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| {{Infobox action
| | #REDIRECT [[Counter (disambiguation)]] |
| | name = Counter
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| | first = Alpha
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| | last = Evergreen
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| | noreminder = yes
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| | stats=
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| }}
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| {{Otheruses|Counter}}
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| {{TOCright|limit=3}}
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| Certain [[spell]]s and [[abilities]] can "counter target spell" (or similar effects). '''Counter''' in this sense is an [[evergreen]] [[keyword action]].<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/evergreen-eggs-ham-2015-06-08|Evergreen Eggs & Ham|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 8, 2015}}</ref> A spell that is countered is put into the [[graveyard]] instead of doing its effect. It is essentially negated.
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| '''Counterspells''' or '''permission spells''' may or may not have conditions, such as forcing a player to pay an additional amount of mana.<ref>{{NewRef|making-magic/few-more-words-rd-2016-11-07|A Few More Words from R&D|[[Mark Rosewater]]|November 7, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|level-one/when-cast-your-spells-2015-08-31|When to Cast Your Spells|[[Reid Duke]]|August 31, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{NewRef|beyond-basics/no-thanks-2016-11-18|No Thanks|[[Gavin Verhey]]|November 18, 2016}}</ref>
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| More often than not, counterspells cards are [[blue]]. White is tertiary.<ref name="Color Pie 2017">{{NewRef|making-magic/mechanical-color-pie-2017-2017-06-05|Mechanical Color Pie 2017|[[Mark Rosewater]]|June 5, 2017}}</ref> Counterspells in other colors existed only in the early days of ''Magic'', and in the alternative realities of the [[Time Spiral block]].
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| ==Rules==
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| {{Keyword CR|Counter}}
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| ==Permission==
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| [[File:Legend Membership Counterspell.jpg|thumb|right|250 px|The eponymous <c>Counterspell</c>.]]
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| "Permission" is a style of play that involves hardcore/dedicated counter-magic.<ref>{{NewRef|feature/asking-permission-2002-04-12|Asking Permission|[[Randy Buehler]]|April 12, 2002}}</ref> <ref>{{NewRef|latest-developments/counter-point-2003-08-22|Counter-Point|[[Randy Buehler]]|August 22, 2003}}</ref> The permission player attempts to counter every important spell the opponent plays, and simply to draw plenty of extra cards to ensure more counters are available. The term "permission" comes from the way the opponent will end up asking whether each of their spells resolves or is countered.
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| ===Blue===
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| The original permission spell was the eponymous <c>Counterspell</c> from ''[[Alpha]]''. ''Alpha'' also introduced <c>Blue Elemental Blast</c>, <c>Power Sink</c>, and <c>Spell Blast</c>.
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| Counterspells were few and far between; but, progressively, varieties of counterspells were released. The original Counterspell, with its absoluteness and affordability at a mana cost of {{U}}{{U}}, was a staple in many blue [[decks]]. It was also a staple in [[core set]]s and multiple [[expansion]] sets, up until ''[[8th Edition]]'' and ''[[Mercadian Masques]]'', respectively, until it was gradually replaced with other spells like <c>Mana Leak</c>.
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| <c>Counterspell</c> was ultimately supplanted by <c>Cancel</c>, a permission spell costing an additional {{1}} that was introduced in ''[[Time Spiral]]'', because [[R&D]] decided that {{U}}{{U}} for a hard counterspell was too powerful (at least as a [[common]] card).<ref>{{TumblrRef|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/38345556599/mark-rosewater-i-know-that-costing-is-a-development|title=Mark Rosewater! What role does design play when considering cards with simple effects like Counterspell and Cancel? |author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=December 19, 2012|tumblr-title=Blogatog}}</ref> <ref>{{TumblrRef|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/14217079906/why-counterspell-was-downgraded-to-cancel-but-in-m11-we|title=Why was Counterspell downgraded to Cancel?|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=December 14, 2011|tumblr-title=Blogatog}}</ref> <ref>{{NewRef|arcana/cancellation-2012-11-01|Cancellation|[[Monty Ashley]]|November 01, 2012}}</ref>
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| ===White===
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| In the [[Time Spiral block]] white took over blue 's role as the main counter color (<c>Mana Tithe</c>, <c>Rebuff the Wicked</c>, <c>Dawn Charm</c>)
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| In regular design, white only dips its toe into the ability with [[taxing]] and delay-style counterspells like <c>Lapse of Certainty</c> or by giving the opponent an advantage (<c>Illumination</c>).
