Gainsay
Instant
Counter target blue spell.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Theros
- Price
- $0.08
- EDHREC rank
- #23250
Gainsay counters any blue spell for two mana — clean, efficient, and zero setup required. The catch is the narrow targeting: in a non-blue-heavy pod, it's a dead 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, Gainsay is a meta call: blue is the most-played color in the format, so the targeting restriction bites less than it looks on paper, but three opponents means you will hit games where it does nothing. In Legacy and Vintage, it sees fringe sideboard play precisely because the format is saturated with blue — Force of Will, Brainstorm, and Daze are all live targets. Modern and Pioneer don't give it enough reward; Counterspell is legal in Modern and simply better in most shells. Gainsay is narrowest in Commander and sharpest in older formats where blue dominance is near-total.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.08 bulk tier
At $0.08, Gainsay is deep bulk — you're paying almost nothing for a functional counterspell. That price reflects the narrow targeting restriction more than any shortage of supply, and there's no reason to expect it to move.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.