Cleanfall MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery — Arcane
Released	2004-10-01
Set symbol
Set name	Champions of Kamigawa
Set code	CHK
Number	6
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Daren Bader

Key Takeaways

Disruption of opponents or reuse of own permanents makes Cleanfall a versatile tactical addition.
Allows faster play by clearing potential threats or reclaiming favorable board states.
Demands careful deck construction with a balance of mana colors for optimal play.

Text of card

Destroy all enchantments.

During the war, the rites of purification were still effective, but the kami, not the kitsune, chose what to cleanse.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Cleanfall provides a valuable edge by returning up to two target nonland permanents to their owner’s hand. This not only disrupts your opponent’s board presence but can be used to reuse your own permanents with beneficial enter-the-battlefield effects, enhancing your card utility and potential for tactical plays.

Resource Acceleration: By effectively removing potential threats or costly enchantments, Cleanfall opens the field for quicker attacks, allowing you to capitalize on your creatures’ abilities or the lack of blockers. It sets you up to accelerate your influence on the game while potentially setting back your opponent’s resource development.

Instant Speed: The ability to play Cleanfall at instant speed provides a strategic advantage, ensuring you can adapt to threats in real-time or surprise an opponent during their turn. It fits seamlessly into your game plan, allowing you to respond to or preempt your opponent’s actions without missing a beat in the tempo of the match.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Cleanfall has the potential to disrupt your hand by requiring a card discard to utilize its effect. This trade-off can leave players at a disadvantage, especially when their hand size is already low or if they’re relying on card advantage to outmaneuver opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: Cleanfall demands a precise combination of mana colors to be cast effectively. This requirement can be restrictive for players who run multi-colored decks and may not always have the right mana available when needed, thereby limiting the card’s versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a higher mana cost than some other removal options available in MTG, Cleanfall could be considered inefficient. Deck builders may hesitate to include it when other lower-cost spells offer similar or even superior board control capabilities.

Reasons to Include Cleanfall in Your Collection

Versatility: Cleanfall offers a unique and flexible solution to deal with an array of problematic permanents. Its ability to selectively remove nonland permanents ensures it can adapt to various situations and fit into multiple deck archetypes.

Combo Potential: Cleanfall not only clears the way for your win conditions but can also work wonders in decks tailored around graveyard strategies, as it can potentially fill yours or your opponent’s graveyard for further synergistic plays.

Meta-Relevance: With the ever-changing landscape of the competitive scene, Cleanfall can serve as a powerful tool to disrupt opponents’ setups. Whether it’s enchantments, creatures, or opposing artifacts, its relevance persists, making it a valuable accessory in your strategic arsenal.

How to Beat Cleanfall

Cleanfall is a card that offers players the ability to disrupt their opponent’s board state by wiping out all creatures with flying—a sneaky play that can turn the tide of a match. But fear not, there are several strategies to counter this arbiter of the skies. Maintaining a diversified creature base is key; ensure that your army isn’t solely reliant on flying creatures. Ground-based offensive lines or creatures with reach can serve you well when Cleanfall is on the horizon.

Consider using hexproof or indestructible creatures to shield your allies from such mass removal effects, making it difficult for Cleanfall to clear your board. Another approach is using instant-speed spells that grant your creatures protection from a color until end of turn, effectively nullifying Cleanfall’s impact when timed correctly. Additionally, countering Cleanfall directly with spells like “Negate” or “Dovin’s Veto” can preserve your aerial forces and keep you in control of the game.

To sum up, while Cleanfall has the potential to sweep through the skies, with the right preparations and responses in your deck, you can render it little more than a gentle breeze against your powerful, well-rounded strategy.

Cards like Cleanfall

Stepping into the realm of board-cleaning spells in Magic: The Gathering, Cleanfall presents an intriguing mechanism. It aligns with cards like Winds of Rath and Hallowed Burial in terms of resetting the battlefield. Unlike Winds of Rath, which needs creatures to be enchanted before it can destroy them, Cleanfall bypasses such prerequisites; simply clearing all creatures that aren’t Enchantments. It differs from Hallowed Burial, which tucks creatures into the library rather than outright destroying them.

Another card worth comparing is Planar Collapse. Similar to Cleanfall, this card is poised to clear the board. However, it waits until a specific condition—four or more creatures on the battlefield—is met before triggering during the next upkeep, contrasting with Cleanfall’s direct and immediate effect. Then there’s Day of Judgment, a straightforward spell for a clean sweep, which Cleanfall mirrors in its immediacy but targets non-Enchantment creatures specifically, offering a unique flavor of selectivity.

Ultimately, in the diverse landscape of board wipes within Magic: The Gathering, Cleanfall stands out for its targeted approach, catering to a strategic field by preserving Enchantment creatures and potentially turning the tide of battle in your favor.

Cards similar to Cleanfall by color, type and mana cost

Cleansing Meditation - MTG Card versions

Kayla's Reconstruction - MTG Card versions

Proclamation of Rebirth - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Cleanfall MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Cleanfall and other MTG cards: