Do Board Wipes Deal Damage in Magic: The Gathering? A Comprehensive Guide
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The short answer is: sometimes. Not all board wipes deal damage. Some board wipes destroy creatures, exile them, or apply a negative effect like -X/-X, but many specifically deal damage to all creatures on the battlefield. Knowing the difference is critical for understanding how they interact with other cards and abilities.
Understanding Board Wipes
Board wipes, also known as board sweepers, are spells designed to clear the battlefield of multiple permanents, most often creatures. They are a crucial part of Magic: The Gathering, especially in formats like Commander (EDH) where creature-heavy strategies are common. The effectiveness of a board wipe isn’t just about removing creatures; it’s about how they’re removed.
Damage-Based Board Wipes
These are board wipes that specifically deal a certain amount of damage to each creature on the battlefield. Blasphemous Act, for instance, deals 13 damage to each creature, and Anger of the Gods deals 3 damage to each creature.
- Impact of High Toughness: If a creature has a toughness higher than the damage dealt by the board wipe, it survives. This means that a 4/4 creature will survive Anger of the Gods.
- Deathtouch Interaction: If a source with deathtouch deals damage, even a small amount, that creature is considered to have dealt lethal damage.
- Lifelink Considerations: Some creatures have the lifelink ability. If a source with lifelink deals damage, its controller gains life equal to the damage dealt.
Non-Damage Board Wipes
These board wipes bypass damage entirely. They might destroy all creatures, exile them, or reduce their toughness to zero through -X/-X effects.
- Wrath of God: It simply destroys all creatures. This bypasses indestructible unless the indestructible creature has regeneration available.
- Toxic Deluge: This gives all creatures -X/-X until end of turn, where X is life paid by its controller.
Key Card Interactions
- Indestructible: Indestructible creatures are immune to destruction via damage. However, a board wipe that exiles or uses -X/-X effects can still remove them. For example, Toxic Deluge will kill even indestructible creatures if enough life is paid.
- Protection: Protection prevents damage, targeting, enchanting/equipping, and blocking from sources of the specified quality (e.g., protection from red). A board wipe like Wrath of God doesn’t target, so it still affects creatures with protection. However, a red board wipe that deals damage would be ineffective against a creature with protection from red.
- Hexproof & Shroud: These abilities prevent a creature from being the target of spells or abilities you control. Board wipes that don’t target, such as Wrath of God, bypass hexproof and shroud entirely.
- Shield Counters: These negate the next time the permanent would be destroyed. Shield counters only prevent damage or destruction effects, but not exile or being sacrificed.
- Regenerate: If a creature has regenerate then it replaces being destroyed with the effect of regeneration.
Board Wipe Strategies in Deck Building
Knowing how board wipes interact with various creature abilities is essential for effective deck building. Deciding how many board wipes to include in a deck is a balancing act. You want enough to handle overwhelming creature swarms, but not so many that you hinder your own strategy. As mentioned in the article that you provided:
- Number of Board Wipes: While older strategies suggested 5-7 board wipes, 3-4 is generally considered sufficient for modern Commander decks.
- Strategic Usage: Use board wipes judiciously. Don’t use them just because you can; use them when they provide a significant advantage, like disrupting an opponent’s combo or buying you time to set up your own win condition.
FAQ: Board Wipes in Magic: The Gathering
1. What is a board wipe in MTG?
A board wipe is a spell or ability that removes multiple permanents, typically creatures, from the battlefield. They are essential for controlling the game and resetting the board state.
2. Do board wipes target creatures?
Most board wipes do not target. This is what allows them to bypass abilities like hexproof and shroud. However, some specialized spells might target specific types of permanents or players who then must sacrifice a permanent.
3. How do board wipes affect indestructible creatures?
It depends on the type of board wipe. If it destroys creatures, indestructible creatures are unaffected. However, board wipes that exile creatures or reduce their toughness to zero with -X/-X effects can remove indestructible creatures.
4. Can you counter a board wipe?
Yes, you can counter a board wipe using counterspells like Counterspell or Negate. This can completely negate the effect of the board wipe, saving your creatures.
5. How do you protect artifacts from board wipes?
You can protect your artifacts with:
- Protection Spells: Cards like Boros Charm can grant indestructible to your permanents.
- Recursion: Cards like Scrap Mastery can return artifacts from the graveyard.
- Counterspells: To stop the board wipe altogether.
- Land-Based Ramp: To recover faster after a board wipe.
- More Lands and Card Draw: To rebuild your board quickly.
6. Does protection from a color stop a board wipe?
Not necessarily. Protection prevents damage, targeting, enchanting/equipping, and blocking from sources of the specified color. If the board wipe doesn’t target and doesn’t deal damage of that color, it will still affect the protected creature.
7. Can a board wipe destroy hexproof creatures?
Yes, if the board wipe doesn’t target. Hexproof only prevents targeting. Spells that say “destroy all creatures” affect creatures with hexproof.
8. How many board wipes should I include in my Commander deck?
A good range is typically 3-4 board wipes, but this can vary based on your deck’s strategy and the expected meta.
9. What is the best way to recover after a board wipe?
Focus on card draw, recursion, and mana ramp. Having ways to quickly rebuild your board state is crucial.
10. Is Cyclonic Rift considered a board wipe?
Yes, Cyclonic Rift is a powerful, one-sided board wipe. It returns all nonland permanents you don’t control to their owners’ hands, often setting you up for a win.
11. Does deathtouch affect indestructible creatures?
No. Indestructible creatures are not destroyed by damage, regardless of whether the source has deathtouch.
12. Does a shield counter prevent a board wipe?
Yes, it can. A shield counter prevents the permanent from being destroyed by damage or a destroy effect.
13. Does hexproof stop sacrifice effects?
No. Hexproof only prevents targeting by spells or abilities your opponents control. Sacrifice effects often target the player, not the creature, forcing them to sacrifice.
14. Can double strike save a creature from deathtouch?
Yes. If your creature with double strike blocks a creature with deathtouch, your creature will deal damage first, killing the creature with deathtouch before it can deal damage back.
15. Where can I learn more about games and learning?
For more insights into the educational aspects of gaming, check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.
Conclusion
Understanding the nuances of board wipes – whether they deal damage, target, or use other removal methods – is crucial for strategic play in Magic: The Gathering. By mastering these interactions, you can improve your deck building, make smarter decisions during games, and ultimately increase your win rate.