Azorius Aethermage
Creature — Human Wizard
Whenever a permanent is returned to your hand, you may pay 
. If you do, draw a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- UW
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Dissension
- Price
- $0.16
- EDHREC rank
- #23435
Azorius Aethermage turns every bounce spell into a free Divination, which is a real effect — but it costs three mana for a 1/1 that does nothing on its own. The engine only pays off in a deck that bounces permanents repeatedly; anywhere else, it's a vanilla body collecting dust.
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 |
Azorius Aethermage is a Commander card, full stop — the format's slower pace and 100-card singleton structure give it the runway it needs to generate repeated draw triggers over a long game. In Legacy and Vintage, a three-mana 1/1 with a conditional draw trigger is unplayable; those formats have no patience for a creature that requires a supporting cast of bounce spells just to match what a single cantrip does for one mana. Modern is legal but equally uninterested — the card is too slow and too dependent on a specific archetype to compete. In Commander, Azorius Aethermage finds a genuine home in bounce-heavy or flicker-adjacent builds, where it quietly generates card advantage while opponents focus on bigger threats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.16 bulk tier
At $0.16, Azorius Aethermage is deep bulk — grab a copy out of any dollar box without hesitation. Demand is narrow enough that the price is unlikely to spike, but it also means you're not speculating; you're paying a quarter for a role-player that earns its keep in the right shell.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.