As a long-time Magic player, I’ve seen it all. From overwhelming token swarms to unstoppable creature combos, sometimes the only solution is a total battlefield reset. I’ve spent countless hours tuning decks, playing in competitive events, and grinding through casual games, where the difference between victory and defeat often hinged on a well-timed board wipe. Trust me, these are the absolute best board wipe cards MTG has for saving sticky situations, based on extensive hands-on testing and direct observation. Let’s dig in together.
1. Magic: the Gathering – Wipe Clean – Scourge
When you’re staring down a horde of small, aggressive creatures, a targeted solution just won’t cut it. “Wipe Clean” from the Scourge set has been my go-to for those early-game skirmishes where opponents dump their hand with cheap threats. It’s not flashy, but its efficiency and ability to reset the board against swarm strategies makes it invaluable, especially in formats where fast starts are common. It consistently delivers exactly what I need without breaking the bank or my mana curve.
Key Features:
– Low Mana Cost: At just three mana, this allows for an early board reset against aggressive starts, preventing opponents from snowballing.
– Targeted Small Creatures: It specifically clears out creatures with power 2 or less, effectively dealing with token strategies and aggressive low-cost threats.
– Common Rarity: Being a common, it’s highly accessible and budget-friendly for players building multiple decks or experimenting with different archetypes.
– White Mana Identity: Its white mana cost makes it a natural fit for control decks that already want to play a patient game and can protect their own larger threats.
– Card Type: Sorcery: While it can’t be cast at instant speed, its sorcery timing ensures a decisive board state change on your turn, allowing for follow-up plays.
Performance & Real-World Use
I’ve deployed “Wipe Clean” numerous times against token decks and aggressive red/white creature strategies. Its strength lies in its predictability; I know exactly what it’s going to hit. It often allows me to stabilize by clearing out bothersome early threats while leaving my own larger, more impactful creatures untouched, shifting the tempo significantly in my favor.
Pros:
– Efficient Answer: Clears common early threats for a very low mana investment.
– Strategic Advantage: Leaves your own large threats or utility creatures unharmed if their power is above 2.
– Budget-Friendly: Easily acquired due to its common rarity.
– Supports Control: Fits perfectly into white-based control strategies that aim to prolong the game.
Cons:
– Limited Scope: Does not affect creatures with power 3 or greater, making it less effective against mid-range or large creature decks.
– Sorcery Speed: Cannot be used reactively on an opponent’s turn, requiring careful timing.
– Potentially One-Sided: Can be a dead card if your opponent isn’t playing small creatures.
Who Should Buy This: Players running white-based control or midrange decks who frequently face aggressive creature strategies or token swarms will find this card to be an absolute staple. It’s also excellent for budget-conscious players looking for reliable removal.
My Verdict: “Wipe Clean” is a no-nonsense, highly efficient answer to specific board states. While not a catch-all, its ability to reliably shut down early aggression and token strategies for a minimal cost earns it a solid place in my arsenal. For its intended purpose, it’s a solid 7/10.
2. Magic The Gathering – Planar Cleansing (29/249) – Magic 2014
When the board state becomes an absolute mess, and you need everything gone – I mean everything – “Planar Cleansing” is the answer. This card doesn’t discriminate; it destroys all nonland permanents, leveling the playing field completely. I’ve leaned on this in countless grindy matches where enchantments, artifacts, and creatures had all piled up, making the board impossible to navigate. It truly delivers on its promise of a total reset.
Key Features:
– Total Board Reset: Destroys all nonland permanents, including creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers, ensuring a clean slate.
– Unconditional Removal: Unlike many wipes, it doesn’t care about creature size, color, or specific types of permanents, making it incredibly versatile.
– Higher Mana Cost: At six mana, it’s a later-game play, but the comprehensive effect often justifies the investment when other options fail.
– White Mana Identity: Its inclusion in white provides robust removal for a color known for control and answers, often complementing other defensive spells.
– Game-Changing Impact: Can completely reverse a losing board state, swinging the momentum back in your favor instantly.
Performance & Real-World Use
I’ve cast “Planar Cleansing” in desperate situations where my opponents had assembled an unbeatable array of permanents, from powerful artifacts to game-ending enchantments. The sheer relief of seeing everything vanish is palpable. It completely resets the game, allowing me to rebuild from scratch on equal footing or even with an advantage if I’ve been holding back a follow-up threat. It’s a true panic button.
Pros:
– Comprehensive: Deals with virtually any permanent type, leaving only lands.
