Mindstatic
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 
.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- common
- Set
- Dragon's Maze
- Price
- $0.10
- EDHREC rank
- #22252
Mindstatic counters any spell, but it enters the battlefield tapped — meaning you're paying five mana for an effect you could get from a two-mana instant. The cumulative upkeep stapled to it makes this worse over time, not better, and no competitive shell wants a counterspell that costs tempo on both ends.
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 | legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Mindstatic is legal across Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Pauper, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but legal doesn't mean playable. In Commander, five mana for a counterspell is already a steep ask, and the enters-tapped clause means you're telegraphing the counter a full turn early — opponents simply wait you out. In Pauper, where tempo is everything and Counterspell itself is available at common, Mindstatic doesn't make the cut. In Legacy and Vintage, the card doesn't exist competitively. The cumulative upkeep clause is the final nail: in any long game, you're either paying an escalating tax or sacrificing the permanent, and neither outcome justifies the slot.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.10 bulk tier
At $0.10, Mindstatic is deep bulk — the price reflects the demand, which is essentially none. Don't expect that floor to move; there's no competitive application waiting to be discovered that would change the calculus here.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.