The Best Board Wipes in MTG: Top 60 Sweepers - Draftsim (2023)

Last updated February 9, 2023

Wrath of God| Illustration by Thomas M. Baxa

In MTG it can sometimes be very frustrating to go up against an opponent who gets the best curve and build up an army of creatures before you even manage to establish an average presence on the board. Even going toe-to-toe, sometimes your opponent brings in behemoths that you just can't kill. There's always one target takedown, but sometimes you just have to destroy everything and start all over again or else you'll lose head-on.

This is where board wipes come into play. There are literally hundreds of board wipes in MTG, some better than others. I'll be ranking them today to give you a short list of the best board wipes in every color, for a variety of sizes, plus some other criteria you might find helpful.

Without further ado, let's dive right in!

Plate wipes: what are they?

Devastating ultimatum| Illustration by Chase Stone

It's actually pretty easy to explain plate wipes: they wipe the plate clean.Of course, that doesn't always mean they destroy everything. Some of them focus on creatures, artifacts,enchantments, and sometimes even lands!

Some players refer to them as "wrath" effects afterwardWrath of God, the very first Magic card with a mass removal effect. WotC likes to call them "board sweepers," so don't get confused if you hear all these different names. They all mean the same.

Almost allto colourhave plate cloths, though white is far away,verahead. You're sure to find one that's right for your deck. That said, some wipes are much better and more commonly used than others in competitive environments (surprised?).

Best whiteboard wipes

Levels of cleaning

Starting with a simple wizardry,Levels of cleaningis quite simplewit bord wit. It destroys everything on the board be it enchantments, artifacts,plane walkers, or creatures. It costs six mana, which isn't bad considering its effect, but you won't be able to use it if you get rushed early before preparing for the expensive cost. Keep in mind that "destroy" effects are useless againstanything with "indestructible"ofregeneration, for that matter.

Akroma's Revenge

Akroma's Revengeis another expensive eraser, but it destroys all artifacts, creatures,Inenchantments.Cyclingcan help if you don't need it right away and it's perfect for planeswalker or sorcery and instant heavy decks as it won't affect your gear.

Strict command

Strict commandalso has some high cost, but it can respond to many different situations. It has four options: destroy all artifacts, destroy all enchantments, destroy all creatures with a CMC of 3 or less, or destroy all creatures with a CMC of 4 or more. You get to choose two of these options so that you can manipulate the board to your advantage.

What you lose in efficiency, you gain in tremendous optionality.

Wrath of God

If the original mass deletion,Wrath of Godis still relevant years later and quite strong. It only takes four mana to destroy each creature and although theregenerationkeyword doesn't exist these days, it prevents creatures from regenerating if you're playing a format where that's still a thing.

End point

End pointis one of the best options for white when it comes to board wipes. It costs more than many other options, but the extra cost is negligible, as it removes indestructible creatures and negates graveyard games. It also hasthe miracle word, which means it only takes a single white mana to cast if you draw it as the first card on your turn and can give you a big tempo advantage.

Best Green Board Wipes

Unfortunately,green has almost no plate cloths. It has some creatures that can be used as situational mass removal, but other than that you need to focus on other plays to secure your victory.

Green's thing is really all about creatures, so finding something that destroys all creatures kind of contradictshis color philosophy.

Whirlwind

Whirlwind, like itHurricane, is a very situational clearing of the board. It destroys any flying creature, so it probably won't hurt your side of the board since green doesn't have too many kites. It's practically useless against land-based decks, though, so be careful.

Wave of vitriol

For as much as seven mana,Wave of vitriolcan work wonders if your opponent targets artifacts, enchantments, and non-base lands.Destroy countriesis not super ordinary because it is really powerful, especially againstmulticoloreddecks that rely on non-base lands.

Other options

There are some green cards likePolukranos, World EaterofCurse of Progressthat could act as board wipes in certain situations, but they are notRealboard wipes. There are also some board wipes similar toWhirlwind(like itWindstorm) but honestly you have to pass wipes on board when you play green.

Best Red Board wipes

Star storm

Star stormis a very flexible and popular board wipe for red. It is quite useful because it is momentary and can get you out of many difficult situations. You can also cycle it if you don't need it at the moment, which gives Starstorm a place thanks to sheer flexibility. However, it becomes less powerful in the late game as the damage is based on your mana.

