One of the single most important cards in any of the Eternal formats (Vintage, Legacy and Classic). This card has been called "the glue" that holds Vintage (aka Type 1) together. Without this card keeping it in check, Combo would run rampant.
xfollowthereaperx
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Counter a spell turn zero? I'd play it.
MetalCrisis
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(8 votes)
Force of will sucks because it's card disadvantage!
...
Who am I kidding? Best damn counterspell ever, except maybe mana drain.
yojimbojones
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(7 votes)
Quite possibly my fav card. I got 4 of these back in the day when they were new, and always marvel at how "safe" I feel with one in my hand. It's a saftey net in a game where things can turn ugly in the blink of an eye. 5/5
Beargh
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Advantages: Flat-out counter-spell for five. Able to stop turn one combos, multi-card combos, or counter-spell for free. Great safety net for legacy and vintage. Disadvantages: Card disadvantage. Can be slow or inefficient when not stopping a big combo.
Why won't wizards make another card like force of will that causes more life loss, or returns the card to their hand for free?
UNBAN_SHAHRAZAD
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(13 votes)
Simply put, it is the best counterspell ever printed. Better than Mana Drain, Arcane Denial, or Counterspell. In Type 1, if your opponent has at least 2 cards in hand, you must assume he has a FoW and a blue card.
DrJones
★★★☆☆ (4.0/5.0)(20 votes)
The most broken card in the game, Force of Will has been the most widely played card, BY FAR, among all top decks of any kind of tournament in which they have ever been legal, and this is taking into account LANDS. Even wizards acknowledges that competitive decks using Force of Will have always been much, much better than any other deck. Basically, I'm telling you that if you enjoy winning, go buy four of them right now, because 12 years of data have proven that at least 5 of any Top 8 decks will have 4 Force of Wills in it.
Force of Will makes your winning conditions better, because the opponent will need to have two answers ready (and mana to pay them) or lose; it also acts as removal against anything the opponent might be trying to play, while also giving you a free time walk everytime, because the opponent will not have mana to cast more spells that turn. Force of Will renders most traditional combo decks unplayable because the player using it only has to focus in countering one of the few key spells to win. In aggro-control decks, you can play very offensively because Force doesn't take any mana to use. Most combo players themselves will try to fit 16 blue cards and Force of Will in their decks because they will win more games than if they played any version with on-color, sinergistic cards instead. Moreover, even if you don't have a Force in your hand, your opponents will play as if you had them, delaying their strategy just because the sole menace of being irreparably crippled by this damn broken card.
And despite all the data and all the strong evidence of its unfairness, R&D will keep banning stupid things like Ponder instead of this one! :P
True_Smog
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(6 votes)
The best counterspell EVER. However, it should be banned or resticted in Legacy.
LeoKula
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(9 votes)
Not a lot to say about this one... bester counterspell ever, by far? Best blue card ever?
Elfer
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Force of Will shouldn't be restricted. Keeping it off the restricted list in the eternal formats allows many other cards to exist in the format without being banned or restricted. Basically, FoW allows for a much more diverse array of decks to be played, which is great for the format.
Yes, it's a powerhouse and is in almost every deck, but it's a good trade to keep Eternal stable. Contrast with goyf, which is in every single legacy deck simply because it's too good to not play.
ClowWizardEriol
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(8 votes)
I have to agree with Dr. Jones that Force of Will is really powerful. I think it should be banned in Legacy only. In Vintage, there are so many turn 0 and turn 1 threats that restricting Force of Will in Vintage would not make sense.
kowrip
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(5 votes)
This is definitely a good card, but does not need to be restricted. I'm surprised this wasn't reprinted, causing the value to skyrocket. The main problem I have with this card is that the other "pitch" cards from Alliances can't compare to this one. It would have been nice to see some power in the other colors.
trooperofdoom
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
One of the best cards in the game.
theabyss
★★★☆☆ (3.1/5.0)(4 votes)
i hate this card..hate hate hate...evry game i play in type 1 im always thinking...hmmm do they have a force in their hand? evry type 1 blue deck should have a few
GruesomeGoo
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
One of the best cards in the game, no questions asked.
