Airbend

Airbend
Keyword Action
Introduced	Avatar: The Last Airbender
Last used	Avatar: The Last Airbender Eternal
Reminder Text	Airbend [targets] (Exile them. While each one is exiled, its owner may cast it for rather than its mana cost.) Airbend [target] (Exile it. While it's exiled, its owner may cast it from exile by paying rather than its mana cost.)
Scryfall Statistics
cards

Airbend is is a keyword action introduced in Avatar: The Last Airbender. It represents the art of airbending in the Avatar universe.

Description

The keyword action captures airbending's evasive and disruptive nature. When you airbend a permanent, it is exiled. However, its owner may pay to cast it from exile as long as it is exiled this way.

As such, Airbending is a slower form of flickering, allowing it to be used as a way to re-buy cast and enter triggers and as soft control against opponents. It is possible to airbend and exile a land card. If this happens, you can't play that card. Airbend only lets you cast the exiled cards. Similarly, if you airbend a token, the token will end up not existing before you ever get the chance to cast it again.

If you're casting a card after it was airbended into exile, you're already paying an alternative cost rather than the mana cost, so you can't use any other alternative costs that may apply. If the spell has in its mana cost (which you're not paying), you have to choose 0 as the value of X.

Some cards also allow you to airbend your opponent's permanents. If you airbend a creature that an opponent owns during your turn, they'll usually have to wait until their next turn to cast it again.

Future use

If the mechanic is to be reused outside of the Avatar: The Last Airbender IP it has to be renamed.

Rulings

• To airbend one or more permanents and/or spells means to exile each of those objects. For each card exiled this way, for as long as it's exiled, its owner may cast it from exile by paying rather than paying its mana cost.
• Since you are using an alternative cost to cast a spell from exile this way, you can't pay any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.
• If the spell you cast has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X.
• Tokens exiled this way will cease to exist and cannot be cast.
• Lands exiled this way cannot be played from exile. (Lands that were animated by earthbend will be returned to the battlefield tapped when they're exiled.)

Examples

Example

Airbending Lesson
Instant — Lesson
Airbend target nonland permanent. (Exile it. While it’s exiled, its owner may cast it for {2} rather than its mana cost.)
Draw a card.

See also

• Earthbend
• Firebending
• Waterbend