With the rise of Grixis decks as well as twin's omnipresence I think we can talk about Guttural Response. While it may be specific, it does give decks like burn a counterspell at the ready. Is it too specific?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
On mtgsalvation people don't want to discuss ideas, so I give people something else to discuss: my controversial opinions.
If you play against a lot of blue based decks with counterspells it can be useful,
but overall it's extremely narrow, as it hits barely anything relevant besides counterspells.
If you can afford to delay it a turn you can theoretically use it to protect vital sideboard tech or similar important cards, that you don't want to see countered.
In a meta with a lot of Grixis/UR Twin, U Tron, UW Tron/Gifts decks and such, where you can either counter a key card or make sure your key cards get through in time it could be a useful sideboard option.
But other than that I think it's sadly too narrow. There are generally other cards that can hit those decks and others as well, which are probably more useful due to their versatility.
E: Thought of another use: Counter a Hiveminded Pact of Negation.
@Skoonie:
What instant blue sideboard options are there, that are that relevant?
Besides adjusting a few counterspells (swapping things like Negate and Spellsnare etc. around) I can't really think of any right now.
Tired of losing to natural Tron or getting turn 2'd by Infect?
Standard infinite combos giving you a headache and the opponent always has Force of Will?
No matter the issue, there is one simple trick to solve all of your Magic problems!!
~~~To get in on the secret to eternal luck, skill and victory, just follow this link!!~~~
as it hits barely anything relevant besides counterspells and twin's creatures.
Pretty sure it can't hit flash creatures. They're cast at instant speed but still not instants.
Ah, true.
I think I confused that with other interactions Flash creatures had. ^^
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Tired of losing to natural Tron or getting turn 2'd by Infect?
Standard infinite combos giving you a headache and the opponent always has Force of Will?
No matter the issue, there is one simple trick to solve all of your Magic problems!!
~~~To get in on the secret to eternal luck, skill and victory, just follow this link!!~~~
if you're playing burn/zoo/whatever i'm guessing the goal is to make opponent go to 0. This doesnt help so much. This could be a different kind of spell pierce or something in infect SB. But then you might as well play dispel? meh.
Not too many blue instants to be worried about outside of countermagic. Lots of people come to the conclusion that being proactive (more threats) is often better than your opponents being reactive.
If you have access to blue, then dispel is the better option of course.
However, green and red do not have many counterspells in themselves. Guttural response is a great card for red/green centered decks that either cannot afford to splash blue or will not.
I personally always put it in the sideboard if my deck has those colors because it interferes greatly with tempo decks or control.
In modern I play WR coinflip, R goblins, G stompy and RG infect. All of them are susceptible to counter magic and most of these decks have an average spell cmc of 2. If I have Guttural response, I can be sure that by turn 3 I can play more or less safely.
It is bad for aggro decks since it doesn't do anything relevant to your gameplan. What do you want to do with it? Do you want to stop what your opponent is doing? Well first, it won't stop lots of things, and second, if you want to be aggressive, having a reactive card is not that good and slows your gamplan.
If you just want to protect your creatures, a "counter target blue instant" will not protect it from much removal, and protecting from counterspells would make you not play your beast on curve to do a 1 for 1 against a counter which is generally not that good against aggro to begin with...
You have to think of the opportunity cost of running such a specific card also: how many times drawing that "counterspell" will be better than drawing an additional threat or a card that actually hinders your opponent? If you're afraid of counters, run a cavern of souls, especially in 2 color builds, it will help you resolve your key cards. And having a second creature to play after the first is countered is way better than having something to try to force your first creature through a counter
Same for burn: why would you play this card over a lightning bolt - style card?
