Do Creature Abilities Trigger on Board Wipes?

Yes, creature abilities absolutely can and often do trigger on a board wipe, but it’s crucial to understand how they trigger and when. The short answer: if a creature’s triggered ability condition is met as it dies during a board wipe, the ability will trigger. Whether that trigger resolves and does anything meaningful depends on several factors, including the specific wording of the ability, the order in which things die, and the presence of any other effects modifying the board wipe’s resolution. Let’s dive into the nuances!

Understanding Triggered Abilities

A triggered ability in Magic: The Gathering is an ability that automatically goes on the stack when a specific event occurs. Triggered abilities are always formatted as “When/Whenever/At [trigger event], if [condition], [effect]”. The most common trigger events related to board wipes involve creatures entering the battlefield, leaving the battlefield, or dying.

• “When/Whenever a creature enters the battlefield…” These abilities trigger as creatures enter, but typically won’t trigger during a board wipe, since board wipes destroy things. (Though, see the FAQ on token creation below!).
• “When/Whenever a creature dies…” These are the prime candidates for triggering during a board wipe! They are watching for creatures to be put into the graveyard from the battlefield.
• “When/Whenever a permanent leaves the battlefield…” This is a more general trigger, encompassing creatures and other permanent types like artifacts and enchantments. It will also trigger when creatures hit the graveyard during a board wipe.

The “if [condition]” clause is important. The game checks this condition both when the trigger event happens and again when the triggered ability resolves. If the condition isn’t true at either of those times, the ability either doesn’t trigger at all, or is removed from the stack.

How Board Wipes Interact with Triggered Abilities

A board wipe (also called a board sweep) is a spell or ability that removes multiple permanents from the battlefield simultaneously. The most common board wipes destroy all creatures, though some exile them or reduce their toughness to 0.

Here’s where it gets interesting. When a board wipe resolves, all the affected creatures die at the same time. Magic handles this by creating a sequence of events:

1. The game identifies all permanents that will be affected by the board wipe.
2. All affected permanents are moved to the graveyard (or exiled, depending on the board wipe) simultaneously.
3. Any “dies” triggers are placed on the stack in an order determined by the active player (the player whose turn it is), followed by the non-active player(s) in turn order. This is important for determining the order in which these triggers are resolved!

This “simultaneous death” is key. Creatures can “see” each other dying at the same time as them, meaning their triggered abilities can trigger based on the other creatures that are also dying. This is why the card text at the start of the article is significant: abilities that trigger when a permanent leaves the battlefield can “look back” and see other permanents that died at the same time.

Example: You control two creatures: Zulaport Cutthroat (Whenever Zulaport Cutthroat or another creature you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.) and a generic 2/2 creature. Your opponent casts Wrath of God, destroying all creatures. Zulaport Cutthroat’s ability will trigger twice: once for itself and once for the 2/2 creature. You’ll lose 2 life and gain 2 life.

Important Considerations

• Order of triggers on the stack: The order in which triggers are placed on the stack matters, as this will influence the order in which they resolve.
• Abilities that care about power/toughness: Some abilities trigger based on the power or toughness of a creature that died. Since creatures die simultaneously, the game uses their last known information to determine their power and toughness right before they died.
• Replacement effects: Some cards have replacement effects that modify how a permanent would leave the battlefield. For example, a creature with “Indestructible” won’t be destroyed by a board wipe that destroys creatures.
• “Leaves-the-battlefield” abilities vs. “Dies” abilities: These are functionally the same in most board wipe scenarios, but there are some key differences, especially involving exile effects. The game is very specific about what triggers when a permanent is moved from one zone to another.
• Token Creation: Some cards may create tokens as a result of a board wipe, which can then trigger “enter the battlefield” effects.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Do abilities that trigger when a creature “enters the battlefield” trigger during a board wipe?

Generally no. Board wipes focus on removing existing permanents. However, if a triggered ability on a creature dying during the board wipe creates creature tokens, those tokens entering the battlefield will trigger “enter the battlefield” abilities.

2. Does “protection from [color]” protect creatures from board wipes?

It depends on why the creature is being destroyed. Protection prevents Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting. Most board wipes (like Wrath of God) don’t target, deal damage, or attempt to enchant/equip. Thus, protection generally doesn’t help against standard board wipes.

