Decisive Denial
Instant
Choose one —
• Target creature you control fights target creature you don't control. (Each deals damage equal to its power to the other.)
• Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 
.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- GU
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Magic Online Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #3372
Decisive Denial does two things on one card: it fights an opposing creature and counters a spell, and in Simic that flexibility is worth a premium slot. Riku of Many Paths decks copied the lesson early — over half run it — because a modal spell that protects your board while disrupting theirs is exactly what a tempo-hungry Temur shell wants at two mana.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Riku of Many Paths
Riku of Many Paths appears in over 54% of Decisive Denial decks because the spell-copying engine turns a two-mana modal answer into a three-for-one nightmare for opponents — copy the fight mode and kill two blockers while the counter mode handles whatever they tried to resolve in response.
Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra
Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra is a clue-generation engine that wants spells to be doing double duty, and Decisive Denial fits cleanly by protecting the team while generating value off the fight trigger or locking down a key response spell.
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst runs a tempo game built around generating advantage on your turn, so Decisive Denial earns its spot as the catch-all answer that handles a threat or stops a counter without forcing you to choose which problem matters more.
Haldan, Avid Arcanist // Pako, Arcane Retriever
Haldan, Avid Arcanist // Pako, Arcane Retriever attacks aggressively and exiles cards, so Decisive Denial serves as the protection layer — fight off a chump blocker or counter the removal that would shut down Pako mid-swing.
Primo, the Unbounded
Primo, the Unbounded plays a high-value creature game that can't afford to let a key piece die to removal or a combo go off unchecked, and Decisive Denial covers both failure modes on one card.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Decisive Denial is a legitimate role-player in any Simic or Temur shell that wants modal interaction — the floor of fighting a blocker is real, the ceiling of countering a combo piece is real, and two mana is the right price. In competitive Legacy and Vintage, the bar for counterspells is Force of Will and Flusterstorm, so Decisive Denial doesn't make the cut despite its flexibility. Modern and Pioneer are the interesting cases: tempo and midrange strategies could theoretically use it, but Counterspell is legal in Modern and Deduce is the draw half of Pioneer's blue offerings, meaning Decisive Denial competes with individually stronger options in both slots. Commander is where the modal flexibility matters most, and that's the format it's built for.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Decisive Denial isn't currently available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the current market rate before buying. Given its 54% inclusion rate in the most popular commander that runs it, demand is real — don't assume it's bulk just because it's a non-rare modal spell.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Riku of Many Paths
- Jenny Flint // Madame Vastra
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
- Haldan, Avid Arcanist // Pako, Arcane Retriever
- Primo, the Unbounded
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.