Aether Revolt Limited Power Rankings

Ahoy planeswalkers!

Well, we have a new set fully spoiled, so it must be time to sit down and try making sense of the brave new world of Aether Revolt limited! I did this for Kaladesh, and my success was… let’s say mixed. I was way too high on some cards (Fabrication Module, the green and blue Puzzleknots), and I underrated some others (green’s removal suite in particular turned out to be better than I thought, on account of how great green’s creatures are). My total color rankings, however, feel more or less on point, and my creature rankings in particular hit the tiers that the colors settled into by general popular assent (green is the best, then black and white, then red and blue).

Because limited success in general is more about your commons and uncommons (as wonderful as the occasional bomb rares are), those are the rarities I will be assessing in this post.

So, let’s try it again.

REMOVAL:

#1–Black (Fatal Push, Perilous Predicament, Cruel Finality, Daring Demolition)

Hoo boy. Anyone else remembering how oppressive Oblivion Strike could be in Oath of the Gatewatch limited?

Overall, black’s removal does not feel as powerful as it is in Kaladesh–with Cruel Finality, I’m not sold that scry 1 is a great deal for an extra mana to give a creature -2/-2, particularly with three toughness looking fairly common, Perilous Predicament will often be a solid 2-for-1 but its lack of targeting will make it a liability in some matchups (especially against token strategies), and Fatal Push’s revolt clause won’t be the easiest thing to trigger in limited. Nevertheless, four-mana unconditional removal at common is a powerful thing, often first-pickable; Daring Demolition should be a card in high demand and a key signal by pick three or four that black might be open.

#2–Green (Monstrous Onslaught, Natural Obsolescence, Prey Upon)

Green’s creatures are still huge. Prey Upon is going to work just fine in green decks, with the above-curve creatures at common in both Aether Revolt and Kaladesh; Monstrous Onslaught has a real chance to be a 2-for-1 as a curve-topper; Natural Obsolescence is almost Naturalize in an artifact-heavy format where there are also some threatening enchantments floating around.

#3–Red (Hungry Flames, Chandra’s Revolution, Destructive Tampering, Precise Strike, Shock)

This feels like a potent array. Creatures with more than four toughness are a rarity in this set; this means that Shock kills just shy of half of the creatures in the set (including some three- and four-drops), Hungry Flames kills a majority of creatures, and Chandra’s Revolution kills almost everything. Precise Strike can offer a nice surprise win in combat for a very cheap price. Destructive Tampering is priced on par with some of green and white’s artifact removal, and although a sorcery, its Falter mode is a useful backup plan that will win some games on the spot. (Heck, I might start main-decking a couple copies of this in my green-red energy deck, where the lack of trample is a significant problem!) Some of the beefy, high-toughness creatures from Kaladesh will give red’s removal fits, but overall, I think red has a very good removal array.

#4–White (Thopter Arrest, Caught in the Brights, Decommission, Deft Dismissal)

This is an unusually weak slate of removal for white: no “destroy target big creature,” no “destroy target tapped/attacking/blocking creature” (unless you cast Deadeye Harpooner with Revolt triggered), just a Pacifism with minor upside, a noncreature Banisher Priest, artifact and enchantment removal for 3, and a multi-target spell for messing with combat math. With white, blue, and green having self-bounce, flicker, and enchantment removal, Caught in the Brights and Thopter Arrest threaten to be temporary hinderances rather than permanent answers in those matchups, while Deft Dismissal seems like a less efficient Roil’s Retribution, which I don’t recall as being all that good during the Battle for Zendikar block since leaving the mana open and passing the turn tends to be a big red flag.

#5–Blue (Ice Over, Leave in the Dust, Metallic Rebuke)

Blue’s removal is always on the weak side because blue isn’t supposed to have permanent answers. This feels like an improvement from Kaladesh, though. Counters aren’t great in limited, but Metallic Rebuke feels like a sound sideboard option for if you’re trying to keep an opponent from curving into a bomb; Leave in the Dust, like Drag Under in Eldritch Moon, is almost Repulse, and the one mana for instant speed may just prove to be worth it, and Ice Over is a nice, efficient way to shut a beater down (admittedly after taking a hit). Blue’s creatures look big enough to play the tempo game this time around, so while I’m perpetually out of love with blue’s removal options, I think blue is going to be better this time around.

Also, don’t forget about the removal spell that all colors have access to:

2 colorless per activation is not a small cost, but a tapper that goes in every deck is worth keeping an eye on. In a late-game board stall, Pacification Array is a card that will win some matches, and it’s also a fine early-drop for decks that get value from having artifacts in play. I think many decks will be happy to run the first copy of this card.