LasherHN
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Too bad it can't counter Chimney Imp.
Maraxas-of-Keld
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
This has been called the glue that hold Legacy together, and for good reason. Being able to counter anything at any time is easily worth trading two cards and a life point in the format, especially when you just stopped a combo. If you want to play in vintage or legacy, grab 4. most decks can use it, and these things will hold their value.
zeyette
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(9 votes)
May the Force of Will be with you
SlackWareWolf
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(6 votes)
Did I really just see someone say this is the most broken card in the game?.... Have you not ever seen Ancestral Recall? And being that I had stacks of these things back when it was a 25 cent card, if you have it in your opening hand and no other Blue cards, it's useless. Ancestral on the other hand can draw you stuff, and card domination is one of the best ways to win.
The best Counterspell is still Mana Drain. And now that Mana Burn is gone, it's even better.
rbwdeck
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Definetly one of if not the best counters in Magic's history. Really annoying to play against though. Should be banned in legacy, that format has enough counters in it and the threats don't come till turn 3 on average, unless they're playing dredge, but even then they can still kill you.
Wyldblayde
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(8 votes)
How to stop Force of Will for one Black mana: Duress! Then you can finish your nasty combo in peace!
millcity
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
best counter in the game hands down.this definetly lands in my top 10 of all-time.if u play blue in its legal formats 4 r a must.
Clanius
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
its funny when you actually have to hard cast it though
boneclub
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@Clanius: Actually a lot on MUC decks WILL hardcast is when enough mana is free.
stratoscythe
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(7 votes)
more like Force of WIN
Laguz
★★★☆☆ (3.4/5.0)(4 votes)
This is the best card with the worst art. It's absolutely amazing, but I still think mana drain is better overall. This just stops those lame kiddie combos from going off early.
Aun
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Don't say it should be banned or restricted, without it you could pretty much say the player with the first turn / first complete combo wins.
capitalR
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
you know what would make magic more balanced? If we all played mono red, yea that's right red!
IshubarashI
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(8 votes)
Gotta say I don't see why everyone is raving over this card, I mean I understand its power but it's not that great, as far as I can see it's just a little better than Foil, and depending on the situation (say, if you had a card with a cheap madness price in your hand) foil could prove even better. Not trying to knock force of will down or anything, just saying it doesn't seem worth paying $40-$50 for one of these when Foil is maybe $1 USD
SPhoenix
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(7 votes)
Force of will... C-C-C-Combo breaker!
murder100
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Clearly either the 1st or 2nd best (Next to Mana Drain).
channelblaze
★☆☆☆☆ (1.4/5.0)(6 votes)
Meh, try storm crow. But then again, I guess this is insane, since it counters storm crow for free...
bagilis
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Got 4 back at the time of alliances extension. I did not find it so great at the time but now I'm glad!
LordAlvon
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Free counterspells are great for messing up combos.
Bigboss1967
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(1 vote)
burn!
Kryptnyt
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
The card is still annoyingly good. The art is still awful.
mongoliansavage
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
for some reason I just get a big kick out out hardcasting this... as though not pitching a card for its APC could possibly somehow be regarded as card advantage lmao
divine_exodus
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Now, the real test....which is better, this or mana drain?? This can cost nothing, but mana drain has an added effect. Opinions?
Nighthawk42
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(3 votes)
Wish I had traded for more back in the day. This was the other card that made me love the Browse + Soldevi Digger decks then.
Great counterspell which allows for more speed and flexibility. Better to cast Counterspell (or hard-card this) but the option is amazing.
mlanier131
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(3 votes)
really annoying to play against but necessary. Mindbreak trap is the cheap mans alternative against storm
Orza
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
5/5
The Great Equalizer.