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| ===Early off-color counterspells===
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| ====Blue/Black====
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| * <c>Undermine</c> (''[[Invasion]]'')
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| ====Black====
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| * <c>Withering Boon</c> (''[[Mirage]])''
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| * <c>Dash Hopes</c> (''[[Planar Chaos]])''
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| ====Red====
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| * <c>Red Elemental Blast</c> (''[[Alpha]])''
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| * <c>Artifact Blast</c> (''[[Antiquities]])''
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| * <c>Pyroblast</c> (''[[Ice Age]])''
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| * <c>Burnout</c> (''[[Alliances]])''
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| * <c>Molten Influence</c> (''[[Odyssey]])''
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| * <c>Mages' Contest</c> ([[Invasion]])
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| ====Red/Green====
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| * <c>Guttural Response</c> (''[[Shadowmoor]])''
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| ====Green====
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| * <c>Avoid Fate</c> (''[[Legends]])''
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| ===Types of counterspells===
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| A distinction is made between so called "hard" and "soft" permission spells.
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| ====Hard====
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| In general, a "hard" counter is any card that stops a spell from resolving and preventing that spell from being played again(e.g., <c>Counterspell</c>, <c>Hinder</c>, <c>Dismiss</c>).<ref name="Rosewater">{{NewRef|making-magic/counter-intelligence-2005-03-28|Counter Intelligence|[[Mark Rosewater]]|March 28, 2005}}</ref> Some "hard" counters may have additional [[effect]]s, such as [[exile|exiling]] the countered spell from the game (e.g., <c>Dissipate</c>, <c>Spelljack</c>), manipulation of own or opponent's library (e.g., <c>Psychic Strike</c>, <c>Discombobulate</c>, <c>Dissolve</c>), [[life gain]]/loss or [[damage]] (e.g., <c>Absorb</c>, <c>Undermine</c>, <c>Essence Backlash</c>), mana generation (e.g., <c>Mana Drain</c>, <c>Plasm Capture</c>, <c>Rewind</c>), or creature creation (e.g., <c>Mystic Snake</c>, <c>Draining Whelk</c>, <c>Mystic Genesis</c>).
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| As a general rule of thumb, R&D stipulated that "hard" counters require {{u}}{{u}} in their mana costs and that counterspells are designed and costed with the original Counterspell in mind.<ref name="Rosewater"/> Exceptions are sometimes made when the spell has a significant downside, such as card draw for the controller of the countered spell (e.g., <c>Arcane Denial</c>, <c>Vex</c>) exist.<ref name="Rosewater"/> [[R&D]] later decided that two colored mana was also allowed, allowing multicolored hard counterspells with one blue mana and a mana of a second color (e.g. {{W}}{{U}}<c>Hindering Light</c>, {{U}}{{B}}<c>Countersquall</c>, {{U}}{{R}}<c>Mindswipe</c>).<ref>{{TumblrRef|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/170574698853/hey-mark-my-birthday-was-on-sunday-can-i-get-a|title=Trivia on counterspells.|tumblr-title=Blogatog|date=February 06, 2018}}</ref>
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| ====Soft====
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| A "soft" counter, in contrast, is a card that stops a spell from resolving but gives the opponent some recourse, such as the possibility to pay additional mana to have the spell still resolve (e.g., <c>Force Spike</c>, <c>Mana Leak</c>) or the possibility to cast that spell soon (e.g., <c>Delay</c>, <c>Remand</c>, <c>Memory Lapse</c>).<ref name="Rosewater"/> Counterspells that also have a limited range of targets (e.g., <c>Annul</c>, <c>Spell Snare</c>, <c>Negate</c>) or that require additional [[resource]]s (e.g., <c>Abjure</c>) are also considered "soft" counters.<ref name="Rosewater"/>
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| ==Counter target activated/triggered ability==
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| The ability to Counter target [[activated ability|activated]] or [[triggered ability|triggered]] abilities, is [[primary]] in blue and [[secondary]] in [[green]]. For a while this was a green effect, but [[R&D]] has moved it to be more in blue.<ref name="Color Pie 2017"/>
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| ==Can't be countered==
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| Some cards [[Uncounterable|can't be countered]]. This ability is [[primary]] in [[red]] and [[green]], and [[secondary]] in [[blue]].<ref name="Color Pie 2017"/>
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| Red tends to have [[spells]] that can't be countered while green tends to have [[creatures]] that can't be countered. When blue does "can't be countered," which is less often, it's usually a more [[control deck|control]]-oriented card.
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| ==References==
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| {{Reflist}}
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| ==External links==
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| *[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text=%7C%5B%22counter%20target%22%5D%7C%5B%22counter%20up%20to%22%5D%7C%5B%22counter%20all%22%5D%7C%5B%22counter%20that%22%5D%7C%5B%22counter%20it%22%5D%7C%5B%22counter%20the%22%5D%7C%5B%22if%20a%20player%20does,%20counter%22%5D ''Gatherer'' search for all counterspells]
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| *{{NewRef|savor-flavor/topic-explosion-2008-11-12|Topic Explosion|[[Doug Beyer]]|November 12, 2008}} (list of counterspells, naming counterspells)
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| {{Keywords and abilities}}
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