Wash Away MTG Card


Wash Away restricts opponents’ alternative casting, offering a significant tactical advantage in various formats. Its low cost and instant speed provide resource efficiency and strategic flexibility in gameplay. However, it requires exile of a blue card and may not fit all strategies due to its mana specificity.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Cleave

Text of card

Cleave (You may cast this spell for its cleave cost. If you do, remove the words in square brackets.) Counter target spell
-hat wasn't cast from its owner's hand].

"May the ocean take it" —Nephalia expression meaning "good riddance"


Cards like Wash Away

Wash Away stands out in the space of countermagic spells in MTG, often drawing parallels to other popular counters such as Negate or Essence Scatter. What sets Wash Away apart is its ability to counter spells that were not cast from hand for just a single blue mana, positioning it effectively against alternative casting methods or graveyard strategies. Negate, while a staple in control decks, only counters noncreature spells, and does not have the same cost-efficient flexibility as Wash Away.

Essence Scatter, on the other hand, is solely focused on countering creature spells, thus being limited in scope compared to Wash Away’s wider applicability. Another card that resonates with this theme is Dispel, which counters only instant spells, but like Wash Away, it does so at a low mana cost. However, Wash Away exhibits versatility by addressing a broader range of threats at potentially varying mana costs.

Overall, Wash Away carves a niche for itself by offering a unique form of protection against an evolving MTG metagame, catering to pilots of control decks looking for an efficient and flexible response to unconventional spell casts.

Negate - MTG Card versions
Essence Scatter - MTG Card versions
Dispel - MTG Card versions
Negate - MTG Card versions
Essence Scatter - MTG Card versions
Dispel - MTG Card versions

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

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Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
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Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
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Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
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Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Force Spike - MTG Card versions
Opt - MTG Card versions
Envelop - MTG Card versions
Brainstorm - MTG Card versions

Decks using this card

MTG decks using Wash Away. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Izzet SpellsIzzet Spells StandardIzzet SpellsTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: April 1, 2024
Mono-Blue TempoMono-Blue Tempo StandardMono-Blue TempoTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 4, 2024
Bant ControlBant Control GladiatorGladiator Team Unified League
Azorius Lotus FieldAzorius Lotus Field PioneerAzorius Lotus Field21Champions Cup Final Season 2 Round 1

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wash Away offers a unique advantage by countering spells that were not cast from their owner’s hand, effectively negating alternative casting methods which are often leveraged in various MTG formats. This can disrupt an opponent’s strategy and provide you with a significant edge.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost spell, Wash Away can be a budget-friendly addition to your deck that helps manage your resources efficiently. Its affordable casting cost ensures you can maintain the pace of play and save crucial mana for other spells and abilities.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Wash Away at instant speed offers strategic flexibility during the game. It allows you to react swiftly to an opponent’s moves, particularly when they attempt to circumvent traditional casting costs. This keeps you in control and ready to respond to threats immediately.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wash Away prompts you to exile another blue card from your hand to cast it with its Cleave cost. This can be a setback when your hand size is dwindling and every card counts.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring one blue and two generic mana, Wash Away is strictly tied to blue-centric decks. This necessity can limit its inclusion in multicolored deck strategies where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For the enhanced Cleave effect, the cost escalates to two blue and four generic mana. When considering the market of counterspells and interaction spells, this cost is fairly steep, potentially making it less favorable when resources are tight.


Reasons to Include Wash Away in Your Collection

Versatility: Wash Away offers a reliable countermeasure against spells that your opponents cast. Its unique aspect is that it can counter spells that are cast from anywhere other than a player’s hand for just a single blue mana, making it a flexible addition to any deck that runs blue.

Combo Potential: This card can work wonders in a deck designed to exploit your opponent’s use of alternative casting methods such as flashback, foretell, or reanimator strategies. When paired with cards that manipulate these zones, Wash Away can disrupt your opponent’s carefully laid plans efficiently.

Meta-Relevance: With a meta that includes a variety of decks utilizing graveyard, library, and exile-based casting methods, Wash Away proves to be a cunning sideboard card that becomes increasingly valuable in matches where these strategies are prevalent.


How to beat

Wash Away stands out in the realm of counter spells in Magic: The Gathering. Its key feature is the Cleave mechanic, offering a strategic choice between two mana costs depending on the situation at hand. Unlike traditional counters like Cancel or Negate, Wash Away can target a spell not cast from the hand at a reduced cost, making it particularly effective against reanimated spells or cast from the graveyard effects.

To successfully navigate around Wash Away, players should consider the versatility of their own spells, especially those with Flashback or other alternative casting methods from outside the hand. Playing around the opponent’s mana availability is also crucial, as it could indicate their capacity to activate Wash Away’s Cleave cost, thereby countering your spell for just a single blue mana.

Ultimately, understanding Wash Away’s strengths and limitations provides a blueprint for devising a strategy that minimizes its impact on your game plan. This involves a balance between casting spells directly from your hand to avoid the reduced Cleave cost and baiting out the counter when it’s less detrimental, thereby preserving your more critical spells for later stages of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Developing an edge in MTG gameplay means understanding each card’s role and strategic value. Wash Away stands as a unique and versatile counterspell that can disrupt opponents using alternative casting methods. When considering additions to your blue-focused deck or sideboard, this card is a cost-effective tool to counter unconventional strategies. Embrace the challenge to refine your mana management and enhance your counter-strategy. Eager to advance your deck’s potential and outmaneuver your opponents with foresight and sharp tactics? Dive deeper with us for insights and tips to harness the full potential of Wash Away and secure your victories in the ever-evolving landscape of MTG.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wash Away MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Wash Away and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wash Away Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Brian Valeza.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-11-19Innistrad: Crimson VowVOW 872015NormalBlackBrian Valeza
22022-01-28Innistrad: Double FeatureDBL 3542015NormalBlackBrian Valeza

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wash Away has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-11-19 A cleave cost is an alternative cost that's paid instead of the spell's mana cost. Casting a spell for its cleave cost doesn't change the spell's mana value.
2021-11-19 Copies of spells are never cast from a player's hand, so Wash Away can counter copies of spells even if its cleave cost wasn't paid, regardless of whether the original spell being copied was cast from a player's hand.
2021-11-19 If an effect allows you to “cast a spell without paying its mana cost,” you can't cast that spell for its cleave cost.
2021-11-19 If you cast a spell for its cleave cost, that spell doesn't have any of the text in square brackets while it's on the stack.
2021-11-19 You can't cast a spell for both its cleave cost and another alternative cost. For example, if an effect gives an Alchemist's Retrieval in your graveyard a flashback cost of , you can't cast it from your graveyard for its cleave cost.