Wake of Destruction MTG Card

Wake of Destruction - Urza's Destiny (UDS)

Urza's Destiny (UDS)
1999-06-07 - Number 99

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number UDS-99

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery

Key Takeaways

Targets and removes all lands of a chosen type, reshaping the game’s resource landscape.
It can hinder opponents’ strategies, providing indirect resource acceleration for the caster.
High mana cost, specific mana requirements can make it difficult to play in some decks.

Text of card

Destroy target land and all lands with the same name as that land.

Land charred black, rivers boiled, Crops and wells alike despoiled, Mountains leveled, forests felled— Footprints of the beasts of Keld.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wake of Destruction can be a game-changing play, potentially eliminating multiple lands of the same type from your opponent’s side of the battlefield. This disruption not only sets your opponent back significantly in resources but also gives you an indirect advantage as you continue to play unimpeded.

Resource Acceleration: While Wake of Destruction does not directly accelerate your resources, the elimination of an opponent’s land base can indirectly contribute to resource acceleration for you by making it harder for your opponent to respond to your threats or cast expensive spells, keeping you ahead in the game.

Instant Speed: While this card is not an instant, its impact at sorcery speed does not lessen its potential. By strategically playing it, you can dismantle your opponent’s carefully laid plans, particularly if you cast it when they are tapped out or unable to counter.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Wake of Destruction can be a game-changer by removing all lands of one name, its requirement for a significant number of resources can leave you vulnerable. Sacrificing a card to unleash it might deplete your hand when you need to respond to threats.

Specific Mana Cost: Necessitating three red mana can restrict its inclusion in multicolored decks, potentially making it a cumbersome draw when you’re unable to produce the required mana types efficiently.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The six total mana to cast this spell is large, and in many situations, those resources could be dedicated to developing your board presence or maintaining interaction with opponents. Moreover, efficiently allocating six mana in one go can demand careful planning and might slow down your overall game tempo.

Reasons to Include Wake of Destruction in Your Collection

Versatility: Wake of Destruction adds a layer of adaptability to your deck with its ability to target any land type. This can prove invaluable in both mono-color and multicolor matches, giving you an edge by removing the land base your opponent relies on.

Combo Potential: This card opens the door to synergies with land destruction strategies or can combo with cards that penalize opponents when lands hit the graveyard, amplifying its destructive power within specific builds.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where land-focused decks prevail, having Wake of Destruction can provide a significant advantage. It disrupts the opponents’ mana production and can tilt the game in your favor when facing decks that depend on specific land synergies.

How to beat

Wake of Destruction is a powerful sorcery that can devastate your land base in Magic: The Gathering. Facing it requires a proactive approach, considering its potential to eliminate all lands of a single name. One key strategy involves diversifying your land types, making it less impactful if you’re hit by the spell. Utilize basic lands alongside various nonbasics to avoid a total wipeout from uniform land-types.

It’s also advisable to keep counter spells in hand if you’re playing blue. Efficient counters like Counterspell or Mana Leak can prevent Wake of Destruction from ever resolving. Alternatively, prioritize land restoration options like Life from the Loam or Crucible of Worlds, so you can swiftly recover any lost resources. Protection effects such as Terra Eternal can also be invaluable for rendering your lands indestructible, thus shielding them from targeted destruction.

Understanding and preparing for this card is crucial, as a well-timed Wake of Destruction can turn the tide of a match. It underscores the importance of strategic land management and maintaining diverse land bases amidst threats of targeted removal. In this aspect, Wake of Destruction serves as a stark reminder of MTG’s complex strategic depth.

Cards like Wake of Destruction

Wake of Destruction presents a hefty blow to players who heavily rely on a particular type of land. Its effect, destroying all lands of a chosen type, echoes the catastrophic power of cards like Armageddon which ravages all lands altogether. However, Wake of Destruction allows for more strategic play by targeting a specific resource instead of a wide sweep, which can be a calculated move against decks that depend on nonbasic lands or specific mana bases.

Comparatively, we have cards like Ruination, which also punishes decks built with a variety of nonbasic lands. Ruination, though, doesn’t give you the same pinpoint accuracy that Wake of Destruction offers. On another hand, there’s Boil, which eradicates all Islands, a boon for those facing blue-heavy adversaries. While Boil costs less mana, the scope is limited to a single land type, unlike Wake of Destruction’s large-scale potential based on the player’s choice.

Ultimately, in the world of Magic: The Gathering, each land destruction card carries its weight in deck strategies. Wake of Destruction stands out with its unique ability to single out a land type, positioning itself as a tactical choice for players aiming to dismantle opponent’s specific landholdings.

Cards similar to Wake of Destruction by color, type and mana cost

Chaotic Transformation - MTG Card versions

Into the Maw of Hell - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wake of Destruction MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Destiny and The List, 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 Wake of Destruction and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wake of Destruction Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-06-07 and 1999-06-07. Illustrated by Todd Lockwood.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-06-07	Urza's Destiny	UDS		99	1997	Normal	Black	Todd Lockwood
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST		UDS-99	1997	Normal	Black	Todd Lockwood

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wake of Destruction has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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