Innova Destroyer vs Wraith: Which Distance Driver Should You Throw?

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Innova made the Wraith in 2005 and the Destroyer in 2007, and for almost twenty years the two have been the default answer to “which distance driver?” from the same company. They share flight numbers except for the speed, they share a diameter, and Innova describes one in terms of the other. So why do so many players agonize over the choice? Because the small differences — one speed, one millimeter of rim, a little more stability — change which disc goes farther for you. This comparison explains how, and gives a clear pick by arm speed.

Head-to-head

Sources: Innova — Wraith, Innova — Destroyer. Prices September 2026.

Speed and rim: why 1 mm matters

A speed rating is mostly a description of the rim. The Destroyer’s 2.2 cm rim is a millimeter wider than the Wraith’s 2.1 cm, and that millimeter is the difference between a rim most hands can grip cleanly and one that starts to feel like a distance driver. Owners with smaller hands or newer form consistently report a cleaner release with the Wraith, and a clean release is worth more distance than a speed rating.

The rim also sets the speed the disc needs to fly its numbers. A Wraith reaches “its” speed with a fairway-driver arm of about 300 ft; a Destroyer wants roughly 350. Below those thresholds both discs behave the same way — no turn, early fade, a disappointing landing short and left — but the Wraith’s threshold is lower, which is why it goes farther for more people.

Stability: the real difference

Innova’s phrase is “a little more high and low speed stability,” and it’s precise. At high speed, a fresh Destroyer resists turning over where a fresh Wraith of the same plastic will start to drift right for a strong arm. At low speed, the Destroyer’s fade is a touch firmer. In practice:

• Headwinds flatten out the Destroyer and flip the Wraith. That’s why Innova lists headwind drives for the Destroyer and tailwind drives for the Wraith.
• Forehand throws, with their built-in wobble, suit the Destroyer’s extra stability; the Wraith tolerates forehands but turns over sooner.
• Calm, open lines reward the Wraith: it reaches speed sooner, glides just as well, and finishes gently enough to hold a straight line for longer.

One warning that applies to the Destroyer more than the Wraith: stability varies between runs and plastics. A Champion Destroyer and a beat Star Destroyer are almost different molds. Owners who say “my Destroyer is flippy” and “my Destroyer is a meat hook” are both telling the truth. The Wraith is more consistent run to run.

Distance: who wins, by arm

The crossover is the useful number here, and owner reports are consistent enough to give one. Measure how far you throw a stable fairway driver — a Teebird is the standard test — flat, on a normal throw:

• Under 300 ft: neither. A Leopard, Leopard3 or Teebird will go farther and land more predictably. See our Leopard review.
• 300–350 ft: the Wraith wins. It gets to speed, glides, and adds 30–50 ft over a fairway driver. The Destroyer at this power level fades early and lands about where the Wraith does, with less margin.
• 350 ft and up: the Destroyer wins. At speeds where the Wraith begins to turn over, the Destroyer holds its line and keeps going, and it keeps doing so into wind.

The honest summary is that the Destroyer’s reputation as the longest disc comes from the players who throw it the hardest. For the median disc golfer, the Wraith is the longer disc.

Plastics and weights

Both molds come in the full Innova range. For a first distance driver, most owners recommend Star in the 165–170 g range for either mold: grippy, durable, and stable without being overstable. Champion runs noticeably more overstable and beats in slowly — the plastic for a headwind Destroyer. Halo Star tends to be a touch more stable than regular Star and is popular in both molds. DX ($9) beats in fast; a beat DX Wraith is a classic “cheap distance” disc for moderate arms. Blizzard Champion (130–159 g) exists for both and is worth knowing about: a 150 g Blizzard Destroyer lets a 300-ft arm see a Destroyer’s full flight, at the cost of wind resistance.

Price and availability

Identical: $9 in DX, $16–$22 in premium plastics, both in stock everywhere Innova is sold. The Destroyer has far more special runs and tour-series editions, which matters for collectors and not at all for the disc’s flight. Used, both hold value, the Destroyer slightly better because demand is higher.

Which one should you buy?

Buy the Wraith if:

• Your fairway drives top out at 300–350 ft.
• You want a distance driver you can grip cleanly and control from the first round.
• You mostly play in calm conditions or tailwinds.
• You’ve never thrown a distance driver before.

Buy the Destroyer if:

• You throw a fairway driver 350+ ft with clean form.
• You play in wind or throw a lot of forehand.
• You want the disc with the most runs, plastics and used-market options.
• Your Wraith has started turning over on your normal throw.

Buy neither yet if you can’t throw a Teebird 300 ft flat. Our Destroyer review explains the readiness test in more detail, and the disc types guide covers why speed ratings mislead newer players.

Our pick

For most readers, the Wraith. It’s the same design with a lower entry point, it goes farther for the majority of arms, and it’s more consistent from run to run. The Destroyer is the better disc for the players it’s built for — big arms, wind, forehands — and when you become one of them, you’ll know, because your Wraith will start to turn over. That’s the moment to buy a Destroyer, and it’s a moment worth waiting for rather than skipping. For how the two fit in Innova’s wider lineup against Discraft’s, see Innova vs Discraft.