Aether Revolt

Aether Revolt

 

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Aether Revolt
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	Leaking aether
Design	Mark Gottlieb (lead) Mark Rosewater Ken Nagle Gavin Verhey Adam Prosak Ari Levitch
Development	Ben Hayes (lead) Sam Stoddard Ethan Fleischer Adam Prosak Yoni Skolnik Tim Aten
Art direction	Mark Winters
Release date	January 20, 2017
Plane	Kaladesh
Themes and mechanics	Energy counters, Vehicles
Keywords/​ability words	Crew, Improvise, Revolt
Set size	184 cards +10 Planeswalker deck exclusives
Expansion code	AER
Development codename	Stock
Kaladesh block
Kaladesh Aether Revolt N/A
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Planechase Anthology Aether Revolt Modern Masters 2017

Aether Revolt is the 73rd Magic expansion, and the second in the Kaladesh block. It was released on January 20, 2017, and is a small expansion.

Set details

Aether Revolt contains 184 cards (70 commons, 60 uncommons, 42 rares, and 12 mythic rares) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all cards. Ten additional cards are found in the set's planeswalker decks (2 mythic planeswalkers, 2 rares, 2 uncommons, 2 commons, and 2 common dual lands). These are numbered #185/184 to #194/184. Some Aether Revolt booster packs contain a Kaladesh Invention. The expansion symbol of the set is a Far Eastern inspired floral motive representing the "leaking spire," the symbol of the Renegades.

Storyline

“

It's Time to Take the Power Back

”

A revolt takes place on Kaladesh. Led by Pia Nalaar and aligned with aether-pirates, essence-drainers and weaponsmiths, the Renegades have seized control of large portions of Ghirapur. They seek to overthrow the authority of the Consulate. The Consulate responds with increased security and surveillance, the seizure of unregistered inventions, the monitoring of aether distribution, and the enforcement of a city-wide curfew. The Gatewatch and Ajani Goldmane support the renegades, while searching for the nefarious planeswalker Tezzeret.

Story Spotlight cards

Aether Revolt contains five Story Spotlight cards, used to showcase key moments in the story.

• Consulate Crackdown depicts the Consulate's continued seizure of inventions.
• Pia's Revolution depicts the rebellion against the Consulate led by Pia Nalaar.
• Disallow depicts Baral's taunting of Chandra Nalaar in an attempt to lure her away from the rest of the Gatewatch.
• Battle at the Bridge depicts the final battle between Tezzeret and Liliana Vess.
• Dark Intimations foreshadows the upcoming role of Nicol Bolas in the story.

Magic Story

Title	Author	Release Date	Setting (plane)	Featuring
In the Dead of Night	Alison Luhrs	2016-11-30	Kaladesh	Yahenni, Nived, Gonti, the Gatewatch
Quiet Moments	Michael Yichao	2016-12-07	Kaladesh	The Gatewatch, Saheeli, Ajani, Pia Nalaar
Breakthrough	Kimberly J. Kreines	2016-12-14	Kaladesh	Tezzeret, Rashmi, Saheeli, Liliana
Revolution Begins	Nik Davidson, Kelly Digges & Kimberly J. Kreines	2017-01-02	Kaladesh	The Gatewatch, Pia Nalaar, Gonti, Sram, Rashmi
Burn	Chris L'Etoile	2017-01-04	Kaladesh	The Gatewatch, Dovin Baan, Tezzeret, Baral
The Skies over Ghirapur	Ari Levitch	2017-01-11	Kaladesh	Jace Beleren, Kari Zev, Depala
Breaking Points	Doug Beyer	2017-01-18	Kaladesh	The Gatewatch, Pia Nalaar, Saheeli Rai, Dovin Baan
Puppets	James Wyatt	2017-01-25	Kaladesh	Liliana Vess, Tezzeret, Gideon, Chandra
Renewal	Mel Li, Kelly Digges, Alison Luhrs, Doug Beyer, and Chris L'Etoile	2017-02-01	Kaladesh	The Gatewatch, Yahenni, Pia Nalaar

Marketing

Aether Revolt is sold in 16-card booster packs (one card being a marketing card), two planeswalker decks, and the Aether Revolt bundle. The booster packs feature artwork from Ajani Unyielding, Tezzeret the Schemer, and Maulfist Revolutionary.

