Few things are synonymous with the color Blue in Magic: The Gathering than countering spells. Instants that are most commonly found within Blue's slice of the color pie, counters are instants that negate a spell's effects entirely, preventing them from resolving. Counters are traditionally very flexible responses that can be used to deal with problems before they're even in play.
So in honor of Control players out there and everyone who loves to deny their opponents of spells, we're going to count down the ten strongest counter-spells in Magic: The Gathering.
Updated April 17, 2022 by Paul DiSalvo: Counterspells are a very powerful and useful effect in MtG, and with the game's ever-expanding nature, we've taken care to add more of the best cards that use it to this list.
15 Counterspell
Starting out our list, we have the original Counterspell, first printed in Alpha. An instant for two Blue mana, counterspell is a straightforward and simplistic spell, countering any target spell.
Counterspell has long served as the measuring stick for modern spells with similar effects. Flexible and low cost, the only potential drawback of the spell is that its mana cost requires two Blue mana. This means that multicolored decks with insufficient mana-fixing may have some difficulties reliably using the spell when needed.
14 Mystic Snake And Frilled Mystic
Mystic Snake and Frilled Mystic are two cards with so many similarities that providing each with its own slot on this list felt unfair. Both cards are Simic creatures with a converted mana cost of four, flash, and the ability to counter target spell upon entering the battlefield.
These creatures are each effectively a two-mana counterspell stapled to a two-mana creature with flash. Both Mystic Snake and Frilled Mystic are very flexible and can be used to counter spells or even be flashed in as a blocker during an opponent's attack phase.
13 Desertion
While the vast majority of spells simply go to the graveyard upon being countered, Desertion is a spell that, as referenced by the card's flavor text, adds insult to injury.
A counterspell for five mana, as long as the countered spell is a creature or artifact, rather than being put in its controller's graveyard, the countered spell is put under the control of Desertion's owner. This allows players to not only deprive opponents of their spells as is traditionally done with counterspells, but this spell allows its owner to gain any and all benefits that spell would've provided.
12 Swan Song
Swan Song is easily one of the most efficient cards to make its way onto this list. An instant for only one Blue mana, Swan Song is capable of countering any instant, sorcery, or enchantment. While this means the spell cannot be used to counter specific types of cards, the low cost of this spell should not be taken lightly as it can prevent numerous impactful cards from resolving and even be used within a "counter war" against a fellow Blue player.
Swan Song does notably come with the drawback of providing the countered spell's owner with a 2/2 bird token with flying, but this token is negligible when compared to the impact of potentially game-winning spells, especially in formats like Commander.
11 Dovin's Veto
For those preparing to face off against other players using large amounts of counter-magic, Dovin's Veto may be the ideal card for one's deck.
An Azorius instant possessing the same converted mana cost as the original Counterspell, Dovin's Veto can counter any non-creature spell, and cannot be countered. This is the perfect card for players to use in mirror-matches against other control decks, and is highly recommended for players whose Commander groups are rife with control players.
10 Render Silent
Another Azorius counterspell, Render Silent is a powerful counterspell that immediately upon being cast, pays itself forward.
Capable of countering any target spell, Render Silent also prevents that spell's controller from casting any more cards for the rest of that turn. This is an incredibly powerful means of slowing down a player and messing with their tempo, and is an excellent answer against combo decks that seek to string together numerous spells within a single turn.
9 Disallow
While the vast majority of counterspells in Magic are only capable of targeting specific types of spells, or at their best, any target spell, Disallow is a Mono-Blue counterspell with even more flexibility.
At the cost of three mana, Disallow is an instant with the ability to counter target spell, activated ability, or triggered ability. This is absurdly flexible and useful, as there are many strategies that seek to utilize activated and triggered abilities in order to form potent synergies between their cards. Disallow is one of the few spells players have access to that is capable of throwing a wrench into such synergies.
