Hey guys, today I'm going to be looking through all the Mythic Rares from Aether Revolt to see which ones are worth a look at and playing around with, and those you should stay away from. So let's get started.
Aetherwind Basker
This massive seven mana lizard is a splashy limited bomb. It's pretty much always going to get you at least one Energy which means you could have an 8/8 Trampler attacking next turn. Dropping Aetherwind Basker in limited is probably game over for your opponent without some way of removing it quick. However it doesn't really have any immediate impact for constructed, and with a lot of removal like Murder, Smite the Monstrous and Unlicensed Disintegration floating around, this could just end up being a seven mana gain one Energy.
Limited - Yes
Constructed - No
Ajani Unyielding
The first of our two Ajani planeswalkers, Ajani Unyielding will obviously be a powerhouse in limited, partly thanks to it's card advantagous first ability. That first ability will also come in handy in constructed as well but I think its second, more Swords To Plowshares-esc ability will shine through more as a great way to protect itself. Ajani Unyielding will see constructed play, maybe even in some sort of planeswalker control deck which, if you could ever get to his ultimate could just win you the game there and then.
Limited - Its got great card advantage and removal on a stick, always play this if you can in limited.
Constructed - It will play in constructed but in the right deck, one that is able to slow the tempo of the game down and revolve it around Ajani's value.
Ajani, Valiant Protector
Same mana cost and starting loyalty as Ajani, Unyielding, just not as good. Two plus abilities may look good but I don't think this will be breaking onto the constructed scene as it doesn't protect itself and, when you start on four loyalty with no protection and all you can do is spend your turn looking for a creature, I think it's safe to say Ajani, Valiant Protector wont be sticking around to help make that creature bigger.
Limited - Sure, it would be fine in an aggro deck that just wants to smash in.
Constructed - Nah, too slow and too meh.
Exquisite Archangel
As good as this looks at first glance, this seven mana 5/5 flyer could allow you to reset your life total. Lacking flash, more often than not though your opponent will probably be able to play around it or remove it before killing you. That said, Exquisite Archangel is still a threat in the late game and by that time it could be difficult to answer.
Limited - Always play this as it's a big threat with a bonus.
Constructed - Way too expensive for an effect that you probably wont get.
Gonti's Aether Heart
This is one for the Johnny's out there. Its six mana for two Energy to start with but with Clues and Servo tokens, and not to mention those Energy producing cards running around, Gonti's Aether Heart could get to the eight Energy needed to take another turn quicker than you think. Saying that, bar some sort of big alpha swing, the extra turn seems some what wasted in comparison to the amount of effort put in to get there. I'm sure there will be some sort of combo pop with Gonti's Aether Heart in it but only time will tell.
Limited - Probably too expensive for a card that might not get there, but when it does it will feel so good.
Constructed - Like I said, maybe in time, but right now I can't see a place for it.
Heart of Kiran
The premier Vehicle to be shown from Aether Revolt, I don't think there's any doubt how good Heart of Kiran is. It's cheap with a reasonable Crew cost enabling a 4/4 vigilant flyer, so it can swing it and if you can Crew it again in your opponent's turn, it can block too. The kicker here is the alternative Crew ability by using loyalty counters which I think will allow this card to do some damage in constructed.
Limited - Always, it's colorless and doesn't take much to Crew.
Constructed - It will definitely find a home, maybe in that planeswalker control deck Ajani, Unyielding could fit into. But with it's "free" Crew cost, any deck with a planeswalker is good enough for Heart of Kiran.
Herald of Anguish
Another limited bomb complete with hand disruption, kind of, and a way to deal with creatures in addition to possibly being cheaper than normal. Limited is where Herald of Anguish stays though as it doesn't really do anything in constructed and it way too slow.
Limited - A great top end card and can take over games on it's own.
Constructed - Don't bother, It won't do what you want it to, as I said its slightly too expensive even with Improvise.
Indomitable Creativity
Limited - If you have no other removal then go for it, but a land will probably serve you better.
