Pointed Discussion

Magic: The Gathering Card Comments Archive

Aether Vial

Multiverse ID: 212630

Aether Vial

Comments (44)

Mekh
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0) (6 votes)
I love this new artwork.
Notoriety
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0) (5 votes)
Great new art!
Talaxar
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0) (6 votes)
Great Art. Great power 5/5! Pricey though.
IceRapture
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (6 votes)
Finally, it's at it's proper rarity.

The new art is my favourite on any card (next to the new sol ring)
Yozuk
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0) (9 votes)
you MAY put a counter on it???? I smell awesomeness.
GrimjawxRULES
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (6 votes)
Omg omg omg they chose to reprint Æther Vial :D
This card is definitely deserving to be in this set, and the art is sweeet~ I really hope I can get a hold of this set at a realistic price - the MSRP for these sets, unfortunately, is usually nothing near what the stores are selling them for :S
Lionhawk
★☆☆☆☆ (1.2/5.0) (19 votes)
Great card, but not happy about the new artwork. I could understand if the card art was for a card called "Face Mask Man" from a new expansion set, but not for Aether Vial. 4/5
Lateralis0ne
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (6 votes)
Lionhawk, did you play with the Mirrodin set?
LeoKula
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0) (8 votes)
I choose old art over this one any day... this looks like an Uruk-hai
don_miguel
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0) (5 votes)
@lionhawk: the card would be called "face mask man holding an aether vial". artifact arts without any other interactions of characters or backgrounds are pretty boring.
channelblaze
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0) (8 votes)
Artwork WIN!
bagilis
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0) (5 votes)
If I'm correct, the creature put in play that way can not be countered?
Rumblin-Slumm
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (4 votes)
@ LeoKula
What? An Uruk-Hai can't use an Aether Vial?
They're not THAT stupid...

And any rating less than a 4.5 is unjust. Proxy a few in your favorite deck (unless you have about $50 available) and watch as your hand empties and the field fills.
TheGodOfWar91
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (22 votes)
Let this and Sensei's Divining Top be a lesson to all of us:

Always watch out for uncommon artifacts.
Newbie-John
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0) (2 votes)
A GREAT card in any regards. I would even claim it to be imbalanced were it not for the fact that the creature card that is put in to play must have a converted mana cost EQUAL to the number of charges.

I like the artwork!
Nip_Gwyllion
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0) (5 votes)
@TheGodOfWar91 And don't forget Skullclamp!
CeremonialBathory
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (2 votes)
This probably would have been balanced if the tap ability also had the cost of "Return AEther Vial to your hand" or "Sacrifice AEther Vial". But as is it's clear why it was exiled...
Bursama
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0) (3 votes)
Thank god it is nowdays a mythic. When this thing was uncommon... I'd rather not remember those times anymore.
MasterOfEtherium
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0) (11 votes)
CRACK Vial ! 5/5
Stray_Dog
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0) (2 votes)
@TheGodofWar91: Liquimetal Coating. Apparently that wasn't meant to be so good either.
thedarkheathen
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0) (3 votes)
Not good for ANY deck, but for creature-heavy aggro decks, the ability to flash in uncounterable creatures is just huge, (Goblins) and the ability to keep mana up for counters and not trigger Standstill makes it even more amazing in Merfolk.
Nekrolas
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0) (4 votes)
OP! :D
Gabriel422
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0) (3 votes)
Someone on wizards.com once said something like "AEther Vial is like Dark Ritual, except instead of giving you two free mana, it gives you like 17 free mana over the course of the game."

Making all your creatures uncounterable and dropping them at instant speed. Completely eliminated color screws. But even without all these great bonuses, this card might still have been broken, if only for the massive amounts of mana saved in the process.
auriscope
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0) (16 votes)
Play Ornithopter with this for free!
jfre81
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0) (3 votes)
Vedalken Infuser helps with abusing this thing.
asskicker123456789
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0) (2 votes)
Type your comment here.
Superllama12
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0) (3 votes)
@Nagoragama: Dun froget Black Vise!

But seriously, who in their right mind would make this anything BUT a mythic, and even then it would still be broken!

Also, why do 2/3 of MasterOfEtherium's comments involve crack...it makes me wonder what he/she may be doing in secret...
Nucleon
★★★★☆ (4.9/5.0) (5 votes)
Who the hell thought "yeah, this is a balanced card" in development? It eliminates the major playing point of Magic, the Mana cost. You don't even have to worry about getting your land drops if you play a creature-heavy deck, and considering that it makes your creatures all have Flash and "Cannot be countered", this weird artifact winds up being Green's best friend. Making the Neurok holding it a bit odd.
Havrekjex
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0) (2 votes)
I always thought it looked very decent... but a mono white weenie deck with Æther Vial, Martyr of Sands and suspiciously few lands (only one out) beat my arse sore yesterday. Now I know how incredibly good this card can be.
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (2 votes)
Why is this only Banned in Mirrodin, and not even Restricted in Legacy? :p

Why is this Legal in Commander?

Why does the Legality tab look like it's full of carp on most of the FTV cards? :p
KokoshoForPresident
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Use with Seedborn Muse for major overkill, especially in multiplayer.
JustinNH
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (1 vote)
i have a ? does aether vial also work on planeswalkers?
LegoLeonidas
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0) (3 votes)
@justinNH Well, let me answer your "?" with another "?". Is a Planeswalker a creature? Can you target it with spells specifying creatures? Can you enchant it with auras? Or is it a Planeswalker? Let's see if you can figure it out on your own...
Vaxfantomen
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)

Energy Chamber mayhaps?
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0) (3 votes)
1 to make your creatures flash, free, and uncoutnerable. Stupid mistake and everyone knows it.
.5/5 get this garbage out of modern.
Rickell
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0) (2 votes)
This card isn't that broken to play, it can come turn one, and on your next turn or opponents it can play a free one drop, after that it can only play a 2 drop, no 2 drop SOL, then a 3 drop and only a 3 drop, no 3 drop SOL, by then if your running 4 or more mana creatures in Modern you are either running ramp and this card isnt needed because it's too slow or your planning on playing a card every turn with this and in that case it is too slow... unless you build for this card, which aggro does not do well, its a waste of your time and $
Baal_Planeswalker
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Nip_Gwyllion And Isochron Scepter
lostprophet912
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Maybe the most ridiculous part of all... This isn't a legendary artifact.
Nadorou
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
Toss in Vorel of the hull clade and you'll have 10 charge counters on turn 4. Potentially more depending on what you do on turn 2.
Aquillion
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0) (1 vote)
@Yozuk: The 'may' is important, because it can only put things into play with a cost exactly equal to the number of counters.
Rog4Brd3
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not really broken, but certainly a little too good. It's one of those cards I just can't let my opponent keep in play.
ZaisConsultant
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Absolutely love the Trinket Mage in this art