Stubborn Denial
Instant
Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 
.
Ferocious — If you control a creature with power 4 or greater, counter that spell instead.
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- U
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Khans of Tarkir
- Price
- $4.71
- EDHREC rank
- #1547
Stubborn Denial is a one-mana hard counter in any deck whose commander has power 4 or greater — the Ferocious clause isn't a condition to build around, it's a freebie you collect for playing big creatures. Eshki, Temur's Roar sits at a natural power 6, meaning Stubborn Denial is essentially Force Spike that upgrades itself the moment your commander hits the table.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Eshki, Temur's Roar
Eshki, Temur's Roar is the natural home — a power-6 commander that permanently satisfies Ferocious the turn it resolves, turning Stubborn Denial into a one-mana hard counter for the rest of the game. The 40% inclusion rate reflects how automatic the synergy is.
Surrak Dragonclaw
Surrak Dragonclaw enters at power 6 and can't be countered, which means the threat that enables Stubborn Denial also protects itself — once Surrak is out, Stubborn Denial locks down whatever your opponents try to answer your board with.
Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Tasigur, the Golden Fang is a late-game commander that routinely hits a power of 4 or higher once delve has done its work, and the Sultai shell wants exactly this kind of cheap, interaction-dense counterspell to protect its game-winning activations.
Rielle, the Everwise
Rielle, the Everwise sits at power 3, so Stubborn Denial doesn't auto-upgrade — but the Izzet draw-heavy shell dumps cards fast, and Rielle's power climbs quickly in a full hand, making Ferocious more consistent than the base stat suggests.
Eshki Dragonclaw
Eshki Dragonclaw commands a power-4-or-greater creature by design, making Stubborn Denial a reliable one-mana hard counter and a natural inclusion in the 23% of lists that want cheap protection for the combo or tempo lines the deck runs.
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, Stubborn Denial earns its slot whenever the commander meets the Ferocious threshold — at that point it's one of the cheapest hard counters in the format, and one mana at instant speed is the difference between protecting a combo piece and watching it get answered. In Modern, it competes with Force of Negation and Counterspell for blue counterspell slots, and while those are generally stronger, Stubborn Denial is a reasonable role-player in creature-heavy tempo shells. Legacy has access to Free Spell Force of Will and Daze, which push Stubborn Denial out of most lists. Pioneer represents the best competitive format for it outside Commander — the counterspell pool is shallow enough that a conditional one-mana hard counter is genuinely meaningful in the right deck.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$4.71 cheap tier
At $4.71, Stubborn Denial sits in the cheap tier — affordable enough to include on the strength of its effect alone without needing to justify the price. It's a niche card with a narrow but dedicated audience, so the price is stable rather than speculative.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Eshki, Temur's Roar
- Surrak Dragonclaw
- Tasigur, the Golden Fang
- Rielle, the Everwise
- Eshki Dragonclaw
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.