15. Frilled Mystic
Frilled Mystic is something I run in any deck that allows me to bring her back to my hand. Having the capability to not only counter a spell at instant speed, but it also gives you a 3/2 to attack or block with. The reason it’s not higher on the list is because it does take two specific green and blue to cast. You have to have this mana open to play her.
14. Mystic Snake
Mystic Snake is one step up (or down, depending on how you are reading this) from Frilled Mystic on the fact that it does cost the same amount of mana, except it gives you some extra room to play with mana because of the two blue and the one green. There is a colorless that can be thrown in there by a sol ring, a signet, etc.
13. Hindering Touch
Counterspells are much more useful the less they take to cast. The reason Hindering Touch is higher on the list is because it does take four mana, and it also makes your opponent pay two mana if they do the counterspell is countered. This may seem like it is bad, but forcing your opponent to use mana may foil some of their plans for the rest of the turn. Also, it gives you an added effect of storming, so you get to cast this over and over again for each spell casted that turn. You can target the spell multiple times, which mean the mana ability stacks making the other player pay more and more to make sure their spell isn’t countered.
12. Condescend
Condescend does the same thing that Hindering Touch does, but you do have to pay x mana to have the other opponent do the same. In the end, you get to scry for two, which is always a welcomed ability. If your opponent doesn’t have any mana open this could be a spell casted for just x=1 so it basically gets countered.
11. Calculated Dismissal
Calculated Dismissal is another spell that makes the caster pay 3 in order to not have their stuff countered. Again this spell is cheap and allows you to scry 2 if you have two or more instants for sorceries in your graveyard. If you’re in blue than there is a good chance you have more than two spells like that.
10. Fork
Giving some love to the red spellcasters here. Many of you will not know how good fork is until you play against a red deck that runs it. Because Fork is only two red mana, you can cast this at instant speed to either copy or copy a counterspell put towards you, so you can counter the counterspell. Red doesn’t make too many of these moves, so it definitely gives it the leg up sometimes against blue spells.
9. Dissolve
If you have a blue deck, and a counterspell in your hand, then you always leave mana open just in case. Dissolve is just a counterspell for three, again with the added effect of scrying. Magic is a game of chess so seeing a play ahead of your opponent could put you in a winning spot.
8. Counterspell
Counterspell would be lower on the list because it’s just two mana for a counter, but cards that give you more than just a counter is still really good. All decks should run this card if possible.
6. Counterflux
Izzet guilds always have something hidden up their sleeves and a counter that doesn’t let you counter is a big win on your part, especially if one counter is already on the stack. Also, it has overload for one more extra mana that changes target to each. Which means if more than one spell below it in the stack is going off, it counters those too.
5. Absorb
Absorb is good, but it would be better if it lost one of the two blue mana. Like Mystic Snake it actually costs one less to counter a spell and it gains you three life. The reason this is higher on the list is that this is a huge staple in any Azorius standard deck in play right now. Gaining three life could be a game changer against an agro green elf or something bigger.
4. Frazzle
This one is a little specific but hear me out on it. Frazzle is a counter target non-blue spell that costs 4 mana. That seems like a lot to do something specific. The way I see it is that it’s a great sideboard option. If you are going against a mono-green or a Gruul deck there is a chance you can sideboard in the second game. Also, in commander that 3 colorless mana means nothing to you if you have a sol ring and a signet out.
3. Arcane Denial
A guilty pleasure I have is running a lot of blue decks. It was one of my first ever decks I played with in magic. Another guilty pleasure I have is running arcane denial in all the commander decks I have. Not only is it a cheap way to counter a spell, but it allows you to draw an extra card on the next upkeep. Yeah, there is a downside to having your opponent draw extra cards, but if he/she is using a board wipe, and you can win next turn, it’s worth it.
2. Pact of Negation
Every magic player ever had to of seen these next two cards coming. If I can cast a counterspell for free then by all means I will. Sure there is that tiny little clause that says I lose the game if I don’t pay 5 mana, but it goes: Untap, then upkeep. So I can just pay that 5 mana and be on my way. Again I play a lot of commander so I do usually have a lot of mana open to continue playing cards on my turn. Even if I don’t it’s better than an Ulamog hitting the table.
1. Force of Will
Okay so. There isn’t much to say here. I lose a single life, and exile a blue card from my hand and instead of paying 5 mana to counter something, I counter it for free. Seriously I could care less about this scry card I’m about to toss into Oblivion, I rather counter a spell and win myself the MVP than let anything serious hit the table.
You also may be interested in:
15 Best Commanders In MTG https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/15-best-commanders-mtg
The Top Best 10 MTG Commander Decks https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/top-10-best-mtg-commander-decks
Top 25 MTG Most OP Cards (And Why They're So Overpowered) https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/mtg-most-op-cards
