From: rsh9395@is.nyu.edu (Robert S. Hahn)
Subject: Re: QUESTION: ABEYANCE, a cantrip counterspell??
Date: 17 Jun 1997 08:48:16 GMT

Also sprach Bennie (bencoz@ix.netcom.com):

: Even it it can't effectively counter a spell, it's still a pretty damn
: good card, with uses either on your opponant's turn (mana-short/time 
: walk) or your turn (instant City of Solitude), and replaces itself ta
: boot!  Mix with a Bosium Strip and it buys some serious turn advantage!

As a predominantly blue player, I'm actually shaking in my boots over 
Abeyance.  It's the scariest thing to ever hit Magic, imho, especially
because it's in WHITE.  In case people aren't instantly aware of why this
is so important, let me lay it out in detail.

Armageddon, armageddon, and... did I mention Armageddon?

In addition, Disenchant, Swords, Wrath, Ba-roken Armor.

In other words, white just got 4 more "must-counter" cards added to its
arsenal.  I don't see any way in which Big Blue or its variants could
possibly beat White MaroWeenie decks, especially after sideboarding.  I can
only have 12 counters to be reasonable, if I want to have any kind of
offense/removal.  So, let's see, they cast Abeyance -- I'm holding two
counters.  If I don't counter, I could get hit with a geddon, and I lose.
If I do counter, they replace the Abeyance and go on.  Who knows?  Next
turn, during my attack, they Exile/Swords my one attacker -- do I counter
this?  Okay, I burn my other counter on it.  During their turn, it's
Abeyance/Wrath/Geddon/whatever that scares the crap out of me.

What the hell?  It's instant card advantage against blue decks, and 
massive strategic advantage.

Now, of course, white is most often used as a splash color, right?  Well,
I can now look forward to: "I cast Abeyance.  No counter?  I incinerate
you, Thunderbolt you, sac two mountains and Fireblast you."  Or perhaps: "I
cast Abeyance.  No counter?  Okay, here's a Maro, and I draw for the
Abeyance, keeping it 6/6."  The very turn after that, "I cast Abeyance.
Counter?  Okay, I cast Armageddon?  Don't have another counter?  Gee,
sorry."

For any combo-reliant decks, Disenchant is almost as scary as Armageddon,
so think of that little combo: Abeyance.  No?  Okay, Disenchant.  Or,
Abeyance -- no counter?  Well, well, have a Null Rod, Prison-boy.  Or, have
a City of Solitude up your nose, Counter-boy.

The fact that it replaces itself almost drives me nuts -- it's scary enough
without the cantrip, but with it... I just see no way to control the
environment with counterspells.... :(

-The Sophist

-- 
Robert S. Hahn			rsh9395@is.nyu.edu
NYU Law School, '97 		http://pages.nyu.edu/~rsh9395/index.html

"Politics is a gun.  Finance is knowing when to pull the trigger."
				-- The Godfather, Part III