CREATURES:

#1–Green

Top Uncommons: Ridgescale Tusker, Maulfist Revolutionary

Top Commons: Druid of the Cowl, Aetherstream Leopard, Lifecraft Cavalry

Green’s uncommons are generally strong, but two stand above the pack. Ridgescale Tusker stands out as a great curve-topper that can be comparable in mana efficiency (if not flexibility) to Verduous Gearhulk. Maulfist Revolutionary, meanwhile, is an efficient and evasive threat that can be good for both building energy and building up creatures who already have +1/+1 counters.

Green has some good commons too. The ramp cards like Druid of the Cowl offer tends to be strong (although green does also have a cluster of strong three-drops), Aetherstream Leopard is a more consistent Salivating Gremlines (albeit with a lower ceiling), and Lifecraft Cavalry, as a potential 6/6 trample for 5, is perhaps the most threatening common or uncommon finisher in the set. Scrounging Bandar is also a nice 2-drop, and its ability to redistribute its counters makes it useful even late in the game.

#2–Black

Top Uncommons: Gifted Aetherborn, Vengeful Rebel

Top Commons: Aether Poisoner, Defiant Salvager, Fen Hauler

Black has a good slate of uncommon creatures, which is why I’m giving it the edge here over the next couple colors. While Cowl Prowler wasn’t great in Kaladesh, so many creatures in Aether Revolt top out at 4/4 that Ironclad Revolutionary might be a legitimately good top-end threat, while Foundry Hornet can either clear the way for combat by debuffing your opponent’s board, possibly pick off a creature or two post-combat, or just bring about the Servo apocolypse. Gifted Aetherborn, however, is a pushed card, great early as a 2/3 lifelink for 2, good late because the deathtouch threatens to chop down a big opposing threat on defense. Vengeful Rebel can turn a suicide attack into a 1-for-1 trade with a much bigger threat if your opponent takes the bait, or turn a trade into a 2-for-1.

The commons are a bit less exciting. Aether Poisoner is basically a removal spell that comes with a little energy, but should slow your opponent’s attacks to help black get to its strong top-end. Defiant Salvager can become a solid threat and make combat math complicated. Fen Hauler is a solid finisher that is partially chump-block-proof. It’s possible Night Market Aeronaut or Alley Strangler belongs on this list over Fen Hauler, but these are pretty middling pickings.

#3–Blue

Top Uncommons: Shielded Aether Thief, Skyship Plunderer

Top Commons: Bastion Inventor, Hinterland Drake, Shipwreck Moray

Blue has some nice uncommons: it also gets a fine late-game beater (comparable to white’s Airdrop Aeronauts) in Wind-Kin Raiders. Skyship Plunderer is a nice, cheap creature that can give you a nice energy boost or, paired with a +1/+1 counter color like green, make your big creatures even bigger. Shielded Aether Thief is another nice energy source who is difficult to attack through (4 toughness seems to be the set’s magic number) and can give you card advantage for energy as the game wears on.

At common, Bastion Inventor could be a great finisher in blue, especially combined with the powerful auras available in white and red. Hinterland Drake promises to help lock the skies down for blue in the middle game, while Shipwreck Moray comes with a nice cluster of energy, is difficult to attack through, and can make combat math difficult.

#4–Red

Top Uncommons: Scrapper Champion, Reckless Racer

Top Commons: Aether Chaser, Embraal Gear-Smasher, Frontline Rebel

Scrapper Champion looks like a stone cold bomb. Attacking with with three first strike damage will get through a lot of creatures in the format, and if your opponent does not have immediate removal, the Champion can do a lot of damage. Reckless Racer’s first strike is good, and its ability to rummage whenever it becomes tapped makes it a great pilot. It’s possible Enraged Giant belongs on this list; a hasty 4/4 trampler that might hit the battlefield on turn four or five could be a nasty surprise for an opponent.

Embraal Gear-Smasher has reasonable stats and helps give you reach over a board stall, while Aether Chaser, as 2/1 first striker for 2, is a good set of stats with a little energy upside. It’s hard to choose between Frontline Rebel and Sweatworks Brawler for the third spot–neither is thrilling, but each is reasonable, and the third point of toughness on each is helpful in this format.

#5–White

Top Uncommons: Deadeye Harpooner, Airdrop Aeronauts

Top Commons: Dawnfeather Eagle, Countless Gears Renegade, Ghirapur Osprey

White’s uncommon creatures are highly on synergy, a little low on power. Aeronaut Admiral will be amazing if you have a top vehicle like Renegade Freighter or Untethered Express; Felidar Guardian will be great in a deck where you can abuse enter-the-battlefield effects (or if you want to play Splinter Twin in standard), but underwhelming in a deck that doesn’t need to flicker anything. Deadeye Harpooner is likely to find a target in the course of a match (although triggering revolt may pose a challenge), while Airdrop Aeronauts is just a good aerial beater.

