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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


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Countersquall
Conflux

Reviewed February 6, 2009

Constructed: 3.15
Casual: 2.80
Limited: 2.80

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

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Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Countersquall

Two-color, yes, but the important thing is, it's cheap. UB isn't too much to ask that you leave open for this, unlike more recent countermagic with converted mana costs of 3 or 4. The downside is that it can't hit creatures, but then more and more decks seem to be relying on noncreature spells. Planeswalkers, Cruel Ultimatum, and the like will be very disappointed to see this.

Constructed- 4
Casual- 3
Limited- 3

Aethereal

Friday - Countersquall

Well, with the current state of the metagame, playing what amounts to a Negate with a bonus ability tacked on can be risky. Even so, this is a powerful card for control decks because it can still hit important cards like Bitterblossom. I think Faerie decks will find a way to put this into their deck just like how they found a way to put Remove Soul into it. The life loss is just a bonus, like a miniature version of Undermine. Expect to see this in plenty of decks for the next two years.

In limited, this might be worth playing, but the format is largely about creatures. Still, being able to hit their trick is nice.

Constructed - 3.5
Casual - 2
Limited - 3

David Fanany

Player since 1995

Countersquall

Negate is only a year old, but they're already making variants of it - that must be some kind of record. If you have easy access to both blue and black mana, there's no reason really not to play Countersquall, at least in your sideboard. Noncreature spells often either win the game or prevent you from winning it, and the life loss effect is just gravy. Negate will still be played, as long as there are decks like white-blue Fish and green-blue control, not to mention decks with three or more colors that don't have the time or the luxury of Vivid Creek plus Reflecting Pool. But I guarantee that you will also see Countersquall in every format at some point.

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
PsychoAnime

#1 Magic Noob in Canada since 2002
Countersquall

Negate is good. Negate for the same number of mana + 2 life loss is better. Well, there's the black mana issue, but its not that hard to splash black right now and a lot of blue decks already run black. So if you run blue and don't run black, play Negate. If you do run black, play Countersquall.

Constructed: 3/5, solid
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5

Jake

Friday - Countersquall

Finally a card that should hit type 2 for sure.  If a blue/black control deck comes around in t2 this will be in it for sure.  Could easily take negate's spot in fae.  Limited not so much as it's so heavy in creatures.  Everybody should have a blue/black control deck in casual to tuck this guy into and as an uncommon it shouldn't be too hard. 

Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 2/5


Ricky
Riles
Countersquall

Negate with life loss for the opponent? Cool!

This review is basically a comparison between the two. I won't say whether or not I think either should be played in your deck, but if you're thinking about it...here's how I would go about choosing which.

For all intents and purposes this card is probably better than Negate, at least right now. In competitive type 2...the decks that would play Negate (usually 5CC, which I happen to play) can easily put this card in its place and reap the benefits of the extra two damage it tacks on.

Outside of that, its all about which card is more consistent. That depends on what you're playing. If you're in UB, obviously this card is superior for the most part. Three colors...depending on what you're in, it could still be better. You really just have to figure out if that one extra color specific mana is worth the trouble for only two damage.

However, I'll take two damage any way I can get it if it won't kill tempo within the deck. For my deck, it won't.

I wish we had better counterspells!

Constructed: 2/5
Sealed: 2/5

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