I have no doubt they playtested Counterspell in M10 at the same point they were playing with Lightning Bolt. Having old cards drop in is one of their favorite gimmicks, so I have no doubt they at least considered Counterspell and Dark Ritual. I'm willing to bet that they seriously considered Counterspell for M10.
Posted By:
Dragon_Nut
(3/15/2011 8:14:36 PM)
strictly better then Mana Drain
Posted By:
dragonking987
(3/20/2011 3:53:18 PM)
TAKE THAT!
I don't know why people knock cancel... it's actually a very good card. And Standard legal! (Though not for long, I'm betting).
Posted By:
land_comment
(3/27/2011 2:36:04 PM)
Almost strictly worse than stoic rebuttal, yet I love this card. l;
Posted By:
redsoxftw
(4/12/2011 1:56:15 PM)
@MasterOfEtherium Like your comments.
Posted By:
Xilinoc
(4/14/2011 3:41:46 AM)
Strictly wore than counterspell , but way better than spell snip
Posted By:
ninjaman98
(4/24/2011 1:57:55 AM)
You crybabies & yer "Cancel is the worst hard counter ever!" Be glad WotC doesn't replace Cancel with Fervent Denial. When I opened that card from among the first few packs I ever bought, I immediately recognized it as complete & utter 5h|t. It may be one of the biggest reasons why I don't normally play countermagic (scars run deep).
Posted By:
sdfkjgh
(6/17/2011 7:51:03 PM)
I really don't think some people get that a double-blue costing "hard answer" (as though a {B} costing thoughtseize wasn't even "harder", not to mention faster, and requiring less finesse) to anything in the game that sets you back two turns in natural tempo if you want to actually use it (unless you build a deck of nothing but flash cards, instants, and manlands, which would be a deserved reward for building around the card as anything in magic) was ALREADY perfectly balanced. If someone were to ask me for my least favorite card in magic, my answer would be Cancel, because debuffing the inherent awesomeness of blue should NOT include spiking up the mana cost of one of it's most iconic, balanced, cards.
I cannot believe that some people here are saying stuff like "but what if they reprinted ancestral recall for {1}{U}? Would you be complaining then?" Actually, yes, that would be overpowered - it's not an answer and it doesn't require in-game thought, good... (see all)
Posted By:
Fictionarious
(7/8/2011 1:39:59 PM)
Cancel is a bleh card. The only thing you get for playing it is bragging rights. Solid 2.5/5
Posted By:
dberry02
(5/13/2012 3:00:45 PM)
NYET!
2.5/5 Stars
Posted By:
Hunter06
(8/12/2013 10:11:48 AM)