Kaladesh Inventions

Kaladesh Inventions are premium foil cards with a special Kaladeshi card frame and a separate expansion symbol. They are not part of the set, but can be found in some booster packs. Kaladesh Inventions are all artifacts, include all new art and flavor text set on Kaladesh, and appear slightly more often than premium mythic rares. These cards are playable in any limited format where they are opened and in any constructed format where they are already legal. Thirty Invention cards appeared with Kaladesh and 24 in Aether Revolt.

Prerelease

Prerelease Events took place on January 14, 2017.

Promotional Cards

• Prerelease: a stamped card that can be any rare or mythic rare from the set.
• Launch promo: Quicksmith Rebel
• Game Day: full-art Trophy Mage
• Game Day (Top 8): full-art Yahenni's Expertise
• Buy-a-Box: Scrap Trawler

Tokens / emblem

Aether Revolt features 3 tokens and 1 emblem.

1. 2/2 Gremlin creature for Gremlin Infestation and Release the Gremlins
2. 2/1 Legendary Monkey creature named Ragavan for Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
3. Artifact named Etherium Cell for Tezzeret the Schemer
4. Emblem for Tezzeret the Schemer

Aether Revolt boosters also include cards to place energy counters on.

Themes and mechanics

Vehicles and Energy counters are carried over from the previous set. A theme of mana cost X or less is also present with numerous cards allowing for casting, returning or tutoring such cards.

There are two new named mechanics:

• Improvise — a keyword ability that enables you to pay generic mana cost with the help of your artifacts. Each artifact you tap after you're done activating mana abilities pays for .
• Revolt — an ability word that checks if a permanent you controlled left the battlefield this turn.

Cycles

Aether Revolt has six cycles:

Cycle name
Automatons	Aegis Automaton	Watchful Automaton	Augmenting Automaton	Welder Automaton	Verdant Automaton
	Five common artifact creatures that have a color identity through an activated ability.
Aether Critters	Aether Inspector	Aether Swooper	Aether Poisoner	Aether Chaser	Aether Herder
	Five mono-colored common creatures that give upon entering the battlefield and can spend to create a 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature when attacking.
Experts	Sram, Senior Edificer	Baral, Chief of Compliance	Yahenni, Undying Partisan	Kari Zev, Skyship Raider	Rishkar, Peema Renegade
	Five mono-colored rare legendary creatures that tie to the Expertise cards.
Expertises	Sram's Expertise	Baral's Expertise	Yahenni's Expertise	Kari Zev's Expertise	Rishkar's Expertise
	Five rare sorceries with an on color effect that also allow for the casting of a free spell of converted mana less than its casting cost.
Implements	Implement of Improvement	Implement of Examination	Implement of Malice	Implement of Combustion	Implement of Ferocity
	Five common artifacts, each of which has a colored activated sacrifice effect and let you draw a card when put into the graveyard.

Cycle name
Two-colored draft archetypes	Spire Patrol	Tezzeret's Touch	Weldfast Engineer	Outland Boar	Renegade Rallier	Hidden Stockpile	Winding Constrictor	Rogue Refiner	Maverick Thopterist	Renegade Wheelsmith
	Ten uncommon cards which each represent a two-colored draft archetype.

Mega cycle

Cycle name
Rare color artifacts	Peacewalker Colossus (Aether Revolt)	Merchant's Dockhand (Aether Revolt)	Scrapheap Scrounger (Kaladesh )	Bomat Courier (Kaladesh )	Lifecrafter's Bestiary (Aether Revolt)
	Five artifacts that have an activated ability requiring a color, one for each color.

