Does board wipe kill Hexproof?

Does Board Wipe Kill Hexproof?

Hexproof, a popular keyword in the Magic: The Gathering community, allows a creature to survive an opponent’s board wipe without being destroyed. However, the question remains, can a board wipe really kill a creature with Hexproof? In this article, we’ll dive into the world of MTG’s keyword mechanics and explore the intricacies of Hexproof, board wipes, and whether they can indeed "kill" a creature.

What is Hexproof?

Before we answer the question, let’s briefly explain what Hexproof is. Hexproof is a keyword mechanic introduced in Magic: The Gathering’s Urza block. It allows a permanent (creature, planeswalker, or land) to avoid being targeted by other abilities, except for ones controlled by the same player. This means that when an opponent attempts to remove or destroy the creature using a spell or ability, it will fail.

How Does a Board Wipe Work?

Now that we have a better understanding of Hexproof, let’s move on to how a board wipe functions. A board wipe, by definition, is an effect that removes all permanents (creatures, lands, etc.) on the battlefield, except those specified by the effect’s rules text. Wrath of God and Anger of the Gods are examples of cards that can cause a board wipe.

When a board wipe is played, the active player destroys all nonland permanents on the battlefield, with some exceptions (e.g., some lands, certain permanents that have "can’t be destroyed" abilities, or those protected by some effects). If a board wipe is targeted at all creatures on the battlefield, any creature without Hexproof would be destroyed.

Can a Board Wipe Kill a Creature with Hexproof?

Now we’re ready to answer our main question. A board wipe does not specifically target a creature with Hexproof, and therefore does not destroy it. Creatures with Hexproof are, by definition, immune to being targeted by other player’s abilities. This includes board wipes.

Here are some key points to illustrate this:

• Non-Targeted Effects: A board wipe is an non-targeted effect. It doesn’t target any specific creature, including one with Hexproof.
• Immunity to Non-Targeted Effects: Hexproof creatures are immune to non-targeted effects, including board wipes. This means that even though a board wipe destroys many creatures on the battlefield, those with Hexproof remain unharmed.

More Complications

While it’s clear that a board wipe can’t directly "kill" a creature with Hexproof, there are other factors to consider when it comes to protection strategies:

• Infectious Touch: Cards like Devour Flesh that deal damage to a player also destroy any creature (except those with indestructible) they control that gets the damage. However, if the creature with Hexproof is the target of the infect damage, the damage won’t actually kill it. Instead, it will receive -1/-1 counters, causing it to lose life when its toughness reaches 0.
• Exile and Sacrifice: Board wipes can exile or sacrifice permanents in addition to destroying them. Erebos’ Intervention, for example, causes a creature to enter the battlefield with three time counters on it and then sacrifices it. Creatures with Hexproof could still be affected by exiling or sacrificing effects that specifically target them.

What about Other Forms of Damage?

What about scenarios where a creature with Hexproof receives damage from sources that don’t directly target it, such as combat, lands, or other cards that deal damage to life totals? Can these damage types still kill a Hexproof creature? The answer is yes. Indirect damage can still "kill" a creature with Hexproof, as there are no explicit protections against this type of damage. A creature with Hexproof might still die if its toughness is reduced to zero, even if it doesn’t receive targeted damage.

Conclusion

In summary, a board wipe will not directly kill a creature with Hexproof. Instead, it will simply fail to destroy it due to the creature’s immunity to non-targeted effects. Creatures with Hexproof must still be protected from targeted damage, infectious touch effects, and indirect damage like life loss.

Here is a summary of the points made in this article in table form:

By understanding the interactions between Hexproof, board wipes, and other game mechanics, players can improve their protection strategies and take their gameplay to the next level.