Forceful Denial MTG Card


Forceful Denial - Commander Legends
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Abilities Cascade
Released2020-11-20
Set symbol
Set nameCommander Legends
Set codeCMR
Number69
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byVolkan Baǵa

Key Takeaways

  1. Forceful Denial offers both card advantage and resource acceleration, key for maintaining control.
  2. It requires careful hand management due to the discard condition, affecting strategic depth.
  3. Although versatile and meta-relevant, its mana cost and color specificity may limit usage.

Text of card

Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) Counter target spell.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Forceful Denial gives you the upper hand by negating an opponent’s spell, effectively diminishing their resources while you maintain your own hand size.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting mana, Forceful Denial can indirectly accelerate your game by keeping your opponent’s key plays at bay, allowing you to develop your board unfettered.

Instant Speed: The fact that Forceful Denial can be played at instant speed provides the flexibility to disrupt an opponent’s strategy during their turn, preserving the element of surprise and keeping your options open until the moment of impact.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Forceful Denial necessitates discarding a card, which might hamper your strategic advantage if your hand is already depleted or if you need to retain key cards for future turns.

Specific Mana Cost: With its blue mana requirement, Forceful Denial can be difficult to cast consistently in multicolored decks that don’t heavily favor blue sources, thus potentially limiting its inclusion in diverse deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two blue and two other mana, the card demands a significant mana investment for a counter spell. There are alternative spells that can counteract an opponent’s actions for less, preserving crucial mana for deploying threats or other countermagic.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Forceful Denial is a flexible countermeasure to various spells. Its ability to negate not only creature spells but also key non-creature spells makes it a valuable addition to any deck needing robust interruption capabilities.

Combo Potential: For players who craft decks with a focus on spell-slinging, Forceful Denial can protect important combos from being disrupted. Given its disruption prowess, it helps maintain your strategic plays without interruption.

Meta-Relevance: Understanding the current competitive landscape means recognizing the prevalence of combo and control decks. Forceful Denial acts as an essential tool against such strategies, solidifying its place in decks that must navigate through a complex meta filled with a variety of threats and key spells. Its contribution to maintaining board control cannot be underestimated.


How to beat

Forceful Denial is a card that can pose significant challenges on the battlefield. This counteracting spell puts any MTG player on their toes, especially when you’re trying to resolve crucial spells. To counter this denial, it’s essential to bait it out first. Play less critical spells to lure out the counter, preserving your more potent cards for later on. It’s also a good move to have backup spells in hand, ideally, those with a lower mana cost that you can play even after Forceful Denial has been used.

Another strategy is to wait for the right timing. Forceful Denial requires specific conditions to be met or costs to be paid to be effective. By keeping track of your opponent’s resources and playing spells when they’re tapped out or at a resource disadvantage, you increase the odds of your spells resolving. Additionally, consider using cards with the can’t be countered clause, which are immune to Forceful Denial’s influence and ensure your critical plays cannot be easily disrupted.

Lastly, patience and observation can go a long way. Keeping a keen eye on your opponent’s pattern of play helps discern the best moments to act. For some, including instants and flash spells in your arsenal may also provide the flexibility needed to outmaneuver Forceful Denial, making your plays unpredictable and harder to thwart.


BurnMana Recommendations

Devising the optimal strategy in the ever-evolving game of MTG means continuously adapting and refining your deck. Forceful Denial is a potent card that not only counters your opponent’s spells but also serves as a tactical deterrent. Harness its power to fortify your defense and keep threats at bay while you diligently craft your pathway to victory. Whether you’re climbing the ranks or simply savoring the game’s complex intricacies, mastering the use of such versatile cards can dramatically alter the outcome of a match. Dive deeper into the art of the counter with us and add a layer of precision to your gaming repertoire.


Cards like Forceful Denial

Forceful Denial in Magic: The Gathering takes its place alongside some compelling counterspell options. It is akin to the classic Counterspell, which flatly denies an opponent’s spell for the same two mana cost. However, Forceful Denial has an additional nuance that sets it apart – it requires an extra condition to be further effective.

