<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Simic Ascendancy" href="#" target="_blank">Simic Ascendancy</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.izzymedrano.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Izzy</a></em></p>
<p>In this guide we'll be laying out how you can best take advantage of +1/+1 counters in Commander. These game pieces are extremely popular with players everywhere, so I'm super excited to delve into this strategy.</p>


https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Simic-Ascendancy.jpg

<p>+1/+1 counters are placed on creatures, and add a point each to that creature's power and toughness. They're by far the most common sort of counter in <em>Magic</em>, and have been part of the game since <em>Alpha</em> (see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sengir Vampire" href="#" target="_blank">Sengir Vampire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>).</p>
<p>These power and toughness altering counters show up everywhere in Commander, from <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/List_of_Magic_slang#Mana_dork" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mana dorks</a> like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gyre Sage" href="#" target="_blank">Gyre Sage</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to sacrifice outlets like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Carrion Feeder" href="#" target="_blank">Carrion Feeder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gyre Sage"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Carrion Feeder"></div></div>
<p>Counters are often stacked up high on one creature, like with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mossborn Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Mossborn Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. With enough counters, this creature can win the game in just a few attacks. Counters can also be scattered across multiple creatures by an effect like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gavony Township" href="#" target="_blank">Gavony Township</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to achieve a similarly potent board state.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mossborn Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Gavony Township"></div></div>


<p>Every color has access to +1/+1 counters. They're a fundamental part of the game, after all! But each color utilizes those counters in a different way.</p>
<p>Let's see what makes each one unique.</p>
<h3>White</h3>
<p>White does a fantastic job at both producing and taking advantage of +1/+1 counters. We can suit our creatures up with counters using <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Felidar Retreat" href="#" target="_blank">Felidar Retreat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, turn counters into card advantage with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Exemplar of Light" href="#" target="_blank">Exemplar of Light</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even save our counter-ified creatures from removal with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Together Forever" href="#" target="_blank">Together Forever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Felidar Retreat"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Exemplar of Light"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Together Forever"></div></div>
<p>While <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> isn't necessary for a +1/+1 counters deck, it does provide a lot of tools to help us develop a powerful board state.</p>
<h3>Green</h3>
<p>This color is the best for +1/+1 counters in Commander. We can turn counters into mana with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incubation Druid" href="#" target="_blank">Incubation Druid</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, generate absurd amounts of counters with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Managorger Hydra" href="#" target="_blank">Managorger Hydra</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even draw extra cards with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Terrasymbiosis" href="#" target="_blank">Terrasymbiosis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Incubation Druid"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Managorger Hydra"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Terrasymbiosis"></div></div>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> even provides access to counter doublers like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Loading Zone" href="#" target="_blank">Loading Zone</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, further cementing its status as top dog in this strategy.</p>
<h3>Red</h3>
<p>This color may not get the same glory that <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> do, but <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-r" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> has some fantastic synergies with +1/+1 counters too.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Caldera Pyremaw" href="#" target="_blank">Caldera Pyremaw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> can shred opposing life totals if we put enough counters on it, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun" href="#" target="_blank">Inti, Seneschal of the Sun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> hands out +1/+1 counters like candy, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Red Terror" href="#" target="_blank">The Red Terror</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns those counters directly into damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Caldera Pyremaw"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Inti, Seneschal of the Sun"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Red Terror"></div></div>
<p>There's a lot to love here, even if other colors have an easier time making counters.</p>
<h3>Blue</h3>
<p>Blue also does a nice job with +1/+1 counters. It's even got a doubler with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deepglow Skate" href="#" target="_blank">Deepglow Skate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Beyond that, though, we can grant our creatures evasion with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Herald of Secret Streams" href="#" target="_blank">Herald of Secret Streams</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or selectively wipe the board with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wave Goodbye" href="#" target="_blank">Wave Goodbye</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deepglow Skate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Herald of Secret Streams"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wave Goodbye"></div></div>
<p>Blue decks can't produce counters as easily as green  or white decks can, but they've still got some sweet payoffs.</p>
<h3>Black</h3>
<p>Among <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>'s best cards for this strategy are <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drana, Liberator of Malakir" href="#" target="_blank">Drana, Liberator of Malakir</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed" href="#" target="_blank">Mikaeus, the Unhallowed</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (particularly good in combo decks), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vincent Valentine" href="#" target="_blank">Vincent Valentine</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Drana, Liberator of Malakir"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mikaeus, the Unhallowed"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vincent Valentine"></div></div>
<p>Black is sadly the worst color for +1/+1 counters. That's not to say it's bad, but <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> just doesn't stand up well when compared to the other four colors.</p>


