0 Cost Counter

Custom Cards forum

Posted on Dec. 20, 2014, 3:19 p.m. by Aerokid

I've been trying to think of an appropriate drawback for a 0 cost counterspell while keeping it away from mana and life (because there's already Pact of Negation and lifegain is too easy). Card draw has also been heavily done and it would be far too abusable in certain situations. So, how appropriate (and how playable) do you guys think this would be?

~Cardname~ 0

Instant

Counter target spell you don't control. That spell's controller takes an extra turn after this one.

Is this an appropriate drawback? What formats do you think this would see play in?

Suggestions welcome as well.

Epochalyptik says... #2

I would play it in EDH combo control.

December 20, 2014 3:20 p.m.

I think it would be best if the card got a counter, the person who's spell was countered puts it in their hand, and pays 1 more for it for each counter on the card (the counters stay with it in hands)

December 20, 2014 3:32 p.m.

this seems like a pretty decent counterspell. I would play it in any combo deck. the only problem that I see with it is literally any deck could play it, which is largely why Mental Misstep is so good. granted, it has a big draw back, but still.

December 20, 2014 3:34 p.m.

The_Raven says... #5

Hm... Seems kind of cool. It could really be strong in a combo deck. If you know that you would win before the opponent gets his turn, then there isn't really a drawback. Like with Pact of Negation. The thing is, that this card is too similar to the Pact. You play it and you either win this turn, or lose the next.

I would rather do something like:

~ - 0

Instant

Counter target spell.

If an opponent's life would be reduced to 1 or less this turn, it is reduced to 1.


So, now you can't go of with a Kiki-Jiki combo! :D

December 20, 2014 3:34 p.m.

The_Raven says... #6

Wait... Just figured out, that that would be too good... It also needs some kind of drawback on next turn. Hm.... Gotta think a little more about that....

December 20, 2014 3:35 p.m.

hmmmmmmmm/....... how about.... make it a common, and have the person own the card. forever. until he uses it :) it'd be in an unset

December 20, 2014 3:36 p.m.

CrazyLittleGuy says... #8

Yeah, as CommanderOfBolas pointed out, as a rule it needs to force you into Blue somehow. Pact of Negation and Force of Will both require you to be playing blue to be used effectively. Mental Misstep doesn't, so it's banned in all major formats but Vintage.

December 20, 2014 4:45 p.m.

VampireArmy says... #9

You could have it be either

A : 1 blue mana which is still insanely good but not free

B : require you to either control and island or blue permanent upon casting

December 20, 2014 4:51 p.m.

Aerokid says... #10

CommanderOfBolas CrazyLittleGuy My line of thinking (at least for Standard) is that trading a Time Warp for a Counterspell would be back breaking unless the caster were to be running some kind of dedicated control build. I can see how it would probably be crazy borked in Modern though. I think a "cast this only if you control an island" clause like VampireArmy would make sense.

December 20, 2014 5:15 p.m.

squire1 says... #11

Broken. Its zero, so castable in any deck. And it makes you able to counterspell 4 times free for a combo or pitch to fow. Nope.

December 20, 2014 5:17 p.m.

The issue is that it's playable in all colors.

December 20, 2014 5:42 p.m.

Jacques says... #13

Dissuasion - 0

Instant

Dissuasion is Blue.

Cast Dissuasion only if you control an Island.

Counter target spell. That spell's controller may draw two cards.


It seems somewhat broken but requires you to fulfill a prerequisite AND it has a drawback.

December 20, 2014 8:06 p.m.

Jacques says... #14

Dissuasion - 0

Instant

Dissuasion is Blue.

Cast Dissuasion only if you control an Island.

Counter target spell you don't control. That spell's controller may draw two cards.


Whoops, forgot the bolded part.

December 20, 2014 8:08 p.m.

Aerokid says... #15

How about this?

~Cardname~ 0

Instant

Cast ~ only during an opponent's turn.

~ costs 1U more if you don't control a basic Island.

Counter target spell you don't control. That spell's controller takes an extra turn after this one.

I figure this way, it prevents non blue decks from splashing with a shock or dual land simply for the free counter (though with a drawback like that, I'm not sure who would want to). It's still splashable without basics, but 1U to give away a Time Warp seems baaaaad, especially next to Remand and the like. Even without the Island restriction, I only really see it being playable in heavy control decks (because extra turns don't mean much if they're topdecking), or for playing politics in EDH. I don't much like the card draw effect because Arcane Denial is already a thing, and that would make Ebony Owl Netsuke WAY too good.

December 21, 2014 11:53 a.m.

Aerokid says... #16

How about this?

~Cardname~ 0

Instant

Cast ~ only during an opponent's turn.

~ costs 1U more if you don't control a basic Island.

Counter target spell you don't control. That spell's controller takes an extra turn after this one.

I figure this way, it prevents non blue decks from splashing with a shock or dual land simply for the free counter (though with a drawback like that, I'm not sure who would want to). It's still splashable without basics, but 1U to give away a Time Warp seems baaaaad, especially next to Remand and the like. Even without the Island restriction, I only really see it being playable in heavy control decks (because extra turns don't mean much if they're topdecking), or for playing politics in EDH. I don't much like the card draw effect because Arcane Denial is already a thing, and that would make Ebony Owl Netsuke WAY too good.

December 21, 2014 11:53 a.m.

This discussion has been closed