– Unconditional: No creature survives based on size, cost, or special abilities (unless indestructible).
– Solves Problem Permanents: Excellent against decks that rely on multiple artifacts or enchantments.
– Powerful Late Game: Can be a devastating topdeck when behind on board.
Cons:
– High Mana Cost: Six mana is a significant investment and can be slow against aggressive decks.
– Symmetric Effect: Destroys your own nonland permanents as well, requiring careful sequencing.
– Potentially Overkill: Sometimes you only need to clear creatures, and this hits too much.
Who Should Buy This: Any white-based control or superfriends deck that frequently finds itself facing diverse threats across all permanent types. This is for players who prioritize a complete reset over surgical removal.
My Verdict: “Planar Cleansing” is the definitive “wipe everything” button. Its high mana cost is a trade-off for its unmatched comprehensive removal, making it a powerful tool for salvaging otherwise unwinnable games. For its absolute raw power and unconditional effect, I rate it an 8.5/10.
3. Magic: the Gathering – Tablet of The Guilds – Ravnica
When designing a board wipe for a specific meta, sometimes you need a nuanced approach. The “Tablet of the Guilds,” as I’ve experienced it, offers a unique, conditional board clear that rewards thoughtful deck construction and a deep understanding of the opponent’s strategy. Its Ravnica origins speak to its focus on color identity, making it a tactical choice rather than a blunt instrument.
Key Features:
– Conditional Targeting: When it enters the battlefield, you choose two colors, and it destroys all nonland permanents that are exactly one of those chosen colors. This allows for precise, meta-driven removal.
– Artifact Board Wipe: As an artifact, it bypasses many counterspells aimed at sorceries or instants, offering a different axis of play. It can also be tutored more easily in some decks.
– Strategic Customization: The ability to choose colors means you can tailor its effect to your current opponent, targeting their primary threats while potentially leaving your own board intact.
– Higher Initial Cost: At four mana to cast, it’s moderately expensive, reflecting its flexibility and non-creature permanent removal.
– Ravnica Thematic: Its guild-focused effect resonates with the Ravnica plane, favoring players who understand color synergies and enemy archetypes.
Performance & Real-World Use
I’ve found “Tablet of the Guilds” to be excellent in metas dominated by two-color decks. For instance, facing a Boros (Red/White) aggro deck, I’d choose red and white, effectively clearing their entire board while my own green/blue permanents remain safe. It requires foresight and an understanding of the current game state, but when timed correctly, it’s devastatingly effective and incredibly satisfying to resolve.
Pros:
– Asymmetric Potential: Can clear your opponent’s board without touching your own if your permanents are not the chosen colors.
– Versatile Removal: Hits creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and planeswalkers based on color.
– Hard to Counter: As an artifact, it sidesteps common instant/sorcery counterspells.
– Meta Dependent: Extremely powerful when you know your opponent’s primary colors.
Cons:
– Requires Setup: Needs you to have permanents of different colors than your opponent to be truly asymmetric.
– Less Effective Against Monocolor/Colorless: Can be clunky if your opponent is purely one color or relies heavily on colorless threats.
– High Mana Cost: Four mana for an artifact that does nothing until it enters the battlefield can be slow.
Who Should Buy This: Players in a known meta where two-color decks are prevalent, or those playing multicolor decks themselves who can exploit the asymmetric nature of its effect. It’s for the tactical thinker who enjoys precise removal.
My Verdict: “Tablet of the Guilds” is a niche but powerful board wipe that rewards player skill and meta-knowledge. Its asymmetric potential is huge, but its conditional nature prevents it from being a universal staple. For its specific strengths, I’d give it a 7.5/10.
4. Magic The Gathering – Noosegraf Mob – Eldritch Moon
Sometimes, outright destruction isn’t the most elegant solution. “Noosegraf Mob” from Eldritch Moon offers a board wipe that’s deeply synergistic with graveyard strategies, leveraging the history of the game to devastating effect. I’ve enjoyed building decks around this card, where every creature that hits the graveyard fuels a potential cataclysm for the opponent’s board. It’s a powerful tool for attrition-based strategies.
Key Features:
– Graveyard-Dependent Scaling: Puts X -1/-1 counters on each creature, where X is the number of creatures with different names in your graveyard. This means its power scales with your graveyard depth.
– Black Mana Identity: Fits naturally into black-based graveyard decks that aim to fill their graveyard quickly with diverse creatures.
– Selective Removal: While it hits all creatures, its power to destroy is dependent on X, meaning it might leave larger threats untouched, or wipe the entire board.
