In Garruk's Wake
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures you don't control and all planeswalkers you don't control.
- CMC
- 9
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Zendikar Rising Commander
- Price
- $5.55
- EDHREC rank
- #1363
In Garruk's Wake clears every creature and planeswalker your opponents control while leaving yours untouched — a one-sided Plague Wind for nine mana that swings games outright. The cost is real, but commanders like Magar of the Magic Strings can copy or recur it for free, which is exactly why it overperforms its mana value.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Magar of the Magic Strings
Magar of the Magic Strings converts In Garruk's Wake into a reusable threat — Magar can imprint it as a meat card and recast it repeatedly, turning a nine-mana bomb into a repeatable engine that clears the board every time it fires.
Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign
In Garruk's Wake has a converted mana cost of nine, which means Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign can cast it for free off an unblocked attack trigger — a free one-sided board wipe is exactly the kind of swing Yennett decks are built around.
Witherbloom, the Balancer
Witherbloom, the Balancer rewards taxing opponents' life totals and resources, and In Garruk's Wake delivers a clean sweep of opposing creatures and planeswalkers that lets Witherbloom close out a depleted board.
Hidetsugu and Kairi
Hidetsugu and Kairi's death trigger lets you put a spell on top of your library, making In Garruk's Wake a prime target to set up and then cast for free off Kairi's cascade-style effect the following turn.
Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Belbe, Corrupted Observer generates massive bursts of colorless mana when opponents take damage, and In Garruk's Wake is one of the best payoffs for that sudden spike — a nine-mana wipe becomes trivially affordable after a Belbe trigger or two.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Garruk's Wake is a Commander card through and through — the singleton format's slower pace and multiplayer dynamics are the only context where nine mana reliably gets paid before the game ends. In competitive 1v1 formats like Legacy, Modern, and Pioneer it's unplayable on rate; nothing that costs nine and does nothing until it resolves survives those metas. Oathbreaker sits closer to Commander's speed, so the card is technically viable there in a superfriends shell that wants to protect planeswalkers. Standard and Pauper never apply.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Budget Alternatives
Cheaper options that do most of the same work
Plague Wind and Decree of Pain occupy the same space as In Garruk's Wake at the nine-mana mark, though neither is strictly cheaper once you factor in recent prices — if budget is the concern, Kirtar's Wrath or Crux of Fate hit fewer card types but cost far less and still clear most boards. The honest trade-off is that nothing fully replicates the one-sided creature-and-planeswalker wipe at a lower price point; you're trading scope for affordability.
Price Context
Current price
$5.55 mid tier
At $5.55, In Garruk's Wake sits in the mid tier — expensive enough to feel like a deliberate inclusion, cheap enough that it's not a budget barrier for most Commander players. It's a staple in its niche rather than a spec target, so the price reflects steady demand rather than hype.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Magar of the Magic Strings
- Yennett, Cryptic Sovereign
- Witherbloom, the Balancer
- Hidetsugu and Kairi
- Belbe, Corrupted Observer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.