And if you're in GWx, you have access to Loxodon Smiter and Voice of Resurgence which are way better against counterspells than this card. If it costed 0 mana, I could see why you would want to play it, but this is just unplayable
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
MTGO Username: Tajicyolo
Currently Playing:
Modern Grixis Shadow, Storm Legacy: Grixis Delver, Sneak and Show Duel Commander:Kess High Tide Vintage Big blue(MTGO)
Decks I'm playing in Modern right now:
URB Grixis Reveler (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-grixis-reveler/)
UB Faeries (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/ub-fae-2/)
UW Azorious Control (http://www.mtgvault.com/supast4r7/decks/modern-ojutai-control-2/)
but overall it's extremely narrow, as it hits barely anything relevant besides counterspells.
If you can afford to delay it a turn you can theoretically use it to protect vital sideboard tech or similar important cards, that you don't want to see countered.
In a meta with a lot of Grixis/UR Twin, U Tron, UW Tron/Gifts decks and such, where you can either counter a key card or make sure your key cards get through in time it could be a useful sideboard option.
But other than that I think it's sadly too narrow. There are generally other cards that can hit those decks and others as well, which are probably more useful due to their versatility.
E: Thought of another use: Counter a Hiveminded Pact of Negation.
@Skoonie:
What instant blue sideboard options are there, that are that relevant?
Besides adjusting a few counterspells (swapping things like Negate and Spellsnare etc. around) I can't really think of any right now.
Standard infinite combos giving you a headache and the opponent always has Force of Will?
No matter the issue, there is one simple trick to solve all of your Magic problems!!
~~~To get in on the secret to eternal luck, skill and victory, just follow this link!!~~~
Pretty sure it can't hit flash creatures. They're cast at instant speed but still not instants.
Ah, true.
I think I confused that with other interactions Flash creatures had. ^^
Standard infinite combos giving you a headache and the opponent always has Force of Will?
No matter the issue, there is one simple trick to solve all of your Magic problems!!
~~~To get in on the secret to eternal luck, skill and victory, just follow this link!!~~~
Not too many blue instants to be worried about outside of countermagic. Lots of people come to the conclusion that being proactive (more threats) is often better than your opponents being reactive.
However, green and red do not have many counterspells in themselves. Guttural response is a great card for red/green centered decks that either cannot afford to splash blue or will not.
I personally always put it in the sideboard if my deck has those colors because it interferes greatly with tempo decks or control.
In modern I play WR coinflip, R goblins, G stompy and RG infect. All of them are susceptible to counter magic and most of these decks have an average spell cmc of 2. If I have Guttural response, I can be sure that by turn 3 I can play more or less safely.
RETIRED - GAME SUCKS
Modern:
UUUMerfolksUUU
RGoblinsR
Ad Nauseam
BR 8 Racks RB
WUB Mill BUW
Legacy:
XOps! All splels! X
What I think of MaRo
If you just want to protect your creatures, a "counter target blue instant" will not protect it from much removal, and protecting from counterspells would make you not play your beast on curve to do a 1 for 1 against a counter which is generally not that good against aggro to begin with...
You have to think of the opportunity cost of running such a specific card also: how many times drawing that "counterspell" will be better than drawing an additional threat or a card that actually hinders your opponent? If you're afraid of counters, run a cavern of souls, especially in 2 color builds, it will help you resolve your key cards. And having a second creature to play after the first is countered is way better than having something to try to force your first creature through a counter
Same for burn: why would you play this card over a lightning bolt - style card?
And if you're in GWx, you have access to Loxodon Smiter and Voice of Resurgence which are way better against counterspells than this card. If it costed 0 mana, I could see why you would want to play it, but this is just unplayable
Currently Playing:
Modern Grixis Shadow, Storm
Legacy: Grixis Delver, Sneak and Show
Duel Commander: Kess High Tide
Vintage Big blue(MTGO)
BWGJunkBWG
BRGJundBRG
B1Eldrazi ShopsB1
UAzami, Lady of ScrollsU
BGMeren of Clan Nel TothBG
BUWJenara, Asura of WarBUW
GURAnimar, Soul of ElementsGUR