Aura Shards is a versatile uncommon enchantment that excels in Commander decks. Its primary strength lies in its ability to destroy target artifacts or enchantments when one of your creatures enters the battlefield.

Typical Uses:

• Against artifact-heavy decks, Aura Shards provides a way to disrupt opponents' plans by destroying key cards like Aurelia, the Warleader or Thalia, Guardian of Thraben.
• In combo decks, it can help remove unwanted enchantments that might interfere with synergies between creatures and artifacts.
• When paired with token-generating creatures, Aura Shards can create an "evacuation" effect, forcing opponents to constantly pay attention to their board state.

Impact in Commander Decks:

Aura Shards is particularly effective in tokens-based and combo decks. Its ability to destroy enchantments allows for increased flexibility when interacting with opponents' plans. In particular:

• It complements cards like Serra Ascendant and Luminarch Aspirant, which provide additional benefits when attacking.
• Aura Shards can also work well with Sarkhan, Fireblade and other burn-heavy decks that rely on creatures to clear the board.

Price and Availability:

Aura Shards is an uncommon card from the 'Inv' set, priced around $20.38 USD. This makes it relatively affordable compared to its impact in Commander matchups.

Aura Shards is a versatile enchantment that can disrupt opponents' plans while also offering protection for your own creatures. Its mana cost of {1}{G}{W} allows it to be cast relatively early in the game.

Whenever a creature you control enters, Aura Shards triggers its ability. This can happen when you cast a creature, such as Liliana's Puppets, or when an opponent's removal spell misses a creature. When triggered, you may destroy target artifact or enchantment.

A notable aspect of this ability is that it only targets artifacts and enchantments, leaving creatures untouched. This makes Aura Shards a great complement to cards like Doomsday that rely on destroying permanents.

Aura Shards also has implications for decks featuring cards like Vraska's Contempt, which destroys an opponent's creature in exchange for another one being sacrificed. With Aura Shards, you can choose not to destroy the artifact or enchantment attached to Vraska's Contempt, potentially gaining a beneficial effect.

Keep in mind that when resolving multiple triggers at once, each trigger resolves individually and in the order they triggered. If you have multiple creatures entering the battlefield simultaneously, Aura Shards' ability will trigger for each of them.

Aura Shards is a versatile removal spell that finds its way into various Commander decks. Its ability to destroy target artifact or enchantment makes it particularly useful against token-heavy strategies.

Role on the Battlefield

As an instant-speed removal spell, Aura Shards excels at clearing obstacles and disrupting opponents' plans. It's often played as a sideboard card or in the main deck to provide a flexible way to deal with problematic artifacts or enchantments. For example, against a Daxos of Meletis combo deck, Aura Shards can help clear the board by destroying their key artifact pieces.

Archetypes and Strategies

Aura Shards fits into several archetypes:

• Token decks: Token-heavy strategies often rely on creatures with specific abilities or enchantments to fuel their gameplan. Aura Shards provides a way to disrupt these plans by destroying key artifacts or enchantments.
• Combo decks: Decks that rely on combining multiple cards to create powerful effects can be disrupted by Aura Shards' ability to destroy key artifact pieces.
• Protection and Pacifism: Decks focused on protecting creatures with Path to Exile or Vindicate-style removal can benefit from Aura Shards as a more versatile way to clear obstacles.

Deck Building Considerations

When building around Aura Shards, consider the following:

• Sideboard space: Given its utility and flexibility, it's worth allocating sideboard slots for Aura Shards, especially against decks that heavily rely on artifacts or enchantments.
• Synergy with other cards: Pairing Aura Shards with cards like Glint-Eye Sentry or Dust Bowl can create powerful combinations for dealing with problematic permanents.

Aura Shards: A Synergistic Nightmare for Artifacts

This enchantment is a nightmare for any artifact-heavy deck. Its ability to destroy target artifacts or enchantments makes it a valuable addition to any white-green (W-G) deck focused on disrupting opponents' plans.