3. Does hexproof protect creatures from board wipes?

No. Hexproof only prevents a permanent from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Board wipes generally do not target specific permanents; they affect everything meeting the criteria.

4. Does indestructible prevent creatures from being affected by board wipes?

It depends on the type of board wipe. If the board wipe says “Destroy all creatures,” indestructible will protect them because they can’t be destroyed. However, if the board wipe says “Exile all creatures” or “All creatures get -X/-X until end of turn,” indestructible won’t prevent the creatures from being exiled or dying from having 0 or less toughness.

5. What happens if a creature with deathtouch dies in a board wipe?

Deathtouch only applies when a creature deals damage. If a creature with deathtouch is destroyed by a board wipe, deathtouch has no effect.

6. How does Ratadrabik of Urborg interact with board wipes?

Ratadrabik of Urborg has an ability that says “Whenever a legendary creature you control dies, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.” If a legendary creature you control dies in a board wipe, Ratadrabik’s ability will trigger, and you will create a Zombie token.

7. If multiple creatures with “dies” triggers die simultaneously in a board wipe, in what order do the triggers resolve?

The active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their triggered abilities onto the stack in any order they choose. Then, the non-active player(s) do the same in turn order. The last ability placed on the stack is the first to resolve. This is significant if the triggered abilities interact with each other or affect the game state.

8. Can you counter a triggered ability from a creature dying in a board wipe?

Yes, you can counter a triggered ability using spells like Stifle or Tale’s End. However, you must do so before the triggered ability resolves.

9. Does it matter if a creature is exiled instead of destroyed by a board wipe?

Yes, it does. Some abilities specifically trigger when a creature dies (is put into the graveyard from the battlefield). If a creature is exiled, it doesn’t “die,” so those abilities won’t trigger. However, abilities that trigger when a creature leaves the battlefield will trigger, regardless of whether the creature dies or is exiled.

10. What happens if a creature has a “dies” trigger that creates more creatures that would then die to the board wipe?

The original “dies” trigger will go on the stack. When it resolves, it creates the new creatures, but the board wipe is already resolving, and the newly-created creatures won’t be affected by it (unless, of course, the board wipe has lingering effects, such as giving all creatures -X/-X until end of turn).

11. Does a board wipe trigger abilities that care about the number of creatures that died?

Yes. These abilities will see all the creatures that died as a result of the board wipe and trigger accordingly. The game looks back at the state of the battlefield right before the creatures went to the graveyard.

12. Can a board wipe trigger abilities on creatures that weren’t destroyed by the board wipe itself?

Yes, indirectly. If a creature’s ability triggers when another creature dies, and that other creature dies in a board wipe, the ability will trigger. For example, a Blood Artist will trigger for every other creature that dies in a board wipe.

13. If a creature is sacrificed as part of the cost of a board wipe, does it trigger “dies” abilities?

Yes. Even if a creature is sacrificed as part of casting a board wipe, that sacrifice is a death, so any relevant “dies” triggers will trigger as normal.

14. What if a creature has an ability that triggers “when it leaves the battlefield” and a board wipe is cast in response to that trigger?

This is a tricky situation involving the stack. The first ability goes onto the stack. Then, the board wipe is cast and also goes onto the stack above the original trigger. The board wipe resolves first, removing the creature. Then, the original ability resolves, and the creature is no longer on the battlefield, but the game will still remember its last known state, and the ability will still be able to complete what it needs to do.

15. Is it possible to build a deck around exploiting “dies” triggers and board wipes?

Absolutely! This is a common and powerful archetype, often called a “sacrifice” or “aristocrats” deck. These decks use board wipes to clear the opponent’s board while simultaneously triggering their own “dies” abilities for value, often winning through incremental life loss or other effects. This type of strategy encourages thoughtful deck building and skillful play, aligning with the principles championed by the Games Learning Society, which explores the educational and social aspects of gaming. You can learn more at GamesLearningSociety.org.

Understanding how triggered abilities interact with board wipes is essential for mastering Magic: The Gathering. By carefully considering the wording of abilities, the order of triggers on the stack, and the specific effects of different board wipes, you can gain a significant advantage over your opponents and build powerful, synergistic decks. Happy dueling!