Wipe Away MTG Card

Time Spiral (TSP)
2006-10-06 - Number 94

Wipe Away - Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)

Time Spiral Remastered (TSR)
2021-03-19 - Number 100

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Instant
Abilities	Split second

Key Takeaways

Strategically delays opponent’s tempo, offering significant on-board advantage through its bouncing capability.
Instant speed and ‘split second’ provide unmatched utility, outclassing similar bounce spells in crucial moments.
Viable against an array of strategies, a must-have for diverse MTG deck builds aiming for control.

Text of card

Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't play spells or activated abilities that aren't mana abilities.) Return target permanent to its owner's hand.

An eyeblink later, all that remained of the tree-beast was the breeze of its momentum.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wipe Away is known for its potential to disrupt an opponent’s strategy by bouncing an essential nonland permanent back to their hand. This effect can significantly set back your opponent’s board development and tempo, while keeping your card count stable.

Resource Acceleration: Although Wipe Away doesn’t directly accelerate resources in the form of mana or tokens, the tempo advantage gained can be equivalent to accelerating your own board state by effectively negating your opponent’s previous turn.

Instant Speed: The instant nature of Wipe Away allows for dynamic play. Hold back mana and cast it when it’s most advantageous—during an opponent’s turn, in response to an activation, or when an imminent threat requires immediate attention. This flexibility gives it a strong presence in games where timing is pivotal.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When considering Wipe Away in your deck strategy, you must be ready to manage its discard requirement. Adding this card to your hand means you may need to let go of another potentially valuable card from your hand, which can put you at a disadvantage, particularly if your hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: The necessity to allocate a blue mana to cast Wipe Away can be restrictive. Decks that aren’t focused on heavy blue mana resources might find integrating this card a bit challenging, not to mention the necessity of keeping up mana specifically to take advantage of its instant-speed utility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its combined three mana cost, two of which are generic and one is blue, Wipe Away may seem costly when juxtaposed with other instant-speed interaction options in MTG. Players often weigh its cost against its effectiveness, especially in formats where speed and efficiency are paramount.

Reasons to Include Wipe Away in Your Collection

Versatility: Wipe Away’s non-targeted nature makes it a powerful tool against a broad range of threats. This instant spell can seamlessly be included in sideboards or even main decks of formats where countermeasures are essential.

Combo Potential: Its split-second ability means it can disrupt opponents’ intricate sequences, breaking combos and leaving them vulnerable. This can be a decisive swing in momentum for combo-reliant matches.

Meta-Relevance: With ever-evolving MTG metagames that often revolve around crucial spells and abilities, having Wipe Away at your disposal ensures you’re well-equipped to deal with many popular strategies uninterrupted.

How to beat

Wipe Away is a card that poses a unique challenge to Magic: The Gathering players, with its instant speed and the ability to return target permanent to its owner’s hand. Its utility lies in its “Split Second” capability, which disallows other spells or abilities to be activated in response, making it a formidable tool for disrupting opponents’ strategies. However, beating Wipe Away involves clever deck construction and timing.

Key to overcoming Wipe Away is to rely on permanents with passive abilities that don’t use the stack or prioritize playing cards that can’t be targeted by spells or abilities. Consider using creatures with hexproof or shroud to ensure they remain on the battlefield. Additionally, playing with cards that have beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects can turn Wipe Away’s setback into an advantage for you by retriggering these effects. Also, since Wipe Away only targets one permanent at a time, deploying multiple threats simultaneously can dilute its impact.

Moreover, maintaining a backup plan for your key pieces can cushion the blow when Wipe Away strikes. Having instants or abilities that can be activated in response to your own spells being targeted allows for a strategic retreat or redeployment of resources. Ultimately, while Wipe Away can momentarily clear the way, a well-prepared strategy ensures it’s only a ripple in your game plan.

Cards like Wipe Away

Wipe Away stands out in Magic: The Gathering as a powerful tool for disrupting opponents. It competes in the realm of bounce spells, which are spells designed to return target permanents to their owner’s hand. Wipe Away shares this effect with cards like Unsummon and Boomerang. What sets Wipe Away apart is its ‘split second’ ability, meaning it cannot be responded to, giving players a reliable way to interrupt combos or evade counter spells.

Unsummon, while costing just one blue mana, lacks the split second feature and can’t target spells on the stack. Echoing Truth also offers a bounce effect, but its scope is broader because it can target multiple copies of a card. It is more versatile in certain situations but, like Unsummon, it is vulnerable to counter spells due to not having split second. Similarly, Cyclonic Rift provides a more sweeping effect, capable of clearing multiple permanents rather than one, at a higher mana cost, making it a game-changer in the late game.

Comparing these alternatives, Wipe Away is highly valued for its guaranteed intervention and is especially favored in formats where stopping pivotal plays decisively shapes the game’s outcome.

Cards similar to Wipe Away by color, type and mana cost

Thirst for Knowledge - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wipe Away MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral and Time Spiral Remastered, 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 Wipe Away and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wipe Away Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-10-06 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Jeff Miracola.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2006-10-06	Time Spiral	TSP		94	2003	Normal	Black	Jeff Miracola
2	2021-03-19	Time Spiral Remastered	TSR		100	2015	Normal	Black	Jeff Miracola

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wipe Away has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-03-19	After a spell with split second resolves (or otherwise leaves the stack), players may again cast spells and activate abilities before the next object on the stack resolves.
2021-03-19	Casting a spell with split second won’t affect spells and abilities that are already on the stack.
2021-03-19	If the resolution of a triggered ability involves casting a spell, that spell can’t be cast if a spell with split second is on the stack.
2021-03-19	Players may turn face-down creatures face up while a spell with split second is on the stack.
2021-03-19	Players still get priority while a card with split second is on the stack; their options are just limited to mana abilities and certain special actions.
2021-03-19	Split second doesn’t stop triggered abilities from triggering, such as that of Chalice of the Void. If one does, its controller puts it on the stack and chooses targets for it, if any. Those abilities will resolve as normal.