1. Mana Tithe
The archetypal white counterspell, Mana Tithe, counters a target spell unless its controller pays one extra mana. And while this effect might not be impressive for blue, it’s unpredictable and potentially game-ending for a white deck.
Initially released in Planar Chaos, Mana Tithe quickly became a favorite of white decks that need additional control options. Currently, it sees play in 2% of all Commander decks on EDHREC. Mana Tithe also saw use in the competitive scene – players used it in three first-place decks in Pro Tours and Worlds.
2. Dawn Charm
Dawn Charm isn’t just a white counterspell – it’s also a combat trick and fog. Like other charms, it has three abilities. The first ability prevents all combat damage for the rest of the turn. The second choice regenerates a creature, and the third counters a spell that targets you.
Even though Dawn Charm’s counterspell effectively only goes so far, the versatility of its other two options makes it a solid inclusion in many decks. As well as seeing heavy play in Pauper, Dawn Charm also earned a Top 8 Finish in Pro Tour Geneva 2007.
3. Lapse of Certainty
One of white’s few hard counterspells, Lapse of Certainty, costs three mana. It counters any targeted spell – no questions asked. However, instead of being sent to the graveyard, that card is put on top of its controller’s library.
This drawback isn’t as bad as you might think – it gives your opponent a dead draw their next turn and might waste their spell entirely if it was situational. For this reason, it is clear to see why players used Lapse of Certainty in four Pro Tour Top 8 decks, including one first-place.
4. Frontline Medic
Frontline Medic is one of the most potent white creatures to help counterspell and one of the most difficult to remove. Whenever it attacks alongside at least two other creatures, they all gain indestructible until the end of turn — no wonder this card earned a Pro Tour Top 8 finish.
Not only that, but Frontline Medic protects your creatures in another way too. You can sacrifice it to counter a target spell with an X in its casting cost unless its controller pays three mana. And since players typically go all-out on X spells, this ability results in either a hard counter or a significantly weaker play overall.
5. Judge’s Familiar
A competitive darling among white cards that act like counterspells, Judge’s Familiar has seen three Pro Tour Top 8s and an astonishing twenty-nine Top 8s in the Grand Prix circuit. This 1/1 flying creature has undoubtedly earned it, as it’s one of the most annoying in the game.
You can sacrifice Judge’s Familiar to counter an instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays one mana. And while even other white cards can do that effect better, they can’t do from blue/white hybrid mana or attached to an evasive creature.
6. Rebuff the Wicked
Another one-mana instant, Rebuff the Wicked, counters a spell that targets a permanent you control. This effect is like a one-time hexproof for one of your cards and, since it can target anything you control, it can be highly advantageous.
Rebuff the Wicked typically sees use in mono-white Commander decks, where denying interaction is valuable – especially at instant speed. Although newer cards can better fulfill their role, particularly in green or blue, Rebuff the Wicked remains a solid white counterspell.
7. Chancellor of the Annex
Whenever your opponent casts a spell, it gets countered unless they pay one mana – that’s what Chancellor of the Annex does, and it is incredibly effective. All your opponent’s spells cost one more to cast while this creature is on the battlefield. Likewise, if it’s in your starting hand, you can also get its effect once for free too.
Not only is Chancellor of the Annex one of the best white cards that act like counterspells, but it’s also one of the most competitive. It earned one Pro Tour Top 8 finish, and it’s a mainstay of Angel Tribal Commander decks.
8. Bronze Guardian
Another powerful white creature that can act like a counterspell, Bronze Guardian, is the first – and only – artifact creature on this list. It is an artifact lord too, giving it and all your other artifacts ward 2. That ability can lead to many countered spells if your opponent isn’t careful.
Bronze Guardian is also a combat powerhouse. Not only does it has double strike, but its power is also equal to the number of artifacts you control. That means it starts hitting for two damage every turn and scales terrifyingly fast in suitable decks.
9. Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist
Chaplain of Alms is an aggressively costed white creature, being 1/1 with first strike and ward 1. That alone would make it an excellent pick for 2022 Standard’s White Weenie decks, but it has value past that too.
See, this white creature that acts like a counterspell also has disturb. You can return it from your graveyard to the battlefield transformed for four mana. As Chapel Shieldgeist, it’s a 2/1 with flying and first strike. It also gives each creature you control ward 1, forcing your opponent to think twice about any targeted removal.
10. Dovescape
As long as it’s in play, Dovescape hard counters all noncreature spells – which is why this enchantment picked up one Pro Tour Top 8 finish. But it isn’t all counterspell. The controllers of those spells are compensated with 1/1 Bird creature tokens with flying equal to their spell’s mana value, after all.
Dovescape can quickly end a game when used in the correct decks, and that isn’t even if you’re playing Bird Tribal. As well as making all your noncreature spells perpetually useful, it can disable some decks – like control – entirely. Dovescape is also nearly impossible to remove too if your opponent doesn’t have creature-based removal.
11. Illumination
Illumination is a more specialized white counterspell. Specifically, it counters any artifact or enchantment spell at the cost of giving that spell’s controller two life. And while this drawback – and the two white mana casting costs – ensured that Illumination didn’t see much competitive play, it’s still a fun card.
Its best seen as another way white can deal with artifacts and enchantments. While Disenchant works for most cards, sometimes you need to counter an artifact or enchantment before it even enters the battlefield. In that case, use Illumination – or, at least, sideboard it.
12. Order of the Sacred Torch
One of the oldest white cards that can act like a counterspell, Order of the Sacred Torch, is an excellent hoser to black decks. You can pay one life and tap it to counter any black spell. Yes, really.
Order of the Sacred Torch is an excellent sideboard option against mono-black decks or any other deck that relies heavily on black spells. If you know your LGS has a few black Commander decks, adding a copy of this knight to your own might not be a bad idea.
