Strictly worse than condescend? For the same cost as this condescend can counter as well as this can and scry deeper. Condescend can also scale up. They use the same colored mana costs and card type. The only thing this does that condescend doesn't is work when cast without paying costs, and even then the extra scry is probably better than a 1 mana tax.
I'd like this better at 1 mana but only targeting enchantment spells, or even better non-enchantment spells.
Posted By:
casual_melvin
(9/18/2013 2:24:09 PM)
Making Force Spike cost 1 more is so huge.
Posted By:
.Blaze.
(9/17/2013 5:18:13 PM)
If you ever get somoene with this in limited, you can be sure they will always wait until they have 1 extra mana when casting spells for the rest of the game(s).
Posted By:
Fenix.
(9/18/2013 10:50:08 PM)
I tried to make this work in draft. Honest, I did. But other than your first, or possibly second turn, a Force Spike just isn't going to be much of a threat. And costing it at two mana ensures you'll miss your own turn in at least one futile attempt to counter your opponent's spell/s. I like my conditional counters to either be cheap or give me a reason other than a disappointing 'scry 1' to play them.
Posted By:
Eternal_Blue
(9/21/2013 2:04:11 PM)
This is subpar, especially in the late-game. However, it's a good spell till turn three or four.
Really, with the curve in Sealed, a two-drop counter of this quality is a necessary evil.
Posted By:
Sleepy_Jackdaw
(9/21/2013 2:53:39 PM)
Good call on Condescend. That would have been a nice reprint.
Posted By:
LordOfTheFlies87
(9/19/2013 5:01:46 PM)
In exchange for letting you scry, we removed the only reason to play Daze.
I like these conditional conterspells, as they reward skillful play, but this should have been powered down Mana Leak not overcosted Force Spike.
Posted By:
Taudisban
(9/18/2013 12:29:40 AM)
How to make this weaker than Condescend without being strictly worse? It is indeed a conundrum. I would've gone with a Spell Pierce variant, or better yet, the opposite:
Counter target creature spell unless its controller pays 
. Scry 1.
Posted By:
HuntingDrake
(10/2/2013 5:05:14 AM)
Why couldn't this have been Scry 2? Or made the payment 
? At least then it'd be playable.
Posted By:
tagonizer
(10/5/2013 2:57:53 PM)
Bonus points if you scream 'I STYMIE YOUR HOPES' at the top of your lungs as you cast this.
Posted By:
F33N1X
(10/25/2013 4:52:27 AM)