Can You Counter a Creature After It’s Played? The Magic: The Gathering Counterspell Compendium

The short answer is no. Once a creature is successfully put onto the battlefield, it is no longer a spell and therefore cannot be countered. Counterspells target spells on the stack, which is the game zone where spells wait to resolve. A creature only exists as a spell while it’s on the stack, before it resolves and becomes a permanent on the battlefield.

Understanding the Stack and Counterspells

To truly grasp why you can’t counter a creature already in play, we need to dive a little deeper into how Magic: The Gathering (MTG) handles spell resolution. Think of the stack as a temporary holding zone for spells and abilities waiting to happen. When you cast a creature spell, it goes onto the stack. At this point, other players have a chance to respond, typically with instant spells or abilities that can counter your creature spell.

If no one counters it, or if all counter attempts fail, the creature spell resolves. This means it leaves the stack and enters the battlefield as a creature permanent. Once it’s a permanent, it’s too late to counter it with a traditional counterspell. You’d need to look at removal spells or abilities that can destroy, exile, or otherwise deal with permanents.

Beyond Counterspells: Dealing with Creatures in Play

While you can’t counter a creature that’s already landed, MTG offers a vast array of options for dealing with them. These include:

• Removal Spells: These are instants or sorceries designed to destroy, exile, or otherwise get rid of creatures. Examples include “Doom Blade”, “Path to Exile”, and “Swords to Plowshares”.
• Board Wipes: These are spells that affect all creatures on the battlefield, typically destroying or exiling them. Think “Wrath of God” or “Damnation.”
• Control Effects: Spells or abilities that allow you to take control of your opponent’s creatures, like “Mind Control” or “Act of Treason.”
• Bounce Spells: Instants that return a creature to its owner’s hand, like “Unsummon”. This doesn’t permanently deal with the creature but buys you time and forces your opponent to recast it.
• Fight Spells: Spells or abilites that will make one creature fight another.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Counterspells and Creatures

Here’s a collection of frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of counterspells and creatures in MTG:

Can you counter a creature spell?

Yes! Creature spells are spells just like any other while they’re on the stack. Before they resolve, they can be countered by counterspells. The countered creature spell will then go to its owner’s graveyard.

What exactly does a counterspell do?

A counterspell cancels a spell or ability, removing it from the stack. It prevents the spell from resolving and having any effect. The countered spell is then put into its owner’s graveyard. Rule 701.5a of the MTG Comprehensive Rules covers this.

Does countering a creature spell destroy it?

No. The word “destroy” in MTG has a very specific meaning: it means that a permanent on the battlefield moves to your graveyard. Since a countered spell never hits the battlefield, it is not destroyed. It goes to the graveyard from the stack.

If I counter a creature, does it still count as being cast?

The casting itself still happens. The spell just has no effect because it gets countered. This can matter for cards that trigger when a player casts a spell, even if that spell is later countered.

Can I counter an activated ability that puts a creature onto the battlefield?

Yes, but only with cards specifically designed to counter activated abilities. If a card’s activated ability would put a creature onto the battlefield (like with Quicksilver Amulet), you can’t counter the creature itself. The card is only put onto the battlefield once it is done being cast.

Can you counter a spell that is “played” rather than “cast”?

This is a tricky distinction. Generally, if a card refers to “playing” a card, it often means casting it as a spell. If a card uses an ability to put a permanent directly onto the battlefield without it being cast, it is never even considered a spell. Cards are only spells when they’re on the stack.

What happens if I try to counter a spell that can’t be countered?

Some spells have text that says “this spell can’t be countered.” If you try to counter one of these, the counterspell simply fails to do anything, and the original spell resolves as normal. However, a card like Narset’s Reversal can still send the uncounterable spell back to its owner’s hand.

Can two people counter the same spell?

Yes. You can counterspell a counterspell, and if someone else has a counterspell, they can counterspell your counterspell. This leads to counter wars, which can be exciting (or frustrating!).

If a creature has an “enters the battlefield” ability, and I counter the creature, does that ability still happen?

No. Since the creature never enters the battlefield, its “enters the battlefield” ability will not trigger. This is because countering the spell means the creature never successfully resolves.

Can I counterspell my own spell?

While you can target your own spell with a counterspell, it rarely makes strategic sense. The main exception is when you need to trigger an ability that occurs when a spell is countered.

Can I counter a sacrifice?

Sacrificing a permanent is typically an activated ability, not a spell. Therefore, it cannot be countered except by very specific cards that counter activated abilities.

What happens when you counter “Approach of the Second Sun”?

Countering the first casting of “Approach of the Second Sun” only delays the inevitable. The card checks only whether the first one was cast, not whether it resolved. If your first “Approach of the Second Sun” was countered, you’ll still win the game as your second one resolves if it isnt’ countered.

Is there a limit to how many counterspells I can cast in a turn?

In MTG, you can cast as many instants as you have mana to pay for them, within the rules of when you can cast instants. This means you could theoretically cast multiple counterspells in a single turn if you have the resources. However, in D&D 5e, a character only gets one reaction per round, meaning they can only Counterspell once in the round.

Can I counterspell after a spell hits?

No. Counterspells are used to react to a spell as it’s being cast. Once a spell has resolved and its effects have taken place, it’s too late to counter it. However, a Dispel Magic can counter any spell.

Can you use Dispel Magic as a Counterspell?

With the Ready action, dispel magic can be cast in response to another spell being cast, yet dispel magic can’t substitute for counterspell. Counterspell works against any spell, regardless of a spell’s casting time or duration.

The Art of the Counterspell

Knowing when and how to use counterspells is a critical skill in MTG. They are powerful tools for disrupting your opponent’s plans, protecting your own spells, and controlling the flow of the game. However, use them wisely. Over-reliance on counterspells can leave you vulnerable if your opponent baits them out or deploys threats that don’t rely on the stack. Understanding the stack and counterspells is essential for any player looking to improve their game. If you want to improve your skills even further, check out the Games Learning Society to see how games can help you grow: GamesLearningSociety.org.