Pairs

Aether Revolt has five mirrored pairs.

Mirrored Pairs		Description
Call for Unity ()	Aid from the Cowl ()	Rare enchantments for 3MM with Revolt, with artwork of the Consulate Tower under assault.
Quicksmith Spy ()	Quicksmith Rebel ()	Rare Human artificers for 3M with mirrored stats that grant target artifact a tap ability upon entering the battlefield.
Aerial Modification ()	Siege Modification ()	Uncommon auras with "Enchant creature or Vehicle" that turn an enchanted Vehicle into a creature.
Aeronaut Admiral ()	Reckless Racer ()	Uncommon Human Pilots that have a keyword ability, alliterative names and mirrored flavor text that show citizens recruited into the two sides of the conflict.
Skyship Plunderer ()	Maulfist Revolutionary ()	Uncommon Human revolutionaries that have the ability to add counters of any type a single permanent.

Reprinted cards

• Conviction, first printed in Stronghold
• Negate, first printed in Morningtide, last seen in Conspiracy: Take the Crown.
• Shock, first printed in Stronghold, last seen in Duel Decks: Speed vs. Cunning.
• Prey Upon, first printed in Innistrad, last seen in Conspiracy: Take the Crown.

Common to Uncommon

• Ornithopter, first printed in Antiquities, last seen in Magic 2015.

Uncommon to Common

• Tranquil Expanse (Planeswalker decks), first printed in Oath of the Gatewatch.
• Submerged Boneyard (Planeswalker decks), first printed in Oath of the Gatewatch.

Functional Reprints

• Ghirapur Osprey is a functional reprint of Dawn Gryff, Shadow Glider, and Wild Griffin (except for creature type).
• Ravenous Intruder is a functional reprint of Atog (except for creature type).
• Frontline Rebel is a functional reprint of Bloodrock Cyclops (except for creature type).
• Precise Strike is a functional reprint of Kindled Fury.
• Prizefighter Construct is a functional reprint of Glass Golem (except for creature type).

Notable cards

• Mechanized Production is an alternate-win card.
• Chandra's Revolution and Pia's Revolution, although unconnected mechanically, share a single art piece by Clint Cearley.
• Dark Intimations forshadows a Nicol Bolas planeswalker card in the Amonkhet block.
• Fatal Push is a powerful removal that saw tournament play - notably for Modern, which filled the strange gap in which Black had the weakest removal in the format compared to Lightning Bolt and Path to Exile. With fetchlands making Revolt fairly trivial, the ability to remove almost all the powerful two-drop creatures at a mana profit revived Black as a color.

Banned and Restricted cards

• Felidar Guardian, as part of the Saheeli Rai combo, received the dubious honor of being the first card in 18 years (since Memory Jar in Urza's Legacy) to be emergency banned, after the release of Amonkhet.
• Rogue Refiner was one of the two chosen Energy sources (the other being Attune with Aether) to be banned in order to weaken the Temur Energy deck after the release of Ixalan, as its midrange shell was stronger than anything else in the format. Being a cantrip, a curve-relevant body, and coming with two energy meant it often converted into two or more cards easily.
• Walking Ballista was considered a fair midrange card that doubled as a clean infinite-mana win condition, and hence a powerful pivot plan for many decks. It was banned from Pioneer in August 2020 as part of a combo deck cleanup, as it already had a combo with Heliod, Sun-Crowned, forcing ramp and infinite mana decks to work harder to win. Similar concerns likely contributed to it being removed from Kaladesh Remastered, effectively making it also banned from Historic.

Preconstructed decks

Aether Revolt has two planeswalker decks:

Planeswalker deck name	Colors Included					Planeswalker
Ajani	W				G	Ajani, Valiant Protector
Tezzeret		U	B			Tezzeret, Master of Metal