Breakline

Breaklinevery similar to Starstorm, except it doesn't hurt flying creatures and also harms every player. It's slightly better as it can be used to end the game if you have the mana for it and a higher life total.

As compared toEarthquake, it costs another mana, but can be played as an instant, so you get some extra options by using it.

Comet Storm

One of the main problems with board wipes is that you can easily damage both your side of the board and your opponent's.Comet Stormis a good solution for this. You get to choose which creatures you want to target, so that your side stays clear and takes no damage. It doesn't wipe the board completely clean like some others, but it's a moment and it works like a board wipe, especially in the middle and late game.

Jokulhaups

This is a fairly simple erase board.Jokulhaupsvirtually destroys everything on the board indiscriminately. Since it also destroys all countries, you have to be very careful not to end yourself in the process. Enchantment-based decks can somewhat avoid Jokulhaups and its cost can be considered somewhat high at six mana, but it's still a very popular and powerful sweeper.

blasphemous act

blasphemous actis by farthe best red table vegetablesIn my opinion. Since the cost decreases for each creature on the battlefield, it usually only takes four or five mana to cast. It also destroys every creature on the field except in some very rare situations.To combineit alongImplicationsand you win the game instantly.

Best Blue Board Wipes

Evacuation

Unlike other colors, blue doesn't usually destroy your opponents' permanents.Evacuationis one of the stronger wipes because it is an instant. You can use it during your opponent's turn to force them to repay and possibly discard some of their creatures. It is also very useful against token-heavy decks.

Crush Tentacles

Since most blue decks have cheap spells to manipulate the board, you can easily pay the extra cost of themCrush TentaclesUnpleasantbounce your opponent's creatureson top of placing an 8/8 creature on the battlefield with only five mana. In terms of mana efficiency, it's one of the best options out there.

Flood of tears

Flood of tearsis a somewhat recent addition to MTG, but it quickly became one of the most popular options. It returns all non-country permanents to the player's hand, but also allows you to place a permanent from your hand onto the battlefield if four or more are returned. It offers a solid advantage, as you will probably return more than four permanents almost every time.

Devastating tide

Another massive leap,Devastating tidecosts five mana to clear the board. What makes it so good is the miracle cost. Equivalent toEnd point, you can cast it for only two mana if it's the first card you draw on your turn.

Cyclonic rift

One of the most popular sweepers in MTG,Cyclonic riftoffers great flexibility. You can cast it for two mana when up against an imminent threat and overload it to clear the board completely. It's an instant and has almost no downside, which is almost unfair, so definitely consider using it in your blue decks.

Best Black Board Wipes

Toxic deluge

Toxic delugeis especially strong against indestructible enemies as it gives -X/-X instead of simply destroying them. The only downside is the life cost, which makes it ineffective against more powerful creatures. But for just three mana, it's incredibly efficient.

Zenit of the black sun

This one is a larger version of Toxic Deluge.Zenit of the black sunhas no life cost compared to the Deluge because it simply costs more mana. It also bypasses the indestructible keyword and shuffles back to your library instead of going straight to the graveyard. Plus, the "shrink" effect of the counters lingers even if you don't kill every creature.

languish

languishcosts only four mana and bypasses indestructible andprevent damage, but it is only useful against creatures with 4 Toughness or less. Still, it's a very useful map to consider.

Final of life

It's getting serious now.Final of lifeis a fantastic sweeper, not only because it destroys all creatures, but it also allows you to search your opponent's library and remove major threats from their stack. The only downside is the high mana cost.

Damnation

For only four mana,Damnationdestroys all creatures and prevents them from regenerating. This is probably the best eraser for Black thanks to its extremely efficient mana cost.

Best Colorless Board Wipes

One thing we all know is that if you meet an opponent who goes completely colorless, you have to be careful because they probably know what they're doing. If you aspire to become one of them, here are somecolorless wipesthat will make your opponent even more miserable.

Ugin, the ghost dragon

The first and only planeswalker on the list,Ugin, the ghost dragonis not a swipe board in itself, but acts like a board. His second abilityverbant goes permanentwith a CMC of X or less that aren't colorless, which is a fancy way of saying it pretty much banishes everything but your stuff. Since Ugin starts with a loyalty counter of seven, you can safely use it right away in almost all cases.

