Counterspell

Counterspell debuted in Limited Edition Alpha in August 1993. The original uncommon is LEA #54, illustrated by Mark Poole and available only in nonfoil. The number is a modern catalogue reference, not a collector-number line printed on the Alpha card.

Useful collector references: MMQ #69 supplies an early foil option by Gao Yan; G00 #1 is the Dom! Judge foil; Seventh Edition #67★ is Mark Romanoski's foil entry. The 2021 Archive and Modern Horizons 2 releases add different artists and finish choices.

Counterspell costs {U}{U} and counters a target spell. It can answer different kinds of spells while they are on the stack; it is not restricted to creatures or to noncreature spells. It does not, however, target activated or triggered abilities, or destroy a permanent after its spell has resolved.

The two blue symbols are an actual coloured-mana requirement. Two colourless mana from Sol Ring alone cannot pay them. This distinction remains the same whether the Counterspell is an Alpha uncommon, a later common or an elaborate showcase card.

It also does not override a spell's instruction that it cannot be countered. Compare Mana Drain if you want to understand the separate delayed mana effect there, or Deflecting Swat for target redirection instead. Current wording and format legality are available in the live details; older printed terminology does not give an early copy different rules.

Mark Poole's Alpha illustration is the starting point for an original-edition collection. Later early releases also contain Counterspell, so a familiar image or old frame is not by itself evidence of Alpha. Identify the edition before comparing the physical condition or deciding whether first-printing status matters to you.

Mercadian Masques #69 in 1999 offers Gao Yan's artwork in nonfoil and foil. The 2000 Judge card, G00 #1, credits Dom! and is foil only. Seventh Edition in 2001 credits Mark Romanoski, with nonfoil #67 and a separate foil catalogue entry, #67★. These are useful reference points for an early-foil collection.

Strixhaven's 2021 Mystical Archive adds Olena Richards' #15 and Rindo Karasuba's Japanese #78. Its STA code distinguishes the bonus sheet from the main Strixhaven set. Modern Horizons 2 later that year prints Zack Stella's standard #267 and Ryan Yee's borderless #308.

The Modern Horizons 2 reprint is also historically significant for bringing Counterspell into Modern. Wizards presents the card in its Modern Horizons 2 feature. That format milestone belongs to the release; an older printing does not become a different spell because it predates that event.

Poole, Gao Yan and Romanoski connect the card to different early periods of Magic. If your collection follows an artist, identify the illustration first: choosing a later early-frame Counterspell is not necessarily choosing another edition of the Poole artwork.

The Dom! Judge card has its own promotional identity and illustration, rather than simply being a foil version of the Alpha image. Its G00 #1 reference helps separate it from other promotional Counterspells in a catalogue with many releases.

Richards' STA #15 and Karasuba's #78 are separate Archive interpretations. The Japanese entry is a language choice as well as an artwork choice. Record STA, the number and the language together; do not assume that any listing headed Mystical Archive identifies the same image or finish.

Within Modern Horizons 2, standard #267 credits Stella while borderless #308 credits Yee. Moving between them changes the art as well as the presentation. Wizards shows the alternate version in the variant gallery, making it a useful visual comparison before selecting a finish.

Alpha #54 has no official foil edition. For a foil from an early release, compare MMQ #69, G00 #1 and Seventh Edition #67★ as different artists and products. The Seventh Edition star belongs to the foil catalogue entry; dropping it can make a saved reference less precise.

STA #15 lists nonfoil, traditional foil and etched finishes. MH2 #267 also has those finish options in its catalogue entry. A price for an etched copy should therefore be compared with the matching artist and set, rather than with an unrelated foil Counterspell.

The Japanese STA #78 row above describes the Japanese-language record. Use the full explorer when comparing other language or finish records, rather than treating the word Japanese as a guarantee of a particular foil type. The selected MH2 borderless #308 has nonfoil and traditional foil choices.

The shimmer in ManaScout is illustrative. It does not recreate an early foil's surface, a modern etched finish or the actual condition of an offered copy. Clear photographs are especially helpful when a historical foil, rather than just the illustration, is the reason for buying.

For the original: choose LEA #54, checking the edition rather than relying only on the Poole illustration. First-printing status is a different preference from simply wanting an older frame.

For a playing budget: compare current nonfoil reprints, including MH2 #267, against other standard entries in the live archive. Keep language, condition and the number of copies needed consistent when judging the total cost.

For early foils: compare Gao Yan's MMQ #69, the Dom! Judge card and Romanoski's Seventh Edition #67★. Each offers a different artistic and release identity; a shared old-frame aesthetic does not make them interchangeable.

For showcase or borderless art: put STA #15 and Japanese #78 beside Yee's MH2 #308. If an etched finish is the priority, inspect the STA #15 and MH2 #267 records specifically before making the artwork decision.

Start with an early illustration and a 2021 alternative: for example, MMQ #69 against MH2 #308. That reveals whether you prefer the historical frame or a more expansive image. Compare foil treatments only after choosing the artist, since the finish decision should not accidentally switch the artwork you wanted.

The live explorer may highlight a ManaScout Pick. Treat it as a visual starting point and compare the exact printing, finish and available price data before deciding.

Force of Will — Compare an answer with an alternative life-and-card cost and an Alliances original.

Mana Drain — Explore a two-blue-mana counterspell that also sets up delayed colourless mana.

Deflecting Swat — Separate countering a spell from redirecting its targets or those of an ability.

Rhystic Study — Compare another blue card whose original printing and later premium identities differ substantially.

Printing details reviewed on 2 November 2026. The shortlist links to individual MTG.wtf catalogue records; official Wizards sources support the rules and product treatments. The live explorer retrieves its records and price fields from Scryfall.

MTG.wtf: Alpha original and linked printing catalogue.

MTG.wtf: Mercadian Masques artist and finishes.

MTG.wtf: 2000 Judge promo.

Wizards: Modern Horizons 2 release and treatments.

Wizards: alternate-art gallery.

MTG.wtf: Archive artwork and finish record.