Aether Helix MTG Card


Aether Helix offers card advantage by returning a permanent and reclaiming graveyard resources at instant speed. Requires specific mana and a graveyard card to function, which may limit its versatility in some decks. Despite its higher cost, Aether Helix can tip the scales in interactive games with its bounce and retrieval combo.
Aether Helix - Strixhaven: School of Mages
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2021-04-23
Set symbol
Set nameStrixhaven: School of Mages
Set codeSTX
Number162
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byTorstein Nordstrand

Text of card

Return target permanent to its owner's hand. Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.

Some Quandrix mages prefer to study at twilight, watching their experimental equations trace glowing trails against the encroaching darkness.


Cards like Aether Helix

Aether Helix is an intriguing piece in the repertoire of bounce spells within the world of Magic: The Gathering. In essence, it functions similarly to cards like Unsummon, which permits players to return a target creature to its owner’s hand. Aether Helix takes this a step further, not only targeting creatures but also permitting the retrieval of a permanent card from the user’s graveyard to their hand. This creates a two-way flow of board advantage that Unsummon doesn’t offer.

Another card worth comparing is Callous Dismissal. While also a sorcery that returns a nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, it leaves behind a token to aid board presence, a feature absent in Aether Helix. However, Aether Helix’s capacity to reclaim a valuable card from the graveyard indisputably gives it a strategic depth that can outweigh a temporary token.

Ultimately, Aether Helix positions itself among flexible and strategic bounce spells. It allows players to reinvigorate their hand while disrupting opponents, a duality that can turn the tides of a match in Magic: The Gathering.

Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Callous Dismissal - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Callous Dismissal - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Aether Helix aids in regaining card advantage by returning a permanent to its owner’s hand, effectively negating past plays and potentially causing your opponent to lose tempo.

Resource Acceleration: By reclaiming an asset from your graveyard to your hand, Aether Helix acts as a springboard, potentially accelerating future plays by reutilizing resources.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed attribute provides the flexibility to disrupt your opponent’s strategy during their turn, possibly countering threats or setting up favorable board states on the fly.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Aether Helix obliges players to return a card from their graveyard to their hand, presenting a challenge if strategic cards are not available for retrieval, potentially wasting the spell’s potential.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a precise combination of blue and green mana, which could restrict its integration in decks that don’t run these colors or lack the capability to produce them consistently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Aether Helix’s requirement is sizable when contrasted with other instant or sorcery cards that either bounce or retrieve cards at a lower cost, affecting its playability in fast-paced games.


Reasons to Include Aether Helix in Your Collection

Versatility: Aether Helix offers a unique blend of utility, allowing players to return a permanent to their hand while simultaneously bouncing an opponent’s nonland permanent. This dual action makes it a valuable addition to decks that benefit from reusing their own cards or disrupting the opponent’s board state.

Combo Potential: With the ability to retrieve key pieces from the graveyard, Aether Helix can be instrumental in assembling game-winning combinations. It works particularly well in decks designed to capitalize on enter-the-battlefield triggers or recurring specific cards for repeated effects.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment that favors interactive gameplay and adaptable strategies, Aether Helix shines by providing an answer to established threats while reclaiming resources for future use. Its place in your deck can pivot depending on the flow of the game, making it a relevant choice in shifting metagames.


How to beat Aether Helix

Confronted with the card Aether Helix in Magic: The Gathering often presents a challenge due to its ability to bounce a permanent back to its owner’s hand while simultaneously returning a card from the graveyard to its owner’s hand. Tackling this two-for-one can be demanding, particularly when the opponent gains both board and hand advantage.

An effective strategy against Aether Helix is to limit the targets that it can affect. Utilizing instant-speed removal spells or effects that sacrifice your own permanents can reduce the potential value Aether Helix offers. By maintaining fewer, but more impactful, permanents on the battlefield, you minimize the chances of Aether Helix disrupting your key game pieces. Additionally, grave hate cards that exile cards from graveyards can counteract the second part of Aether Helix’s ability, dulling its effectiveness. By adapting to these methods, you can mitigate the advantages Aether Helix tries to set up, preserving your battlefield presence and resource equilibrium.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Aether Helix MTG card by a specific set like Strixhaven: School of Mages, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Aether Helix and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Aether Helix has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Aether Helix card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2021-04-16 If only one target is still legal as Aether Helix tries to resolve, it will still resolve and perform the appropriate action on the remaining target.
2021-04-16 You must choose two legal targets in order to cast Aether Helix. If there are either no permanent cards in your graveyard or no permanents on the battlefield, you cannot begin to cast it.