Counterspell
Instant
Counter target spell.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Fifth Edition
- Price
- $2.94
- EDHREC rank
- #16
Counterspell is the baseline — two blue mana, stop anything, no conditions attached. It shows up in more Commander decks than almost any other interaction piece, and the only real cost worth naming is the double-blue pip, which can lock you out of tapping Arcane Signet on turn two to answer a Koma, Cosmos Serpent on turn six.
Where It Shines
Where the extra mana on turn one matters most
Big-mana shells like Atraxa, Praetors' Voice
Decks built around Atraxa, Praetors' Voice lean heavily on turn-one Sol Ring and Arcane Signet to accelerate into four-color spells — which means by turn three you're often sitting on untapped blue sources and Counterspell does exactly what it promises, no rider required.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Counterspell is a clean two-mana answer in a format where threats routinely cost six or more, making the efficiency gap enormous. Legacy has access to Force of Will and Daze, so Counterspell slots into fair blue decks but isn't the top of the stack. Modern welcomed it relatively recently and it's found a home in controlling shells where the unconditional clause matters more than saving a mana. Pauper treats Counterspell as a foundational pillar — at common, nothing matches it for reliability at that cost. Pioneer and Standard don't get it, which is part of why counterspell-based control is structurally weaker in those formats.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$2.94 cheap tier
At $2.94, Counterspell sits in the range where there's no reason to run a worse alternative. It has been printed enough times to stay cheap, and that price is unlikely to spike meaningfully given how frequently it appears in precons and supplemental sets.
Explore
Sources
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.