
Spell Pierce | |
Instant | Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}. | ||
|
Howler's Heavy | |
Creature | Cycling {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, target creature or Vehicle an opponent controls gets -3/-0 until end of turn. | ||
|
Spectral Interference | |
Instant | Counter target artifact or creature spell unless its controller pays {4}. | ||
 |
Trip Up | |
Instant | Target nonland permanent's owner puts it on their choice of the top or bottom of their library. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | ||
|
Waxen Shapethief | |
Creature | Flash You may have this creature enter as a copy of an artifact or creature you control. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | Copy of artifact / creature you control | |
| Black |  |
Locust Spray | |
Instant | Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Cycling {B} ({B}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | |
|
Maximum Overdrive | |
Instant | Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. It gains deathtouch and indestructible until end of turn. | ||
|
Spin Out | |
Instant | Destroy target creature or Vehicle. | ||
|
Syphon Fuel | |
Instant | Target creature gets -6/-6 until end of turn. You gain 2 life. | ||
| Red |  |
Pedal to the Metal | |
Instant | Target creature gets +X/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. | |
|
Road Rage | |
Instant | Road Rage deals X damage to target creature or planeswalker, where X is 2 plus the number of Mounts and Vehicles you control. | ||
|
Burner Rocket | |
Artifact | Flash When this Vehicle enters, target creature you control gets +2/+0 and gains trample until end of turn. Crew 1 (Tap any number of creatures you control with total power 1 or more: This Vehicle becomes an artifact creature until end of turn.) | 3/1 Vehicle | |
|
Lightning Strike | |
Instant | Lightning Strike deals 3 damage to any target. | ||
|
Magmakin Artillerist | |
Creature | Whenever you discard one or more cards, this creature deals that much damage to each opponent. Cycling {1}{R} ({1}{R}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, it deals 1 damage to each opponent. | ||
|
Skycrash | |
Instant | Destroy target artifact. Cycling {R} ({R}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | ||
|
Fuel the Flames | |
Instant | Fuel the Flames deals 2 damage to each creature. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) | ||
|
Crash and Burn | |
Instant | Choose one — • Destroy target Vehicle. • Crash and Burn deals 6 damage to target creature or planeswalker. | ||
| Green |  / |
Run Over | |
Instant | This spell costs {1} less to cast if it targets a Mount or Vehicle you control. Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls. | |
|
Defend the Rider | |
Instant | Choose one — • Target permanent you control gains hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. • Create a 1/1 colorless Pilot creature token with "This token saddles Mounts and crews Vehicles as though its power were 2 greater." | 1/1 Pilot | |
|
Silken Strength | |
Enchantment | Flash Enchant creature or Vehicle When this Aura enters, untap enchanted permanent. Enchanted permanent gets +1/+2 and has reach. | ||
|
Webstrike Elite | |
Creature | Reach Cycling {X}{G}{G} ({X}{G}{G}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment with mana value X. | ||
|
Bestow Greatness | |
Instant | Target creature gets +4/+4 and gains trample until end of turn. | ||
|
Broken Wings | |
Instant | Destroy target artifact, enchantment, or creature with flying. | ||
|
Agonasaur Rex | |
Creature | Trample Cycling {2}{G} ({2}{G}, Discard this card: Draw a card.) When you cycle this card, put two +1/+1 counters on up to one target creature or Vehicle. It gains trample and indestructible until end of turn. | ||
|
Fang Guardian | |
Creature | Flash When this creature enters, another target creature or Vehicle you control gets +2/+2 until end of turn. | 4/2 | |
| Multi-Color | |
Broadside Barrage | |
Instant | Broadside Barrage deals 5 damage to target creature or planeswalker. Draw a card, then discard a card. |
