Because you can't counter everything, no matter how hard you try. Someone's always going to be going at your throat with little creature and 'walkers, and we can't have that, now can we?
Blacklance Paragon
can either pressure 'walkers or trade with an attacking creature. While a little vulnerable to instant-speed removal, the ceiling is high enough that I'm willing to risk a one-of in the maindeck.
Fatal Push
is old, tried and true. A couple fetches mean that the pair of pushes can hit bigger creatures with reasonable frequency, and hitting manlands and vehicles could prove to be extremely relevant.
Collective Brutality
can pitch dead cards to impact almost any game in some capacity. Very versatile.
Grasp of Darkness
and
Cast Down
are both CMC 2 removal spells that can trade up. Which proves to be better will depend on the meta as it shakes out.
Hero's Downfall
is relevant in all matchups, killing pivotal creatures and annoying 'walkers alike.
Murderous Rider
: Probably a better version of Downfall, but the life loss is a very real concern in a format where Burn can go off so quickly, though the creature is also nice in those cases. Works worse with
Torrential Gearhulk
as well.
Ritual of Soot
will give you a clear slate, and can be effective against both annoying go-wide decks, quick double-spelling aggro, mana dorks, and animated lands.
