Arctic Aven
Creature — Bird Wizard
Flying
This creature gets +1/+1 as long as you control a Plains.
: This creature gains lifelink until end of turn. (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- UW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic 2013
- Price
- $0.14
- EDHREC rank
- #24527
Arctic Aven is a conditional two-power flier that trades punch for longevity — the lifelink and +1/+1 counter both require a Plains or white source to activate, so it's only as good as your mana base supports. In a dedicated white or blue-white shell it pulls its weight; everywhere else it's underpowered for a three-mana creature.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Arctic Aven is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but sees essentially no competitive play in any of them. In Commander it fits narrowest into Azorius or mono-white lifegain and +1/+1 counter strategies, where the Plains condition is trivially satisfied and the incremental value compounds over a long game. Legacy, Modern, and Vintage have no interest — the rate is simply too low for formats where three mana buys you something that closes games. Oathbreaker is the one fringe context where a cheap, persistent evasive threat with upside could show up in a white-heavy tempo shell, but even there Arctic Aven is rarely the right call.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.14 bulk tier
At $0.14, Arctic Aven is deep bulk — the kind of card you pull from a common box, not a store shelf. The price accurately reflects demand, and there's no pressure pushing it higher.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.