Dangerous vault

I struggled hard between choosingDangerous vaultInKettle Pest, but I think the Vault takes the upper hand here. Activating on instant speed can be very expensive, but there are better alternatives to the Boiler when it comes to delayed erasing. Perilous Vault also banishes the board rather than destroying them, so it's more useful in most cases.

Nevinirral's disk

Speaking of delayed board wipes, one of the most infamous board wipes in MTG,Nevinirral's diskcannot be used immediately after gameplay as it enters the battlefield. However, it can be a powerful deterrent if your opponent has no resources to remove it, giving you room to manipulate the board. After paying the first four mana costs, you only need to spend one more to destroy pretty much everything.

Oblivion stone

Oblivion stoneis one of the strongest cards out there. It has a very high mana cost, but it is a constant threat on the board. It can put a lottery counter on a perm, excluding it from its effect when you want to use it. Your opponents need to destroy it quickly or they will whine when you wipe one side of the board.

Everything is dust

Everything is dusthas a high cost of seven mana, but it's a one-sided wipe of the board if you go completely colorless. It bypassesindestructibleInhexproofas your opponent is forced to sacrifice their creatures instead of you destroying them.

Best board wipes for EDH

Now that we've talked about all the colors, let's talk about which sweepers are the bestCommandant.

Evacuation

Evacuationmakes the list because you can play it during your opponent's turn and force him to discard.

Graceful clearance

Graceful clearanceis similar toStrict command, but stronger. While you can only choose one option this time around, you can banish permanents instead of destroying them, which is always better. It is a very versatile option with a somewhat high cost.

Akroma's Revenge

Akroma's Revengetakes eighth place for its sheer power. It destroys all artifacts, creatures and enchantments. Unless your opponent has a lot of indestructible cards, it's a great option. You can also ride a bike with it, which increases its versatility.

Clear time

With a cost of only five mana,Clear timedestroys all creatures and allows you to return one of your creatures to your hand. This is a very powerful mechanic as you can protect a valuable creature while otherwise clearing the board.

blasphemous act

blasphemous actis really powerful when there are many creatures on the battlefield, which gives it a high ranking. It's especially powerful against token decks, and you can usually cast it early or mid-game.

Highest judgment

Board wipes are usually weak againstcounter spells, ButHighest judgment cannot be counteracted. It's the go-to wrath spell against blue decks.

End point

End pointranks high on the list thanks to its fantastic wonder mechanics. Sure, you won't be casting it all the time with its miracle cost, but it's so much satisfying when you do.

Doomskar

Doomskaris arecent additionto magic and a pretty powerful one. The cost of 5 mana is already good, butits predictive powergrants a potential 3-mana board wipe and makes it one of the cheapest wipes you can get.

Wrath of God + damnation

These two spells are identical except for their color. Their cost of 4 mana makes them very cost efficient. The fact that they can also prevent regeneration is just a bonus.

Cyclonic rift

You guess right,Cyclonic riftis the best board wipe you could get in Commander. It has a high cost, but given that it's a unilateral clearing of the board, it's unstoppable except for a counterspell and a moment. You get to force your opponent to discard some of their valuable cards, so they earn whatever mana you use to cast them.

Best board wipes for modern

Hour of Revelation

Hour of Revelationusually goes under the radar, but it's actually one of the best board wipes for itModern. The cost drops to three mana if there are ten or more non-land permanents on the board and the board is wiped clean.

Ugin, the ghost dragon

Again,Ugin, the ghost dragonis not a whiteboard eraser in the traditional sense, but gets the job done thanks to his Loyalty ability.

Whelming golf

Blue has many aquatic creatures andWhelming golfcomplements that property. It has a fairly low cost of four mana and will keep your side of the board safe if your deck focuses on marine behemoths. The Wave would rank much higher if only it wereincluding multi-people.

They will be etherized

It's very easy to get rushed in Modern, soThey will be etherizedis a great option in the early to mid game. It doesn't destroy your opponent's creatures, but it is very useful as it can be used during your opponent's turn and gives you some time to regroup. It's much more devastating in the late game, as your opponent can't play one high-value card after another.

languish

While it's pretty useless in the late game,languishdeserves a spot thanks to its fairly low cost and ability to bypass indestructible.

