Let’s look at some game changers! I’ve got some mixed feelings about WotC’s definition of these powerful cards. They’re staples of the format, and they’re undeniably powerful, but the Game Changer categorisation has the potential to stigmatise their use.
Or does it?
It may well be the case for some groups that by identifying and admitting the power of these cards and defining how many one can include in a deck of a specific tier, it actually gives tacit permission for their use. Go figure.
Whichever way you see it, it’s worth knowing what these cards do. Today, let’s look at Aura Shards!
In Commander, artifact and enchantment removal is essential, but is often limited to one-shot spells or fragile creatures. Aura Shards, first printed in Invasion, flips that script. For just three mana, it turns every creature you play into a surgical strike, dismantling opponents’ engines, combos, and defences with ruthless efficiency
Let’s start by looking at what exactly we get once we’ve spent our three mana (one colourless, one white, one green) and plopped this enchantment onto our board:
Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.
That’s it. No tapping, no mana cost, no delay. Just pure, repeatable value.
Sounds good! Why is it considered so powerful as to be on the game changer list, though? Well, there are a few possible reasons:
- Repeatable Removal: Unlike Reclamation Sage or Disenchant, Aura Shards doesn’t stop at one target. Every creature becomes a removal spell.
- Board Control Without Sacrifice: You don’t need to choose between developing your board and interacting with opponents. Aura Shards lets you do both.
- Combo Breaker: It shuts down key pieces like Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe, or Heliod, Sun-Crowned before they spiral out of control.
- Synergy with Tokens: Decks that produce multiple creatures per turn – like Rhys the Redeemed, Marath, Will of the Wild, or Tana and Tymna – can turn Aura Shards into a board wipe for noncreature permanents.
Strong! There’s no question that this is a powerful piece, and it will do some work in just about any deck. Are there any downsides, though? I can think of a few of them:
- Requires Creatures: In decks light on creatures or reliant on spells, Aura Shards can be a dead draw.
- No Immediate Impact: It doesn’t destroy anything when it enters; only when creatures do.
- Draws Aggro: Once it’s on the board, opponents will prioritise removing it. And rightly so.
Those aren’t really big downsides. No card, except for basic mana rocks and the like, is going to be optimal in every deck. That’s okay. And as for the aggro? Well, as mentioned, that’s deserved.
So, where is this card really at home? Where will you get the most bang for your buck? There are a few places that will see real value:
- Creature-Heavy Decks: Especially those with token generation or blink effects. I included it in my recently-built Baylen deck.
- GW/x Builds: Where enchantment synergy and recursion can keep it alive and active.
- Stax and Midrange Decks: Those that want to control the board without sacrificing tempo.
Aura Shards is a game-changer not because it’s flashy, but because it’s relentless. It turns your board development into board control, punishes greedy artifact and enchantment strategies, and forces opponents to rethink their sequencing. In the right deck, it’s not just a value engine; it’s a lock piece.
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