<p>Now that we know what each color can do with +1/+1 counters, let's build a deck. We'll be building a <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket 2</a> list with no <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers</a> so that we can show off as many unique cards as possible in the 99.</p>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> and <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-w" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> are the best colors by far for a +1/+1 counter deck, but we'll be using just one of them to keep things interesting. Today's deck will be focused on <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh" href="#" target="_blank">Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a super cool commander from <em>Assassin's Creed</em> that focuses on both +1/+1 counters and legendary creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cleopatra, Exiled Pharaoh"></div></div>
<p>There were some other great options, though, and I encourage any of you who are looking for a new +1/+1 counter commander to check out <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/plus-1-plus-1-counters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EDHREC's tag pages.</a></p>


<p>Cleopatra can put counters on our legendary creatures easily, but she only hands out one counter to two creatures every turn. That's not enough for us. So we're going to hand out counters on landfall with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower" href="#" target="_blank">Bristly Bill, Spine Sower</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, put counters on our whole board with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emissary Green" href="#" target="_blank">Emissary Green</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and even spread counters around with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Forgotten Ancient" href="#" target="_blank">Forgotten Ancient</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Bristly Bill, Spine Sower"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emissary Green"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Forgotten Ancient"></div></div>
<p>Once we've got counters on all of our creatures, we can proliferate to increase their effectiveness. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agent Frank Horrigan" href="#" target="_blank">Agent Frank Horrigan</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a huge beater that makes the rest of our board super effective.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraska, Betrayal&#039;s Sting" href="#" target="_blank">Vraska, Betrayal&#039;s Sting</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a fantastic planeswalker that proliferates, removes problematic creatures, and can even win us the game with her ultimate.</p>
<p>We've even got removal spells like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atomize" href="#" target="_blank">Atomize</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that add counters to our stuff as a neat bonus.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Agent Frank Horrigan"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vraska, Betrayal&#039;s Sting"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Atomize"></div></div>
<p>Another interesting inclusion is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vadmir, New Blood" href="#" target="_blank">Vadmir, New Blood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While this <em>Outlaws of Thunder Junction</em> card isn't blowing anyone's hair back, it's a nice way to mitigate the life loss that Cleopatra inflicts upon us as we draw cards from her ability. Vadmir even gets an additonal +1/+1 counter if we choose to place a counter on an opponent's creature with Cleopatra.</p>
<p>Speaking of placing counters on opposing creatures, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chevill, Bane of Monsters" href="#" target="_blank">Chevill, Bane of Monsters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> encourages us to do just that. Bounty counters aren't as popular as +1/+1 counters, but they give us an easy way to suit up our opponents' creatures with counters so that we can draw extra cards.</p>
<p>For players looking to do that more often, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Patron" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Patron</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> may be a nice inclusion. The 99 we're building here goes in a different direction, though, focusing more heavily on putting +1/+1 counters on our own creatures.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vadmir, New Blood"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Chevill, Bane of Monsters"></div></div>


<p>To quote the fine folks over at Loading Ready Run, "A big creature is its own reward." But we can do a little bit more with our +1/+1 counters.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kodama of the West Tree" href="#" target="_blank">Kodama of the West Tree</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> lets each of our creatures search up a land every time they deal combat damage to an opponent. This is fantastic in the early- and mid-game, where mana is at a premium. This Spirit is a bit less powerful in the later stages of a Commander game, but it provides our modified creatures with trample to make up for that fact.</p>
<p>I've also included <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Innkeeper&#039;s Talent" href="#" target="_blank">Innkeeper&#039;s Talent</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the best Class enchantments we've got access to. This two-drop produces +1/+1 counters, protects our important creatures, and eventually doubles all of our counter generation. What more could we possibly ask for from a single card?</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kodama of the West Tree"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Innkeeper&#039;s Talent"></div></div>
<p>We've got lots of ways to turn +1/+1 counters into extra mana, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rishkar, Peema Renegade" href="#" target="_blank">Rishkar, Peema Renegade</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kami of Whispered Hopes" href="#" target="_blank">Kami of Whispered Hopes</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Lots of our legendary creatures, like the aforementioned Agent Frank Horrigan, have restrictively high mana costs. Ramp spells like Rishkar and the Kami can help us cast those scary spells ahead of schedule.</p>
<p>We've also got <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Earth Crystal" href="#" target="_blank">The Earth Crystal</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> on hand to reduce the cost of our <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> spells while increasing the amount of +1/+1 counters we put on our creatures. Each of the legendary Crystals is great in their own right, but the green version is a perfect fit in our 99.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rishkar, Peema Renegade"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Kami of Whispered Hopes"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Earth Crystal"></div></div>


