I am sick of drawing Aetherling early in my non white control deck.
(I haven't completely decided on my colours but UW is too expensive)
Its basically the worst card until its your best card.
I hate it but its also the only way I can actually win the game.
Is there anything I can do to get off my reliance on the card?...give up on control without white?
Ideally you're only running one of them so it's not too often you see one early. Scry land and elixir helps with this. If I scry and see my Aetherling early I'll generally pitch it to the bottom and expect to elixir it somewhere not at the bottom later. As you're running Grixis(Guess from Signature) I'm assuming your card draw isn't the best in the world as it has a definite limit (Jace = 3 a turn, Divination = 2 once, and Opportunity is 4 once) but it should be enough with elixir so you shouldn't feel too bad pitching it to the bottom off a scry.
If you're looking for alternative win cons so that you can run Aetherling sideboard, Mogis, God of Slaughter or Jace, Memory Adept could work but Mogis and Jace are slow and subject to a lot of removal.
As a last comment, that's really the drawback with Aetherling, he's absolutely horrible and a dead card until you stabilize and have at least 7-8 mana up. However he's arguably the most reliable win con any blue based control has once they stabilize. I've even raced opponents with Aetherling in tight spots before.
I don't like divination, because turn 3 and 4 are critical turns and I need to have counter mana up or I lose to an enchantment. I am actually running underworld connections atm and I have previously ran steam augury... which forced me to have two Aetherlings in case I dumped it to the grave but I also need two because of thoughtsieze. I lose it, I can have all the counterspells in the world but I will find it really hard to win. My secondary win con is Ashiok, nightmare weaver which I have ridden to unlikely victories in the past that and Jace AoT ultimate I have milled a few UW controls.
I am exploring options as far as colours go, I have gradually removed a lot of my red since the UR scry land I needed was going to take so long to get here...just running BR scry land for the scry. Now it is here I am even considering straight UR. UB and BUG as also good options, (I own abrupt decays but not Kiora's)
Aetherling (Like many other 7 cmc cards and why play it when you can't protect it?) are cards you rarely want to see in your opening hand. Still with the variance in magic it happens. You improve your odds of drawing it by having less of them in the deck obviously as others have suggested. Truly is the best win condition for about any blue control deck in standard at the moment.
I love Aetherling, I remember watching a PT not too long ago when Zach Hill(?) one of the designers of the card just basically said. "We wanted a new Morphling, this is the new Morphling." Only downside is you cant suit up Aetherling like Morphling :(. I guess the art is significantly worse too imo.
Edit: BUG or Bant control can get to Atherling a lot quicker too with Ramp. Makes it not as bad to see it earlier in the game. Hey just look at the bright side it's almost inifnitely better than any other blue finisher in standard right now.
(I haven't completely decided on my colours but UW is too expensive)
Its basically the worst card until its your best card.
I hate it but its also the only way I can actually win the game.
Is there anything I can do to get off my reliance on the card?...give up on control without white?
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
If you're looking for alternative win cons so that you can run Aetherling sideboard, Mogis, God of Slaughter or Jace, Memory Adept could work but Mogis and Jace are slow and subject to a lot of removal.
As a last comment, that's really the drawback with Aetherling, he's absolutely horrible and a dead card until you stabilize and have at least 7-8 mana up. However he's arguably the most reliable win con any blue based control has once they stabilize. I've even raced opponents with Aetherling in tight spots before.
I am exploring options as far as colours go, I have gradually removed a lot of my red since the UR scry land I needed was going to take so long to get here...just running BR scry land for the scry. Now it is here I am even considering straight UR. UB and BUG as also good options, (I own abrupt decays but not Kiora's)
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
I love Aetherling, I remember watching a PT not too long ago when Zach Hill(?) one of the designers of the card just basically said. "We wanted a new Morphling, this is the new Morphling." Only downside is you cant suit up Aetherling like Morphling :(. I guess the art is significantly worse too imo.
Edit: BUG or Bant control can get to Atherling a lot quicker too with Ramp. Makes it not as bad to see it earlier in the game. Hey just look at the bright side it's almost inifnitely better than any other blue finisher in standard right now.
"A man is but a product of his thoughts. What he thinks he becomes."
blah blah blah blah blah, it sucks since i cant cast it on turn one blah blah blah
i dont like drawing good cards period why do i run his crap
Land and Loxodon Smiters ideally!