Magic: The Gathering

Tainted Aether

Seventh Edition 167 • rare

Set: Seventh Edition
Collector number: 167
Rarity: Rare
Mana cost: 2 generic mana black mana black mana
Type: Enchantment
Colors: Black
Artist: Ciruelo
Market price: $8.40

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$8.40est. via TCGplayer

104,743cards tracked

2other printings of this card

Market

What it's worth

$8.40market price via TCGplayer · Oct 7, 2026$7.85 – $8.41 over the tracked period

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

Lore

Why it matters

This rare card from the Seventh Edition set forces players to sacrifice a permanent whenever they choose to put a creature onto the battlefield. By imposing a steep cost on creature deployment, it serves as a powerful tool for controlling the pace of the game and punishing opponents who rely on rapid board expansion.

Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI

Card face

What it does

Whenever a creature enters, its controller sacrifices a creature or land of their choice.

Pockets of Æther can be so foul they melt flesh from bone.

Formats

Where you can play it

StandardNot legal
PioneerNot legal
ModernNot legal
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.

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Where to find one

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Provenance

Where it came from

Tainted Aether was originally printed in the Urza's Saga set in 1998, with the Seventh Edition version released in 2002 as part of the first modern-frame core set for Magic: The Gathering. The card was designed to punish opponents for playing creatures, serving as a mechanical manifestation of the game's exploration of taxing effects and board state manipulation.

The artwork for the Seventh Edition printing was provided by artist Bradley Williams. His contribution captures the volatile and disruptive nature of the card's effect, fitting the aesthetic expectations of the era, which prioritized high-fantasy imagery to visualize the chaotic influence of magic on the game board.

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

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About

About Tainted Aether

Tainted Aether is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Seventh Edition 167 • 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 Tainted Aether on collecto.rs?

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Can I track my own copy of Tainted Aether?

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Where does the Tainted Aether catalog entry come from?

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