FarewellHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Farewell allows you to choose any number of its four modes: exiling all artifacts, all creatures, all enchantments, and all graveyards. You must choose at least one mode as you cast the spell, but you can choose all four if the situation demands it. This makes it a versatile tool that can adapt to the specific threats your opponents have developed.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When Farewell resolves, you perform the chosen actions in the order they are printed on the card. First, all artifacts are exiled. Second, all creatures are exiled. Third, all enchantments are exiled. Finally, all cards in all graveyards are exiled. This sequence is important for triggers that might occur during the resolution, though since everything is being moved to exile, most 'dies' triggers will not fire.

Common Mistakes

A frequent mistake is forgetting that Farewell exiles rather than destroys. This means that creatures with Indestructible will still be removed from the game. Additionally, players often forget that the modes happen sequentially; however, because no player receives priority during the resolution of a spell, you cannot take actions between the exiling of artifacts and the exiling of creatures.

When to Play It

Farewell is best used when you are behind on multiple fronts, such as facing an army of creatures and a graveyard full of recursive threats. It is also an excellent answer to strategies that rely on non-creature permanents like enchantments or artifacts. Since you can choose which modes to use, you can sometimes spare your own resources if they fall under a category you choose not to select.

Interaction examples

Exiling the Board vs. Austere Command

Austere Command

While Austere Command allows you to choose two modes and destroys permanents, Farewell allows you to choose one or more and exiles them. If you face creatures with Indestructible, Austere Command will fail to remove them, but Farewell will exile them successfully regardless of their mana value.

Mass Removal vs. Sacrifice

Promise of Loyalty

If an opponent plays Promise of Loyalty, they might keep their best creature with a vow counter. If you follow up with Farewell and choose the 'Exile all creatures' mode, even that protected creature will be removed from the battlefield because exiling does not care about vow counters or protection from sacrifice.

Total Cleanup

With only Farewell, you can choose to exile all four categories. As the spell resolves, all artifacts, creatures, and enchantments are moved to the exile zone. Then, all cards currently in every player's graveyard are also moved to exile, leaving the board and the discard piles completely empty.