Constructed - I feel like I don't have to say this but just in case, don't play it.
Lightning Runner
Lightning Runner looks like so much fun if you can provide it with the Energy it needs. For example: Turn 1 Attune with Aether, turn 2 Servant of the Conduit and an Aether Hub, turn 3 Bristling Hydra into turn 4 Lightning could turn into two attacks of eight damage, sixteen damage on turn four isn't bad in my book. It will be great in limited thanks to the power of Double Strike and I'm sure there will be better ways to use Lightning Runner in constructed so I'll just leave it for now by saying, if you're playing red in limited and don't play this guy then you're doing it wrong.
Limited - Lightning Runner could turn a game in your favor with a big swing and sits really well on defense with Double Strike.
Constructed - As pricey as it is, I am looking forward to trying it out in a super Energy deck.
Mechanized Production
Alternative win conditions can be fun and sometimes good, see Battle of Wits. I don't think Mechanized Production is good, it's asking for eight artifacts with the same name and, while that can be achieved with Clues more often than most other artifacts, that's a lot of effort to put in when you could have been sacrificing those Clues and finding answers to your opponents stuff.
Limited - It could provide you with a slight edge but more realistically would just be a waste of time.
Constructed - Doesn't seem worth the hassle but you never know, there could be some sort of abundant Clue deck that would love this as an alt win, otherwise not right now.
Paradox Engine
So you can't go infinite with Paradox Engine in standard constructed as there aren't enough mana rocks (artifacts that produce mana) available, that's the big question out of the way. What you can do is; abuse the Improvise mechanic in Aether Revolt, use it to untap all of your mana creatures for more mana, or at least give all your creatures sudo-vigilance. With that being said, I don't think standard will play this but it could get somewhere in modern constructed or commander. It's a fun ability but takes a bit more work than it if could just untap your lands.
Limited - If you wanna have a bit of fun and can cheat it out early, go for it.
Constructed - As I said, probably not. It's too expensive and requires too much of a set up to get the optimal outcome.
Planar Bridge
Planar Bridge is a hug effect and one that maybe, and it's a big maybe, could see constructed play. That could be wishful thinking when it costs six to play and eight to activate, but when you could use it to find a massive blocker in your opponent's turn or cherry pick a planeswalker from your library, granted at a slightly greater cost, I think I'm ok in wanting to abuse this effect. Planar Bridge probably won't make the impact I think it will in constructed but it will definitely have a home in casual formats.
Limited - Way to expensive and you wont get to use it anyway as you'll most likely be being attacked a lot or it will just get destroyed by one of the many artifact removal spells.
Constructed - Commander, sure. Standard and modern, I don't think so as there isn't a consistent way of powering it out early and doesn't even have an immediate effect.
Tezzeret the Schemer
Limited - Always play him if you can, he will probably win you the incredibly easily.
Constructed - I'm sure he's a staple for control decks for the months to come, which one specifically isn't clear right now.
Tezzeret, Master of Metal
Our second Tezzeret planeswalker isn't as bad as I think people think he is. In a slower control deck the Master of Metal could be a great source of card advantage and a win condition rolled into one, and that's without using his ultimate. In limited however he could be a little worse as you would need a fair few artifacts to make him worth while, he will definitely still be a threat as planeswalkers usually are.
Limited - If you end up with a lot of artifacts, then he could end up being the game changer you were looking for.
Constructed - As a one-of in a very controlling deck, then he could be very difficult to deal with while slowly seeking for artifacts and draining them every couple of turns.
So that concludes our look at the Mythic Rares in Aether Revolt, I'm sure they will all find their place be it in standard, modern, commander or just hanging around in limited. Mythic Rares are always fun because they usually have big, swingy effects to mess around with, so I urge you to look over some of them and maybe start brewing to see how much you could abuse them, how many additional attack steps could you take with Lightning Runner for example. They are also good to give you some deck ideas, picking a Mythic Rare is a good jumping off point for deck building.
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