How Many Board Wipes Should I Run in Commander?
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The golden question, the subject of countless forum debates, and the source of many a salty tear in Commander: How many board wipes should you run? The unsatisfying, but most accurate answer is: it depends. However, a good starting point for most Commander decks is 3-5 board wipes. This number provides a balance between having enough answers to problematic boards and not drawing too many wipes and falling behind on your own game plan. This number can then be tailored based on your deck’s strategy, the expected meta of your playgroup, and your personal play style. Let’s delve deeper.
Understanding the Need for Board Wipes
Before we jump into the specifics of numbers, let’s clarify why board wipes are essential in Commander. This format is inherently multiplayer, leading to situations where one or more opponents can amass significant advantages quickly. Board wipes act as the great equalizer, resetting the board and preventing runaway victories. They’re a crucial control element, especially against aggressive, creature-heavy strategies or decks that rely on synergistic board states.
Factors Influencing Your Board Wipe Count
Several key factors influence the ideal number of board wipes for your deck:
1. Your Deck’s Strategy
- Aggro/Creature-Based Decks: If you’re playing a creature-heavy, aggressive deck, you might lean towards fewer board wipes (1-3). You want to be proactive and build your own board presence, not constantly reset it. Consider asymmetrical board wipes that affect your opponents more than you.
- Control Decks: Control decks, unsurprisingly, benefit from a higher number of board wipes (4-7). Your goal is to disrupt your opponents’ plans, stall the game, and eventually establish your own dominance. You’ll want a variety of wipes to handle different situations.
- Midrange Decks: Midrange decks typically aim for a balanced approach (3-5). You need enough wipes to survive early aggression but also want to develop your own board and push for a win.
- Combo Decks: Combo decks can vary widely. If your combo is fragile or vulnerable to creature-based disruption, running more board wipes (4-6) to clear the way is beneficial. If your combo is resilient or comes online quickly, you can afford to run fewer (2-4).
2. Your Playgroup’s Meta
- Creature-Heavy Meta: If your playgroup is dominated by creature-based strategies, you’ll want to increase your board wipe count to 4-7.
- Spell-Slinger Meta: In a meta filled with spell-slinging decks, you might be able to reduce your board wipe count slightly (2-4), focusing instead on counterspells and targeted removal.
- Artifact/Enchantment-Heavy Meta: If your meta is full of enchantments and artifacts you may want to focus on board wipes that affect artifacts and enchantments or run artifact and enchantment hate.
- Balanced Meta: In a more balanced meta, sticking to the 3-5 range is usually a safe bet.
3. Your Color Identity
The colors you’re playing dictate the types of board wipes available to you.
- White: White is the color of board wipes. It offers a wide array of options that destroy or exile creatures, artifacts, and enchantments.
- Black: Black also has access to creature-based board wipes, often with a sacrifice or life loss component.
- Red: Red’s board wipes typically deal damage to all creatures, making them less effective against resilient or high-toughness threats.
- Blue: Blue primarily uses bounce effects as board wipes, temporarily removing threats but not eliminating them permanently. Cyclonic Rift is a staple in many blue decks.
- Green: Green has limited access to traditional board wipes but can use effects that destroy creatures with flying or specific abilities.
4. Card Advantage and Consistency
Consider how easily your deck can draw cards and maintain consistency. If you have ways to reliably find board wipes when you need them (through tutors or card draw), you might be able to run fewer overall.
5. Personal Play Style
Ultimately, the number of board wipes you run is also a matter of personal preference. Some players prefer a more proactive, aggressive style, while others prefer a more reactive, controlling approach.
Choosing the Right Board Wipes
Once you’ve determined the approximate number of board wipes you need, the next step is to select the right ones for your deck. Consider the following:
- Cost: Board wipes range in mana cost. Cheaper wipes can be cast early to deal with initial threats, while more expensive wipes often have more powerful effects or are asymmetrical.
