Another Game Mistake Grrr - A Creature Dies Through Counterspell ?

[Zepondrax]

So I played an AI Opponent. I cast Avaricious Dragon (4/4 Flying) creature,
so my AI computer opponent casts Countermand (Counter target Spell)
and it sent my avaricious dragon to the graveyard? This dragon is a creature,
not a spell.....soo frustrating when game mechanics or devs who made the game
cant get the game right!!!

[Kurufinwe]

In MTG, "spell" means anything you cast, including creatures. (Basically, everything except lands is a spell.)

[Onix]

The dragon didn't die, it was countered before it could even reach play. There are some counter spells that specifically counter a creature spell but countermand counters any spell that is cast including creature spells.

[nZFridge]

lol

[Junipercat]

Originally posted by paranormal_18:

So I played an AI Opponent. I cast Avaricious Dragon (4/4 Flying) creature,
so my AI computer opponent casts Countermand (Counter target Spell)
and it sent my avaricious dragon to the graveyard? This dragon is a creature,
not a spell.....soo frustrating when game mechanics or devs who made the game
cant get the game right!!!

Per the game rules, the creature card in your hand is the spell. Playing it on the board is summoning it to your plane, hence summoning sickness rule.

So in hand is the summon card (spell) for the creature. Unless it is on the field or in the graveyard, it is a spell.

[Zepondrax]

i thought back in old magic (1995) rules, creatrues were not spells? Only instans and sorceries were spells

[Zepondrax]

so technically the game is right then? Me casting a creature is a spell? despite me summon a creatyre, and he countered with counter spell

[Zepondrax]

So if the AI cast a creature i could counterspell that?

[Tom]

Yes, you could

[Onix]

Originally posted by paranormal_18:

i thought back in old magic (1995) rules, creatrues were not spells? Only instans and sorceries were spells

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Spell

"Except for land, all of the original basic kind of card (summons, enchantments, sorceries, instants, interrupts and artifacts) are spells from the time they are cast until they resolve."

[Junipercat]

Originally posted by paranormal_18:

so technically the game is right then? Me casting a creature is a spell? despite me summon a creature, and he countered with counter spell

The creature is a summon spell until it successfully resolves and stays on the battlefield. The summoning spell is being countered.

From MTG Alpha released in 1993

There are six different kinds of spells: artifacts, enchantments, creature summonings, instants, interrupts, and sorcery.

[Zepondrax]

ok thanks all

[Junipercat]

You're welcome.

Was just easier to build the game with the card being both the summoning-spell (in hand) and the actual creature (on battlefield if spell resolved successfully with no counter or such), instead of 2 separate cards.

You are pulling the creature from another area, many times from another plane, by magic. So an opponent would naturally have a way to "counter" as such.

But if you are trying to go by rules you kinda remember from 1995, then I would go through the tutorials or read up on some basic rules. Not only so you understand those rules correctly, but there have been some changes since then, or even just clarification (especially when new rules were introduced, depending on how they interact with older rules).

[Zepondrax]

well when i used to play it back with people at school, we never wud use counterspell on a creature, would only be played if someone used as a spell, like fireball, lightnng strike, etc...thats how i was shown

[Onix]

Originally posted by paranormal_18:

well when i used to play it back with people at school, we never wud use counterspell on a creature, would only be played if someone used as a spell, like fireball, lightnng strike, etc...thats how i was shown

That's a pretty limited use of counterspell.

[Junipercat]

Make sense. Playing with people at school and they made mistakes with the rules. At the start a lot people think spell as something flashy and instant, not something bigger like a summoning. Just one of the basic rules that should be learned early on.

Also a big change is keywords (trample, flying, reach, intimidate, etc.). In the early days the full description was written on the card. But once they became basic rules, then it was better to have the keyword on the card with full description in the rule book if needed.

Oh, and the ANTE rule is gone. That was removed in '95 as too many people hated it (understandably as who wants to lose their cards), and there was concerns of the game or at least official tournaments being legally classified as gambling. I always played it as a houserule that ANTE was never allowed. So if anybody tries to get you to ANTE, say no.