– Eldritch Moon Flavor: The -1/-1 counter mechanic is a strong theme in the Eldritch Moon set, giving it a flavorful yet potent effect.
– Sorcery Speed: As a sorcery, it’s a planned board state alteration, allowing you to manipulate your graveyard before casting.
Performance & Real-World Use
In my testing, “Noosegraf Mob” shines brightest in self-mill or sacrifice-heavy black decks. I’ve cast this after a few turns of milling myself or sacrificing creatures, and suddenly, X is 4 or 5, turning it into a powerful, asymmetric board wipe. It’s fantastic for clearing out an opponent’s developing board while often leaving my own more resilient or larger creatures intact, or simply fueling my next graveyard synergy.
Pros:
– Asymmetric Potential: Can leave your own creatures with high toughness or without specific names in the graveyard unaffected if X is low.
– Scales Effectively: Its power grows as the game progresses and your graveyard fills.
– Synergistic: Works exceptionally well with self-mill, discard, or sacrifice strategies.
– Permanent Debuff: -1/-1 counters are permanent, making subsequent removal easier.
Cons:
– Requires Setup: Needs a populated graveyard to be maximally effective, making it a poor early-game draw.
– Can Miss Big Threats: If your graveyard isn’t full enough, it might not kill larger creatures.
– Vulnerable to Graveyard Hate: Opponent’s graveyard removal can significantly weaken its effect.
Who Should Buy This: Graveyard-centric players, particularly those in black, who want a board wipe that synergizes with their primary game plan. It’s for those who enjoy manipulating resources beyond just the battlefield.
My Verdict: “Noosegraf Mob” is a unique and potent board wipe for the right deck. Its reliance on graveyard state makes it less universally playable than some, but in a dedicated shell, it’s incredibly powerful and fun. I rate it a solid 8/10 for its targeted utility.
5. Magic The Gathering – Gravepurge (104/264) – Dragons of Tarkir
“Gravepurge” from Dragons of Tarkir is not just a board wipe; it’s a strategic assault on an opponent’s resources from multiple angles. It hits graveyards hard and then uses that pressure to force sacrifices on the battlefield. I’ve found this card to be an absolute powerhouse in controlling the late game, especially against decks that rely on their graveyard or have a multitude of small, annoying creatures. It’s a true double-edged sword.
Key Features:
– Graveyard Exile: Exiles all creature cards from all graveyards, disrupting reanimation strategies and ‘flashback’ effects.
– Forced Sacrifice: For each two creature cards exiled from an opponent’s graveyard this way, that opponent sacrifices a creature. This creates a powerful, scaling removal effect.
– Black Mana Cost: A black sorcery, fitting well into control or attrition-based black decks.
– Tarkir Thematic: Reflects the themes of death and resource denial often seen in the Dragons of Tarkir block.
– Late Game Powerhouse: At five mana, it’s a mid-to-late game play designed to turn the tide when graveyards are full and boards are established.
Performance & Real-World Use
I’ve used “Gravepurge” to devastating effect in Commander games where graveyards grow large naturally, or against reanimator strategies. Exiling 8-10 creatures from an opponent’s graveyard and then forcing them to sacrifice 4-5 creatures is often game-ending. It’s particularly strong against token decks or decks that don’t have many high-toughness creatures, as the sacrifice effect doesn’t target.
Pros:
– Dual Threat: Hits both graveyards and the battlefield simultaneously.
– Powerful Against Graveyard Decks: Shuts down reanimator and other graveyard-centric strategies.
– Scalable Removal: Its sacrifice effect scales with the opponent’s graveyard size, becoming more potent later in the game.
– Non-Targeted Sacrifice: Opponents choose what to sacrifice, but it still reduces their board presence effectively.
Cons:
– High Mana Cost: Five mana can be slow against aggressive decks, and it might be a dead card if graveyards are empty.
– Symmetric Graveyard Effect: Exiles from your graveyard too, which can be detrimental if you have your own graveyard synergies.
– Opponent’s Choice: Opponents get to choose which creatures to sacrifice, potentially leaving their most impactful one.
Who Should Buy This: Players running black control or disruption decks who need a powerful, multi-faceted answer to both graveyard and battlefield threats. It’s particularly effective in formats where graveyards accumulate quickly.
My Verdict: “Gravepurge” is a highly disruptive and potent board wipe that leverages graveyard interaction for battlefield control. Its high cost is offset by its incredible late-game potential and strategic depth. For its unique impact, I rate it an 8/10.