- Effect: Do you need to destroy, exile, or bounce creatures? Do you need to wipe artifacts, enchantments, or planeswalkers as well? Choose wipes that address the specific threats in your meta.
- Asymmetry: Asymmetrical board wipes affect your opponents more than you. These are particularly valuable in creature-based decks or when you have ways to protect your own board.
- Conditional Effects: Some board wipes have conditional effects, such as requiring you to sacrifice a creature or pay extra mana. Evaluate whether these conditions are worth the trade-off.
Examples of Popular Board Wipes
- Wrath of God: The classic, a simple and effective creature wipe.
- Damnation: A black Wrath of God.
- Cyclonic Rift: A blue staple that bounces all opponents’ nonland permanents.
- Blasphemous Act: A red wipe that gets cheaper with more creatures on the battlefield.
- Farewell: A versatile white wipe that can target creatures, artifacts, enchantments, and graveyards.
- Austere Command: Another flexible white wipe that lets you choose which permanent types to destroy.
- Toxic Deluge: A black wipe that bypasses indestructible but costs life.
Fine-Tuning Your Board Wipe Count
After playing several games with your deck, evaluate how your board wipe count is performing. Are you consistently drawing them when you need them? Are you drawing too many and falling behind? Adjust your numbers accordingly until you find the sweet spot for your specific deck and meta. Remember that finding the correct balance is a continuous process. As your deck and playgroup evolve, your board wipe strategy should adapt as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do I need board wipes in a creatureless deck?
Even in a mostly creatureless deck, running a few board wipes that hit non-creature permanents (like artifacts, enchantments, or even lands with cards like Armageddon) can be beneficial to disrupt opponents’ strategies.
2. Do board wipes get around indestructible?
Board wipes that exile creatures or give them -X/-X will get around indestructible. Board wipes that destroy creatures will not work.
3. How do I protect my commander from board wipes?
Cards like Boros Charm can grant your commander indestructible. Other options include cards that return creatures to your hand or phase them out.
4. How do you survive board wipes in MTG?
Avoid overextending. Keep some threats in your hand or graveyard to rebuild your board after a wipe. Consider cards that provide resilient board states or recursion.
5. Do board wipes affect Hexproof?
Yes, board wipes affect hexproof if they don’t target a specific card.
6. How many board wipes is too many?
It depends on your deck, but consistently drawing too many board wipes and struggling to develop your own board is a sign you might be running too many.
7. Is Blasphemous Act a board wipe?
Yes, Blasphemous Act is a red board wipe that deals damage to all creatures.
8. Does the Wanderer prevent board wipes?
No, The Eternal Wanderer does not prevent board wipes.
9. Is indestructible safe from board wipe?
Indestructible is safe from board wipes that destroy permanents. It is not safe from effects that exile them.
10. Do shield counters work against board wipes?
Shield counters prevent destruction, but not exile.
11. Do board wipes affect Progenitus?
Yes, since Progenitus has protection from everything, the only way to get rid of him is with effects that don’t target, like a board wipe.
12. Do board wipes deal damage?
Some board wipes deal damage (often red ones), while others destroy or exile creatures.
13. Does protection from blue stop board wipes?
No. Protection from blue only prevents damage from blue sources, being targeted by blue spells, being blocked by blue creatures, or being enchanted/equipped by blue permanents.
14. Is Cyclonic Rift considered a board wipe?
Yes, Cyclonic Rift is one of the best board wipes in Commander, especially in blue decks.
15. What is the Games Learning Society?
The Games Learning Society is a community of researchers and practitioners who are interested in the educational and social potential of games. You can find more information at Games Learning Society.
Ultimately, the perfect number of board wipes is a moving target. Experiment, adapt, and learn from your experiences. And remember, a well-timed board wipe can be the difference between defeat and victory in the wild world of Commander! Visit GamesLearningSociety.org to learn more about the applications of games in education and research.