Displacement Wave MTG Card


Displacement Wave provides card advantage by returning multiple permanents to hand, simulating card draw. The spell offers tempo acceleration by disrupting opponent’s board, but requires strategy. Its flexibility hinges on a blue mana base which restricts its deck inclusion.
Displacement Wave - Magic Origins
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeSorcery
Released2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set nameMagic Origins
Set codeORI
Number55
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred bySeb McKinnon

Text of card

Return all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less to their owners' hands.

The sea respects no boundaries, least of all the coast.


Cards like Displacement Wave

Displacement Wave is an intriguing sorcery in Magic: The Gathering that offers a unique board resetting advantage. It’s akin to Cyclonic Rift, another card capable of mass-bouncing permanents, but with a critical difference in scope and flexibility. Displacement Wave allows you to choose the value for X and return all nonland permanents with converted mana cost X or less to their owners’ hands. Cyclonic Rift, however, affects only opponents’ creatures and can be overloaded to clear an entire board regardless of mana cost.

Another card worth comparing is Devastation Tide, which, like Displacement Wave, resets the board by returning all nonland permanents to their owners’ hands. Devastation Tide has a set mana cost, lacks the scalability of Displacement Wave, but it can be cast for its miracle cost for a potentially lower investment. Then there’s Crush of Tentacles, which also bounces all nonland permanents but offers a bonus of leaving an 8/8 Octopus creature behind.

In essence, while analyzing the impact these versatile sorceries can have in a game, Displacement Wave stands out with its controlled and scalable effect, making it a strategic choice for players who value precision in their deck’s control mechanics.

Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Devastation Tide - MTG Card versions
Crush of Tentacles - MTG Card versions
Cyclonic Rift - MTG Card versions
Devastation Tide - MTG Card versions
Crush of Tentacles - MTG Card versions

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Strategic Planning - MTG Card versions
Wind Sail - MTG Card versions
Mana Vapors - MTG Card versions
Turbulent Dreams - MTG Card versions
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Fae of Wishes // Granted - MTG Card versions
Maddening Cacophony - MTG Card versions
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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Displacement Wave is a versatile spell that can reset the board and help you gain an edge over your opponents by bouncing back multiple creatures and nonland permanents to their owner’s hands. This can equate to drawing multiple cards as you reduce your opponent’s resources while retaining your own higher-cost spells.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly contributing to mana acceleration, Displacement Wave can indirectly increase your resource tempo by setting back your opponent’s board development. This allows you to stay ahead in the game and make more impactful plays as your opponent tries to rebuild their presence.

Instant Speed: Although Displacement Wave is a sorcery, the strategy it enables can be as impactful as playing at instant speed. By strategically choosing when to cast it, you can effectively time your ‘reset’ to thwart your opponent’s plans and swing the momentum in your favor, similar to the reactive nature of an instant.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Displacement Wave doesn’t ask players to discard cards, it does necessitate the bouncing of one’s own nonland permanents, which can set you back if used without caution. This effect often requires careful timing and strategy to not disadvantage your own board state.

Specific Mana Cost: Displacement Wave has a blue-centric mana requirement. Its casting cost starts with double blue mana, making it less flexible for multi-colored decks that may not have a strong blue mana base. This factor restricts its inclusion to mainly blue or blue-heavy decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The base cost of Displacement Wave, coupled with the additional X mana to determine the converted mana cost of the permanents it affects, can result in a high total mana investment. When considering the overall mana curve within your deck, Displacement Wave can be a costly spell especially in situations where you need to handle a board full of high-cost permanents.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Displacement Wave offers unique flexibility, allowing it to cleanse the battlefield of numerous permanents at once, regardless of type, as long as their mana cost meets the set threshold. Its scalable nature makes it a valuable choice for controlling the board in decks that range from blue tempo to defensive builds.

Combo Potential: This card has the ability to reset intricate board states, creating opportunities for enter-the-battlefield effects or setting up game-changing plays. From triggering abilities by “bouncing” your own permanents to paving the way for a winning strategy, Displacement Wave can be a cornerstone in complex combo decks.

Meta-Relevance: With constantly shifting metagames, Displacement Wave shines in environments that are overrun with aggressive creature-based decks or strategies reliant on low-cost permanents. Its inclusion in your arsenal ensures you have a proactive response to these prevalent strategies, keeping your deck competitive in diverse gameplay landscapes.


How to beat

Overcoming a Displacement Wave can be a crucial turning point in any game of Magic: The Gathering. This card acts as a powerful reset, sending creatures and tokens back into the players’ hands and clearing the battlefield. Its scalability allows for tailored use, affecting only those creatures with a converted mana cost less than or equal to the X value chosen at casting.

To effectively beat Displacement Wave, it’s essential to keep a diversified portfolio of creatures, featuring a variety of converted mana costs. Having indestructible creatures can also negate the effect, as they would remain unfazed by the wave’s influence. Alternatively, instant speed spells that can give your creatures hexproof or bounce them to your hand in response can preserve your board presence. Cards like Eerie Interlude can temporarily exile your creatures, thereby dodging the wave and allowing them to return unharmed. It’s also beneficial to hold back on overcommitting to the board if you suspect your opponent has a Displacement Wave, mitigating the potential setback it could cause in your game plan.

Mastering the timing and maintaining a balanced board state becomes the key to navigate around this formidable spell, ensuring that the wave’s disruption doesn’t dampen your chances of victory.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the world of MTG and continue to shape your skills with strategic card insights like Displacement Wave. This manipulative spell offers control and adaptability, resetting the board in your favor. Don’t let your collection fall behind; embrace the versatility and meta relevance of cards like this to keep your deck competitive. Whether it’s through synergistic combos or countering aggressive opponents’ strategies, integrating tools such as Displacement Wave can be vitally transformative. Ready for a card that can turn the tides? Explore further with us and discover how to refine your strategy for the win.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Displacement Wave MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Displacement Wave and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Displacement Wave has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Displacement Wave card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2015-06-22 A token has converted mana cost 0 unless it’s a copy of something else, in which case it has the mana cost of whatever it’s copying.
2015-06-22 If a permanent has an in its mana cost, that X is 0.