<p>A lot of the best cards in our 99 are legendary creatures, which works extremely well with Cleopatra.</p>
<p>This subtheme is supported by cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delighted Halfling" href="#" target="_blank">Delighted Halfling</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (to make our legendary spells uncounterable), <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vraska Joins Up" href="#" target="_blank">Vraska Joins Up</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (for some extra card advantage), and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nasty End" href="#" target="_blank">Nasty End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (for a big burst of card draw when paired with our commander.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Delighted Halfling"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vraska Joins Up"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nasty End"></div></div>
<p>Other Cleopatra decks could lean even harder into the legendary creature theme, including cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Animist&#039;s Might" href="#" target="_blank">Animist&#039;s Might</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Interceptor, Shadow&#039;s Hound" href="#" target="_blank">Interceptor, Shadow&#039;s Hound</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. That sort of deck is beyond the scope of this article, but there's some <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/cleopatra-exiled-pharaoh/legends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cool cards out there</a> for pilots that choose to go in this direction.</p>


<p>It's a recent release, but I'd still like to advocate for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Super Shredder" href="#" target="_blank">Super Shredder</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Permanents leave the battlefield all the time during a Commander game, and a mono-<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> Aristocrats deck would be particularly well positioned to add tons of counters to this Mutant Ninja Human.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Super Shredder"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Riku of Many Paths" href="#" target="_blank">Riku of Many Paths</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is also fantastic. Built as a hybrid Spellslinger and +1/+1 Counters deck, Riku becomes a potent Voltron threat fast. He even gives himself trample, making it much easier to take out opponents with commander damage.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Riku of Many Paths"></div></div>


<p>I often slot <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Essence Capture" href="#" target="_blank">Essence Capture</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> into my +1/+1 counter decks in place of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. While it's not quite as powerful as everyone's favorite <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> spell, Essence Capture does let us add a +1/+1 counter to one of our creatures upon resolution.</p>
<p>That sort of synergy is exactly what I look for as I build out my interaction suites.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Essence Capture"></div></div>
<p>For decks that go wide, I want to suggest <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Generous Pup" href="#" target="_blank">Generous Pup</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This two-drop can generate a boatload of +1/+1 counters over the course of a game. If we've got just five creatures on the battlefield, even a single counter placed on Generous Pup can turn that middling board state into a terrifying one.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Generous Pup"></div></div>


+1/+1 Counters in Commander

EDHREC Guide to +1/+1 Counters in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fierce Guardianship|cmm|694" href="#" target="_blank">Fierce Guardianship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://gallegosart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randy Gallegos</a></em></p>
<p>As you play cEDH – or any format, for that matter – there will be games where you’re trying not to lose and games where you’re trying to win. Interaction is the buffer that insulates each of these cases, stabilizing against potential losses and bolstering potential wins.</p>
<p>This guide will take a look at the most commonly played interaction in cEDH, evaluating the types of cards most worth running and how to best play them.</p>


<p>In a four-player format like cEDH, it's rarely enough to present a win and just hope your opponents are collectively just going to pick up their cards and shuffle up for the next game. A fight will break out, and you best come prepared. A counterspell, a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, something – luck and speed get players far, but interaction smooths out a turbulent win rate into one much more predictable.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Counterspell"></div></div>
<p>On the offensive end, there will be games where you find yourself in a losing situation. Whether it’s a post-<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chatterstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Chatterstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Enduring Vitality" href="#" target="_blank">Enduring Vitality</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> player or simply a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, having some way to deal with things after they happen is always worth considering.</p>


<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Will"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fierce Guardianship"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Red Elemental Blast"></div></div>
<p>First off, the king of stack interaction: counterspells. These instants all do one thing and they do it incredibly well: stopping a spell before it gets a chance to resolve.</p>
<p>In cEDH, these cards come in two classes: counterspells which target just about anything, and counterspells which primarily target other counterspells. The first group contains the likes of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fierce Guardianship" href="#" target="_blank">Fierce Guardianship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pact of Negation" href="#" target="_blank">Pact of Negation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. They’ve got a wide array of card types which they can hit (be it all spells or just noncreature) and are largely unconcerned with things like timing or card color. All that matters is that a spell is on the stack.</p>
<p>The second class is much more defensive. These will rarely, if ever, stop a win attempt. Instead, they serve to bolster your own game-winning actions. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flusterstorm" href="#" target="_blank">Flusterstorm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Pyroblast" href="#" target="_blank">Pyroblast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Red Elemental Blast" href="#" target="_blank">Red Elemental Blast</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are all classics here.</p>
<p>Sure, Flusterstorm can hit <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ad Nauseam" href="#" target="_blank">Ad Nauseam</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and Red Elemental Blast can hit <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thassa&#039;s Oracle" href="#" target="_blank">Thassa&#039;s Oracle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, but that’s not why you play these cards. You play them to guarantee that, when you put a win on the stack, it gets through.</p>


