This is exactly why it is a finisher for Control decks and not a high end beater for Midrange decks Beast.

Control decks usually run a very limited amount of finishers, so the ones they do run generally have to either turn the game instantly as soon as they hit the field, or they have to have some sort of way to protect or recur themselves. Remember that in a Control shell, they preferably aren't going to be dropping their finishers until they have achieved a soft lock, or at the very least stabilized themselves.

Playing Whale for example, then instantly unsummoning it to dodge removal isn't that terrible of a move when you consider that the deck in question is probably only running a minimal amount of finishers (or threats in general), so being able to keep the few that you have alive often makes a big difference.

Keep in mind also that we are talking a Control shell here. With some smart play, there shouldn't be too many times where you unsummon your whale to dodge removal, only to take a bunch of damage from unblocked creatures. Remember that being a Control deck, most, if not all, of the turns leading up to playing Whale are likely going to be spent casting removal, counterspells, mass removal, or draw spells. As such there is a decent chance that when you finally do drop the whale you are doing so onto a board that is at least (relatively) clear.

Control decks are also more likely to play their threats off curve, specifically because they usually run so few of them. Why do you think so many Control players have been howling over Negate? Waiting until you have 2-3 extra mana on the table to be able to cast Negate (or use another counterspell) on the same turn you cast your finisher is an EXTREMELY common tactic among control players used to keep their finishers safe from removal and counterspells. So it doesn't seem too unlikely to be able to drop Whale, unsummon it to dodge removal, and still have a few mana up for a counterspell or removal should your opponent be able to muster up an attack that turn.

Yep, i meant that one...

Squider, wondering why you were not building up energy recasting the whale after it would attack as you had the manna to do it (plus then it would threaten as a blocker too)?

Is it better then Disciple as a finisher?

HELL. NO.

I think I was building up energy with each recast (a net +2) but possibly should have used this to pump up the pummeler. I also considered the Moray but again at most he can get up to a 4/1. I was thinking about the card that returns all permanents to hand but it was not the whale. I did get revenge when the whale featured again along with the peacocks. The energy went pretty high at 24 or so at the end!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmO0oYshuZI

Aethertide Whale does trigger revolt, FWIW.

The deck was not running any revolt but its a good shout and maybe a way to convert energy into +1/+1 counters via the Whale.

Xrate of 4 energy for each +1/+1 counter.

It's literally nothing like Aetherling, which I would have lost my **** if they reprinted.

Multiform Wonder and Disciple of the Ring are both more like Aetherling than the whale. I haven't tried the whale yet, I got better uses for my energy than to play tap out control hoping to be able to finish with this dude. I think. I do think he's sweet. Sweet, not Good. Disciple best Aetherling in Duels.

Inb4 whale ends up in a top deck at the PT.

Jk kinda. As a 6 mana finisher, it's so - so... much better than it's being rated in this thread though.

Meh, I feel it fits alright into Draw-Go builds and isn't strictly relegated to working for Tapout. It is a large chunk of power on a flying body that can protect itself from removal. I think too many people are caught up on the idea of playing this thing on curve at T6. Again, this is the type of finisher that doesn't get dropped until we have achieved some sort of a lock on the game with our other spells and the unsummon ability exists to ensure that it doesn't eat removal and leave us trying to draw into one of our other limited finishers.

I feel like the Energy can be more relevant than people make out also. Cards like Aether Hub, Harnessed Lightning, and Dynavolt Tower aren't uncommon to see in Control builds (either varieties really) and can all directly benefit from the large influx of Energy from Whale. I can certainly see scenarios where stuff happens like playing out Whale and intentionally allowing it to eat removal just to activate Dynavolt to burn out their last few points of life or something.

Definitely not saying that the card is great, or even better than the other 6+ mana options available as finishers for Control decks. Just that it seems perfectly solid to me in that particular role.

Such control decks have access to Sorin, Chandra, and Torrential... depending on your colors...unless you've been dynavolting and making energy beforehand, whale should never be included over these finishers. You need 4 energy on the table to make the card acceptable, or it turns on all the tier 1 removal previously stuck in the opponents hands. So yeah... In a dynavolt deck, you probably are gonna be playing chandra and torrential. If you feel you need a whale on top of that at 6.... maybe? Pretty sure just casting confirm suspicions as a 4 for 1 or Dark Intimations or Disciple of the ring for is just better. Pretty hard to chumpblock those cards with thopters.

Again, I wasn't saying that the card was better than other available options. Just that the card is solid in that role and isn't just hot garbage.

I brewed a Grixis tower control tower deck just this week that runs a 1 of Dark Intimations. I have seriously considered running an Aether whale instead of intimations but decided I would rather have that additional removal/draw and I value big Chandra more as a finisher than an expensive recastable flying fatty, even if it has more synergy with the towers.

If it were a Dimir deck or mono blue running dynavolt towers I could certainly see this getting the nod. Chandra, Flamecaller is just too good of a finisher that is slightly easier to remove but also doubles as a sweeper.

I could see this card being stronger if you play it in a deck that can give it haste (via Spontaneous Artist , Arlinn Kord , Saheeli Rai , Flameshadow Conjuring , Haunted Cloak, Hanweir Battlements). Several of those combos could easily be disrupted but it wouldn't be too hard to try again on the next turn.

Now that I am thinking about it maybe this is a better card to run in a tower deck over Noxious Gearhulk.

I think it's good enough to play in my updated blue lightning deck, although I haven't tested it yet. It's better than Aethersquall Ancient, that's for sure...
For that matter, if one of those flicker decks decided it wanted to generate sh@t loads of energy... It could go pretty nuts...
Anyone for a totally johnny turbo/tower/turret/flicker/whale deck? Throw in some constrictors for good measure too...

Anecdote... I was playing my UG midrange deck with the whale in it, and I ran across I very good UB control deck. His deck was basically all counters, and card advantage. He simply couldn't handle the whale, which I was able to get through his counter wall. He ended up having to languish and then counter it, which set up sufficient space for me to land another threat. The whale flat out won me that game. Meh, I like the card a lot.

Using languish and a counter to remove it, left a huge opening for me to kill him.

Clearly you just have to get off Tamiyo's emblem first, then the whale is all kinds of bonkers

I'm just pointing out that it was an extremely hard to answer threat for that control deck, and answering the whale lost him the game... rock and a hard place kind of thing.