Not really slang.
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[[File:Legend Membership Counterspell.jpg|thumb|right|The eponymous
Counterspell
.]]
+
[[File:Legend Membership Counterspell.jpg|thumb|right
|250 px
|The eponymous
Counterspell
.]]
−
'''
Counterspell
'''
is
a
[[blue]] card that appeared in all [[Core Set]]s from [[Alpha]] through [[7th Edition]]
, as
well as [[Ice Age]]
,
[[Tempest]], and finally in [[Mercadian Masques]]. Its simple ability to counter
a
target
spell
for just {{U}}{{U}} made it a staple
in
many blue decks
.
Counterspell was first excluded from Core Sets in
[[
8th Edition
]]
and eventually supplanted in [[10th Edition]] by
the
more expensive
Cancel
from [[Time Spiral]]
.
+
"
'''Counterspell'''
" may refer to
a
genre of spells with the ability counter spells
,
without reservation or qualification or unless its a player does something, such
as
pay an additional amount of mana
,
or interfere with
a spell
's resolution
in
some manner
.
More often than not, such cards are
[[
blue
]]
, but some non-blue counterspells exist (e.g.,
Artifact Blast
,
Avoid Fate
,
Burnout
,
Dash Hopes
,
Dawn Charm
,
Guttural Response
,
Illumination
,
Lapse of Certainty
,
Molten Influence
,
Pyroblast
,
Rebuff
the
Wicked
/
c>
,
Red Elemental Blast
,
Withering Boon
) as well
.
−
In a more general sense
,
"counterspell" can also
refer to
any
card with the ability to [[counter#Countering spells|counter]]
or simply preventing or just delaying
a spell from
resolving
.
+
Alternatively
,
the term may
refer to
the eponymous
Counterspell
, a [[blue]]
card
introduced in ''[[Limited Edition|Limited Edition Alpha]]'', and reprinted on multiple occasions,
with the ability to [[counter#Countering spells|counter]] a
targeted [[
spell
]].
+
+
==History==
+
Introduced in the form of ''Alpha''
'
s
Counterspell|Alpha
as well as
Blue Elemental Blast|Alpha
, red's
Red Elemental Blast|Alpha
,
Power Sink|Alpha
, and
Spellblast
, counterspells were few and far between; but, progressively, varieties of counterspells such as were released.
+
+
Counterspell
itself, with its absoluteness and affordability, at a mana cost of {{U}}{{U}}, was a staple in many blue decks.
Counterspell
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 counterspells in future sets, such as
Mana Leak
and
Cancel
.
+
+
Counterspell
was ultimately supplanted by
Cancel
, a
Counterspell
costing an additional {{1}} that was introduced in ''[[Time Spiral]]'', as the counterspell staple of sets and ''Magic'' in ''[[10th Edition]]'', after Wizards of the Coast ''Magic: The Gathering'' Development decided that the initial
Counterspell
was too powerful, at least as a common card.
{{TumblrRef|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/38345556599/mark-rosewater-i-know-that-costing-is-a-development|title=Mark Rosewater! I know that costing is a development concern, so what role does design play when considering cards with simple effects? For example, Counterspell and Cancel are virtually the same card
from
a design perspective, although worlds apart from a development viewpoint
.
Who makes the calls on these types of decisions? Does design make recommendations in regards to costing (or in this case, which card to reprint) or does development make those calls 100%?|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=December 19, 2012|tumblr-title=Blogatog}}
{{TumblrRef|URL=http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/14217079906/why-counterspell-was-downgraded-to-cancel-but-in-m11-we|title=Why Counterspell was downgraded to Cancel but in M11 we got back Lightning Bolt when we use to have for a log time less powerful varieties like Shock, Volcanic hammer, etc? The Bolt was too powerful and risky to have it in the environment before as I can remember and Counterspell was OK. Now its the other way around, why?|author=[[Mark Rosewater]]|date=December 14, 2011|tumblr-title=Blogatog}}
=="Hard" and "soft" counterspells==
=="Hard" and "soft" counterspells==
−
A distinction is made between so called "hard"
counters
and "soft"
counters
. In general, a hard counter is any card that stops a spell from resolving and
it is not possible to play
that spell again.
A soft counter on the other hand is a card that stops a spell from resolving
,
but gives the opponent recourse
, such as the
possibility to pay additional mana to have the
spell
still resolve
.
Counterspells
that
also have a limited range of targets
or
that require additional resources are also called soft counters
.
+
A distinction is made between so called "hard" and "soft"
counter[spell]s
. In general, a
"
hard
"
counter is any card that stops a spell from resolving and
, further, preventing
that spell
from being played
again
, at least soon (e.g
.,
Counterspell
,
Hinder
,
Dismiss
).
{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr169|Counter Intelligence|[[Mark Rosewater]]|March 28, 2005}}
Some "hard" counters may have additional effects
, such as
exiling
the
countered
spell
from the game (e
.
g.,
Dissipate
,
Spelljack
), putting cards from
that
spell's controller's library into his
or
her graveyard (e.g.,
Psychic Strike
), life gain/loss or damage (e.g.,
Absorb
,
Undermine
,
Essence Backlash
), mana generation (e.g.,
Mana Drain
,
Plasm Capture
), creature generation (e.g.,
Mystic Snake
,
Draining Whelk
,
Mystic Genesis
,
.
−
For example
,
Counterspell
,
Hinder
,
Dissipate
and
Dismiss
are all considered hard counters
.
+
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.
,
Force Spike
,
Mana Leak
) or the possibility to cast that spell soon (e.g.
,
Delay
,
Remand
)
.
ref name="Rosewater"
/>
Counterspells that also have a limited range of targets (e.g.
,
Annul
,
Spell Snare
,
Negate
) or that require additional resources are also considered "soft" counters (e.g.
,
Abjure
).
ref name="Rosewater"
/>
−
Mana Leak
c
>,
Spell Snare
,
Delay
,
Remand
,
Negate
and
Abjure
c
>
on the other hand are called soft counters.
+
−
[[R&D]]
employs a rule of thumb in which
hard counters require {{u}}{{u}} in their mana costs
(though some
exceptions such as
Vex
and
Arcane Denial
exist
).
>{{DailyRef|mtgcom/daily/mr169|Counter Intelligence|[[Mark
Rosewater
]]|Monday, March 28, 2005}}
/
ref
>
+
As a general rule of thumb,
[[R&D]]
stipulates that "
hard
"
counters require {{u}}{{u}} in their mana costs
and that counterspells are designed and costed with the original
Counterspell
in mind.
Some
exceptions
, albeit with additional conditions
such as
card draw for the controller of the countered spell (e.g.,
Arcane Denial
,
Vex
)
exist, however
.
name="
Rosewater
"
/>
==References==
==References==
−
{{
reflist
}}
+
{{
Reflist
}}
+
+
==External links==
+
*[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&text=+{{urlencode:[counter]}}+{{urlencode:[spell]}}+!{{urlencode:[counters]}}+!{{urlencode:[countered]}} ''Gatherer'' search for "counter" (text), "spell" (text), not "counters" (text), and not "countered" (text)]
−
[[Category:Cards]]
[[Category:Magic slang]]
[[Category:Miscellaneous mechanics]]
+
[[Category:Cards]]
+
[[Category:Miscellaneous mechanics]]
+
{{Disambig}}