One of the things I love about games (Magic almost specifically) is the window into the way people handle the world it gives us. Alot of players make their own little rules and then use them as excuses when they lose. Counterspells? Discard? Land Demo? Jitte? Whatever, doesn't matter.
The problem is if you completely remove any of these elements from the game, it becomes a completely different game. At this point, it is only a game you can win if everyone else is playing the same rules you are. They are not, they are playing the rules as they understand it. If you lose to counterspells because you did not design your deck with them in mind, then you lost to yourelf. You live in a fantasy world.
Counter, Discard, etc. Whatever. they all serve a purpose, each keeping certain kinds of decks in check. How does Aggro beat a combo which Goldfishes turn 2-3? It doesn't. You need a way to disrupt your opponents game while you try to win your own. Counterspells and Discard are needed to keep combo in check, and Discard also helps keep Counters fair. These are also these colors main ways of dealing with certain threats. Blue cannot permanantly remove anything very efficiently while it is in play. Black cannot hurt Enchantments and Artifacts.
Yes it can be aggravating to play against, but these strategies want you aggravated. it is a mind game. I cannot express how many games I have won because people refused to play any spells through a bluffed counter that did not exist.
It is a part of the game you need to learn. Learn to play around and tempt out counters on spells you need less. It is resource management.
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The problem is if you completely remove any of these elements from the game, it becomes a completely different game. At this point, it is only a game you can win if everyone else is playing the same rules you are. They are not, they are playing the rules as they understand it. If you lose to counterspells because you did not design your deck with them in mind, then you lost to yourelf. You live in a fantasy world.
Counter, Discard, etc. Whatever. they all serve a purpose, each keeping certain kinds of decks in check. How does Aggro beat a combo which Goldfishes turn 2-3? It doesn't. You need a way to disrupt your opponents game while you try to win your own. Counterspells and Discard are needed to keep combo in check, and Discard also helps keep Counters fair. These are also these colors main ways of dealing with certain threats. Blue cannot permanantly remove anything very efficiently while it is in play. Black cannot hurt Enchantments and Artifacts.
Yes it can be aggravating to play against, but these strategies want you aggravated. it is a mind game. I cannot express how many games I have won because people refused to play any spells through a bluffed counter that did not exist.
It is a part of the game you need to learn. Learn to play around and tempt out counters on spells you need less. It is resource management.
So yes, counters belong in casual.