Sweep Away MTG Card

Bounce spells like Sweep Away can significantly disrupt an opponent’s deck tempo and draw strategy. Instant speed allows strategic flexibility in gameplay, making Sweep Away a tactical tool in many situations. Mana cost and color specificity may limit Sweep Away to certain blue-focused MTG decks and strategies.

Sweep Away - Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)

Oath of the Gatewatch (OGW)
2016-01-22 - Number 64

Jumpstart (JMP)
2020-07-17 - Number 180

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Instant

Text of card

Return target creature to its owner's hand. If that creature is attacking, you may put it on top of its owner's library instead.

The Roil takes many forms. It also takes many victims.

Cards like Sweep Away

Sweep Away consistently intrigues MTG players as a control tool among instants. When comparing this to other bounce spells like Unsummon, Sweep Away claims a unique position. Unsummon allows players to return a creature to its owner’s hand at a mere one mana, making it a premier choice for tempo plays. On the flip side, Sweep Away not only returns the targeted creature to its owner’s library instead of their hand but places it second from the top, disrupting draw strategies.

Then there is the slightly costlier Into the Roil. It shares a two-mana cost like Unsummon for its kicker-less version, but offers the kicker option to draw a card, adding a draw mechanic that Sweep Away lacks. Whisk Away is another analog, shuffling creatures into libraries, yet it’s limited to only triggering upon a creature’s attack. While Sweep Away’s three mana cost is higher than both Unsummon and Into the Roil, its strategic library placement utility gives it a distinctive role in MTG’s roster of return-to-library spells.

Evaluating the strengths of these various interactions, Sweep Away stands out for its ability to affect the top deck of an opponent, giving players a different angle of attack in their control strategies within the game.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Sweep Away acts not only as a bounce spell but it also places the target creature on top of its owner’s library. This disrupts the opponent’s draw and gives you an indirect card advantage by potentially delaying a more impactful card they could have drawn.

Resource Acceleration: While this card doesn’t provide direct resource acceleration like the generation of mana or treasure tokens, it can indirectly accelerate your resources by buying you time and preserving your life total. This allows you to reach your key turns and deploy your own threats or answers more effectively.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Sweep Away at instant speed offers flexibility, allowing you to disrupt opponents’ combat plans or end-step bounce a creature. This can be particularly impactful when saving it for the most opportune moment, whether that’s in response to an opponent’s buff spell or to counteract creatures with enter-the-battlefield effects.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Sweep Away doesn’t necessitate discarding, its primary function of controlling the board might be less efficient when facing an empty hand. In such scenarios, holding Sweep Away can feel suboptimal as it doesn’t contribute to replenishing your own resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Sweep Away has a specific mana cost that includes blue mana (1UU). This inherently ties it to blue or blue-inclusive decks, potentially limiting its inclusion to particular MTG play styles or strategies with sufficient blue mana sources.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two that must be blue, Sweep Away’s ability to put a creature on top of its owner’s library might be competing with other control or bounce spells that either cost less or offer additional benefits aside from pure card displacement.

Reasons to Include Sweep Away in Your Collection

Versatility: Sweep Away offers a flexible approach to handling problematic creatures on the battlefield. It can reset a buffed creature or save one of your own from removal, making it adaptable for various in-game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card opens up tactical plays by bouncing your opponent’s creatures during a critical moment, possibly disrupting their combos while setting up your own board state for a strategic advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In a game where tempo plays a crucial role, Sweep Away can effectively disrupt aggro strategies and swing the momentum in your favor, contributing to its relevance in diverse metas.

How to beat

Sweep Away stands as a versatile card in the arsenal of blue spells, capable of disrupting opponent’s strategies. At its core functionality, it allows you to return target creature to its owner’s hand; if that creature was attacking, you put it on top of its owner’s library instead. This can cause a setback for aggressive decks and temporarily clear the path of imposing threats.

Overcoming the challenge posed by Sweep Away involves careful planning and patience. Instead of recklessly sending your key creatures into battle, it may be wiser to bait out the spell first. Holding back your major threats until you have a read on your opponent’s mana can be crucial. Additionally, employing creatures with enter the battlefield effects can mitigate the impact of being returned to the hand or deck. If your strategy includes a medley of instant-speed spells or abilities that can be activated at any time, you can maintain pressure without over-committing to the board, further reducing the impact of Sweep Away’s potential in a game.

Ultimately, while Sweep Away can be an unexpected hindrance, adapting your gameplay and managing resources effectively will help you maintain an advantage regardless of the spells your opponent may have in store.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Sweep Away MTG card by a specific set like Oath of the Gatewatch and Jumpstart, 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 Sweep Away and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Sweep Away Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2016-01-22 and 2020-07-17. Illustrated by Winona Nelson.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2016-01-22	Oath of the Gatewatch	OGW		64	2015	Normal	Black	Winona Nelson
2	2020-07-17	Jumpstart	JMP		180	2015	Normal	Black	Winona Nelson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Sweep Away has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal