In almost every game of Magic, you’ll need to answer your opponents’ creatures. Spot removal works well for individual threats, but sometimes you just need to wipe the slate clean. When your opponents’ boards get out of control, black
Black is the best color in terms of creature removal, and it has some of the best mass removal for creatures in the game. In control decks, as well as just about any EDH deck that can run them, black
With so many options, some are naturally better than others. Picking the right sweepers for your deck and for your meta is key to getting the most out of your removal. Listed here are the top ten black
Table Of Contents
What Should You Look for in Black Board Wipes?
There are lots of factors to consider when choosing your sweepers. Not every
Are They Expensive?
One of the most important parts of a
Having leftover mana after clearing the
Are They Flexible?
Board wipes can save you in a variety of situations, so the more flexible each one is, the better. When I’m on the back foot in a game, drawing a dead card feels like falling even further behind. If you can minimize the chances of that happening, your deck will feel more consistent and adaptable.
Black
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Black
Are They One-Sided?
One of the biggest downsides to clearing the
There are multiple black
Some black
Honorable Mentions
Before we get into the best of the best, I wanted to mention a couple of niche options that could be all-stars in the right situation. These might not work in every deck or in every meta, but they’re powerful cards that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Kindred Dominance
Kindred Dominance has a lot of potential. It’s cheaper than other one-sided
In certain tribal decks, Kindred Dominance can be your best mass removal spell. It’s unlikely that your opponents will have lots of angels and demons, for example, but some tribes are more common. If you’re running elves or humans, your opponents may have a fair number of them without even trying. Kindred Dominance has a high ceiling, but there’s no denying that it’s niche.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheap for its effect | Niche Demand |
| Potentially game-winning |
Recommended Format: Commander
Deadly Tempest
Deadly Tempest seems to fail in each category I’ve mentioned: it isn’t cheap, it isn’t flexible, and it isn’t one-sided. What I really like about Deadly Tempest is its secondary effect. Damaging each player for how many creatures they lost can swing the game even further in your favor.
Deadly Tempest shines in token-heavy metas, especially if you’re running a deck that’s light on creatures. The ability to deal ten, twenty, or even more damage from your
| Pros | Cons |
| Can punish go-wide decks | Inefficient and symmetrical |
Recommended Format: Commander
Top 10 Black Board Wipes
No black
#10: Necromantic Selection
For a symmetrical
At tables that usually see powerful creatures like eldrazi or demons, Necromantic Selection is a great choice. It’s even better if you’re running those creatures yourself. Keeping your best threat while everyone else has to start from scratch isn’t a bad deal for seven mana.
| Pros | Cons |
| Recursion | Expensive |
Recommended Format: Commander
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#9: Blood on the Snow
Blood on the Snow is very similar to Necromantic Selection, but it has a few advantages that push it to #9. First, it costs one less mana and has fewer color requirements. Second, it can destroy creatures or planeswalkers, so it’s more flexible. Finally, it also gives you more options for recursion.
Blood on the Snow can bring back planeswalkers, even if you chose to destroy all creatures. Planeswalkers are incredibly strong on an empty
It’s unfortunate that Blood on the Snow can’t recur anything with a mana value higher than six, but its flexibility and cheaper cost makes it more versatile than Necromantic Selection.
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible Uses | Expensive |
| Recursion (including Planeswalkers) | Limited recursion targets |
Recommended Formats: Commander, Standard
#8: Crux of Fate
Crux of Fate will usually destroy all creatures for five mana. There are some situations where it won’t do quite what you want, but it’s fairly reliable. The ability to hose dragon decks is also nice, as well as being able to run it as a one-sided
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The biggest problem with Crux of Fate is its mana cost. Five mana isn’t terribly expensive, but there are other black
| Pros | Cons |
| Reliable | Slightly inefficient |
| Interacts well with dragons |
Recommended Format: Commander
#7: Plague Wind
Plague Wind is a clean, one-sided
Despite this powerful effect, putting a nine-mana card in your deck can be a real liability. If you draw it early, you’ll have a dead card in your hand for turn after turn. Even if you aren’t stuck with it early, reaching nine mana can be difficult. You definitely can’t go light on your lands and ramp if you run Plague Wind.
| Pros | Cons |
| One-sided | Expensive |
Recommended Format: Commander
#6: In Garruk’s Wake
In Garruk’s Wake is generally a stronger version of Plague Wind. There may be times that a creature dodges Garruk’s axe with regeneration, but it’s far more likely that you’ll run into pesky planeswalkers than a regenerating menace.
