This is along the same lines as my last post, but I'm trying to build a Rafiq of the Many deck, and want to include a fair number of counters. I'm going to be playing it in a 1 on 1 tournament coming up, and want to be able to have answers for all the annoying spells!
I, unfortunately, don't have a ton of money available. And, as I didn't play much (or buy many cards) between the times of.... maybe Weatherlight to Future Sight, I'm missing a lot of the good older cards.
I already have the following counter power, and would love to know what cards I should make room for/cut...
I thought about him, but that's just so much mana! To have open! And the resulting creature is only worth it if it gets at least 4 counters or so... But you are right, it's extra annoying, even for a counterspell.
Draining Whelk is superb in EDH. EDH games are slow enough that his mana cost is fine. He doesnt work well in decks that like to tap out, where he shines is decks that alreayd dont tap out, like decks with lots of counters. He's one of the best.
Cryptic Command and force of will are the best counters, but neither are budget.For decks like Rafiq decks, stuff like Cryptic and Whelk aren't as good anyhow. The best there are just generally efficient counters like Counterspell, Remove Soul, Negate, Cancel, Memory Lapse (weaker in EDH, but i still think in decks like Rafiq decks the ability to buy you some time is huge. You wanna combo out? Ill put it on top and then beat you down next turn for trying to kill me). Spelljack is still worth considering because it is so powerful, sure you need to leave 6 mana open, but its an incredibly powerful effect in EDH, somebody's always going to have something to steal.
I know it's saviors..... but the funniest and best (not to mention extremely budget) counterspell I know of for a format like this is Overwhelming Intellect.
along with CC, desertion, draining whelk and spelljack are indispensable in any blue EDH deck. ESPECIALLY in a rafiq deck where you can make all of the stolen creatures into much bigger threats.
if nothing else, definitely go with desertion - not only can it act as a regular counterspell, stealing stuff is always awesome.
Hinder is #1, just for dealing with generals Spelljack because grabbing things in this format will normally turn out HUGE
[card]Overwhelming Intellect[card] i have come to greatly love. Drawing is always a good thing, and this will sure draw you some cards. i once countered a Reaper King with it, very good times. Cryptic Command just because it is That Damned Good. so much on one card, i love it so.
Overwhelming Intellect i have come to greatly love. Drawing is always a good thing, and this will sure draw you some cards. i once countered a Reaper King with it, very good times.
My personal opinion is that card advantage is king in multiplayer, tempo less so. To that end, I like the counterspells that also draw, or have some effect (like draining whelk), or are just really powerful (mana drain). Here's my list of the best:
Counterspell*
Cryptic Command*
Desertion*
Dismiss
Draining Whelk*
Dream Fracture
Forbid
Force of Will
Hinder
Rewind
Sage's Dousing
Spelljack*
Last Word
Timestop
Mana Drain
Mystic Snake*
Glen Elandra Archmage*
I starred what I think are the cheapest (money-wise) and best for Rafiq decks.
Counterspell, Hinder, Forbid, Force of Will are all auto includes.
I'm personally a fan of Memory Lapse since it doesn't require 2 blue mana. This is useful in the early game if you've only got one blue source or in the mid game when you might play a blue spell and still want to have a counter up.
Commandeer is AMAZING if you're heavily into blue. Stealing a planeswalker almost always spells GG, not to mention the plethora of draw spells and stuff you can steal.
Misdirection is another great card. Not only can you use it to swap tagerts of a spell, but you can also redirect an opponents counterspell onto the misdirection itself, effectively making it a Force of Will in counter wars.
Media is not making me steal. But in a way is like the story of the very hot girl with the short skirt teasing the old sick guy with a history of rape.
Out of curiousity, if I only have room to include Desertion or Spelljack in my deck, but not both, which is better? Spelljack can take anything, and the fact that you can cast the spell whenever you want is nice, but Desertion can steal generals. Well, it's guaranteed to steal a general, at least. Spelljack can do that too, but since it removes the general from the game and doesn't let you play the spell as part of the effect like Guile does, your opponent will be able to recast it before you get a chance to (assuming you countered it on their turn). I'm currently running Spelljack because I like the versatility, but what does everyone else think? Is the extra U worth it, or is Desertion comparable enough to rate higher for being cheaper?
