Stagnate - 2U
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its owner taps all permanents that player controls and skips his or her next untap step.
Annoyed Enlightenment - WU
Instant (R)
Counter target enchantment or artifact spell. You may search your library for an enchantment or artifact card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put the revealed card on top of it.
Icespike - U
Instant (U)
Counter target red or green creature spell.
Desperation Counter - UU
Instant (C)
Play Desperation Counter only if you don't have the most cards in hand among players.
Counter target spell.
Stagnate's basically a hard counter. I can't see anyone doing thing alternative instead of simply doing it. It's slightly less powerful than Cancel, so maybe it's okay at the cost you're proposing...
Annoyed Enlightenment would need to be in a VERY carefully designed environment. It's Annul plus Enlightened Tutor, which... Well, Annul is fine, but Enlightened Tutor isn't. Maybe add a colorless.
Icespike is cool.
Desperation Counter- maybe make it the fewest cards in hand among players? I can't see this being played much in EDH, so it's prolly okay... I like that it plays against blue's attempts to have the most cards in its hand at all times.
Instant (U)
Counter target spell unless its owner taps all permanents that player controls and skips his or her next untap step.
Annoyed Enlightenment - WU
Instant (R)
Counter target enchantment or artifact spell. You may search your library for an enchantment or artifact card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put the revealed card on top of it.
Icespike - U
Instant (U)
Counter target red or green creature spell.
Desperation Counter - UU
Instant (C)
Play Desperation Counter only if you don't have the most cards in hand among players.
Counter target spell.
I like that one.
That's any red or green spell. This one counters only creatures.
Annoyed Enlightenment would need to be in a VERY carefully designed environment. It's Annul plus Enlightened Tutor, which... Well, Annul is fine, but Enlightened Tutor isn't. Maybe add a colorless.
Icespike is cool.
Desperation Counter- maybe make it the fewest cards in hand among players? I can't see this being played much in EDH, so it's prolly okay... I like that it plays against blue's attempts to have the most cards in its hand at all times.
When in doubt, call a judge.
Objectivist here. Hit me up to talk philosophy.