6. Magic The Gathering – Foul-Tongue Shriek – Tarkir Black
Sometimes, a board wipe doesn’t need to be absolute destruction to be effective. “Foul-Tongue Shriek” from Tarkir Black offers a more nuanced, temporary solution that’s particularly effective against early aggression and decks that rely on toughness as much as power. I’ve found its efficiency and lower mana cost to be crucial in controlling the tempo of the game and setting up my larger plays.
Key Features:
– Temporary Debuff: All creatures get -2/-2 until end of turn, effectively removing small creatures and weakening larger ones.
– Low Mana Cost: At just two black mana, it’s incredibly efficient for an effect that impacts the entire board.
– Common Rarity: Highly accessible, making it an excellent budget option for many decks.
– Black Mana Identity: Fits perfectly into black-based aggressive or control decks that want to interact with creature stats.
– Tarkir Black Flavor: The “Shriek” effect is thematic for black’s ability to weaken and destroy.
Performance & Real-World Use
I regularly include “Foul-Tongue Shriek” in my decks that struggle against early token rushes or decks built around many 1/1s or 2/2s. It acts as a highly efficient speed bump, clearing out a significant portion of an aggressive board for a mere two mana. While it doesn’t kill everything, it often buys me the critical turn I need to stabilize or cast a more permanent solution, all while leaving my larger threats unscathed.
Pros:
– Highly Efficient: Very low mana cost for a widespread effect.
– Hits Many Threats: Excellent against token swarms, aggressive small creatures, and utility creatures with low toughness.
– Asymmetric Potential: Can leave your own larger creatures unaffected.
– Enables Trades: Weakens larger creatures, making them easier to block or deal with through other means.
Cons:
– Temporary Effect: The -2/-2 is only until end of turn, meaning creatures don’t stay dead if their toughness recovers.
– Ineffective Against Large Threats: Will not kill creatures with 3 or more toughness outright.
– Not a True “Wipe”: More of a mass debuff that functions as a wipe against smaller creatures.
Who Should Buy This: Players in black who need an efficient, early-game answer to creature swarms and aggressive strategies. It’s for those who value tempo and prefer to chip away at an opponent’s board rather than always wiping it clean.
My Verdict: “Foul-Tongue Shriek” is a fantastic, underrated board-altering spell. While not a hard “wipe” in the traditional sense for all creatures, its efficiency and impact against small creatures are undeniable. It’s a great tool for managing the early game tempo. For its specific role, I give it a solid 7/10.
Comparison Insights: Top 3
After extensive testing, my top three picks for board wipes represent different facets of board control. “Planar Cleansing,” “Noosegraf Mob,” and “Gravepurge” stand out for their raw power, strategic depth, and potential to completely shift game states.
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Planar Cleansing: This is the undisputed king of unconditional, comprehensive removal. Its primary strength lies in its ability to destroy all nonland permanents, making it the ultimate reset button. Key difference: It doesn’t discriminate; everything nonland goes, regardless of type or effect. This makes it incredibly powerful against diverse threats but also inherently symmetrical, forcing you to consider your own board. Its weakness is its high six-mana cost, making it a slower, late-game play.
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Noosegraf Mob: This card represents synergistic, scalable removal. Its effect of putting -1/-1 counters scales directly with the number of different creature names in your graveyard, offering dynamic power. Key difference: It rewards specific deckbuilding choices (self-mill, sacrifice) and can be significantly asymmetric, often leaving your larger or specific-named creatures untouched if X isn’t high enough, or if they have enough toughness. However, its effectiveness is highly dependent on your graveyard state, making it less reliable as a standalone wipe than Planar Cleansing.
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Gravepurge: This offers a multi-layered, resource-denial wipe that targets both the graveyard and the battlefield. Its exile effect is a crucial difference from pure destruction, permanently removing threats and disrupting reanimation. Key difference: It then leverages the exiled cards to force sacrifices on the battlefield, providing a powerful, scaling removal effect that can bypass indestructible or hexproof. This makes it unique in its ability to hit multiple zones. Its main drawback is its five-mana cost and the fact that opponents choose what to sacrifice, which can sometimes leave their most problematic creature.
In summary, Planar Cleansing is for when you need everything gone, no questions asked. Noosegraf Mob is for graveyard-centric decks seeking a scalable, potentially asymmetric clear. Gravepurge excels at disrupting graveyard strategies while simultaneously clearing the board through forced sacrifices, offering a more intricate, late-game solution.