Martial coup

Martial coupis a very powerful card in token-based decks. It costs seven mana to use the effect, but itcreates five or more tokens for youwhile destroying your opponent's creatures. Combined with token buffs, it can easily win you the game.

So wrath

A wrath spell for only four mana is quite powerful on its own, butKaya's angeralso allows you to gain life. It's fair to say it deserves its spot. The only downside is the mixed mana cost, otherwise it would rank much higher.

The top four

Now, I've thought a lot about including different options for the top three spots in Modern, but it just doesn't feel right to give spots to challengers who don't deserve it.Doomskar,Wrath of God,Damnation, InCyclonic riftare also legal in Modern, so they take the top three for the same reasons as in Commander.

Best cheap board wipes

Since we've already listed most of the best board wipes in MTG, it's time for blitz!

Bontu's final reckoning

Bontu's final reckoningis the cheapest wrath spell you can find. However, it has a major drawback that you can'tto eatyou land on your next turn. It works wonders if you have enough mana to keep going and even if you don't, it can get you out of a dire situation as a last resort.

Waste away + mutilate

languishmakes the list again, but this time shares its place withMutilate. If you don't have a multi-colored deck and have a lot of swamps, Mutilate is much better, but Languish is more effective in combo decks.

So wrath

A Wrath spell of 4 mana with life gain? Quite good.

Wrath of God + damnation

It's obvious why these two dishcloths score highly in almost every category. 4-mana to destroy everything is just too good.

Doomskar

Doomskarisn't exactly one of the cheapest if you pay full cost, but foretell allows you to cast it later in the game for just three mana.

Best Instant Board Wipes

Comet Storm

You need a little mana to make good use of itComet Stormand that can be difficult on your opponent's turn, but it sure hurts a lot when you pull it off.

the router

the routeris an expensive wrath spell on its own and even more expensive if you want to play it as an instant, but it destroys all creatures and they cannot be regenerated. It may be expensive, but playing it as an instant can be very powerful.

Evacuation

Evacuationbounces each creature back to its owner's hand, possibly forcing your opponent to throw some of them away. It's also useful if you want to reactivate the ETB effects on some of your creatures.

Nevinirral's disk

This isn't exactly a moment as it should already be on the battlefield, but it becomes a powerful moment/deterrent for only one mana. Yes, your opponent will be aware of the incoming board wipe, but sometimes that's a good thing.

Cyclonic rift

It's the best place and it isCyclonic rift. You shouldn't be surprised at this point.

Best one sided board wipes

Devastating ultimatum

It's a bit pricey, thoughDevastating ultimatumis a great one sided wrath spell if you can afford the cost.

Control the wreck

Control the wreckcan turn the tide of battle in an instant. Pun intended. It could bea double-edged swordbecause it gives your opponent some free land, but if they don't have much base, it becomes very useful. It also banishes attacking creatures, so you don't give your opponent room for graveyard mechanics.

Everything is dust

Another very expensive board wipe, but it pretty much bypasses everything your opponent has. It is useless againstcolorless covers, although.

They will be etherized

They will be etherizedis conditional, but it removes all attacking creatures without giving your opponent an unequal advantageControl the wreck.

Cyclonic rift

Other than the cost, there is no downside to itCyclonic rift. It simply ranks highest in every list.

Bonus: How to Avoid Guessing Wipes

We've talked about all kinds of plate wipes, but what about avoiding them? While plate wipes are very powerful, there are some ways to counter them. The most important thing here are the keywords. Most board wipes "destroy" creatures, so one way to protect your creatures (and permanents) is to buff them with the keyword "indestructible".

Except that,protection against certain colors will not protect youfrom wrath spells or mass removal, as they only prevent the permanent from being attacked, damaged, blocked and enchanted.Hexproof also works the same way, but since board wipes target the board, they will bypass these keywords.

The only remaining way to counter board wipes is with counterspells. However, this is somewhat difficult as only blue decks have reliable means of countering. Even then, spells likeHighest judgmentnot resist at all. You can of course also try to make your opponent take off his board wipes, but that is quite difficult to do.

Complete

End of the story| Illustration by Randy Vargas

Well, it's been a long day considering the sheer number of board wipes out there. There are probably some parts you won't agree with me, so feel free to comment below and let me know! If you are looking for a list of the best cards overall in EDH,check out our list. Spoiler: many of these cards are on it.

That's all I have for you though. Have it right, and stay safe!