How to Shut Down Cascade in Magic The Gathering
The cascade mechanic in Magic: The Gathering is a powerful ability that allows players to essentially get two spells for the price of one. However, this value comes with a drawback; the randomness of the exiled cards. This unpredictability makes cascade potent but not invincible, which opens the door for effective counterplay. Understanding how to disrupt and neutralize cascade is crucial for any player looking to gain an advantage against cascade-heavy strategies. So, how do you shut down cascade? There are primarily two distinct avenues of attack: countering the ability itself and manipulating the circumstances to prevent a successful cascade cast.
Countering the Cascade Trigger
The most direct method of dealing with cascade is to counter the triggered ability. Cascade is, after all, a triggered ability, meaning it uses the stack and can be targeted before it resolves.
Using Stifle Effects
Cards like Stifle and Trickbind are your best friends when battling cascade. These cards specifically target and counter triggered abilities. When your opponent casts a spell with cascade, the cascade ability goes onto the stack. You can then use Stifle or Trickbind to counter the cascade trigger. This means that your opponent’s spell will still resolve (unless it’s countered separately), but they will not exile cards or cast a free spell. This approach completely negates the advantage gained by cascade.
Timing Is Key
It is crucial to remember that cascade triggers on cast. This means the cascade ability is placed on the stack after the cascade spell itself. If you’re using a counterspell, you can choose to counter the original spell instead of the cascade trigger. However, using Stifle or Trickbind to counter the triggered cascade ability offers more value as it still allows for you to be active in the game state while negating the value.
Preventing a Successful Cascade Cast
If you can’t directly counter the cascade trigger, the next strategy is to manipulate the game state so that the cascade can’t find a valid target or cast a spell.
Restricting Casting Speeds
One effective strategy is to prevent your opponent from casting spells at instant speed. If the player cannot cast a spell at the time the cascade ability resolves, they cannot use cascade for benefit. Cards like Teferi, Time Raveler and Venser, Shaper Savant create a one-sided rule where only you can cast spells at instant speed. This is beneficial, as spells cast using cascade must be cast when the trigger resolves. Therefore, if the opponent is restricted to only casting at sorcery speed, the cascade cast is essentially wasted. This indirectly shuts down cascade by denying the option to cast the cascade-found spell.
No Valid Targets
Another strategy involves manipulating the opponent’s deck or creating a situation where there are no valid targets for cascade. For example:
- No Non-Land Cards: If you can force your opponent to exile their entire deck or leave only lands, cascade will not be able to find a target. This is a less reliable method, as it is difficult to effectively pull off, but can be done in certain deck archetypes.
- Disrupting the Library: Similarly, cards that manipulate the order of the library or place non-land cards at the bottom will disrupt cascade’s effectiveness.
Countering the Spell Cast Through Cascade
This method is the least effective in stopping cascade, as you’d still allow the cascade to happen. But it’s still worth mentioning. Even after the free spell is found and cast by cascade, it is still a spell on the stack, and is therefore vulnerable to typical counterspells. This method is less efficient, as the cascade already happened and found a target. But it does still stop the intended effect.
Understanding How Cascade Works
Before delving into specific solutions, it’s helpful to understand exactly how cascade works in Magic: The Gathering.
The Cascade Trigger
Cascade is a triggered ability. When you cast a spell with cascade, the ability triggers and goes on the stack. You then exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a non-land card with a lower mana value than the original spell. Then you can choose to cast that spell without paying it’s mana cost. The ability then resolves, you either cast the found spell, or place the exiled cards on the bottom of your library.
Multiple Cascades
A spell can have multiple instances of cascade, whether it’s naturally or gained through other abilities. Each instance of cascade triggers independently when the spell is cast. When you cascade into another spell with cascade, the second cascade ability triggers and goes onto the stack before the original cascade resolves. This can lead to multiple cascade triggers from one single spell cast.
Cascade and Casting
A spell cast by cascade is still a spell on the stack. It can be countered, it triggers other abilities, and generally behaves like any other spell being cast. The cost of the spell has already been covered by the cascade ability, and you will not have to pay the cost again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you counter cascade directly?
Yes, you can directly counter the cascade trigger using cards like Stifle or Trickbind. These cards prevent the triggered ability from resolving.
2. Does cascade use the stack?
Yes, cascade is a triggered ability that uses the stack like any other triggered ability. This allows it to be interacted with by effects that counter abilities.
3. Can you stop cascade from cascading into a good card?
While you can’t control what you cascade into, you can use Stifle effects to stop cascade from working or you can restrict the cast from happening, making the found card not have the effect you wanted.
4. If you cascade into a counterspell, can you counter the original cascade spell?
No, the counterspell you cascade into will be on the stack after the original cascade spell. You can’t cast it to counter the spell that provided cascade. It can, however, be used to counter any spell that is not the cascade spell.
5. Can you cascade multiple times from the same spell?
Yes, if a spell has multiple instances of cascade, each instance will trigger when the spell is cast. These triggers will stack.
6. If a card with cascade also has suspend, can you cast it off of cascade?
Yes, cards with suspend can be cast off of cascade. Since suspend removes a card’s mana cost, the cards will be found. The suspend card will then be able to be cast via cascade without paying the normal cost.
7. What happens if you cascade into a card with no legal target?
If you cascade into a spell that requires a target, and there is no target, the spell will be put on the bottom of your library.
8. Does commander tax increase the CMC of a spell for cascade?
No, the commander tax is an additional cost, and does not change the mana value of the card. Therefore, the commander tax does not affect cascade.
9. Can you use other alternative casting costs on spells cast via cascade?
No. Cascade is already casting the spell using an alternative cost, so additional alternative costs cannot be used.
10. What happens if you cascade into a card with cascade?
The new card’s cascade ability triggers before the original cascade ability resolves. You will then exile cards and cast the new found spell, and the second instance will happen before the original resolves.
11. Can you choose not to cast the spell found by cascade?
Yes, you are allowed to choose not to cast the spell. If you do so, the found spell is placed at the bottom of your library with the rest of the exiled cards.
12. Does “playing” a card count as “casting” a card for cascade?
Yes, if you are “playing” a card off of the top of your library, it is considered “casting” the card. Therefore, it will trigger cascade.
13. Can you deck yourself out with cascade?
No. Putting the exiled cards at the bottom of your library is part of the resolution of the cascade ability. Therefore, the game will not make you deck yourself during the cascade.
14. Can you cast a suspend card via cascade?
Yes. Cascade allows you to cast the card without paying it’s cost. Therefore, a card that normally can’t be cast without suspend can be.
15. How does overload interact with cascade?
Overload does not change a spell’s CMC. Cascade is casting the spell using an alternative cost, so overload cannot be used.
By understanding how cascade works and the various methods to disrupt it, you can significantly improve your game against decks that rely on this powerful ability. Remember to focus on either countering the trigger or preventing a successful cascade cast to effectively nullify the advantage it provides.