<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Veil of Summer"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Silence"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deflecting Swat"></div></div>
<p>Continuing closer and closer to purely defensive spells, we come to the next batch of stack interaction: the veils, silences, and redirects of cEDH. These cards push beyond defensive countermagic and serve to protect your spells nearly en masse.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Veil of Summer" href="#" target="_blank">Veil of Summer</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the epitome of this logic; casting it will do nothing to directly stop an opponent, but it will make sure that your spells aren’t countered this turn.</p>
<p>Silences, such as their namesake spell as well as <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orim&#039;s Chant" href="#" target="_blank">Orim&#039;s Chant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, are a bit more flexible, providing the opportunity to essentially make an opponent “time out” for a turn if they’re looking threatening, but that option pales in comparison to their defensive use case. Resolve a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Silence" href="#" target="_blank">Silence</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and your spells aren’t just counterspell proof, they’re spell-based interaction proof.</p>
<p>Lastly, the redirects. These are the closest to classic counterspells out of the three defensive types, given that they only hit a single spell (or ability) rather than applying to all spells carte blanche. Despite this, they are a defensive staple of nonblue decks and, when it comes to the best of the best of these cards, still put up a decent showing alongside traditional counterspells.</p>


<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Swords to Plowshares"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Into the Flood Maw"></div></div>
<p>Moving from the stack to the board, our next category is spot removal: cards which deal with a single permanent in a one-for-one trade.</p>
<p>When it comes to true removal, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Swords to Plowshares" href="#" target="_blank">Swords to Plowshares</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is the most commonly played in the category. While the board doesn’t often matter nearly as much as the stack, thus leading players to run far fewer pieces of spot removal, most decks these days still play at least one piece of proper removal.</p>
<p>Creatures just keep getting better and better, and they are by far the hardest card type to interact with on the stack thanks to all the popular counterspells mainly hitting noncreature spells.</p>
<p>Following shortly behind Swords to Plowshares is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Into the Flood Maw" href="#" target="_blank">Into the Flood Maw</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, a bounce spell that, despite providing your opponent with the opportunity to recast the bounced permanent later down the line, has found massive success across cEDH thanks to the pace of the format.</p>
<p>Having a card get bounced is such a tempo loss that, unless casting it will win you the game immediately, usually means that card isn’t coming back. There just aren’t enough turns in a game; most of the time, players win or lose before recasting the spell would matter.</p>


<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Toxic Deluge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fire Covenant"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Culling Ritual"></div></div>
<p>Lastly, board wipes. While these are more of a staple of <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lower-Bracket</a> Commander, these cards have largely fallen out of favor in the current cEDH meta, as games continue to get faster. However, there are two board wipes that do pop up on occasion: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Toxic Deluge" href="#" target="_blank">Toxic Deluge</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Covenant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Both of these spells cost three mana, which is essentially the most any player should pay for interaction. Additionally, both of them can kill practically any creature that sees play these days and, if wielded properly, can apply in a beneficially uneven way.</p>
<p>Fire Covenant, for example, is a targeted mass-removal spell. Toxic Deluge, while providing even -X/-X to everything, still doesn’t flat out kill things, meaning that the best-case scenario for casting this kills off your opponents’ creatures while still leaving you something.</p>
<p>Lastly, as a bit of an honorable mention, we should talk about <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Culling Ritual" href="#" target="_blank">Culling Ritual</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This four-mana sorcery destroys all nonland permanents with mana value two or less, then lets you recoup value via adding mana based on how many permanents were destroyed this way. It’s an absolutely stellar spell that has earned its place as a staple in Golgari (<span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-b" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-g" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span>) decks, but strictly speaking, as a board wipe, it isn’t particularly great.</p>
<p>So, when you look at lists and see this card, understand it more so as a ritual and less of a comeback card.</p>


commander guide

EDHREC Guide to +1/+1 Counters in Commander

EDHREC Guide To Interaction in cEDH