Does Protection Stop Board Wipes in Magic: The Gathering? A Comprehensive Guide
Protection in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a powerful keyword ability, but its effectiveness varies depending on the situation. Protection does not inherently stop all board wipes. It only protects against four specific things: Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting, often remembered by the acronym DEBT. If a board wipe doesn’t do any of those things, protection offers no defense. Let’s delve deeper into why this is the case and explore various scenarios where protection is relevant (or irrelevant) against board wipes.
Understanding Protection: The DEBT Acronym
To truly understand why protection sometimes fails against board wipes, you need to internalize the DEBT acronym:
- Damage: Protection prevents all damage dealt by sources of the specified quality (color, creature type, etc.). For example, protection from red will prevent all damage from red sources.
- Enchanting/Equipping: A permanent with protection from a specific quality cannot be enchanted or equipped by permanents of that quality. Any such Auras or Equipment already attached will fall off.
- Blocking: A creature with protection from a specific quality cannot be blocked by creatures of that quality.
- Targeting: A permanent with protection from a specific quality cannot be the target of spells or abilities from sources of that quality.
Board Wipes: Targeting vs. Non-Targeting Effects
Most board wipes are effective precisely because they do not target individual permanents. Spells like Wrath of God, Damnation, and Shatter the Sky simply destroy all creatures, regardless of their individual characteristics. Since these spells don’t target, protection from white, black, or any other color is useless.
However, some board wipes might appear to target, but technically don’t. For example, a card might say “Destroy all creatures unless…” followed by a condition. The spell itself is still affecting all creatures simultaneously; it just offers a way for some to survive.
Examples Where Protection Fails
Let’s consider some examples where protection fails to shield against board wipes:
- A creature with protection from black faces a Damnation. Damnation destroys all creatures without targeting, so the protection is irrelevant.
- A creature with protection from everything is subject to Supreme Verdict. Supreme Verdict is a non-targeting board wipe, rendering protection from everything useless.
- A creature with protection from creatures faces a board wipe that says “Destroy all permanents.” Since the board wipe affects all permanents, not just creatures, the protection is bypassed.
Scenarios Where Protection Can Help
Despite its limitations, protection can be effective against specific kinds of board wipes. Here are some examples:
- A creature with protection from white survives Swords to Plowshares if that spell is somehow made to affect the entire board. However, this is a highly unlikely scenario, as Swords to Plowshares is primarily a single-target removal spell.
- If a board wipe deals damage (e.g., a red spell dealing 3 damage to each creature), a creature with protection from red would be unharmed.
It’s important to note that these scenarios are less common, but understanding the nuances of protection will allow you to use it to its fullest potential.
Beyond Protection: Other Defensive Strategies
Since protection isn’t a foolproof solution against board wipes, it’s crucial to explore other defensive strategies:
- Indestructible: Permanents with indestructible can’t be destroyed by damage or effects that say “destroy.” This is a powerful defense against many board wipes.
- Hexproof/Shroud: While hexproof and shroud don’t protect against non-targeting board wipes, they make your creatures resilient to targeted removal, forcing opponents to rely on board wipes.
- Regeneration: Some creatures can regenerate, effectively replacing themselves if destroyed.
- Shield Counters: These counters prevent the next instance of damage or destruction.
- Counterspells: Countering the board wipe spell itself is one of the most effective strategies.
- Reanimation/Recursion: Having ways to bring creatures back from the graveyard after a board wipe can minimize its impact.
- Strategic Deployment: Don’t overextend your board. Hold back some creatures in your hand to rebuild after a wipe.
- Asymmetrical Board Wipes: Use board wipes that affect your opponents more than you.
Conclusion
While protection is a valuable keyword in Magic: The Gathering, it is not a universal shield against board wipes. Its effectiveness hinges on whether the board wipe relies on damage, enchanting/equipping, blocking, or targeting. Recognizing the limitations of protection encourages players to adopt a multifaceted approach to board wipe defense, incorporating other keywords and strategic gameplay elements to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the game. Visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more insights on strategy and card interactions in Magic: The Gathering.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does protection from black stop a board wipe like Damnation?
No. Damnation destroys all creatures without targeting. Protection from black only protects against damage, enchanting/equipping, blocking, and targeting from black sources. Since Damnation doesn’t do any of those things, protection is ineffective.
2. Does hexproof protect against board wipes?
No. Hexproof prevents a permanent from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Most board wipes don’t target, so hexproof doesn’t stop them.
3. Does indestructible protect against all board wipes?
Almost. Indestructible prevents destruction by damage or effects that say “destroy.” However, it doesn’t protect against effects that exile, sacrifice, or return permanents to their owner’s hand.
4. Can Mother of Runes give protection from a board wipe?
Mother of Runes can grant protection from a specific color. If the board wipe deals damage of that color, the creature with protection will survive. However, if the board wipe destroys without damaging or targeting, Mother of Runes won’t help.
5. Does the One Ring protect from board wipes?
The One Ring itself does not inherently protect from board wipes. However, its card draw ability can help you find answers to board wipes, such as counterspells or reanimation spells. The temptation mechanic may help you protect a creature, but with negative repercussions later.
6. Do shield counters block board wipes?
Shield counters prevent the next instance of damage or destruction. Therefore, they are effective against board wipes that destroy creatures. However, shield counters do not protect against exile or sacrifice effects.
7. Does shroud protect against board wipes?
No, shroud does not protect against board wipes, as shroud only prevents the card from being targeted.
8. What are some good ways to protect artifacts from board wipes?
You can use protection spells like Boros Charm, recursion like Scrap Mastery, counterspells, or focus on land-based ramp to quickly rebuild your board after a wipe.
9. How many board wipes should I include in my deck?
The ideal number varies based on your deck’s strategy. Generally, 3-4 board wipes are considered a good balance, but some decks may benefit from more or fewer.
10. Is hexproof or shroud better for protecting against targeted removal?
Hexproof is generally better because you can still target your own creatures with hexproof, while you can’t target creatures with shroud at all, even with your own spells.
11. Do board wipes affect Progenitus?
Yes, Progenitus has protection from everything, and board wipes typically destroy all creatures, without targeting.
12. Does protection from a color stop multicolored spells?
Yes, protection from a color stops any spell that is that color, even if the spell is also another color.
13. Does first strike negate deathtouch?
First strike can negate deathtouch if the first strike creature deals lethal damage to the deathtouch creature before it can deal damage back.
14. How do you survive board wipes in MTG?
Hold back some creatures in your hand, use counterspells, or have reanimation spells ready. Don’t overextend your board unnecessarily.
15. Do board wipes destroy indestructible creatures?
Board wipes that say “destroy” will not destroy indestructible creatures, but those that say “exile” or “sacrifice” will work just fine.