8 Cryptic Command
Some of the most powerful cards in Magic are those which are flexible enough to serve numerous uses. This is exemplified by the iconic Cryptic Command.
For four mana, Cryptic Command allows its controller to pick any two of the following: "counter target spell," "return target permanent to its owner's hand," "tap all creatures your opponents control," or "draw a card."
This flexibility is unparalleled, as Cryptic Command can simultaneously counter spells whilst removing threats from the board or even accruing card advantage.
7 Rewind
Rewind is perhaps one of the heaviest hitters players have access to when utilizing counterspells.
While rewind can counter a target spell, its mana cost of four is twice that of the original counterspell. Despite this, Rewind's second ability more than makes up for it. Upon being cast, Rewind's controller is able to untap any four lands. This means that by utilizing rewind, a player can untap the mana that was used to cast it, making the spell effectively free. When paired with lands such as Ancient Tomb, Rewind is even capable of netting mana for its controller.
6 Flusterstorm
Flusterstorm is easily among the strongest counterspells a player can cast for a single Blue mana. Capable of countering instants or sorceries unless their controller pays an additional one mana, at first glance, Flusterstorm may seem rather lackluster.
However, due to its access to the Storm mechanic, copying the spell for each other spell cast prior within a given turn, a well-timed Flusterstorm can help clear away problematic spells from the Stack and potentially copy itself enough times to make its tax greater than what an opponent can feasibly pay.
5 Archmage's Charm
Printed in Modern Horizons, Archmage's Charm is a great Blue for three mana that can provide a player with a great deal of flexibility at instant speed. Upon being cast, a player can choose one of three potential modes.
While Archmage's Charm can be used to counter a spell, it can also cause target player to draw two cards or even to gain control of a nonland permanent with a mana value of one or less. This allows a player to more reliably respond to different types of threats or even draw into one's own other potent cards.
4 Mana Drain
For the cost of two Blue mana, Mana Drain is a stellar instant that is strictly better than the original Counterspell, providing such an impressive impact on a game that it was banned in Legacy.
Capable of countering any type of spell, at the beginning of its caster's next main phase, that player adds an amount of colorless mana to their mana pool equal to the mana value of the countered spell. This allows Mana Drain to simultaneously counter a spell whilst providing mana ramp for its caster, all for the low cost of two mana!
3 Force of Negation
The strongest counterspell legal in the Modern format, Force of Negation is Blue's representative in the Force cycle of Modern Horizons. For three mana, Force of Negation can counter target non-creature spell, exiling that spell rather than allowing it to move to its controller's graveyard.
While three mana for a counterspell isn't the greatest rate, as long as it isn't its caster's turn, its caster may exile a blue card from their hand rather than paying its mana cost. This allows Force of Negation to reliably function as a zero-mana counterspell at the cost of card disadvantage, meaning a Blue player can feasibly counter spells regardless of if they have access to a single mana source.
2 Fierce Guardianship
Fierce Guardianship is by and large the strongest counterspell within the Commander format. A three-mana instant that can be used to counter target noncreature spell, like Force of Negation, Fierce Guardianship features a clause that allows it to be cast for free.
While Force of Negation requires a card to be exiled from its owner's hand, Fierce Guardianshiip's mana cost can be ignored as long as its owner controls their commander. Though this limited this card's use to the Commander format, this is an incredibly reliable zero-mana counterspell.
1 Force Of Will
If you're well versed in Magic: the Gathering, you knew this was going to be number one on this list when you started reading. Across Magic's history, no counterspell has been able to equal the strength of the iconic Force of Will. While Force of Will may initially appear over-costed at five mana to counter target spell, Force of Will's other ability pushes it leagues ahead of any and all other counterspells in the game.
Force of Will allows its controller to pay one life and exile a Blue card from their hand rather than pay its mana cost. This means that similarly to Fierce Guardianship and Force of Negation, Force of Will is essentially being cast for free. However, unlike those spells which can only counter noncreature spells, Force of Will can be used to counter any type of spell.