Caelorna, Coral TyrantCaelorna, Coral Tyrant | Art by Deruchenko Alexander

Time to fire up that DeLorean and head back in time. No, it's not Universes Beyond: Back to the Future (although I'm sure that's in the works). It's a review of Aetherdrift!

A little over a year ago, I predicted how popular all 34 commanders from this set would become using a line of 1,200 decks. Each commander got an "Over" or "Under" that line, and one got the special "Can't-Miss Pick" designation, which is sort of like calling bank in Horse.

If you'd like to re-read that article, you may do so here. No worries if you'd rather not—I'll be quoting the pertinent bits soon. Also, you'll notice these numbers don't quite align with our current stats; that's because I screenshotted them all on Aetherdrift's first birthday.

Oh, and one more bit of nonsense before we begin: There are two commanders that became commanders after this set was released. They are The Last RideThe Last Ride and Valor's FlagshipValor's Flagship. However, since they weren't eligible until the rules update circa Edge of Eternities, I never made predictions on them, and I'm not going to now. Nobody seems to like them much, anyway.

Ready? Set? Read!

Overall Impressions of Aetherdrift

To borrow some Gen Z slang, the vibes for this set were not great. In fact, we here at EDHREC conducted a poll on the worst Magic sets of all time, and the winner (loser?) was...Aetherdrift.

Look, I get it. An interplanar death race featuring Vehicles, Mounts, legendary vanilla creatures, and a dude with the actual name "Vnwxt" isn't exactly compelling. I myself don't care for Vehicles, and though they have their fans, they've never been much of a player in our format (with the exception of Shorikai, Genesis EngineShorikai, Genesis Engine, who's more Transformer than Vehicle, anyway).

Funnily enough, the Vehicle themes weren't driven as hard as advertised. Although most commanders appear to suffer from some form of road rage in their artwork, few of them specifically care about the set's trademark card type. Furthermore, the two precon decks were barely concerned with Vehicles at all. (I mean, Living Energy sort of cared about artifacts, but they didn't even make the deck's title.)

The bulk of the vehicular flavor came from Aetherdrift's signature mechanic, start your engines! (And don't forget the exclamation mark.) This was, in my opinion, not a strong mechanic. It reminded me of the Ring tempts you and venture into the dungeon in all the wrong ways. All three of those mechanics require a unique game piece to track, and none of them justify the added complexity with added fun. (They're all kind of wordy, too, but now I'm just nitpicking.)

Start your engines! is also a pain to track in paper, since you likely only run one or two cards in your deck that care about it, yet you technically need to continue tracking it nonetheless. Sort of like day/night, but with a muffler.

For my final criticism, I'd like to complain that Aetherdrift, at times, felt like Callback: The Set. Many commanders were new versions of old characters, and even the ones that weren't felt indebted to the past. Ketramose, the New DawnKetramose, the New Dawn and Sab-Sunen, Luxa EmbodiedSab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied are just more Amonkhet gods.

Vnwxt, Verbose HostVnwxt, Verbose Host is just Fblthp without agoraphobia. Even Loot, the PathfinderLoot, the Pathfinder is just riffing on iconic one-mana spells from Alpha (albeit in a somewhat interesting manner).

With all that said, Aetherdrift must've been a burning wreck on the side of the highway, right? Well, cue the record scratch.

• Total number of commanders: 34
• Total number of commander decks: 113,956
• Average commander deck count: 3,352
• Most decks: Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist (20,889 decks)
• Fewest decks: Basri, Tomorrow's ChampionBasri, Tomorrow's Champion (117 decks)

I wouldn't call that a burning wreck. That's more like a fender bender. Maybe even a light scuff on the driver's side door. And I'll stop with these car metaphors before I bore you further.

The above total is more decks than its predecessor, Foundations, by a margin of about 28,000. Furthermore, Aetherdrift's most popular dead guy, Hashaton, climbed all the way into our Top 50 rankings. I'm unsure why he went from serving the Multiverse's most diabolical villain to driving cars, but whatever. The set was more Maserati than clunker (sorry, had to slip one more in there).

So the question I'm left with is this: Why? Why does the community's seeming distaste for this set clash with these numbers, which are perfectly healthy, if not downright impressive?

I think it's a phenomenon best explained by meatloaf. (See? I promised we were done with car stuff. Now we're moving on to food.) Meatloaf doesn't look appetizing. Ever. This is not an opinion; this is a fact supported by decades of high-level research conducted by children everywhere. Meatloaf looks about as appetizing as Pizza Face, GastromancerPizza Face, Gastromancer.

And yet, when you actually taste it, meatloaf isn't half bad. When made by someone who knows what they're doing, it's actually pretty tasty. And that, I think, is what we've got going on with Aetherdrift. It's a set that looks aimless and silly and dull. And yet, if you had a taste, you probably enjoyed the flavor. (And yes, I chose Pizza Face intentionally, because the same thing happened to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I'll try to stop judging these sets so harshly before, you know, actually playing with them.)

