Vanquish the Horde MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityRare
TypeSorcery

Key Takeaways

  1. Vanquish the Horde offers massive card advantage by clearing numerous threats with a single card.
  2. Its cost reduction mechanic is pivotal, allowing more efficient mana usage during critical game turns.
  3. Timing its casting can be game-changing, underscoring the importance of strategic play in MTG.

Text of card

This spell costs less to cast for each creature on the battlefield. Destroy all creatures.

Odric took no joy in violence but neither did he mourn for the twisted things he dispatched. All that mattered were the lives he had saved.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Vanquish the Horde is a powerful tool for sweeping the board, effectively dealing with a multitude of threats at once. By potentially removing many creatures with a single spell, it can turn the tide of a game and provide a significant card advantage. This advantage is particularly strong against decks that look to flood the board with creatures, as it resets their progress while maintaining your card resources.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing resource acceleration, the mana cost of Vanquish the Horde can be significantly reduced based on the number of creatures on the battlefield. This scalability ensures that you can often cast this spell at a much lower cost than similar board wipes, effectively accelerating your game plan by leaving you with more mana to deploy other threats or answers in the same turn.

Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Vanquish the Horde cannot be cast at instant speed; however, this allows for strategic planning around your opponent’s turn. By understanding the flow of the game, you can set up a turn where casting Vanquish the Horde has a devastating impact on the opponent’s board state, clearing the way for your offensive strategies or protecting your life total from aggressive attacks. Proper timing of this card is key to optimizing its impact.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Vanquish the Horde necessitates a significant board presence to optimize its value, which can be a detriment in situations when you’re behind and in need of a turnaround.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s demanding white mana cost requires a dedicated or heavily white-mana influenced deck, potentially reducing its versatility across various archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Carrying a base cost of six mana, Vanquish the Horde might be considered somewhat expensive compared to other mass removal options, even though its cost may be reduced as the game progresses.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Vanquish the Horde is a powerful sweep in Commander and other multi-player formats, able to clear the board of creatures regardless of their size. Its scalability depending on the game state makes it a flexible addition to white decks.

Combo Potential: This card synergizes well with decks that focus on life gain or those that utilize death triggers. The mass removal can set the stage for potent combos or follow up with resilient threats that capitalize on an empty board.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the prevalence of creature-based strategies in many formats, the inclusion of Vanquish the Horde can give players an edge by resetting the board. It’s especially useful when facing decks that aim to swarm the board with tokens or mass creatures quickly.


How to beat

Vanquish the Horde is a potent board wipe in MTG that can level the playing field against creature-heavy decks by destroying all creatures for a lesser cost with more adversaries on the battlefield. Its scalable mana cost makes it an adaptable answer in tight spots, but how can you navigate through this removal and keep your creatures safe?

To maintain the upper hand against Vanquish the Horde, consider using indestructible creatures, which will withstand the destruction. Cards that grant your creatures hexproof or protection from white can also nullify Vanquish the Horde’s effect. Diversifying your threats beyond creatures, with planeswalkers or artifacts, ensures your offensive capabilities are not completely halted by a single spell. Moreover, utilizing counter spells, you can shut down this wipe before it clears your board or capitalizing on instant-speed creature spells post-wipe ensures your board presence is quickly reestablished. Always remember, anticipation and a well-constructed deck are your best allies in preserving your army in the face of widespread destruction.

The key to triumph over Vanquish the Horde lies in strategic play, adequate threat assessment, and maintaining a diverse array of threats to prevent total loss from a sweep.


Cards like Vanquish the Horde

Vanquish the Horde holds a prominent position among mass removal spells in Magic: The Gathering. Its closest counterpart, Day of Judgment, stands out for its consistent four mana cost to clear the battlefield of all creatures. Vanquish the Horde, however, flexes its muscle by potentially reducing its cost based on the number of creatures in play, which could lower it to a mere two white mana.

Another spell to consider is Wrath of God, an iconic card known for its merciless sweep of creatures without the possibility of regeneration. Vanquish the Horde sacrifices the anti-regeneration clause to offer a dynamic cost advantage, making it a strategic choice in creature-heavy metas. Within the same vein, Blasphemous Act is often a staple in Commander decks for its ability to scale in cost-effectiveness parallel to the number of creatures on the board, though it is red and not white like Vanquish the Horde.

Ultimately, the utility of Vanquish the Horde is in the hands of the player, with its cost-efficiency being its silver lining in games crowded with creatures. It serves as a compelling choice among its brethren in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, particularly for white-colored decks looking to level the playing field at a moment’s notice.

Day of Judgment - MTG Card versions
Wrath of God - MTG Card versions
Blasphemous Act - MTG Card versions
Day of Judgment - Zendikar (ZEN)
Wrath of God - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Blasphemous Act - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Vanquish the Horde by color, type and mana cost

Ondu Inversion // Ondu Skyruins - MTG Card versions
Reverse the Sands - MTG Card versions
Invincible Hymn - MTG Card versions
Archangel's Light - MTG Card versions
Play of the Game - MTG Card versions
Ondu Inversion // Ondu Skyruins - From Cute to Brute (PCTB)
Reverse the Sands - Commander 2016 (C16)
Invincible Hymn - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Archangel's Light - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Play of the Game - Battlebond (BBD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Vanquish the Horde MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Vanquish the Horde and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Vanquish the Horde Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2019-12-02 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 939102015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 13532015normalborderlessJosh Newton
32021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 412015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
42021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 41s2015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
52021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight HuntMID 3332015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
62021-09-24Innistrad: Midnight Hunt PromosPMID 41p2015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski
72022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 412015normalblackGrzegorz Rutkowski

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Vanquish the Horde has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

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