Gomorrah
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(24 votes)
Who'd pay 5 mana for a counterspell?
wait a sec...
dragonking987
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(3 votes)
TheWrathofShane you couldn't be more wrong instant win style decks all use ridiculously fast combos and you only have to counter one spell to mess then up so it isn't card disadvantage because you are making at least one of their cards worthless usually more even though the combos tend to be two card combos they usually use a Dark Ritual or something to speed it up I would give this card 5 stars any day.
TheSwarm
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(2 votes)
There has very few been a time where I did NOT think to myself...
"Force of Will would be fantastic for this situation." The definition of broken. If you want to make a new player understand the kinds of things that are actually broken, show them this and black lotus. I think you can make the case that absolutely no deck is worse off with a black lotus in it, and very probably make the same case for force of will in blue decks.
@DIvine Exodus.. This card is easily better than mana leak. You are never vulnerable with a force of will, you can just pay a life and exile a card that most of the time you wont need and not pay a single mana. Mana leak you have to tiptoe around its mana cost, which can slow your game down and be a telltale sign that he has counter magic.
OH! mana DRAIN! haha myyyy bad... read that completely wrong, I apologize. Much closer contest, cuz mana drain speeds your game up.. but the versatility that force of will gives you is incredible. Solution? run both.
Lyoncet
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(15 votes)
My favorite thing about this card (OK, next to the fact that it's one of the best cards in the game) is its flavor. I love blue cards like this and Mind Over Matter that imply that blue mages have such powerful minds that they can directly influence the world around them just by thinking hard enough, at the cost of causing enormous mental strain (losing a card from your hand). "No, I didn't cast a spell that disrupted your Akroma, Angel of Wrath; I just concentrated hard enough on it not happening, and it didn't happen."
i played this shit back in the day. in the few packs of alliances i ever bought, i actually pulled a shitload of force of wills. there must be a lot of these around.
scumbling1
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(10 votes)
"And being that I had stacks of these things back when it was a 25 cent card, if you have it in your opening hand and no other Blue cards, it's useless"
First off, it was never a 25 cent card. Even Inquest magazine recognized this card's potential immediately.
Secondly, how does your personal possesion of any quantity of this card change how it requires another blue card to play for free? Your habit of inserting personal ancedotes that show how long you've been playing grants you no authority.
Shadoflaam
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Kinda sad that this broken monster is the only thing preventing scarier broken monsters from overrunning us. It's a lava dam damming a sea of sulfuric acid. 5/5 and a necessary evil.
BlackAlbino
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(3 votes)
Bad card? *** no Good card? No Best card in the game? No Great card? Yes
Why only great, because you will almost always have to use it's alternate cost.
"it already is broken!"
No, answering one card with two cards, no matter when or how, will never be broken. The mono-blue permissions deck w/ nothing but counters and card draw is the only deck I've seen that makes this scary. And don't tell me how good this is against combo decks, that's specific to meta. And I'm not saying don't use it, I'm saying it's not broken
Still, an amazing staple for blue. Worth it's price-tag? Eg, probably ( I won't pay more than $20 for a card ) Definatly not broken
n0odleex
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(12 votes)
C-c-c-c-c-c-OMBO BREAKER!!!
Paleopaladin
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Wizards: Please give every legacy player who paid a zillion dollars for multiple playsets of these a big middle finger by reprinting this in M13.
JaxsonBateman
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(4 votes)
Simply put, you'll love this card when you're using it, and hate it when it's used against you. It's both the best card at stopping combos going off, and the best card at protecting said combos.
What I hate though is 'casual' players running it along side infinite combos and thinking there's no problem with the power level of their decks. "Nah man, an infinite combo + a free counterspell to protect it isn't too hardcore".
stille_nacht
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
oh to have this in standard
DarthParallax
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I used to hate this card, and NOT for the reason most would- I would play it 10 times out of 9, except that it seems completely un-Blue to have Goku or the Incredible Hulk in your blue deck. This Force of Will looks entirely like a red card to me. BUT! BUUUUUUUT! BUTBUTBUTBUTBUTBUTBUTBUT!!!!!!!
