Genesis Wave MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Genesis Wave offers card advantage by deploying multiple permanents in a single cast.
  2. The card propels mana resources, giving players a significant advancement in the game.
  3. Integrating Genesis Wave in your deck provides instant game-changing potential.

Text of card

Reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put any number of permanent cards with converted mana cost X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then put all cards revealed this way that weren't put onto the battlefield into your graveyard.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Genesis Wave offers the potential to flood the battlefield with multiple permanents in a single cast, effectively increasing your hand by placing these cards directly into play.

Resource Acceleration: The ability to pull numerous lands and other mana-generating permanents onto the field at once with Genesis Wave can significantly uplift your mana resources, propelling you ahead of your opponents in terms of available resources.

Instant Speed: Though Genesis Wave is a sorcery, its impact is akin to a massive instant-speed effect by potentially giving you immediate access to a plethora of permanents that can change the game state as soon as they hit the battlefield.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Genesis Wave does not have a discard requirement, which eliminates the potential of losing valuable cards from your hand as an additional cost for casting it.

Specific Mana Cost: This spell demands a significant amount of green mana, which could restrict its inclusion to decks heavily skewed towards green or those with extensive mana-fixing capabilities.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a baseline cost of three green mana plus X, where X usually needs to be large to fully capitalize on its potential, Genesis Wave can have a prohibitive casting cost, particularly in the early to mid-game phases.


Reasons to Include Genesis Wave in Your Collection

Versatility: Genesis Wave offers a high degree of adaptability, allowing players to synergize with numerous permanents from their library, bolstering various deck archetypes such as ramp, tokens, and even superfriends.

Combo Potential: This powerful sorcery can work wonders in combination with cards that untap lands or double mana effects, creating a cascade of permanents entering the battlefield and formidable game-winning interactions.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta that favors big plays and board presence, Genesis Wave can instantly tip the scales in your favor by deploying an overwhelming array of threats that can dominate a game.


How to beat

Genesis Wave is an impactful card in Magic: The Gathering that can tip the scales of a game by flooding the battlefield with permanents. Rising to the challenge of this green sorcery requires preemptive action and smart play. Counterspells are your first line of defense, stopping the wave before it even begins. Cards like Cancel or Negate, which are staples in control decks, can effectively neutralize it.

Graveyard manipulation is another strategy to undermine Genesis Wave. By using cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus, you can remove crucial components from your opponent’s graveyard, making any attempt to recast Genesis Wave via graveyard retrieval less potent. Moreover, managing your opponent’s mana production to keep them from amassing the extensive resources needed to cast Genesis Wave at a high value is crucial. Land destruction or cards that tax spell costs can hinder their game plan significantly.

Lastly, include flexible removal in your deck. In case Genesis Wave does resolve, being able to wipe the board with a Damnation or a Wrath of God can reset the field. Always be prepared for a big play, and don’t let your guard down; an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in MTG, and this holds especially true against formidable cards like Genesis Wave.


BurnMana Recommendations

Genesis Wave can be a defining card for players looking to make an impact at the MTG table. Its ability to flood the field with numerous permanents makes it a formidable asset in green-centric decks. Whether you are capitalizing on its synergy with ramp strategies or pairing it with untap effects for a surprise unveiling of your library’s might, this spell brings immense potential for turning the tides in your favor. If you’re keen to explore its vast possibilities and find out how it can revolutionize your gameplay, dive into our comprehensive guide. Enhance your deck, refine your tactics, and become an adept wielder of Genesis Wave’s power.


Cards like Genesis Wave

Genesis Wave is a powerhouse in Magic: The Gathering for those looking to deploy a multitude of permanents in a single, game-altering move. It shares thematic similarities with cards like Tooth and Nail, which also allows you to potentially put multiple creatures onto the battlefield at once. However, Genesis Wave’s scope is broader, affecting not just creatures but potentially any type of permanent.

Analogous to Genesis Wave in the green mana spells category, we have Eureka, which permits players to put any number of permanents from their hand into play, but this card involves both players, offering a risky trade-off. On the other hand, Green Sun’s Zenith, can search your library for a specific green creature card and put it into play, granting pinpoint precision compared to the broad sweep of Genesis Wave. Yet, it’s limited to creatures, whereas Genesis Wave could dredge up an entire board’s worth of diverse permanent types.

Consequently, examining these options illustrates how Genesis Wave can dominate late-game strategies with its ability to potentially flood the board with a variety of permanents, setting it apart from more focused or reciprocal green spells within the vast library of Magic: The Gathering.

Tooth and Nail - MTG Card versions
Eureka - MTG Card versions
Green Sun's Zenith - MTG Card versions
Tooth and Nail - Mirrodin (MRD)
Eureka - Legends (LEG)
Green Sun's Zenith - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)

Cards similar to Genesis Wave by color, type and mana cost

Ice Storm - MTG Card versions
Tranquility - MTG Card versions
Seeds of Innocence - MTG Card versions
Fallow Earth - MTG Card versions
Untamed Wilds - MTG Card versions
Wing Snare - MTG Card versions
Squall - MTG Card versions
Deep Reconnaissance - MTG Card versions
Long Rest - MTG Card versions
Rosethorn Acolyte // Seasonal Ritual - MTG Card versions
Cultivate - MTG Card versions
Lovestruck Beast // Heart's Desire - MTG Card versions
Nissa's Pilgrimage - MTG Card versions
Deconstruct - MTG Card versions
Recollect - MTG Card versions
Thermokarst - MTG Card versions
Gift of the Gargantuan - MTG Card versions
Trip Wire - MTG Card versions
Kodama's Reach - MTG Card versions
Alluring Scent - MTG Card versions
Ice Storm - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Tranquility - 30th Anniversary Edition (30A)
Seeds of Innocence - Mirage (MIR)
Fallow Earth - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Untamed Wilds - Portal (POR)
Wing Snare - Welcome Deck 2017 (W17)
Squall - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Deep Reconnaissance - Odyssey (ODY)
Long Rest - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Rosethorn Acolyte // Seasonal Ritual - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Cultivate - Doctor Who (WHO)
Lovestruck Beast // Heart's Desire - Throne of Eldraine Promos (PELD)
Nissa's Pilgrimage - Magic Origins (ORI)
Deconstruct - Mirrodin (MRD)
Recollect - Core Set 2019 (M19)
Thermokarst - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Gift of the Gargantuan - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Trip Wire - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Kodama's Reach - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Alluring Scent - Masters Edition IV (ME4)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Genesis Wave MTG card by a specific set like Scars of Mirrodin and Iconic Masters, 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 Genesis Wave and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Genesis Wave Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2010-10-01 and 2023-06-23. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12010-10-01Scars of MirrodinSOM 1222003normalblackJames Paick
22017-11-17Iconic MastersIMA 1642015normalblackJames Paick
32023-06-23Tales of Middle-earth CommanderLTC 2452015normalblackAnato Finnstark

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Genesis Wave has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-11-17 A permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card.
2017-11-17 All of the permanents put onto the battlefield this way enter at the same time. If any have triggered abilities that trigger on something else entering the battlefield, they'll see each other.
2017-11-17 If a card in a player's library has in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.
2017-11-17 If a card in your library has no mana symbols in its upper right corner (because it's a land card, for example), its mana value is 0. Such cards can always be put onto the battlefield with Genesis Wave.
2017-11-17 If you have fewer than X cards in your library, you reveal all of them.
2017-11-17 You don't have to put permanent cards revealed this way onto the battlefield if you choose not to, regardless of their mana values.

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks