Magic: The Gathering’s Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune Are Two Sides of the Same Coin

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In the world of Magic: The Gathering, there’s an extensive collection of cards spanning more than three decades for deck-building, especially in certain formats. It’s quite usual to see even old cards reissued in some form. This could range from a Standard-legal set like Magic: The Gathering’s Foundation set or a smaller-scale reprint like Innistrad Remastered, where the legality of the cards remains unchanged in Standard. However, notable exceptions exist, such as Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune, which have yet to receive reprints to make them viable in the Standard format. The possible reason for this might be a unique characteristic they share.

In many cases, strategies and game plans often employ cards that have similar concepts or mechanics found in newer sets. For instance, Magic: The Gathering’s Edge of Eternities introduces a mechanic called Lander, which shares a resemblance with Landfall. This is done to encourage more synergies between the cards. On the other hand, Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune function differently, but their impact can be similarly intense, causing significant disruptions in gameplay.

Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune in MTG Are in The Same Boat

The card ‘Armageddon’ costs 4 mana (3 common and 1 white), it eliminates all lands on the board for players. On the other hand, ‘Wheel of Fortune’, a 3 mana (2 common and 1 red) card, forces all players to discard their hands and draw seven new cards. Though Armageddon is average in value among cards, Wheel of Fortune is one of the most costly Magic: The Gathering cards, often selling for between $700 and over $1500, except for the Power Nine. Despite their price differences, both cards are disliked when played because they cause significant game disruption.

Why MTG’s Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune Are Controversial

In the Commander format of Magic: The Gathering, it’s common for these cards to be frequently used. Similar to other formats, Commander games are heavily resource-dependent – resources such as card draw, board control, mana to spend, and so forth. Cards like Armageddon can make Commander matches particularly aggravating since they can already be quite lengthy, and this card resets all players to zero lands. Similarly, Wheel of Fortune is often utilized in decks known as “wheel” decks within Magic: The Gathering (MTG), which focus on making opponents discard cards and then draw new ones to activate various effects for either action or both.

In the Commander format of Magic: The Gathering, it’s generally understood but not explicitly stated that mass land destruction spells should either not be used or only with the agreement of all players involved. Similarly, deck strategies known as “wheel decks” are often discussed before a game to ensure everyone understands the strategy and is comfortable with it. Cards like Armageddon and Wheel of Fortune are closely associated with these strategies, but their use can spark debate among players. However, some might argue that if a card is legal in a format, it can be played whenever desired.

Achieving a balanced compromise can be challenging, particularly when it comes to the changes in MTG’s Commander rules, for example, the power tiers for deck ranking and the ability for spacecraft and vehicle cards to serve as commanders. While these cards are playable in other formats such as Legacy, Oathbreaker, and Premodern, the core issue remains the same. Most players dislike watching their resources get demolished or manipulated by opponents. In Commander games, this often means that one player becomes the enemy of all others at the table.

In Commander games, being referred to as an “archenemy” implies that other players often work together to eliminate you before focusing on each other.

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2025-07-21 00:26