In Garruk's Wake Analysis Guide

TL;DR Summary

[In Garruk's Wake] is a powerful sorcery that destroys all creatures and planeswalkers not controlled by the player, making it an excellent tool for controlling the board state and eliminating threats. This card has seen significant play in various formats since its release.

Detailed Card Mechanics and Interactions

At its core, [In Garruk's Wake] is a straightforward sorcery that wipes out any creatures or planeswalkers not controlled by the player. The destruction of creatures will remove most of the attacking power from the table, while destroying planeswalkers will eliminate any potential game-changing threats.

The card's effects are symmetrical and can be affected by various interactions. For example, if a player has multiple [In Garruk's Wake] copies in their deck, they may choose to play them on different turns to clear the board of creatures and planeswalkers more efficiently. Additionally, the destruction effect will not trigger any triggered abilities or effects that depend on the creature's existence.

One interesting interaction occurs when [In Garruk's Wake] is played with cards like [Phantasmal Terrain], which can create illusions of creatures. In this case, the illusions will be destroyed by [In Garruk's Wake], but the player controlling them will not lose their own creatures.

Strategic Uses, Combos, and Synergies

[In Garruk's Wake] is an extremely versatile card that fits well into various deck archetypes. Here are some of its key applications:

• Aggressive decks: In aggressive decks, [In Garruk's Wake] can be used to clear the board of creatures, allowing the player to attack with their own creatures more effectively.
• Control decks: Control players often use [In Garruk's Wake] to wipe out opposing planeswalkers and creatures, preventing them from winning or even gaining an advantage in life total.
• Combo decks: Combo decks can utilize [In Garruk's Wake] as a way to set up their combo pieces by clearing the board of potential threats.

Some notable synergies include:

• [Liliana of the Veil], which has an ability that lets players create tokens when a creature dies, will have her ability triggered when [In Garruk's Wake] is cast.
• [Jace, Architect of Bethrid], which allows you to put any number of 2/2 bird creatures onto the battlefield whenever the player casts a spell during their main phase, can be used in conjunction with [In Garruk's Wake], allowing players to generate more board presence.

Deckbuilding Roles and Archetypes

[In Garruk's Wake] is an excellent addition to many different deck archetypes. Its versatility makes it easy to slot into existing deck builds or serve as a core component of a new strategy.

Some popular archetypes that utilize [In Garruk's Wake] include:

• Black-Red aggro: Aggressive decks focusing on red's aggressive spells and black's removal.
• Control: Midrange to control decks utilizing a combination of removal, card draw, and planeswalker tokens.
• Combo: Combo-focused deck that relies heavily on its win condition combos and [In Garruk's Wake] for board control.

Format Viability and Competitive Context

[In Garruk's Wake] has seen significant play in various formats since its release. In many cases, it is considered a top-tier card due to its ability to effectively clear the board of threats. However, its impact can vary depending on the specific format and metagame.

In [Modern], [In Garruk's Wake] sees some play in aggressive decks looking for early-game removal options or as part of a more controlling strategy. In [Commander], it is often included due to its ability to reset board state, allowing players to recover from an otherwise unfavorable position.

Rules Interactions and Technical Notes

• Triggering abilities: The destruction effect will not trigger any triggered abilities or effects that depend on the creature's existence.
• Token generation: When a player controls [Liliana of the Veil] and casts [In Garruk's Wake], Liliana's ability to create tokens is triggered when the creatures she created die.
• Planeswalker tokens: Planeswalker tokens are destroyed by [In Garruk's Wake], meaning players cannot use them as part of their board presence.

Art, Flavor, and Historical Context

[In Garruk's Wake] features artwork depicting a desolate landscape in the aftermath of some cataclysmic event. The flavor text from this card seems to allude to a larger story involving [Garruk Wildspeaker], one of Magic's legendary planeswalkers.

Summary of Key Points

• [In Garruk's Wake] is an extremely versatile card that effectively clears the board of creatures and planeswalkers.
• Its effects are symmetrical, meaning it can be used to clear the opponent's side of the board as well.
• It sees significant play in various formats due to its ability to control the board state.

In conclusion, [In Garruk's Wake] is an incredibly powerful card that offers numerous strategic options for players looking to gain a competitive edge.