They just announced a new alternate art for it. With a hot chick. So.....yeah, I'm going to proxy the hell out of this until my printer chokes and dies. :P
Wotc needs to set up first party mtg single stores so we can finally get the card pricing in check. Its time skill should be the barrier rather then your income.
Salient
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
!! Force of Will reprinted !! ... !!! with new artwork !!! ... It's for real, take a look:
...well okay, it's nearly the size of a highway sign and literally one-of-a-kind, but still. The new art's gorgeous.
Funniest card I've ever seen pitched to Force: Phelddagrif. Hey, there really was a time when people actually played other Alliances cards. (I don't think it minded getting exiled. Phelddagrifs love helping people.)
When Alliances was first released, most everyone was also excited about Balduvian Horde, a 5/5 for . We pretty much all knew Force of Will was awesome; it just wasn't clear at the time how many heads and shoulders it would stand above every other card from the time period. More amazing than Diminishing Returns? Sure, okay, defense > offense in this case. One heavily played Force worth the same as thirty mint Diminishing Returns on the resale market? Shucks.
Villainous1
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(3 votes)
I SAID... NO.
Sk8er_Boi_1999
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Worst in the terrible cycle of complete card disadvantage. Terrible, terrible card. 0.5/5
JFM2796
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
What a long way Terese Nelson's art has come.
I think this needs a reprint. It wouldn't really be broken in standard and the demand is so high. Vintage and Legacy simply cannot get anybody else unless there are enough of these.
rillaan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
This is a card that should never, EVER be reprinted.
Superfrasse
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
"That's a very nice Force of Will you've got there." -Superfrasse, Magician of Nix
Zoltantf
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
No reprint please. It keeps the vintage players, and collectors happy. Free counter spells are necessary answers to old school power 9 combo decks. This card would be broken in a standard environment. Great art. Epic card.
drpvfx
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
As great as this card is, I will always prefer Mana Drain.
All the same, Mana Drain won't save you from a first round kill, so I'm glad I have both.
use643
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA hard cast
grandpraetor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
wolverine says NOOO!
TherealphatMatt
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(12 votes)
I saw someone hardcast this once in an EDH game.
It was truly a strange moment.
Kragash
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
One of the few (only?) cards that can prevent a 0-turn combo from being successful.
gimo300
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Strom Crow exiles force of will from the game
iwitch
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
i honestly am not fond of this card. if you look at the legacy top 8's this card is all you see. how bout some diversity? regardless of it being a way to shut down turn 1 mega combos its overplayed. a crutch if you will. thats just my opinion of course. im sure most will disagree as is plainly obvious by all of the preceeding comments.
Trygon_Predator
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(3 votes)
If you hardcast this, you're doing it wrong. Use Misthollow Griffin if you want to get the exiled card back.
Mobus
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
wth ? rare/ is gatherer right? how come i have so many. Ah well :D
orisiti
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"wth ? rare/ is gatherer right? how come i have so many. Ah well :D" It's rare on MTGO... It was printed as an uncommon.
TattooedMessiah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One word....Awesome
dcole
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
No one's safe as long as you run a play set of these bad boys. I can remember back in the day buying these for a few bucks a piece. Wow I'm sure glad I did. 5/5
Purple_Shrimp
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
pretty bad except vs combo, that's why i never run blue in legacy the blue players can beat up the combo decks and i'll beat up the blue players
Blackworm_Bloodworm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Besides the red, red/green art making absolutely no sense on a blue card, the card itself could be more balanced if it were toned down a bit.
Perhaps make a functional reprint that requires you to exile two blue cards and pay 2 life as an alternate cost. After all, you should be using this card only when you really need it—in a pinch—such to stop a game-winning combo, or bomb from hitting the table.
Pact of Negation is a balanced card, but this... this is not balanced as it is now. That's primarily why its price is so exorbitant.
aliz_com
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love tapping out and still being able to counter anything.
surewhynot
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(3 votes)
"B*tch please" in card form.
DimirSnail
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Combo deck's best friend.
Claytoon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nothing calms me down more during a game than knowing a FoW is in my hand.
Tivoko
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I guess I'm in the minority that actually likes this art a lot. A barbarian (possibly a shaman since it's blue?) showing the strength of his will by keeping his hands in the fire and not burning.
I love the strength of this card; being able to tap out and develop my board while still holding a counter up so good.
Continue
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I've only ever seen this hardcast once, and that was when my opponent was at 1 life. New players may think of this as a five-mana counterspell, but it's not — it's a two-card counterspell instead. All things considered, losing a card in your hand isn't much of a drawback, especially considering all the card draw blue gets.
@Purple_Shrimp: Are you fucking kidding me? "pretty bad except vs combo" It's good against damn near everything! If you've never been crushed by this card, you've never played Legacy.
WILLOW-THE-WHAT
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Played many games where my opponent gave up, because of this one card :)
Nagoragama
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably one of the best cards in the game.
BeatYouOnce
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card has a friend in Misthollow Griffin
Ancestral_Forget
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Technically it is a loss in card advantage (you give up 2 cards but only counter one) but it is a huge gain in mana advantage because you give up 0 and get rid of many of theirs. Then you realize that Black Lotus is another card that costs a card advantage and gives mana advantage, and this card will actually give MORE mana advantage than black lotus does when you counter a card with a CMC > 3.
People calling for this to be banned 1) Don't play much legacy 2) Don't understand what would happen if it was. Combo decks that win in one or two turns (like Spanish Inquisition) would be everywhere and there would be no way to stop them. If this were banned in Legacy, Legacy would be unplayable because whoever went first would win.
Demonic_Math_Tutor
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
C-C-C-COOOOOMBOOBREAKER
TheWrathofShane
★★☆☆☆ (2.6/5.0)(5 votes)
Wish it would see more printings.
Barry1189
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Okay. I don't play legacy, so go easy on me. In fact I don't even play blue. Clearly the fact that you can play it for free in an hour of need is awesome. Also, I think this slightly edges it past mana drain since even the threat of a counterspell at (almost) any time will force them to make leaps of faith, or hold too much in reserve.5/5
But aside from this, could somebody explain the art to me? The guy in the picture couldn't look less capable of blue magic. EDIT: I see now. the barbarian is not burning when dipping his hands in fire. Still doesn't fit. maybe would've gone better with a red spell that lets you soak up damage like fortune thief?
BongRipper420
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
The most broken counterspell in the game.
Of course 'broken' doesn't mean bad or overpowered, it means format warping. And in every format this card is legal (Specifically Legacy and Vintage), this card warps the format in a very necessary way. Without this single card, both formats would completely collapse, as combo decks reigned supreme. Legacy would be nothing but Belcher decks, Spanish Inquisition decks, and ANT decks. There would be no way of reliably stopping the lightning fast combo decks that can potentially kill on turn 1, before any other powerful counter magic is online. Force of Will alone manages to keep all these completely busted decks in check, and is an invaluable tool for the players with 'fair' decks.
So I rest my case; Force of Will is the most broken counterspell in the game. And for that I'm glad.
BreakfastElemental
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I was starting to feel guitly about the money I spent to get a set of these, but I countererd it. Thanks Force of Will!
mattrva77
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I actually hardcast this in Holiday Cube last night on MTGO. I was playing a slow Esper control deck with 2 Elspeths, 2 Jaces, and some nice angels and the like. I had the mana open but not another blue card in my hand at the time actually. It was definitely weird. This card is great for that though -- the late game counter no one is expecting, or the turn one counter spell.
Travelsonic
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Here is something Foil has over FoW - granted, in a very specific condition, not always doable (insert disclaimer here).
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage's -8 gives you an emblem that gives you unlimited hand size and the ability to return a card to your hand when it would be placed in the graveyard. Unlike Foil, Force of Will makes you exile a permanent (along with the miniscule life loss) to cast it without paying its mana cost. With Foil it's discard an Island and another card - any other card - from your hand. With the emblem, that translates to **POTENTIALLY** infinite counterspells since you discard an island, another card, and then put those two and Foil back in your hand without spending any mana. :D
Goatllama
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Such a badass card.
Cyberium
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Do not be afraid of hard casting this spell!
If you have spare mana, do not insist on casting FoW with its alt cost. Free-casting is necessary only when situation demands it, not because it's required. Same with Forbid and its buyback cost, or Banefire and its X > 5 phrase.
tcollins
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like to think the art depicts the reaction from your opponent when you cast this...
As you can see, he is clearly about to flip the table.
Psychrates
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Amazing card, but IMO not the best pitch, Elvish Spirit Guide is. Saves ass, but doesn't whoop it. Isn't part of any famous combos or decks like charbelcher, which does the unthinkable in MTG: play land-less. Exiling a ue spell is nothing to sneeze at, and losing life in a color unable to replace it is dangerous. Still 5/5 bit Id draft ESG over FoW, because even FoW can't counter it.
Comments (101)
...
Who am I kidding? Best damn counterspell ever, except maybe mana drain.
Disadvantages: Card disadvantage. Can be slow or inefficient when not stopping a big combo.
Why won't wizards make another card like force of will that causes more life loss, or returns the card to their hand for free?
Force of Will makes your winning conditions better, because the opponent will need to have two answers ready (and mana to pay them) or lose; it also acts as removal against anything the opponent might be trying to play, while also giving you a free time walk everytime, because the opponent will not have mana to cast more spells that turn. Force of Will renders most traditional combo decks unplayable because the player using it only has to focus in countering one of the few key spells to win. In aggro-control decks, you can play very offensively because Force doesn't take any mana to use. Most combo players themselves will try to fit 16 blue cards and Force of Will in their decks because they will win more games than if they played any version with on-color, sinergistic cards instead.
Moreover, even if you don't have a Force in your hand, your opponents will play as if you had them, delaying their strategy just because the sole menace of being irreparably crippled by this damn broken card.
And despite all the data and all the strong evidence of its unfairness, R&D will keep banning stupid things like Ponder instead of this one! :P
Yes, it's a powerhouse and is in almost every deck, but it's a good trade to keep Eternal stable. Contrast with goyf, which is in every single legacy deck simply because it's too good to not play.
The best Counterspell is still Mana Drain. And now that Mana Burn is gone, it's even better.
C-C-C-Combo breaker!
Great counterspell which allows for more speed and flexibility. Better to cast Counterspell (or hard-card this) but the option is amazing.
The Great Equalizer.
wait a sec...
"Force of Will would be fantastic for this situation." The definition of broken. If you want to make a new player understand the kinds of things that are actually broken, show them this and black lotus. I think you can make the case that absolutely no deck is worse off with a black lotus in it, and very probably make the same case for force of will in blue decks.
@DIvine Exodus..
This card is easily better than mana leak. You are never vulnerable with a force of will, you can just pay a life and exile a card that most of the time you wont need and not pay a single mana. Mana leak you have to tiptoe around its mana cost, which can slow your game down and be a telltale sign that he has counter magic.
OH! mana DRAIN! haha myyyy bad... read that completely wrong, I apologize. Much closer contest, cuz mana drain speeds your game up.. but the versatility that force of will gives you is incredible. Solution? run both.
First off, it was never a 25 cent card. Even Inquest magazine recognized this card's potential immediately.
Secondly, how does your personal possesion of any quantity of this card change how it requires another blue card to play for free? Your habit of inserting personal ancedotes that show how long you've been playing grants you no authority.
5/5 and a necessary evil.
Good card? No
Best card in the game? No
Great card? Yes
Why only great, because you will almost always have to use it's alternate cost.
"it already is broken!"
No, answering one card with two cards, no matter when or how, will never be broken.
The mono-blue permissions deck w/ nothing but counters and card draw is the only deck I've seen that makes this scary. And don't tell me how good this is against combo decks, that's specific to meta. And I'm not saying don't use it, I'm saying it's not broken
Still, an amazing staple for blue. Worth it's price-tag? Eg, probably ( I won't pay more than $20 for a card )
Definatly not broken
What I hate though is 'casual' players running it along side infinite combos and thinking there's no problem with the power level of their decks. "Nah man, an infinite combo + a free counterspell to protect it isn't too hardcore".
They just announced a new alternate art for it. With a hot chick. So.....yeah, I'm going to proxy the hell out of this until my printer chokes and dies. :P
http://wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/764
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/764
...well okay, it's nearly the size of a highway sign and literally one-of-a-kind, but still. The new art's gorgeous.
Funniest card I've ever seen pitched to Force: Phelddagrif. Hey, there really was a time when people actually played other Alliances cards. (I don't think it minded getting exiled. Phelddagrifs love helping people.)
When Alliances was first released, most everyone was also excited about Balduvian Horde, a 5/5 for
I think this needs a reprint. It wouldn't really be broken in standard and the demand is so high. Vintage and Legacy simply cannot get anybody else unless there are enough of these.
-Superfrasse, Magician of Nix
I will always prefer Mana Drain.
All the same, Mana Drain won't save you from a first round kill,
so I'm glad I have both.
It was truly a strange moment.
Use Misthollow Griffin if you want to get the exiled card back.
? rare/ is gatherer right? how come i have so many. Ah well :D
? rare/ is gatherer right? how come i have so many. Ah well :D"
It's rare on MTGO... It was printed as an uncommon.
the blue players can beat up the combo decks and i'll beat up the blue players
Perhaps make a functional reprint that requires you to exile two blue cards and pay 2 life as an alternate cost. After all, you should be using this card only when you really need it—in a pinch—such to stop a game-winning combo, or bomb from hitting the table.
Pact of Negation is a balanced card, but this... this is not balanced as it is now. That's primarily why its price is so exorbitant.
I love the strength of this card; being able to tap out and develop my board while still holding a counter up so good.
@Purple_Shrimp: Are you fucking kidding me? "pretty bad except vs combo" It's good against damn near everything! If you've never been crushed by this card, you've never played Legacy.
This card is the black lotus counterspell. The control equivalent of lotus.
Clearly the fact that you can play it for free in an hour of need is awesome. Also, I think this slightly edges it past mana drain since even the threat of a counterspell at (almost) any time will force them to make leaps of faith, or hold too much in reserve.5/5
But aside from this, could somebody explain the art to me? The guy in the picture couldn't look less capable of blue magic.
EDIT:
I see now. the barbarian is not burning when dipping his hands in fire. Still doesn't fit. maybe would've gone better with a red spell that lets you soak up damage like fortune thief?
Of course 'broken' doesn't mean bad or overpowered, it means format warping. And in every format this card is legal (Specifically Legacy and Vintage), this card warps the format in a very necessary way. Without this single card, both formats would completely collapse, as combo decks reigned supreme. Legacy would be nothing but Belcher decks, Spanish Inquisition decks, and ANT decks. There would be no way of reliably stopping the lightning fast combo decks that can potentially kill on turn 1, before any other powerful counter magic is online. Force of Will alone manages to keep all these completely busted decks in check, and is an invaluable tool for the players with 'fair' decks.
So I rest my case; Force of Will is the most broken counterspell in the game. And for that I'm glad.
Tamiyo, the Moon Sage's -8 gives you an emblem that gives you unlimited hand size and the ability to return a card to your hand when it would be placed in the graveyard. Unlike Foil, Force of Will makes you exile a permanent (along with the miniscule life loss) to cast it without paying its mana cost. With Foil it's discard an Island and another card - any other card - from your hand. With the emblem, that translates to **POTENTIALLY** infinite counterspells since you discard an island, another card, and then put those two and Foil back in your hand without spending any mana. :D
If you have spare mana, do not insist on casting FoW with its alt cost. Free-casting is necessary only when situation demands it, not because it's required. Same with Forbid and its buyback cost, or Banefire and its X > 5 phrase.
As you can see, he is clearly about to flip the table.
-Swag_Crow