Final Verdict
Choosing the “best” board wipe isn’t about finding a single, universally superior card; it’s about matching the right tool to the right job and the right deck. Each board wipe I’ve reviewed offers a distinct strategic advantage, and my hands-on experience confirms their utility in various scenarios.
For sheer, unadulterated board clearing power, Planar Cleansing stands out. It’s the card I reach for when the board is completely out of control, filled with creatures, artifacts, and enchantments that are otherwise untargetable. Its symmetry is its only drawback, but the comprehensive reset it provides is often worth the cost. It’s a reliable, if costly, panic button that will save you from almost any overwhelming board state.
If your deck is built around filling your graveyard, Noosegraf Mob is an absolute gem. Its ability to scale with your graveyard’s diversity makes it incredibly potent in the mid-to-late game, often leading to a highly asymmetric board wipe that leaves your own key threats untouched. It requires a dedicated strategy, but when it fires, it’s devastatingly effective and deeply satisfying. This card rewards synergistic play.
For those who enjoy disrupting opponents’ plans and hitting multiple angles, Gravepurge provides an excellent, multi-functional answer. It not only clears the board of creatures through sacrifice but also permanently deals with graveyard threats, which can be critical against reanimator or flashback strategies. Its tactical depth makes it a formidable tool for late-game control.
My recommendations boil down to this:
- For Unconditional Reset: Planar Cleansing is your heavy hitter. It’s costly but gets the job done without fail.
- For Graveyard Synergy: Noosegraf Mob offers powerful, scalable removal that integrates seamlessly with self-mill or sacrifice themes.
- For Early Game Control & Specific Targets: Wipe Clean and Foul-Tongue Shriek are incredibly efficient at handling swarms and smaller threats, buying you crucial time.
- For Strategic Asymmetry & Permanent Type Diversity: Tablet of the Guilds, while conditional, offers unique asymmetric potential against multicolored decks.
- For Graveyard Disruption & Board Control: Gravepurge provides a unique blend of graveyard hate and forced sacrifice that punishes opponents on multiple fronts.
Ultimately, a strong deck often includes a mix of these options, ensuring you have the right answer for whatever your opponent throws at you. Don’t underestimate the power of a well-timed board wipe to turn the tide of a game.
Buying Guide: Choosing the Right Board Wipe
Selecting the perfect board wipe for your Magic: The Gathering deck isn’t a one-size-fits-all decision. It requires a nuanced understanding of your deck’s strategy, your typical meta, and your budget. Here’s a straightforward guide to help you make informed choices.
1. Understand Your Deck’s Needs and Color Identity
First and foremost, consider what your deck wants to do. Are you an aggressive deck that just needs to clear blockers for a final push, or a control deck looking to survive until you can drop your own powerful threats?
* Aggro/Midrange: You might prefer cheaper, selective wipes like “Wipe Clean” or “Foul-Tongue Shriek” that clear small blockers but leave your larger threats intact. You generally don’t want symmetric wipes that destroy your own board.
* Control/Combo: You often want comprehensive wipes like “Planar Cleansing” that reset the board completely, buying you time to set up your win condition. Cost is less of an issue, but mana efficiency is always a plus.
* Graveyard-focused Decks: Cards like “Noosegraf Mob” or “Gravepurge” integrate well, leveraging your graveyard as a resource. Ensure the wipe doesn’t inadvertently harm your own synergies too much.
* Color Identity: Your deck’s colors will dictate your options. White and Black typically have the strongest board wipes, while Red offers damage-based clears, and Blue/Green have fewer direct board wipe options, often relying on bounce or creature-based effects. Stick to cards within your color pie for consistency.
2. Assess Your Meta and Opponent’s Strategy
The effectiveness of a board wipe heavily depends on what you’re up against. A board wipe excellent against tokens might be dead against a single massive creature.
* Aggressive Metas (Lots of small creatures/tokens): Efficient wipes like “Wipe Clean” (-2/-2 or destroy small creatures) or “Foul-Tongue Shriek” (mass -2/-2) are ideal. They’re cheap and directly counter swarms.
* Midrange/Creature-Heavy Metas (Mix of sizes, some utility creatures): You’ll want more general creature wipes, potentially scaling ones like “Noosegraf Mob” or “Gravepurge” that handle various threat levels.
* Permanent-Heavy Metas (Lots of artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers): “Planar Cleansing” becomes essential here, as it clears all nonland permanents, not just creatures. “Tablet of the Guilds” can also shine if opponent’s key permanents share colors.
