Does a Board Wipe Destroy Indestructible? A Comprehensive Guide

Yes and no. The key to understanding whether a board wipe affects a creature with indestructible hinges on how the board wipe works. If the board wipe’s effect specifically says “destroy” then indestructible will protect the creatures. However, if the board wipe exiles or reduces a creature’s toughness to zero, then indestructible is bypassed. Think of it as a magical force field; it blocks destruction, but can’t defend against being banished or withered away.

Understanding Indestructible and Board Wipes

To truly grasp this interaction, we need to define our terms.

• Indestructible: This keyword ability means that the permanent (usually a creature, but could be other things like artifacts or enchantments) cannot be destroyed by damage or “destroy” effects. Crucially, it doesn’t protect against other types of removal.
• Board Wipe: This is a spell or ability that affects multiple permanents on the battlefield, usually all creatures. The classic example is Wrath of God, which simply says, “Destroy all creatures.” But board wipes come in many forms.

The crux of the matter lies in how the board wipe removes the creatures. Does it use the word “destroy”? Then indestructible wins. Does it use other methods? Then indestructible is irrelevant.

Methods That Do Not Destroy Indestructible Creatures:

• Exile: Effects that exile creatures, such as “Swords to Plowshares,” bypass indestructible. Exile is considered complete removal, regardless of other protections.
• -X/-X Effects: Board wipes that give creatures negative toughness, like “Toxic Deluge” which gives all creatures -X/-X until end of turn, can kill indestructible creatures. If a creature’s toughness is reduced to zero or less, it’s put into the graveyard, indestructible or not.
• Sacrifice: Forcing a player to sacrifice a creature circumvents indestructible. Sacrifice isn’t the same as destroying, so the protection doesn’t apply.
• Bounce (Returning to Hand): While not permanent removal, returning a creature to its owner’s hand also ignores indestructible. The creature isn’t destroyed; it’s simply removed from the battlefield.
• Putting into Library: Similar to bouncing, if a card shuffles or places the creature on top of their library, it also ignores indestructible.

Methods That Do Fail Against Indestructible Creatures:

• “Destroy” Effects: Any card that uses the word “destroy” is completely negated by indestructible. Think of cards like “Murder,” “Doom Blade,” or the classic “Wrath of God.” The creatures simply laugh (metaphorically, of course).
• Damage: Indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed by damage, no matter how much is dealt. This includes combat damage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does protection from [color] stop a board wipe?

Protection from a color only stops four things, often abbreviated as DEBT: Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting. If the board wipe doesn’t do any of those things (e.g., it’s a non-targeted destroy effect, exile, or -X/-X), protection offers no defense.

2. Does hexproof protect from board wipes?

Hexproof prevents spells and abilities your opponents control from targeting the permanent. A board wipe, by definition, doesn’t target, so hexproof does not protect from it.

3. Can combat damage kill an indestructible creature?

No. Creatures with indestructible are impervious to any effects that normally destroy creatures, and that includes damage, whether it’s from a Lightning Bolt or a colossal trampling beast.

4. Does deathtouch kill indestructible creatures?

No, deathtouch causes damage to be “lethal damage,” but indestructible creatures cannot be killed by “lethal damage.”

5. Is indestructible immune to sacrifice?

Indestructible does not stop you from being forced to sacrifice a permanent. The game rules treat sacrifice differently than destruction, so the protection doesn’t apply.

6. Does shroud protect from board wipes?

Shroud is very similar to hexproof. It makes a creature untargetable. Board wipes don’t target, so shroud does not protect from them.

7. How do shield counters interact with board wipes?

Shield counters prevent a permanent from being destroyed once if it would be destroyed by damage or a destroy effect. So, a shield counter will protect against one instance of a “destroy” board wipe, but it will not protect against exile, -X/-X effects, or sacrifice effects. After preventing the destruction, the shield counter is removed.

8. What about creatures with “protection from everything”?

A creature with protection from everything is incredibly difficult to deal with. You can’t target it, damage it, block it, or enchant/equip it. However, just like with other protection abilities, you can still force the controller to sacrifice it, or use a board wipe that exiles all creatures.

9. Does indestructible work on planeswalkers?

Indestructible can be granted to planeswalkers by certain effects. However, even with indestructible, a planeswalker will still lose loyalty counters when they are dealt damage. If a planeswalker with indestructible has no loyalty counters, it will be put into its owner’s graveyard. The important distinction is that the game rule that causes this doesn’t “destroy” the planeswalker, it just removes it as a state-based action.

10. Does trample damage go through indestructible creatures?

Yes, when assigning combat damage, you must assign lethal damage to each blocker before damage can “trample” over to the defending player. While an indestructible creature can’t be destroyed by the damage, the game still sees that lethal damage was assigned. So, all of the attacking creature’s remaining damage can be assigned to the defending player.

11. How can I protect my creatures from board wipes?

There are several ways to do this:

• Indestructibility: Obviously, giving your creatures indestructible makes them immune to “destroy” board wipes.
• Regeneration: While less common now, regeneration is an older mechanic that effectively replaces destruction with a delayed effect.
• Keeping Cards in Hand: The simplest way to mitigate the impact of a board wipe is to not overextend onto the board. Hold back some creatures in your hand to rebuild after the wipe.
• Counterspells: Counter the board wipe spell itself!

12. How many board wipes should I include in my deck?

The number of board wipes depends on your deck’s strategy and the format you’re playing. Generally, 3-4 is a good starting point. Control decks often run more, while aggressive decks run fewer.

13. What are some asymmetrical board wipes?

Asymmetrical board wipes are those that affect your opponents’ creatures more than yours. Examples include:

• Cleansing Nova: Allows you to choose between destroying all creatures or all artifacts and enchantments.
• Austere Command: Lets you choose two options from among creatures with converted mana cost 3 or less, creatures with converted mana cost 4 or greater, artifacts, and enchantments.

14. Does first strike or double strike affect deathtouch?

A creature with first strike or double strike will deal its damage first. If that damage is lethal (even due to deathtouch), the creature with deathtouch will die before it can deal its own damage.

15. Does “destroy all creatures” target?

No, spells that say “destroy all creatures” do not target. They affect all creatures on the battlefield regardless of any protection abilities like hexproof or shroud. The only protection that matters is indestructible.

Hopefully, this detailed guide has clarified the complex interaction between indestructible and board wipes in Magic: The Gathering. Remember, understanding the nuances of these mechanics is crucial for mastering the game!

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