Arcane Denial
Instant
Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Masters Edition
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #56
Arcane Denial counters any spell for two mana — the catch is that your opponent draws two cards next upkeep, which matters less in a four-player game where stopping a combo piece is worth the card disadvantage. Against Aminatou, Veil Piercer decks running cursed-enchantment engines, that counter is often the difference between winning and losing on the spot.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Aminatou, Veil Piercer
Aminatou, Veil Piercer builds around high-curse-count synergies where letting any one threat resolve can collapse your board state, making the unconditional counter on Arcane Denial worth more than the two cards your opponent gains.
Rootha, Mastering the Moment
Rootha, Mastering the Moment copies instants and sorceries for value, and Arcane Denial is a prime target — copying a counterspell that replaces itself keeps the spell chain alive while locking down the table's answers.
Xyris, the Writhing Storm
Xyris, the Writhing Storm rewards opponents drawing cards by generating Snake tokens, so the two draw triggers from Arcane Denial become fuel rather than a cost.
Omo, Queen of Vesuva
Omo, Queen of Vesuva runs dense blue-multicolor piles where a cheap, reliable counter like Arcane Denial covers interaction gaps without straining a tight mana curve.
Sauron, Lord of the Rings
Sauron, Lord of the Rings needs time to assemble its Amass engine, and Arcane Denial buys that time cheaply enough that the card-draw rider rarely changes the outcome.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Arcane Denial is a staple precisely because unconditional two-mana countermagic is rare, and the card-draw penalty is diluted across three opponents — nobody in particular gains a decisive advantage from it. In Pauper it sees genuine competitive play, where the common card pool makes cheap hard counters scarce and the opponent drawing two is a real cost you have to plan around. Legacy and Vintage have access to Force of Will, Daze, and Mana Drain, so Arcane Denial sits at the fringe there — playable but not a first pick. It's not legal in Modern, Pioneer, or Standard.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Arcane Denial has been reprinted frequently enough that copies are easy to find, and it typically sits in budget range regardless of printing. Check current buylist prices on your preferred retailer — given the reprint history, there's rarely a reason to pay a premium for any particular version.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.