Credit the commanders themselves for this set's success. They're not exactly thematically cohesive, and yet that lack of unity allowed the designers to create some super fun standalone cards. Let's get into them now.

My Sweetest Rides

Better known as "the picks I was most proud of." Let's start with this one:

Loot, the PathfinderLoot, the Pathfinder

Last year's prediction: Over

Final deck count: 4,831 decks

Here's what I had to say about Loot, the PathfinderLoot, the Pathfinder last year:

"Considering this is the third Loot in the past two years, this little guy is fast becoming the new Niv-Mizzet. It helps that this is probably the best version we've seen thus far. Oh, and by the way, he's essentially a Spellshaper for Black LotusBlack Lotus, Ancestral RecallAncestral Recall, and Lightning BoltLightning Bolt. Now that's sweet."

No wonder I made him my Can't-Miss Pick. New players loved him for being the new face of Magic. Old players loved him for the Alpha spells. Middle-aged players loved him for his excellent sense of direction. (Side note: Do they have GPS in the Multiverse?)

I also wanted to mention Loot because I built one of those 4,831 decks. Yes, mine was a companion brew featuring the second-most famous hippo in MTG, Keruga, the MacrosageKeruga, the Macrosage. I've since paired Keruga with a far more sensible friend: Aragorn, the UniterAragorn, the Uniter. I'll keep you updated on further changes.

Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight

Last year's prediction: Over

Final deck count: 12,612 decks

Look, this wasn't exactly a difficult decision. Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight is obviously sweet, and it earned the top spot amongst the base set commanders with ease. Just check out how I gushed about it in last year's article:

"Azorious artifacts is a tried-and-true Commander archetype, and this Robot fits right in. Plus, it gives a legit payoff at max speed. I'm definitely hopping on this bandwagon."

Huh. That was a pretty tame review, all things considered. I mean, I didn't even mention the artifact doubling thing, which is by far the silliest text on this card (aside from start your engines!, which is silly-silly, not broken-silly). For example, with six artifacts in play, your Thought MonitorThought Monitor becomes two mana for two 2/2 flyers that draw you four cards. If that doesn't rev your engines, I don't know what will.

For our final successful selection, I'd like to highlight one of my called Unders:

Zahur, Glory's PastZahur, Glory's Past

Last year's prediction: Under

Final deck count: 969

So what's my beef with Zahur, Glory's PastZahur, Glory's Past, anyway? I mean, he is pretty beefy. Cue the italics and quotation marks...

"That max speed ability is plenty powerful, but once again, I'm skeptical about how fast you can realistically build up to it. Four turn cycles seems like an eternity in your standard Commander game. Furthermore, the rest of the card doesn't do enough to justify itself in the meantime. Glory's past indeed."

I hate to go into reverse after I've already run over start your engines!, so I promise I'll stop—right after this. Zahur turned out to be a referendum on the mechanic itself. I mean, this is a two-mana commander with three paragraphs of text that does exactly what Orzhov wants to be doing, and it's not gated on mana.

And yet still, Zahur couldn't crack 1,200 decks, let alone quadruple digits. They tried, but start your engines! just didn't quite get there.

My Failed Driving Tests

Better known as my worst selections from this set. (And let the record show that I never failed a driving test in real life. Although that hasn't made me any better at Mario Kart.)

Far Fortune, End BossFar Fortune, End Boss

Last year's prediction: Over

Final deck count: 1,073 decks

At least Far Fortune, End BossFar Fortune, End Boss made this race close. Here was my analysis:

"This card's giving me real Mad Max vibes, which is a good thing. Another good thing: That attack trigger. Yet another good thing: Giving out free bonus damage, as we've seen with Torbran, Thane of Red FellTorbran, Thane of Red Fell and Ojer Axonil, Deepest MightOjer Axonil, Deepest Might."

I think my comparisons were a little off. After all, according to all-powerful math, Far Fortune is boosting your damage output half as well as Torbran, and even less well compared to Ojer. Plus, I completely failed to bash this commander for taking so long to speed up in the first place. Must've been too busy thinking about Fury Road and that sandstorm scene.

I couldn't think of a good segue from sandstorms, so here's another dud of a prediction:

Pia Nalaar, Chief MechanicPia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic

My prediction: Over

Final deck count: 970

Oh wait, she's wearing goggles. They'd protect her eyes in a sandstorm. That was the segue! Missed it.

Anyhoo, in addition to her goggles, Pia Nalaar, Chief MechanicPia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic also wears the dubious distinction of being the set's only precon commander to go Under. I wish I'd anticipated that before I wrote this:

"This is a pretty whacky design, and what's better, it's actually good. Assuming you poke someone with an artifact creature each turn, you get a zero-mana 2/2 flyer—and it only gets bigger the more energy you invest into it."

