When I was first introduced to Magic The Gathering, I was led to believe that only the color blue got counterspells. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Although not as commonly printed in today’s modern Magic, MTG black counterspells are to exist.
Black counterspells aren’t that well known among new players of Magic as many of them were printed years ago, but if you are looking to add a counterspell – or maybe 3 – to your black deck, here are some of the best black counterspells you could be playing.
1. Stromgald Cabal
Having been released all the way back in 1995, Stromgald Cabal has seen four Top 8 Pro Tour finishes but sadly no Grand Prix Top 8 finishes.
Most cards that are counterspells are usually Instants; however, this card is a 2/2 creature card with a triggered ability that acts as a counterspell.
By tapping it and paying one life, you are able to counter target white spell. Moreover, effects that prevent or redirect this damage cant be used to counter this loss of life.
This essentially means that if you tap to counter a white spell, you will have to pay one life no matter what other spells you cast in order to try and prohibit this. A seemingly small price to pay, considering you are able to counter any white spell.
Take note that the only formats that Stromgald Cabal is legal in are Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
2. Dash Hopes
Dash Hopes is from the set Planar Chaos and was released in 2013. As such, it has seen only two major and professional finishes.
Dash Hopes is a cheap counterspell only costing two black mana, and for that, it can counter any target spell. That may seem like a good deal, and it is for the most part if you are playing a deck that is focusing on quickly bringing down your opponent’s life total.
This is because its triggered ability says that if you play this card, your opponent has the ability to pay five life, and if they do, then this card is countered. Hence this card will typically work well in black decks that quickly seek to reduce the opponent’s life total with cards such as Gruesome Fate, Highway Robber, and many others.
Fantastic for Commander decks. Remember that Commander life totals are typically larger than your friendly or competitive game. Hence if they opt to counter with a portion of their life, you have the upper hand. This card is also legal in Modern, Vintage, Legacy, Penny Dreadful, and Pauper.
ALSO READ: Best MTG BLACK Board Wipes
3. Withering Boon
Released back in 2013 from the set titled Mirage, Withering Boon is a typical counterspell with an added bite for good measure. It saw one Top 8 finish in a Commander Major event back in 2013 and then more recently in France, finishing Top 8 in another Major event.
One could say it is cheaper than Dash Hopes because out of the two mana that has to be paid for it only one has to be black. However, it comes with another price. It can only counter a target creature spell, and then as an additional cost to cast this spell, the controller will have to pay three life.
Although it has not seen too many professional tournaments, this card, in conjunction with other gain life spells, could be a force to be reckoned with. Take note that this card is only allowed in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
4. Deathgrip
Following suit of our previous black counterspells that cost two mana, Deathgrip will cost you two black mana. Released in 1997, it has yet to have finished in any Top 8 Pro Tour or Grand Prix tournaments. However, this card is on our list because of its legendary status.
As we have stated, most counterspells are typically Instants, meaning they are played as your opponent is trying to cast their spell. However, Deathgrip is an enchantment with an activated ability that also costs two black mana.
When activated, you destroy any green spell that is being cast. This ability could come in handy against mono-green decks, and because you do not have to tap it, you may play that ability to your heart’s content as long as you have enough mana in any turn or phase you wish.
This could essentially render your opponent useless if played correctly. Even though you may not want it in your main deck, having one or two of these in your sideboard is a pretty good idea.
Once again, this card is only allowed in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander formats.
If you happen to be a player that enjoys playing green in Magic The Gathering, a good way to fight against effects like this is with cards like “Veil of Summer”. For more information, you can check out my guide to mtg green counterspells here!
5. Nether Void
You’ll be hard-pressed to find another card of any mana color that has such an impact as a counterspell. Technically an enchantment and not a counterspell Nether Void was released in 2010 and came from the Legends set.
This rare world enchantment has seen three Top 8 Finishes in Grand Prix tournaments and a number of other placements in professional events.
Costing four mana (one being black and three being colorless), this card has an active ability that not only counters your opponent’s spells but yous as well. The ability reads, “whenever a player casts a spell, counter it unless that player pays three colorless mana.”
You might think that this might be a bit counterintuitive. However, green decks typically have Fetch Lands (READ: What Are Fetch Lands) and search spells that allow you to build up your mana pool relatively quickly.
In conjunction with this enchantment, you could essentially cripple your opponent, not allowing them to cast any spells because of the sheer mana drain on them.
This card is also a bit controversial, only being allowed in Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.
6. Imp’s Mischief
Released in 2007 via the Planar Chaos set, this card has seen eleven Top 8 Grand Prix Finishes, with one of them being first place. It also finished in the Top 5 for the Geneva 2007 Pro Tour.
Considerably cheap, only costing one black and one colorless mana, this rare Instant does not have the ability to counter a target spell but rather to redirect it.
Its ability reads, “change the target of target spell with a single target.” This means if your opponent is looking to play a spell against one of your creatures, you have the ability to redirect their spell, hopefully negating it by forwarding it to a card you control that can handle its effect.
In addition to this ability, it also has “you lose life equal to that spells converted mana cost.”. As with most black spells, this is a recurring theme where you will have to sacrifice life in order to play cheap and effective spells.
As long as you have a way to regenerate or to acquire life which is another theme across black decks, you should be fine.
This card is legal in Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander.