Easily the best counterspell in Standard. Sadly, that's because everything else is so bad.
Trancefo
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(12 votes)
Versatile and pure blue,
very powerfull but not overpowered,
great card.
Hawk_man
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(7 votes)
Wizards of the Coast versus Blue, round 7! Blue wins! Seriously, WotC has been nerfing blue since Onslaught and still arguably the most powerful card in standard is blue. Cryptic Command is blue's swiss army knife and, while not the best counter ever (it might sneak into the top 5...) it is still Commandingly (get it? :p ) good.
12UU
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Amazing card
davidhuman
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
my playe group has five members, each of whom buys a booster box of every set. out of our lorwyn boxes one player got one of these. sadly missing from our meta and, my life.
pojomx
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(4 votes)
=OOOO can i choose 2 times the same ability?
fdiv_bug
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
pojomx: No, you cannot.
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Swiss Army Knife Is Right
platinumplague
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(5 votes)
the best command card and possibly one of the best in its block
True_Mumin
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Second best command. Well, everyone already knows that this card absolutely rocks. 5/5.
EpicSeven
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Best Blue card in standard right now. Hands down. Too bad control decks will suffer immensely when this card leaves standard
DyadyaIstvan
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(3 votes)
So for the cost of Cancel plus Twiddle you get Cancel and Twiddle on each creature they have? This isn't broken...HOW?
Soul_Shackle
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(5 votes)
Cryptic and Command are not as scary as the words Wrath and God, but they're not that far off.
Grimn777
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
ridiculous card, best command hands down. not much else to say, 5/5
Mode
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(11 votes)
There are so many things you can do with this Command, this card is incredibly amazing and completely worth the cost.
It's like a cantrip version of Counterspell and Boomerang in one, plus you can also play those two effects without drawing a card instead, or even either prevent your opponents creatures one turn from attacking and/or make yours afterwards effectively unblockable - while still getting the option to a bounce, hardcounter or card draw.
That card is a constructed bomb and on the edge on being broken, yet as the Jitte rather very powerful than overpowered.
To quote Trancefo, that's indeed pure blue.
AlphaNumerical
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
I bought one Lorwyn box. I pulled 3 of these. Nuff said.
Pwnsaw
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(12 votes)
This card is just outright better than many of its alternatives, even in legacy. Cryptic Command tells your opponent to sit down and shut up. Even if cryptic command lost an option like to bounce or draw, it would still be powerful enough to see constructed play.
Donovan_Fabian
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Love this card, why? Because counter spells take such perfect planning that sometimes you can't use one when you want to and then it sits there in your hand.. ie, you use it to soon, you don't have enough mana to play the counter spell and your creatures, so on and etc. With this card at the very least if you can't counter spell anything you can still use it to do something else, and I like that a lot.
mdakw576
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(6 votes)
I'm annoyed how this is the only command card that's an instant. I mean, it counters, so it obv has to be instant, but why couldn't the other commands be instant too?
CatsAreCthala
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(6 votes)
It would be better if you got all four effects, I think.
awww i want this really badly. But the ones i find on sell cost so much.
legacy_numbuh_one
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(7 votes)
BEST CARD EVER, HANDS DOWN. THE EPITOME OF PURE BLUE. MY FAVORITE CARD EVER.
a7141988
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
I got a question about this card. So, suppose one guy plays Cryptic Command, choosing to counter a spell and bounce a permanent. Then, the other person, in response, uses Vedalken Mastermind (or something similar to that effect) to bounce the permanent that was targeted back to their hand. So, Cryptic Command lost its bounce target. So, does the whole spell fizzle or is the other spell still countered?
Also, this card is awesome, for the record.
klaff
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@a714:
All of a spells targets must be illegal for a spell to fizzle, so the spell would still be countered. If, for example, they chose bounce a permanent and draw a card, and you bounced in response, the spell would lose its only target and would fizzle.
achilleselbow
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(5 votes)
@Kitsune:
"If the spell Twincast copies is modal (that is, it says "Choose one --" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. You can't choose a different one."
So it doesn't look like you can use copy effects to get all four choices.
Let's switch the power levels of Cryptic Command and Incendiary Command.
Cryptic (the worst of the commands): Counter target Sorcery spell Return target creature to its owner's hand Change all instances of a color word on target spell or permanent Look at the top four cards of your library and put them back in any order (I don't know if all of that text could fit on a card)
Incendiary (best command, $10, this would be an instant) Deal 4 damage to target creature or player Deal 2 damage to each creature Destroy target artifact or land (hmmm..... so far, this is still about $3) Put a 5/5 red dragon creature token with flying in to play
hmmmm...... obviously and overly useful- I like it. Perhaps the dragon would actually be a 4/4.
vadaaaa
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
pure blue card at first sight love
Ominous
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(12 votes)
infernox10, there's a very good reason why Cryptic Command couldn't be a mythic rare. Mythic rares didn't exist when Lorwyn was released.
darkfury
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(2 votes)
a little too powerful of all the commands, being that at worst its a cantrip bounce, and at best something like sleep+counterspell
Kindulas
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I think this card goes perfectly with Kaho. In effect, you put it on hold for whenever you need it. Of course, he goes well with just about any counterspell.
Bursama
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(10 votes)
... Only command, that is instant. This one is sick. And crazy. So I shall play this.
Gabriel422
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
Cancel is fair. Now you add a single blue mana, ask for three other choices, and ask to nearly double up the effect?
I would've called "BROKEN", but then again these people made Skullclamp. Well even then this card was still regrettable.
Richard_Hawk
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
reprint! reprint!
Qoid
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
THE best blue card ever! why don't I own any? :(
DarthParallax
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(6 votes)
missing flavor text of Cryptic Command:
"Jace, teh Mind Rapist wuz heer biichez!!!!'
proof that Jace did, in fact, 'walk to Lorwyn.
WateryMind
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is the card that all the other little blue counters want to be. This card says to your opponent: "This is my game now. So sit down and shut up!"
Tetsu_tora
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(16 votes)
Blue spell is blue.
Antares2
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
it doesn't even say "return target NONLAND permanent" to it's owner's hand. what were they thinking, when they printed this card?
Wulfsten
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(10 votes)
This card is retarded. Should have cost at least two mana more, for only one of the effects.
Extremely versatile...The Swiss Army Knife for Mono Blue.
TheSwarm
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"Best Blue card in standard right now. Hands down. Too bad control decks will suffer immensely when this card leaves standard"
Enter one of the most dominant standard control archetypes the game has ever seen after Cryptic leaves standard... whoops :p
Blackshayde
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(6 votes)
You people who rate this card so high must be stupid. The counterspell effect effect is worthless as it costs WAY too much and you never want to leave that much mana open to play it. Highly overrated.
sincleanser
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I loved this cycle of choose two out of four, in my opinion that alone makes this cycle better than the choose one of three and one of two. Entwine with the choose one or another is close in power and usability as this cycle. With that said:
This one is by far the best. It's the least restrictive , and can do a little bit of everything. A great card.
NoobOfLore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh yeah, that is why I bought all those Lorwyn packs.
6 different combinations of abilities, and 2 of those 4 abilities require choosing a target. This is where you have a highly playable card that is also fairly skill-intensive. I approve.
thewalkingdead
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
yeah this card is great and all, but not worth the price tag. Why the h%ll is this thing $15? WTF? was going to get a few for my stasis deck until i saw the price... oh well, there's always sleep, counterspell, obsessive search and boomerang to replace it....
Zoah
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card gets a lot better when you see the words "choose two" Still, if you already know which ones your going to choose when your designing the deck there are better options. (They also won't break the bank)
Gareth32
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a good card. I like Austere Command more. This one can decide the outcome of one critical situation, but with AC, if you're not in a board position that can be improved by it, you've already won.
nunyaJs
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Anytime you see that many OPTIONS on a card, it always leads to horribly strong cards. This is, i dare say, the MORPHLING of instants.
4.5/5 and only because i cant give it 4.9
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If only I had the GOBS of money needed to buy a playset.
dlgn
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Draw burn control with Tamiyo and Niv-Mizzet.
Oh, yeah.
rogelio
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Magic just blue itself.
And at instant speed, too.
humor_love
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ TheWrathofShane's comment:
=/=
dcole
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Extremely versatile card this is great for late game control this one has saved my hide on countless occasions. 5/5
DacenOctavio
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Resolving a Cryptic Command is pretty rewarding. Resolving a Spell Pierce on a Cryptic Command is even more so.
Eternal_Planeswalker
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I just traded a shiny Mox Opal for a shiny Cryptic Command. I definitely think I got the better deal.
Having even just the one fits my deck, but also always gives me the perfect answer to any situation every time I draw it.
Perfect blue card.
DeviousPie
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
Cryptic Command, Jace, The Mindsculpter, and Snapcaster Mage all bring one of thing's that used to define the color blue. No, I'm not talking about flexibility or card advantage. I'm talking about blue's near exclusive access to absolutely broken cards.
saucyninja007
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card is everything that is sweet about blue thrown into one piece of awesomeness. Oh, and did I mention it is an INSTANT?!?! Wow. Just wow. (5/5)
talcumpowder0046
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ DeviousPie Don't forget tolarian academy, time walk, timetwister, ancestral recall, tinker, mana drain, and time spiral. Blue totes some amazing $#(+.
TheKazu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Even if it was just "Counter target spell and return target permanent to its owner's hand" it'd be very good.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If there were any card that symbolized options, it would be this. There are a whopping six different things you can do with this, and all of them are useful. Even if this were "choose one" it might be slightly playable, but since it's "choose two", it's one of the best cards of all time.
Winhert
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Oh good card for my turbofogs... wait what... 30$... yeah...
Lifegainwithbite
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
All the modes are just awesome. You'll mostly be using the counter target spell and draw a card but the other two certainly shouldn't be forgotten - one can be a finisher or a fog and the other can be removal when you need it.
It symbolises the unbelievable power of blue and how annoying it is to see yet another format-breaking blue card. Yes that's you, Jace, the Mind Sculptor.
patronofthesound
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For a cheaper alternative, see dismiss. For a similarly costed addition, seevenser, shaper
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Not sure whether to rate 5/5 or .5/5 for being overpowered.
Claytoon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card:
Choose Two -is overpowered, is stupidly overpowered, is 5/5, expensive to purchase, is a modern staple.
Comments (70)
very powerfull but not overpowered,
great card.
Blue wins!
Seriously, WotC has been nerfing blue since Onslaught and still arguably the most powerful card in standard is blue. Cryptic Command is blue's swiss army knife and, while not the best counter ever (it might sneak into the top 5...) it is still Commandingly (get it? :p ) good.
It's like a cantrip version of Counterspell and Boomerang in one, plus you can also play those two effects without drawing a card instead, or even either prevent your opponents creatures one turn from attacking and/or make yours afterwards effectively unblockable - while still getting the option to a bounce, hardcounter or card draw.
That card is a constructed bomb and on the edge on being broken, yet as the Jitte rather very powerful than overpowered.
To quote Trancefo, that's indeed pure blue.
Also, this card is awesome, for the record.
All of a spells targets must be illegal for a spell to fizzle, so the spell would still be countered. If, for example, they chose bounce a permanent and draw a card, and you bounced in response, the spell would lose its only target and would fizzle.
"If the spell Twincast copies is modal (that is, it says "Choose one --" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. You can't choose a different one."
So it doesn't look like you can use copy effects to get all four choices.
Let's switch the power levels of Cryptic Command and Incendiary Command.
Cryptic (the worst of the commands):
Counter target Sorcery spell
Return target creature to its owner's hand
Change all instances of a color word on target spell or permanent
Look at the top four cards of your library and put them back in any order
(I don't know if all of that text could fit on a card)
Incendiary (best command, $10, this would be an instant)
Deal 4 damage to target creature or player
Deal 2 damage to each creature
Destroy target artifact or land
(hmmm..... so far, this is still about $3)
Put a 5/5 red dragon creature token with flying in to play
hmmmm...... obviously and overly useful- I like it. Perhaps the dragon would actually be a 4/4.
This one is sick. And crazy.
So I shall play this.
I would've called "BROKEN", but then again these people made Skullclamp. Well even then this card was still regrettable.
"Jace, teh Mind Rapist wuz heer biichez!!!!'
proof that Jace did, in fact, 'walk to Lorwyn.
what were they thinking, when they printed this card?
-Sower of Temptation
-Mulldrifter
-Mistbind Clique
-Grimoire Thief
-Cryptic Command (especially)
-etc.
Enter one of the most dominant standard control archetypes the game has ever seen after Cryptic leaves standard... whoops :p
effect is worthless as it costs WAY too much and you never want to
leave that much mana open to play it. Highly overrated.
This one is by far the best. It's the least restrictive , and can do a little bit of everything. A great card.
Counterspell
Recoil
Sleep
or Think Twice
Still, if you already know which ones your going to choose when your designing the deck there are better options. (They also won't break the bank)
4.5/5 and only because i cant give it 4.9
Oh, yeah.
And at instant speed, too.
Having even just the one fits my deck, but also always gives me the perfect answer to any situation every time I draw it.
Perfect blue card.
No, I'm not talking about flexibility or card advantage.
I'm talking about blue's near exclusive access to absolutely broken cards.
Don't forget tolarian academy, time walk, timetwister, ancestral recall, tinker, mana drain, and time spiral. Blue totes some amazing $#(+.
It symbolises the unbelievable power of blue and how annoying it is to see yet another format-breaking blue card. Yes that's you, Jace, the Mind Sculptor.
Not sure whether to rate 5/5 or .5/5 for being overpowered.
Choose Two -is overpowered, is stupidly overpowered, is 5/5, expensive to purchase, is a modern staple.