Redshift, Rocketeer Chief – Aetherdrift
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2025
Ratings:
Constructed: 3.63
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 3.88
Commander [EDH]: 4.13
Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 is bad. 3 is average. 5 is great.
Reviews Below:
I remember the days of trying to make generic beatdown work in most every red/green deck, even in Commander. I remember how that often didn’t work out the way it was supposed to, because of all the hidden gameplay and nuances to other types of cards which nobody ever explained to anyone else. I remember thinking about how red and green should have a much better late game than they did then, between red’s spell proficiency and green’s mana ramp. I remember how exciting it was and is to play with Modern Horizons 2‘s red and green pseudo-storm cards, building up to a huge finish. Redshift’s version of that works a little differently, but there’s so many different ways to work with it that it’s almost ridiculous. It’s quite plausible to reach twelve mana in certain kinds of decks, especially in Commander, and it’s also quite plausible to just win the game on the spot when you activate his ability – even in Commander. Vigilance means a lot of things in different contexts, but most people are going to be tempted by the fact that it means he can activate his own ability, and do it all by himself if you’ve managed to boost his power enough. As “minigames” or sub-objectives go, that’s a fairly easy one to do; either way, I think there are a lot of surprise Craterhoof Behemoths and the like in any setting where this guy is around.
Constructed: 3.5
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4
Multiplayer: 4
Commander [EDH]: 4
“Put any number of permanents from your hand in play” is a bit of text that will always turn heads, and this even comes in a color combination famous for having a chaotic approach to things. Redshift, Rocketeer Chief isn’t a phenomenal creature on its own, but it does allow you to create mana to use on creature abilities, like its own exhaust ability. A 2/3 wityh vigilance in a tribe known for its lords and boffs also helps a bfair bit, and while it won’t win any awards for its body, it can definitely work for both a slow burn and for a more explosive blast. This is an ability that does need a bit of finesse to shine, but if you have a solid enough hand when you hit the gas, you can end the game then and there, which is a reasonable price to pay.
Constructed: 3.75
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 4 (a good exhaust enabler)
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander [EDH]: 4.25
We would love more volunteers to help us with our Magic the Gathering Card of the Day reviews. If you want to share your ideas on cards with other fans, feel free to drop us an email. We would be happy to link back to your blog / YouTube Channel / etc. 😉
