Combo Idea: Let Your Spell Be Countered?!
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on July 10, 2015, 7:22 p.m. by bigmacaroni24
So this is just a random idea that may or may not have any promise, but I thought it would be interesting for the sake of debate. Maybe people with more knowledge of the game and cards will be able to work something out of it! :)
So in the Magic Origins Release Notes, under the card Aerial Volley, the following ruling is placed:
"If some (but not all) of the targets become illegal before Aerial Volley tries to resolve, the original division of damage still applies, but no damage is dealt to illegal targets. If all targets become illegal, Aerial Volley will be countered."
I found it interesting that a card could contain the capability to be countered without an outside source (such as a counter-spell), and I figured that because this condition is something the player more or less has control over, it could possibly be used for some sort of crazy combo or exception. This is assuming that because the Wizards website specifically used the word "countered", the event taking place has the same qualities of any other type of counter.
So, with this thought, I turned to the Gatherer, trying to find something (ideally Green) that activated in response to a counter. What I found was the old gem from Urza's Legacy that is Multani's Presence. The fact that both of these spells only cost G to cast makes me believe that there may be the potential somewhere for a combo of sorts, but I don't really know what the other pieces would be. The first thing that comes to mind is Downdraft because it's a green enchantment that gets rid of flying for G as many times as you want. But I still just don't know.
Other cards that seem to fit in the same category are listed here. It seems that Bant is the best color combo for this if not Mono-Green, which is nice because White and Blue are the top two flying colors:
Archetype of Imagination: Makes viable targets no longer legal targets.
Swift Silence: Doesn't help the combo in the main sense, but fits the theme of the "deck" and pairs will with Multani's Presence.
Canopy Claws: Also G to cast with flashback for G; gets rid of flying.
Crash Landing: Gets rid of flying.
Emerald Charm: G to cast; can get rid of flying, but also has other useful effects.
Gravity Sphere: Maybe?
*** Gravity Well: Definite potential. Depends on the timing, though.
Mystic Decree: Like Gravity Sphere, but better fits the Bant-ish theme that seems to reside.
Radjan Spirit: Can get rid of flying by tapping.
Ribbon Snake: Can get rid of its own flying!
Swooping Talon: Costs more to cast than above, but can lose flying for less.
Thundercloud Elemental: Can get rid of flying every turn.
Whiteout: Yes. Maybe?
Let me know what you think! Let's discuss :)
This isn't really unique. Any time a spell no longer has legal targets after being cast (assuming it did when cast) it is countered by the game rules. So yeah...
July 10, 2015 9:06 p.m.
asasinater13 says... #4
it doesn't seem strong because it doesn't have a way to win. and you're probably spending two spells to draw a card, which seems bad.
July 10, 2015 10:51 p.m.
You're missing some crucial cards from that list. 4x Enlightened Tutors to start with.
July 12, 2015 9:59 a.m.
I messed around with it and it didn't work. You don't want your hand to be a bunch of useless cards when you start to go off.
RoarMaster says... #2
Multani's pressence + Chalice of the Void + 45 or so 0 cost spells + Grapeshot = Win!
otherwise, you are not really getting any benifit from countering your own stuff, it costs you a mana to replace a card basically getting you nowhere.
July 10, 2015 8 p.m.