Aether Spike
~$0.19 low · ~$0.31 high
Blue. Instant

Modern Horizons 3 #50 · Illustrated by Campbell White
What is Aether Spike worth?
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TCGplayer market prices in USD, updated October 14, 2026. Each price is for one printing and one finish.
Oracle text
Choose target spell. You get (two energy counters), then you may pay any amount of
. Counter that spell unless its controller pays
for each
paid this way.
"The shield doesn't block the fire physically. It tells the fire to stop." —Genku, future shaper
Format legality
All 2 printings of Aether Spike
| Printing | Rarity | Non-foil | Foil | Cardmarket (EUR) | My collection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Modern Horizons 3 mh3 #50· 2024common· Cardmarket €0.10 · €0.15 foil | common | $0.19 | $0.31 | €0.10€0.15 foil | |
Modern Horizons 3 mh3 #398· 2024Retro Framecommon· Cardmarket €0.11 · €0.22 foil | common | $0.24 | $0.25 | €0.11€0.22 foil |
Prices are TCGplayer market prices in USD for each printing and finish, via Scryfall. They are a guide, not an appraisal.
Where to buy Aether Spike
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Card details
- First printed
- 2024
- Printings
- 2
- Mana value
- 2
- EDHREC rank
- #7,530 on EDHREC (Commander popularity)
- Artist
- Campbell White
What the codes mean
The small print at the bottom of the Modern Horizons 3 card (#50).
0050 · MH3 · C · EN
- 0050Collector number: this card's place in the set list.
- MH3Set code for Modern Horizons 3
- CCommon
- ENPrinted in English
How to read a Magic card: every part and code, on real cards.
Rulings (11)
2024-06-07
You choose the target spell as you cast Aether Spike. You don't choose how much
to pay until Aether Spike is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you choose how much
to pay and the time the target spell's controller chooses whether or not to pay
for each
paid this way.
2024-06-07
If an effect says you get one or more
, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more
, you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.
2024-06-07
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of
as the ability resolves.
2024-06-07
You may pay zero
. You will get
, and the target spell will resolve as long as its controller chooses to pay
. In most cases, this won't be a difficult choice for them.
2024-06-07
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of
, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any
even if you want to.
2024-06-07
Some spells and abilities that give you
may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any
.
2024-06-07
Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.
2024-06-07
Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
2024-06-07
is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
2024-06-07
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing theme down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
2024-06-07
Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
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