Magic: The Gathering

Aether Vial

Secret Lair Drop 1640★ • rare

Set: Secret Lair Drop
Collector number: 1640★
Rarity: Rare
Mana cost: 1 generic mana
Type: Artifact
Colors: Colorless
Artist: Rovina Cai
Finish: Foil

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$9.80est. via TCGplayer

104,743cards tracked

12other printings of this card

Market

What it's worth

$9.80market price via TCGplayer · Oct 7, 2026$9.45 – $10.40 over the tracked period

Estimate for a typical copy of Aether Vial; condition, printing, and grading move the real number.

Lore

Why it matters

This rare card from a specialized drop series is highly prized by collectors for its unique place within the game's broader landscape. Its presence in a collection represents a distinct aesthetic iteration of an essential mechanical tool that grants players significant flexibility in managing their forces during play.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Card face

What it does

At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a charge counter on this artifact.

tap: You may put a creature card with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on this artifact from your hand onto the battlefield.

Formats

Where you can play it

StandardNot legal
PioneerNot legal
ModernLegal
LegacyLegal
VintageLegal
CommanderLegal
PauperNot legal
BrawlNot legal
HistoricNot legal
TimelessNot legal
Penny DreadfulNot legal
OathbreakerLegal

Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.

Buy

Where to find one

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Provenance

Where it came from

Aether Vial was originally released in the Darksteel expansion of Magic: The Gathering in 2004, designed as a powerful artifact to cheat creatures onto the battlefield at instant speed. It quickly became a staple in eternal formats like Modern and Legacy due to its ability to bypass mana costs and counterspells, fundamentally altering how creature-based decks functioned.

This specific iteration is part of the Secret Lair drop series, featuring unique, highly stylized art that distinguishes it from standard set releases. The Secret Lair program was launched by Wizards of the Coast to offer curated, artist-driven reimaginings of iconic cards, allowing the company to engage directly with the collector community through limited-window releases that prioritize aesthetic variation over mechanical change.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Other printings

Every version of this card

The same card, printed again — different sets, treatments, and prices.

Collectors

Who's collecting this

Real cards collectors on collecto.rs who have this in their public collection.

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About

About Aether Vial

Aether Vial is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Secret Lair Drop 1640★ • rare. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.

How many collectors track Aether Vial on collecto.rs?

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Can I track my own copy of Aether Vial?

Yes. collecto.rs is free — sign up to log your card, upload photos, record condition, edition, and acquisition cost, and connect with other magic: the gathering collectors. Your collection stays private by default.

Where does the Aether Vial catalog entry come from?

The catalog entry for Aether Vial is sourced from Scryfall. Catalog-level facts stay consistent across every collector; your own data (condition, edition, acquisition notes) is yours.