Best Board Wipes in Commander

What makes a board wipe good

Unconditional versus scalable. A flat 'destroy all creatures' is simple; a scalable wipe can be sized to exactly what the board needs.
What it gets around, since indestructible and hexproof are both real answers to a wipe in this format.
Whether it hits more than just creatures, for the games where an artifact or enchantment is the actual problem.

The classics

Simple, affordable, and the baseline the rest of the category answers to.

Wrath of God ↗

Four mana, destroys all creatures, no exceptions. The baseline every other wipe gets compared to.

Toxic Deluge ↗

Scalable -X/-X for X life, so it's exactly as big as the board needs it to be. Also gets past indestructible, which a lot of wipes can't.

Scalable wipes

Sized to the board rather than fixed, and they get around indestructible in the process.

Blasphemous Act ↗

Nine mana on the card, but it costs 1 less per creature on the battlefield, so it's routinely a one- or two-mana wipe in the games where you actually need it.

Modal wipes

Choose what you're clearing, for the games where creatures aren't the actual problem.

Austere Command ↗

Choose two of four modes, so it's a wipe that can also clear artifacts or enchantments, or split its damage by mana value.

Farewell ↗

Choose one or more of exile all artifacts, creatures, enchantments, or graveyards. The most comprehensive single card in the category.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the best board wipe in Commander?

Wrath of God is the standard for unconditional, affordable mass removal. Toxic Deluge and Blasphemous Act are close behind for their scalability, and Farewell for sheer flexibility if you can afford six mana.

How many board wipes should a Commander deck run?

2 to 4 for most decks, see how many board wipes to run for the full breakdown and when a control-leaning deck wants more.

Why do some wipes get around indestructible?

A wipe that deals damage or reduces toughness to 0 (Toxic Deluge, Blasphemous Act) doesn't care about indestructible, since that keyword only stops destruction, not lethal damage or a 0-toughness state-based action. A wipe that says 'destroy' (Wrath of God) does nothing to an indestructible creature.

Should I run modal wipes over unconditional ones?

Modal wipes like Austere Command and Farewell are more flexible but usually cost more mana. A deck that can afford the extra cost gets more value; a deck that needs a wipe on curve is often better served by a cheaper, unconditional one.

Track when a wipe actually won or lost you the game.

TurnZero HQ's game recaps and moments log the swings that mattered.

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