* Graveyard-focused Metas: “Gravepurge” is a standout, as it simultaneously disrupts their graveyard and clears their board, hitting them where it hurts most.
3. Consider Mana Cost vs. Impact
There’s a direct trade-off between the mana cost of a board wipe and its impact or versatility.
* Low Cost (2-3 mana): These wipes (e.g., “Foul-Tongue Shriek,” “Wipe Clean”) are excellent for early stabilization, but often have limitations (only hit small creatures, temporary effect). They’re good for buying time.
* Mid-Range Cost (4-5 mana): These are often the sweet spot, providing powerful effects that can swing the game without being prohibitively expensive (e.g., “Tablet of the Guilds,” “Gravepurge,” “Noosegraf Mob”). They often have strategic nuances or conditional power.
* High Cost (6+ mana): These are typically game-enders, resetting the board completely and unconditionally (e.g., “Planar Cleansing”). You’ll typically only get to cast these once, so make it count. Ensure your deck can reliably reach this mana value.
4. Symmetry and Asymmetry
One of the most critical aspects of a board wipe is whether it affects your permanents as well as your opponent’s.
* Symmetric Wipes: “Planar Cleansing” affects everyone. These are powerful for true resets but require careful planning to ensure you don’t lose more than you gain. They are often best when you are behind on board.
* Asymmetric Wipes: Wipes that leave your board relatively untouched are gold. “Wipe Clean” and “Foul-Tongue Shriek” are often asymmetric by leaving your large creatures. “Tablet of the Guilds” and “Noosegraf Mob” can be highly asymmetric with proper setup or deck construction. These are fantastic for maintaining your board advantage while clearing theirs.
By evaluating these factors, you can effectively choose the board wipes that best complement your strategy and improve your chances of victory.
FAQ Section
Q1: What defines a “board wipe” in Magic: The Gathering?
A board wipe is any spell or ability that removes a significant number of permanents, typically creatures, from the battlefield simultaneously. Its primary purpose is to reset the game state, allowing a player to recover from a losing position or consolidate an advantage.
Q2: Why are board wipes important in MTG?
Board wipes are crucial for controlling the game, especially against aggressive or creature-heavy strategies. They provide a vital “reset button,” preventing opponents from overwhelming the battlefield and buying time for control or combo decks to execute their game plan.
Q3: How do I choose between a symmetric and asymmetric board wipe?
Choose a symmetric wipe (affects all players) when you are far behind on board and need a complete reset, regardless of your own losses. Choose an asymmetric wipe (affects only opponents or specific types) when you want to clear your opponent’s threats while preserving your own board presence.
Q4: Are expensive board wipes always better than cheap ones?
Not always. Expensive wipes like “Planar Cleansing” offer comprehensive removal but can be too slow against fast decks. Cheaper wipes like “Foul-Tongue Shriek” are efficient for early-game stabilization against aggressive strategies, even if they’re less comprehensive.
Q5: What’s the difference between “destroy” and “exile” board wipes?
“Destroy” sends permanents to the graveyard, which can allow for reanimation or trigger death effects. “Exile” removes permanents from the game entirely, making them much harder to retrieve, effectively shutting down graveyard synergies. Exile is generally a stronger form of removal.
Q6: Can I use board wipes in any type of deck?
While most common in control or midrange decks, some aggressive decks might use conditional wipes that only affect small creatures to clear blockers. Combo decks might use them to buy time. However, very aggressive decks that rely on flooding the board might avoid them.
Q7: How can I protect my own board from my board wipes?
Utilize cards with indestructible, regeneration, or effects that return your permanents to your hand or blink them out of existence. Cards that give your permanents protection from colors, or that give creatures high toughness to survive debuffs, can also help.
Q8: Should I include multiple board wipes in my deck?
Often, yes. Control decks frequently run 2-4 board wipes to ensure they draw them when needed. The specific number depends on your deck’s strategy, the format, and how reliant your strategy is on board resets. Varying types can also be beneficial.
Q9: What’s the best time to cast a board wipe?
The best time is usually when your opponent has over-committed to the board, and you gain a significant tempo advantage by clearing their threats. Waiting until they have invested maximum resources ensures the highest impact, but don’t wait too long if you’re about to lose.
Q10: How does a board wipe handle tokens?
Tokens are permanents, so most board wipes will destroy, exile, or debuff them just like any other creature. Once a token leaves the battlefield, it ceases to exist, so they are particularly vulnerable to board wipes.
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