Vanquish the Horde is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
This spell costsless to cast for each creature on the battlefield. Destroy all creatures.
Complete guide
Vanquish the Horde is a powerful white sorcery that serves as a premier board wipe in creature-heavy formats. While its base cost seems high, its ability to become cheaper for every creature in play allows it to reset the game for as little as two mana. This guide will help you understand the math behind the cost reduction and how to time your sweepers perfectly.
Understanding the Cost Reduction
The mana cost of Vanquish the Horde is dynamic. The spell has a base cost of eight mana, including two white mana. For every creature currently on the battlefield—regardless of who controls them—the generic mana requirement decreases by one. This means if there are six or more creatures total, you will only need to pay the two white mana to cast the spell.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, determine the total number of creatures on the battlefield to calculate the cost. Once cast and the mana is paid, the spell goes on the stack. When it resolves, every permanent with the 'creature' type is destroyed and put into its owner's graveyard. This includes tokens, creature lands that have been animated, and artifact creatures. Because it says 'destroy,' creatures with indestructible will remain on the battlefield.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is forgetting that the cost reduction counts your own creatures as well as your opponents'. Additionally, players often forget that the total cost is locked in when you cast the spell; if a creature is removed in response to you casting Vanquish the Horde, you do not have to pay more mana, as the cost was already finalized during the casting process.
When to Play It
This card is most effective in decks that can stall the board until it becomes crowded. Unlike other board wipes that cost a flat four or five mana, Vanquish the Horde rewards you for waiting until the threat is at its peak, often leaving you with enough leftover mana to cast another spell on the same turn to rebuild your presence.
Interaction examples
If your opponent controls five Goblins and you control one soldier token, there are six creatures total. The cost of Vanquish the Horde is reduced by six generic mana, meaning you pay only two white mana to destroy all six creatures.
Approach of the Second SunIn a late-game scenario with ten creatures on the battlefield, you can cast Vanquish the Horde for just two white mana. Because the sweep was so cheap, you still have seven mana available to immediately cast Approach of the Second Sun, gaining life and setting up your win condition on a completely clear board.
All Is DustIf your opponent has creatures with Indestructible, Vanquish the Horde will not remove them because it 'destroys.' In that specific situation, All Is Dust would be more effective as it forces a sacrifice, which bypasses Indestructible, though it does not benefit from the creature-count cost reduction.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Vanquish the Horde
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Vanquish the Horde
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.