Saw It Coming
Instant
Counter target spell.
Foretell 
(During your turn, you may pay 
and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Planeswalker Championship Promos
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #2829
Saw It Coming counters any spell for three mana and replaces itself via foretell, making the real cost two mana spread across two turns. In decks that care about foretell triggers — most notably Ranar the Ever-Watchful — it also generates a 1/1 Spirit token on the turn you exile it, turning a counterspell into a counterspell plus a body.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Ranar the Ever-Watchful
Ranar the Ever-Watchful turns every foretell activation into a free 1/1 Spirit, so Saw It Coming isn't just a counterspell — it's a counterspell that also advances your board the turn you set it up, then protects it the turn you fire it.
Kellan, the Kid
Kellan, the Kid cares about instants and adventures, and Saw It Coming's foretell mechanic fits neatly into the reactive, flash-speed game plan the deck wants to play while keeping mana open on opponents' turns.
Baral, Chief of Compliance
Baral, Chief of Compliance reduces the cost of every counterspell, so Saw It Coming can come down for as little as two total mana across both steps — and the loot trigger on any countered spell turns this into card selection on top of denial.
Gwen Stacy
Gwen Stacy decks run a critical mass of instants and flash spells to keep up interaction at all times, and Saw It Coming's split cost makes it easier to hold open mana for multiple responses in a single turn cycle.
Aegar, the Freezing Flame
Aegar, the Freezing Flame wants to keep piling up instants and sorceries, and Saw It Coming's foretell cost lets the deck hold up interaction without committing three mana all at once — a real quality-of-life upgrade in the late game.
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, Saw It Coming earns its slot in any blue deck that wants a counterspell with upside — the foretell mechanic smooths out mana across two turns, and the self-replacement makes it card-neutral in the worst case. In competitive non-rotating formats like Legacy and Vintage, it doesn't see meaningful play because Counterspell and Force of Will simply do more for less, and the foretell setup step is too slow in environments where the game can end on turn one or two. Modern and Pioneer are similar stories — Counterspell is legal in Modern, and Pioneer has access to Absorb and Make Disappear for more targeted effect, so Saw It Coming gets crowded out. The sweet spot is Commander and Oathbreaker, where the foretell trigger synergizes with specific commanders and the tempo loss of spreading the cost across two turns is far less punishing in a multiplayer, slower-paced game.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data isn't available at the moment, so check Scryfall or your preferred vendor for the current market rate on Saw It Coming. Historically it's been an inexpensive common or uncommon pickup, and given its narrow competitive applicability outside Commander, it's unlikely to carry a significant price tag.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Ranar the Ever-Watchful
- Kellan, the Kid
- Baral, Chief of Compliance
- Gwen Stacy
- Aegar, the Freezing Flame
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.