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Out of curiousity, if I only have room to include Desertion or Spelljack in my deck, but not both, which is better? Spelljack can take anything, and the fact that you can cast the spell whenever you want is nice, but Desertion can steal generals. Well, it's guaranteed to steal a general, at least. Spelljack can do that too, but since it removes the general from the game and doesn't let you play the spell as part of the effect like Guile does, your opponent will be able to recast it before you get a chance to (assuming you countered it on their turn). I'm currently running Spelljack because I like the versatility, but what does everyone else think? Is the extra U worth it, or is Desertion comparable enough to rate higher for being cheaper?
Spelljack appears to be better. I think it is worth the one extra mana. Assuming I am reading it correctly, you can play the "spelljacked" spell anytime(obv not all at instant speed)
Also depends on the people you play with alot, if they have really game changing generals then u might would go for desertation, but due to the abundance of removals and such I would really not care that much about taking someone's general w/ that particular spell
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I, unfortunately, don't have a ton of money available. And, as I didn't play much (or buy many cards) between the times of.... maybe Weatherlight to Future Sight, I'm missing a lot of the good older cards.
I already have the following counter power, and would love to know what cards I should make room for/cut...
mystic snake
bant charm, although that won't often be used as a counter
cryptic command
hinder
...huh, that's all I've got so far! I wouldn't mind getting another countering creature in there, like Venser, shaper savant, glen elendra archmage or maybe Ertai, wizard adept (or is he too clunky?) And some more true counters like counterspell, desertion, pact of negation, and spelljack. Would love to put force of will in there, but as I don't have one and can't afford to get one, it must remain out.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I'm new at EDH, and don't really know what works and what doesn't.
draining whelk
Cryptic Command and force of will are the best counters, but neither are budget.For decks like Rafiq decks, stuff like Cryptic and Whelk aren't as good anyhow. The best there are just generally efficient counters like Counterspell, Remove Soul, Negate, Cancel, Memory Lapse (weaker in EDH, but i still think in decks like Rafiq decks the ability to buy you some time is huge. You wanna combo out? Ill put it on top and then beat you down next turn for trying to kill me). Spelljack is still worth considering because it is so powerful, sure you need to leave 6 mana open, but its an incredibly powerful effect in EDH, somebody's always going to have something to steal.
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You just drew how many cards?!
if nothing else, definitely go with desertion - not only can it act as a regular counterspell, stealing stuff is always awesome.
T2
URG Destructive Force
UW Caw-Blade
Legacy
W Stax
U Merfolk
EDH
RB Bladewing the Risen
GW Tolsimir Wolfblood
UB Sygg, River Cutthroat
WUBRG Progenitus
B Maga, Traitor to Mortals
WUR Numot, the Devastator
R Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
G Azusa, Lost but Seeking
GWR Hazezon Tamar
Peasant
U Pros-Tide
Casual
BR Flaming Zombies Attack!
G Primalcrux
UR Pyromancer Ascension
UB Mill
hell, anything with buyback is wicked for EDH....
Spelljack because grabbing things in this format will normally turn out HUGE
[card]Overwhelming Intellect[card] i have come to greatly love. Drawing is always a good thing, and this will sure draw you some cards. i once countered a Reaper King with it, very good times.
Cryptic Command just because it is That Damned Good. so much on one card, i love it so.
I've once countered an Autochthon Wurm. Other big things have been countered:
Deep-sea Kraken
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Spearbreaker Behemoth
Apocalypse Hydra for 12 (14 cards)
Counterspell*
Cryptic Command*
Desertion*
Dismiss
Draining Whelk*
Dream Fracture
Forbid
Force of Will
Hinder
Rewind
Sage's Dousing
Spelljack*
Last Word
Timestop
Mana Drain
Mystic Snake*
Glen Elandra Archmage*
I starred what I think are the cheapest (money-wise) and best for Rafiq decks.
I'm personally a fan of Memory Lapse since it doesn't require 2 blue mana. This is useful in the early game if you've only got one blue source or in the mid game when you might play a blue spell and still want to have a counter up.
Commandeer is AMAZING if you're heavily into blue. Stealing a planeswalker almost always spells GG, not to mention the plethora of draw spells and stuff you can steal.
Misdirection is another great card. Not only can you use it to swap tagerts of a spell, but you can also redirect an opponents counterspell onto the misdirection itself, effectively making it a Force of Will in counter wars.
force of will
foil
thwart
daze
misdirection(kinda)
pact of negation
any others?
^^Thanks dantcg!
Spelljack appears to be better. I think it is worth the one extra mana. Assuming I am reading it correctly, you can play the "spelljacked" spell anytime(obv not all at instant speed)
Also depends on the people you play with alot, if they have really game changing generals then u might would go for desertation, but due to the abundance of removals and such I would really not care that much about taking someone's general w/ that particular spell