Planeswalkers generate tons of value, and they can easily take over a game. Answering these permanents once they hit the battlefield is key, and In Garruk’s Wake does this perfectly.
Planeswalkers aside, this card has the same strengths and weaknesses as Plague Wind. Keep that land count high!
| Pros | Cons |
| One-sided | Expensive |
| Destroys Planeswalkers |
Recommended Format: Commander
#5: Black Sun’s Zenith
One of the greatest strengths for any X spell is its flexibility, and Black Sun’s Zenith is no exception. If you want to completely wipe the
If you’re only concerned with handling tokens or smaller threats, you can just pay one or two mana. That way, you can maintain some of your
Even if you don’t have the mana to remove every creature, Black Sun’s Zenith still lets you make the
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible | Can be expensive |
| Gives -1/-1 counters |
Recommended Format: Commander
#4: Damnation
Board wipes don’t get any more straightforward than Damnation. For four mana, you destroy all creatures. This is the most consistent sweeper on the list, and worth considering in any black deck. The relatively cheap mana cost also makes this a very efficient option.
Some players might argue that Damnation should be at the #1 spot. The reason it’s at #4 is because the next few cards have higher upsides. Still, Damnation’s simplicity shouldn’t be overlooked. Whenever you draw it, the only factor you’ll have to consider is whether or not you want to wipe the
Other sweepers can vary in utility depending on your deck or the state of the game, but Damnation is the most reliable of the bunch.
| Pros | Cons |
| Efficient | Symmetrical |
| Reliable |
Recommended Format: Commander
#3: Living Death
Living Death has one of the highest ceilings out of any mono black
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The real strength of Living Death comes from its reanimation effect. Bringing back every creature from every graveyard can completely change the game. While this effect is symmetrical, you’re likely running it in decks with self-mill or aristocrats themes, so you’ll benefit more than most of your opponents.
Still, it’s not a guarantee that you’ll come out on top. If your opponents have a well-stocked graveyard, they could easily end up with a battlefield that rivals or even out performs yours. This risk makes Living Death a tricky card: it will often swing the game wildly in your favor, but there will be times when you can’t risk casting it.
If you’re likely to have a large graveyard, Living Death is absolutely worth running. Just make sure it’s not the only sweeper in your deck.
| Pros | Cons |
| Can be one-sided | Can benefit your opponents |
| Excellent in graveyard decks |
Recommended Format: Commander
#2: Toxic Deluge
Toxic Deluge is the most efficient mono black
Another point in its favor is that it doesn’t destroy creatures: it gives them -1/-1. Similarly to Living Death, this gets around indestructible. When you need to wipe the
Most importantly, Toxic Deluge is very flexible. Since you get to choose the value of X, it can serve many roles. If you need to remove a
The one drawback to Toxic Deluge is that the life loss can be quite taxing if there are big creatures. In Commander, though, starting at 40 life makes this less punishing. Outside of that, managing your life total is definitely important.
Still, the power level of Toxic Deluge is undeniable. No other black
| Pros | Cons |
| Cheap | Loss of life can be painful |
| Flexible |
Recommended Format: Commander
#1: The Meathook Massacre
It was a tough decision to put The Meathook Massacre at #1 over Toxic Deluge. If you’re looking for a
For aristocrats decks, having a card that acts as both a sweeper and a Blood Artist is invaluable. Not only can you clear the
You also don’t need to spend tons of mana for this card to be good. If The Meathook Massacre is in your opening hand, you can just play it without paying anything for X. Setting up your deck’s win condition on turn two is still very strong, and that’s the card’s worst case scenario.
Ultimately, The Meathook Massacre gives you choices, synergy, and a way to win the game, as well as just clearing the
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible | Can be expensive |
| Also a win condition |
Recommended Formats: Commander, Historic, Pioneer
End Step
Black