Maybe people are sick of all the artifact tokens these days. First it was Clues, now it's "Nalaar Aetherjets," whatever the heck those are. What's next? Mutagen tokens?

For our final incorrect selection, I'd like to highlight an Under that not just went Over, but more than doubled the mark:

Kolodin, Triumph CasterKolodin, Triumph Caster

My prediction: Under

Final deck count: 3,042

Look, I've made worse picks (Arabella, Abandoned Doll, cough-cough). But Kolodin, Triumph CasterKolodin, Triumph Caster was especially painful because I was so terse. Just look at this cheeky two-liner:

"Mount commander. No thank you."

That was it. That was my whole review. No acknowledgment of his synergy with Vehicles, no shoutout to Parhelion IIParhelion II, no tangent about his stylistic resemblance to F-Zero characters, nothin'. It was a lousy pick, plain and simple. But hey, you've got to admit—you have to scroll for a long time until you finally find a Mount on that page.

Recap

Correct Picks (29)

1. Vnwxt, Verbose HostVnwxt, Verbose Host - Over (3,640 decks)
2. Gonti, Night MinisterGonti, Night Minister - Over (4,080 decks)
3. The Speed DemonThe Speed Demon - Over (1,292 decks)
4. Nissa, Worldsoul SpeakerNissa, Worldsoul Speaker - Over (1,707 decks)
5. Mendicant Core, GuidelightMendicant Core, Guidelight - Over (12,612 decks)
6. Redshift, Rocketeer ChiefRedshift, Rocketeer Chief - Over (2,032 decks)
7. Ketramose, the New DawnKetramose, the New Dawn - Over (8,225 decks)
8. Captain Howler, Sea ScourgeCaptain Howler, Sea Scourge - Over (9,051 decks)
9. Aatchik, Emerald RadianAatchik, Emerald Radian - Over (2,066 decks)
10. Sab-Sunen, Luxa EmbodiedSab-Sunen, Luxa Embodied - Over (3,117 decks)
11. Hashaton, Scarab's FistHashaton, Scarab's Fist - Over (20,889 decks)
12. Temmet, Naktamun's WillTemmet, Naktamun's Will - Over (11,085 decks)
13. Samut, the Driving ForceSamut, the Driving Force - Over (3,811 decks)
14. Loot, the PathfinderLoot, the Pathfinder - Can't-Miss Pick (4,831 decks)
15. Saheeli, Radiant CreatorSaheeli, Radiant Creator - Over (7,722 decks)
16. Mimeoplasm, Revered OneMimeoplasm, Revered One - Over (2,452 decks)
17. Basri, Tomorrow's ChampionBasri, Tomorrow's Champion - Under (117 decks)
18. Sundial, Dawn TyrantSundial, Dawn Tyrant - Under (204 decks)
19. Caelorna, Coral TyrantCaelorna, Coral Tyrant - Under (196 decks)
20. Mu Yanling, Wind RiderMu Yanling, Wind Rider - Under (973 decks)
21. Kalakscion, Hunger TyrantKalakscion, Hunger Tyrant - Under (789 decks)
22. Daretti, Rocketeer EngineerDaretti, Rocketeer Engineer - Under (628 decks)
23. Hazoret, GodseekerHazoret, Godseeker - Under (365 decks)
24. Tyrox, Saurid TyrantTyrox, Saurid Tyrant - Under (158 decks)
25. Terrian, World TyrantTerrian, World Tyrant - Under (258 decks)
26. Winter, Cursed RiderWinter, Cursed Rider - Under (732 decks)
27. Lagorin, Soul of AlacriaLagorin, Soul of Alacria - Under (136 decks)
28. Zahur, Glory's PastZahur, Glory's Past - Under (969 decks)
29. Sita Varma, Masked RacerSita Varma, Masked Racer - Under (453 decks)

Incorrect Picks (5)

1. Far Fortune, End BossFar Fortune, End Boss - Over Under (1,073 decks)
2. Pia Nalaar, Chief MechanicPia Nalaar, Chief Mechanic - Over Under (970 decks)
3. Oviya, Automech ArtisanOviya, Automech Artisan - Under Over (2,782 decks)
4. Caradora, Heart of AlacriaCaradora, Heart of Alacria - Under Over (1,499 decks)
5. Kolodin, Triumph CasterKolodin, Triumph Caster - Under Over (3,042 decks)

My Aetherdrift Correct Prediction Percentage: 85%

My Overall Correct Prediction Percentage: 74%

Do those cats look impressed to you? Because I think they might be. That percentage is trending up, baby!

I'm sure it'll all come crashing down when we turn our cars in for dragons. See you for the next review in Tarkir.