It’s no secret that board wipes play an important role in MTG. Whether you’re playing Constructed or Commander, board wipes serve as an important catch-up mechanism. It’s very common for your opponents to want to flood the board with creatures. Having a way to reset the board state is incredibly helpful at ensuring that your midrange or control deck doesn’t fall too far behind.
However, not all board wipes are created equal. Some, while powerful, cost too much mana to realistically see play in a Constructed setting. For this reason, when the Duskmourn teasers revealed that there would be a white, three-mana modal board wipe coming to Standard, there was a lot of hype surrounding it.
Well, we now get to see Split Up in all its glory, and there’s a lot to like. There is certainly some hefty competition for this card in Standard, but its effect is rather unique. There are tons of ways to abuse Split Up in an EDH setting, too.
Split Up in Constructed
- Mana Value: 1WW
- Rarity: Rare
- MTG Set: Duskmourn
- Card Text: Choose one- Destroy all tapped creatures. Destroy all untapped creatures.
Split Up is a very interesting card for Standard purposes. There are plenty of decks, including Boros Convoke and Gruul Prowess, where having a board wipe this early in the game can be useful. The only thing really standing in the way of Split Up seeing a lot of play is the presence of Temporary Lockdown.
For decks like Domain ramp and Azorius control, Temporary Lockdown cleanly answers most plays the opponent can make in the early game. It even sweeps away low-cost artifacts and enchantments, which can be essential against Convoke decks.
Split Up, on the other hand, runs the risk of only taking care of a handful of creatures at a time. If the opponent makes a large attack, then simply casts an untapped threat post-combat, Split Up won’t answer everything. Not to mention, if the opponent is savvy enough to sniff out the Split Up in your hand, they may leave some creatures back on purpose (similar to how players may choose to combat Settle the Wreckage.)
The good news, though, is that Split Up has some unique upside that other board wipes don’t have. First of all, it’s possible Split Up’s ability to take out specifically tapped creatures can come in handy for decks that want to keep the board clear but play creatures themselves. Orzhov midrange, for instance, can curve out with Deep-Cavern Bat and the like. This may incentivize aggro opponents to overextend, in which case a well-timed Split Up can function closely to a three-mana Plague Wind.
Additionally, unlike Temporary Lockdown, Split Up isn’t vulnerable to enchantment removal on future turns. As good as Temporary Lockdown is, its weakness to Pick Your Poison out of Gruul Prowess or Get Lost out of Boros Convoke can be problematic. It’ll be interesting to see how Split Up ultimately ends up performing in a Constructed setting.
Read More: MTG Welcome Decks Make a Triumphant Return With Duskmourn
Commander Shenanigans
- Mana Value: 1UUU
- Rarity: Rare
- MTG Sets: Lorwyn, Modern Masters, Modern Masters 2015, Iconic Masters
- Card Text: Choose two- Counter target spell. Return target permanent to its owner’s hand. Tap all creatures your opponents control. Draw a card.
Where Split Up seems like it can have a really big impact, though, is in Commander. Board wipes naturally have use in Commander to keep decks that flood the battlefield with creatures in check. However, Split Up is no ordinary Wrath effect. There are a lot of ways to set things up so that Split Up blows away your opponents’ threats, but not yours.
If you have access to blue and white cards, one classic tool you can use alongside Split Up is Cryptic Command. On your opponent’s end step before your turn, you can tap all opposing creatures. Then, during your turn, all your creatures will untap. Split Up will now literally remove every creature on the battlefield except yours. In mono-white, Blinding Light can help you accomplish a similar task.
Having access to a pseudo-Wrath that is flexible enough to put even in a deck with lots of creatures is awesome. Split Up may take some work to maximize, but the card’s potential is through the roof. If you’re lucky, you may be able to send your opponents back to The Stone Age for the low cost of three mana.
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