Aether Spike is a blue instant from Modern Horizons 3 built to disrupt the flow of a game at tempo and pace. With a modest mana cost of {1}{U}, you select a target spell and you gain two energy counters. You may pay any amount of energy, and the spell is countered unless its controller pays 1 for each energy paid this way. This is the kind of interaction that rewards precise timing and careful resource management, a hallmark of MH3 design that leans into clever cost manipulation.
The Light Play foil enhances the card’s etheric motif, catching the light as you sequence counterplay and hold the board. The flavor text from Genku, future shaper hints at the long game behind the counter: "The shield doesn't block the fire physically. It tells the fire to stop." It’s a reminder that sometimes precise control and a little clever energy are enough to tilt the outcome in your favor.
Card Details:
- Mana Cost – {1}{U}
- Card Type – Instant
- Subtypes – None
- Card Text / Rules Text (Printed) – Choose target spell. You get two energy counters, then you may pay any amount of energy. Counter that spell unless its controller pays 1 for each energy paid this way.
- Power / Toughness – —
- Loyalty – —