Dawnfeather Eagle could be white’s premiere common creature–with white’s go-wide synergy, a 3/3 flyer for 5 that pumps your team and gives everything vigilance for a turn can swing a race wildly in your favor or make possible an attack that might otherwise be too risky, especially with so many creatures in the 3/2-2/3 zone. Countless Gears Renegade is a fine two-drop and its revolt clause can even be triggered on turn two with cards like Renegade Map. Ghirapur Osprey is fine; there might be enough 3/2s in the format that it will prove to be better than Wind Drake in Kaladesh.

Wild Cards (in reverse WUBRG order):

Green—Lifecraft Awakening, Unbridled Growth

Lifecraft Awakening opens you up to a functional 2-for-1, but creating a surprise threat at instant speed in the late game can swing a match. Pumping a vehicle with evasion can end some games in a hurry–imagine a 7/8 Sky Skiff or an 8/7 Renegade Freighter. Unbridled Growth can open the door for green’s powerful three-drops to land on turn two, and the worst case is that it cycles for another card (either immediately or once you have enough lands in play.

Red—Gremlin Infestation, Wrangle

Gremlin Infestation is another intriguing way for red to get reach–planting that on a stationary artifact like Pacification Array could be a good way to get a good six or more damage. Wrangle is cheaper than these spells usually are, hits most of the creatures in this set, and could combine powerfully with the increase in sacrifice outlets that the set offers (especially, of course, in black-red).

Black—Gonti’s Machinations, Resourceful Return

Black is short on intriguing non-creature, non-removal uncommons. Gonti’s Machinations is a reasonable repeatable energy source, especially in a black deck that pairs it with an energy color, and it gives black some reach/emergency life-gain. Resourceful Return will be a cheap 2-for-1 a lot of the time, a good play when your hand runs out of gas to get your best creature from the graveyard and hopefully dig a little deeper into your deck.

Blue—Illusionist’s Stratagem

Flicker two creatures and draw a card? This card exploits enter-the-battlefield effects wonderfully, it can mess up removal or get a couple free blocks, and it cycles. Blue doesn’t have a non-creature, non-removal common spell that feels like it opens up intriguing tactical lines.

White—Aerial Modification, Conviction

Aerial Modification and Conviction on Bastion Inventor? That sound fun. Time to play limited Bogles.

TOP 5 ARTIFACTS

Untethered Express–Renegade Freighter, mach 2. It doesn’t strike as early, but with a low crew cost and ever-building power and toughness, the Express will be a dire threat. If I get to Express myself often, I’ll be expecting a lot of wins.

Pacification Array–Some solid semi-removal at common that also helps trigger artifact control synergies. Most decks won’t be sad to run one of these.

Renegade Map–A great way to fix your mana and let yourself play fewer lands (like Attune with Aether in Kaladesh limited) that also can trigger revolt on demand. This card might end up being in high demand.

Daredevil Dragster–It has a nice stat line, a low crew cost, and I’m intrigued by the fact that it pops to draw two cards after two uses.

Treasure Keeper–It trades with a lot of creatures, and when it does (or when it eats a removal spell), you get a free spell. That’s card advantage any way you slice it, and card advantage often wins matches.

FINAL POWER RANKINGS:

#1–Green

#2–Black

#3–Red

#4–Blue

#5–White

Green is still super-pushed, especially in its creatures; if you sit down to draft and find green open, you’re probably heading for a very good night. Black, Red, and Blue feel pretty well-balanced to me. (Heaven help me, as terrible as my record on blue is, I’m kind of intrigued to try playing blue in this format.) White feels a step behind in raw power, but it has some synergistic pieces that could be terrifying in specific decks.

Overall, this format seems like it should have less of a clear hierarchy of colors than Kaladesh, especially if green’s power level leads to it being overdrafted. I’m planning to attempt my first Aether Revolt draft on Friday, January 27, and I’m looking forward to it!

BONUS: TOP 3 GOLD UNCOMMONS

#1–Tezzeret’s Touch (blue/black)

Ensoul Artifact is back! There will be a lot of artifacts floating around, and getting the artifact back after it dies eliminates the risk of getting 2-for-1’d. Play this on an artifact with an enters-the-battlefield effect for extra value… of a vehicle with trample to really scare your opponent out of their wits.

#2–Winding Constrictor (black/green)

It’s a sign when a gold uncommon is inspiring standard brews. This snake has excellent stats for a two-drop and synergizes tremendously with both energy and +1/+1 counters, making the scary creatures of green/black even scarier.

#3–Spire Patrol (white/blue)

A 3/2 flyer for 4 is already pretty reasonable, and getting to tap an opponent’s creature for two turns can be a huge tempo swing, either buying some time to find an answer or opening the gates for some big beatdowns. Also, don’t underestimate how well this works with white and blue’s flicker subtheme.

Honorable Mention: Rogue Refiner (3/2 for 3, draw a card, and gain energy? Sign me up!)