Another comparable card is Mana Leak. This card also interrupts enemy plays at a low mana cost, demanding the target’s controller pays additional mana or have their spell countered. While Mana Leak can be more universally hindering early on, Forceful Denial’s secondary effect can offer a more significant impact in longer games. Dissolve is also worth mentioning, countering spells and permitting a scry 1, thus leveraging future plays, but at a higher cost and without the conditional aspect unique to Forceful Denial.

Drawing from these comparisons, Forceful Denial is versatile in its ability to be an efficient counterspell with added late-game value. Amid its counterparts in Magic: The Gathering, it holds a competitive edge for players who can satisfy its additional requirements to maximize effectiveness.

Counterspell - MTG Card versions
Mana Leak - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions
Counterspell - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Mana Leak - Stronghold (STH)
Dissolve - Theros (THS)

Cards similar to Forceful Denial by color, type and mana cost

Desertion - MTG Card versions
Force of Will - MTG Card versions
Evacuation - MTG Card versions
Double Take - MTG Card versions
Sunder - MTG Card versions
Submerge - MTG Card versions
Misdirection - MTG Card versions
Gush - MTG Card versions
Perplexing Test - MTG Card versions
Graven Lore - MTG Card versions
Access Denied - MTG Card versions
Counterbore - MTG Card versions
Traumatic Visions - MTG Card versions
Whiplash Trap - MTG Card versions
Mysteries of the Deep - MTG Card versions
Jace's Ingenuity - MTG Card versions
Quicksilver Geyser - MTG Card versions
Lost in the Mist - MTG Card versions
Psychic Spiral - MTG Card versions
Totally Lost - MTG Card versions
Desertion - Conspiracy: Take the Crown (CN2)
Force of Will - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Evacuation - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander (LCC)
Double Take - Unglued (UGL)
Sunder - The List (PLST)
Submerge - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Misdirection - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Gush - Mystery Booster (MB1)
Perplexing Test - Wilds of Eldraine Commander (WOC)
Graven Lore - Kaldheim Promos (PKHM)
Access Denied - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Counterbore - Salvat 2011 (PS11)
Traumatic Visions - Conflux (CON)
Whiplash Trap - Commander 2020 (C20)
Mysteries of the Deep - Worldwake (WWK)
Jace's Ingenuity - Magic 2015 (M15)
Quicksilver Geyser - Mirrodin Besieged (MBS)
Lost in the Mist - Innistrad (ISD)
Psychic Spiral - Return to Ravnica (RTR)
Totally Lost - Mystery Booster (MB1)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Forceful Denial MTG card by a specific set like Commander Legends, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Forceful Denial and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Forceful Denial has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Forceful Denial card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2020-11-10 You can't cast Forceful Denial targeting itself just to cascade.
2021-06-18 A spell's mana value is determined only by its mana cost. Ignore any alternative costs, additional costs, cost increases, or cost reductions.
2021-06-18 Cascade triggers when you cast the spell, meaning that it resolves before that spell. If you end up casting the exiled card, it will go on the stack above the spell with cascade.
2021-06-18 Due to a 2021 rules change to cascade, not only do you stop exiling cards if you exile a nonland card with lesser mana value than the spell with cascade, but the resulting spell you cast must also have lesser mana value. Previously, in cases where a card's mana value differed from the resulting spell, such as with some modal double-faced cards or cards with an Adventure, you could cast a spell with a higher mana value than the exiled card.
2021-06-18 If a spell with cascade is countered, the cascade ability will still resolve normally.
2021-06-18 If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
2021-06-18 If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the card.
2021-06-18 The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If cascade allows you to cast a split card, you may cast either half but not both halves.
2021-06-18 When the cascade ability resolves, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether or not you cast the last card exiled.
2021-06-18 You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them.

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