Synergy with Tokens and Sweepers

When paired with Ajani's Pridemate, Aura Shards becomes a one-card solution for removing pesky artifact- or enchantment-based token swarms. For example, in a W-G token generation deck, you can cast Ajani's Pridemate to create a token army, then use Aura Shards to destroy any opposing tokens or artifacts that try to shut down your plans.

Complementing Ethersworn Cadillac and Artifact Removal

Aura Shards also works well in conjunction with artifact removal spells like Ethersworn Cadillac. By destroying an opponent's key artifact, you can then use Ethersworn Cadillac to turn the tables by forcing them to sacrifice their remaining artifacts.

Combining with Day of Judgment and Other W-G Sweeper Effects

Aura Shards pairs perfectly with more traditional sweepers like Day of Judgment, creating a "clean-up" combo that clears the board of any problematic permanents. This synergy is particularly effective in control decks, where maintaining board presence is crucial.

Example Decklists

A possible deck featuring Aura Shards could include:

• 4x Ajani's Pridemate
• 2x Ethersworn Cadillac
• 2x Day of Judgment
• 1-2x Fog or other tempo spells to disrupt opponents' plans

When combined with these cards, Aura Shards becomes a formidable force that can control the board and dictate the pace of the game.

Timing Issues

Aura Shards' ability triggers when a creature enters the battlefield, but it's essential to note that this trigger is not an "always" trigger. It requires you to take a specific action (destroying an artifact or enchantment) after the trigger has resolved. This means if you have multiple creatures entering in one turn, you can only use Aura Shards' ability once per turn.

Poor Synergies

Aura Shards' ability is often misunderstood as being a "nuke" spell that can destroy entire artifacts and enchantments en masse. However, this is not the case. Destroying an artifact or enchantment with Aura Shards doesn't create a board impact like Erfaldres War-Chrome or Soul Wray. Instead, it's often used as a way to clear the way for other creatures or protect your own from being destroyed by opposing artifacts.

Misunderstood Rules

One common mistake is thinking that Aura Shards can destroy an artifact or enchantment that's already been destroyed. However, if an artifact or enchantment has been destroyed, it can't be targeted by Aura Shards' ability. The card explicitly states "destroy target artifact or enchantment," implying the target must still exist on the battlefield.

Bad Interactions

Aura Shards doesn't interact well with Aegis of the Paruns. If you're playing Aegis of the Paruns, you won't be able to use Aura Shards' ability because the creatures under its protection are not "entering" in the classical sense. Similarly, if you have a Chalice of the Void on the battlefield, destroying it with Aura Shards would only prevent it from killing your own artifacts or enchantments.

Deckbuilding Considerations

When building around Aura Shards, keep in mind that its ability is more suited for creature-heavy decks than artifact or enchantment-based ones. You'll want to prioritize creatures and make sure you're not overcommitting to artifacts or enchantments, which would limit your ability to use Aura Shards effectively.

General Tips

• Use Aura Shards to clear the way for other creatures or protect your own from destruction.
• Be mindful of timing and only destroy an artifact or enchantment when it's most impactful.
• Avoid playing Aura Shards in decks with a high concentration of artifacts or enchantments, as this would limit its effectiveness.

Aura Shards offers a unique interaction in Commander decks, particularly in token-heavy strategies. When a creature enters the battlefield, Aura Shards provides a convenient opportunity to clear artifacts or enchantments from the board.

In combination with cards like Vedalken Archmage, which generates tokens and creates an outlet for excess mana, Aura Shards can help manage problematic permanents. Additionally, pairing it with Fog-type cards that also destroy creatures can create a more dynamic removal suite.

However, Aura Shards' impact may be limited in decks that focus on controlling the board through direct removal spells, such as those featuring Path to Exile. In these cases, Aura Shards might not provide sufficient value.

Aura Shards is an uncommon card with a relatively high price point ($20.38 USD). Its effectiveness depends heavily on the Commander deck's overall strategy and playstyle. For decks that focus on token generation and manage artifacts/enchantments as a significant threat, Aura Shards can be a worthwhile inclusion.

In more static or removal-focused strategies, its value is less clear.