Wear Away 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
Destroy target artifact or enchantment. Splice onto Arcane(As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Complete guide
Wear Away is a versatile removal spell from the Kamigawa block that targets the foundations of your opponent's strategy. As an Arcane instant, it offers more than just utility; it features the Splice mechanic, allowing you to reuse its effect without ever losing the card from your hand. This makes it a persistent threat against artifact and enchantment-heavy decks.
What it Does
At its core, Wear Away is a two-mana green instant that destroys a target artifact or enchantment. However, its 'Splice onto Arcane' ability allows you to reveal it from your hand as you cast another Arcane spell. By paying the splice cost of {3}{G}, you add the 'Destroy target artifact or enchantment' effect to the spell currently being cast while keeping Wear Away safely in your hand for future use.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, you announce an Arcane spell and reveal Wear Away from your hand to pay its splice cost. Next, you choose all targets for the combined spell; if the base spell has a target and the spliced effect has a target, you choose both at this time. When the spell resolves, it carries out its original instructions followed by the Wear Away effect. If the targets become illegal (for example, if a target gains hexproof), the spell may fail to resolve entirely if all its targets are gone.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to splice Wear Away onto itself; this is impossible because the spell must be in your hand to be spliced, but it is on the stack once you begin casting it. Additionally, remember that you only reveal the card and pay the cost—the physical card stays in your hand. If the spell you spliced onto is countered, you still keep Wear Away, but its effects are lost for that specific casting.
When to Play It
Use Wear Away defensively to remove problematic pieces like high-value equipment or powerful global enchantments. Because it is an instant, it is perfect for responding to an opponent's move. If you have multiple Arcane spells in your deck, hold Wear Away in your hand to repeatedly clear the board without spending a card slot on each destruction effect.
Interaction examples
Your opponent controls a powerful artifact. You cast Wear Away for {G}{G}, targeting that artifact. Upon resolution, the artifact is destroyed and Wear Away is placed in your graveyard.
Heroic InterventionYou cast Wear Away targeting an opponent's enchantment. In response, the opponent casts Heroic Intervention. Because Heroic Intervention gives their permanents indestructible, Wear Away will resolve but fail to destroy the target, as indestructible prevents destruction effects.
Beast WithinWhile Beast Within is not an Arcane spell and cannot be spliced onto, if you have both in hand, you can deal with two threats. You could use Beast Within to destroy a creature, and then use Wear Away to destroy an artifact. Note that you cannot splice Wear Away onto Beast Within because the latter lacks the Arcane subtype.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Wear Away
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You reveal all cards you intend to splice at the same time. Each individual card can be spliced only once onto any one spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A card with a splice ability can’t be spliced onto itself because the spell is on the stack (and not in your hand) when you reveal the cards you want to splice onto it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You choose all targets for the spell after revealing cards you want to splice, including any targets required by the text of any of those cards. You may choose a different target for each instance of the word “target” on the resulting spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If all of the spell’s targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Wear Away
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