Deny the Divine MTG Card

“Deny the Divine” can shift card advantage in your favor, halting opponent’s noncreature spells. It enables tempo disruptions and strategic flexibility due to its instant speed nature. Requires careful play: discard condition and specific mana needs may limit its effectiveness.
Deny the Divine - Theros Beyond Death
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2020-01-24
Set symbol
Set nameTheros Beyond Death
Set codeTHB
Number47
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byYigit Koroglu

Text of card

Counter target creature or enchantment spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.

"A great wave crashed, and a mighty wind blew out the stars." —*The Cosmogony*

Cards like Deny the Divine

Deny the Divine is a notable counter spell in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, placed in line with other classic negation cards. It mirrors the functionality of cards like Cancel, which also counteracts any spell at the potential cost of three mana. Where Deny the Divine distinguishes itself is in its versatility, being able to counter an opponent’s spell, artifact, enchantment, or planeswalker. This breadth of possible targets provides a tactical advantage in comparison to Cancel’s singular focus.

Analogous to Deny the Divine, Essence Scatter serves a similar purpose but is more restrictive, only countering creature spells. It compensates for this limitation with a cheaper mana cost, making it a preferred choice in creature-heavy metagames. Then, there’s Dissolve, which is not only comparable in mana cost to Deny the Divine but also includes the added benefit of scrying. This can help shape future moves by deciding the fate of the upcoming draw.

In summary, Deny the Divine stands out among its peers for its broad scope of targets. While other counter spells shine in specific situations, Deny the Divine offers a balanced mix of cost and coverage, making it a robust inclusion in any deck where countering a range of threats is key.

Cancel - MTG Card versions
Essence Scatter - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions
Cancel - MTG Card versions
Essence Scatter - MTG Card versions
Dissolve - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Deny the Divine offers the benefit of potentially preventing your opponent from gaining an edge through noncreature spells, helping maintain or tip the balance of card advantage in your favor.

Resource Acceleration: As a countermeasure, this card can interrupt and stall an opponent’s strategy, possibly delaying important spells or resources they need. Disrupting their tempo can indirectly accelerate your position in the game.

Instant Speed: Its instant speed nature allows for strategic flexibility, affording you the option to respond to threats on the fly. This means you can adapt to the evolving battlefield and make pivotal decisions at the most opportune moment without missing a beat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Casting Deny the Divine requires the awkward condition of discarding a card, presenting a potential strategic setback when your hand is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: Deny the Divine asks for an exact mana combination to cast, limiting its inclusion to decks that can reliably produce both blue and white mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for Deny the Divine might be considered steep when weighed against other counterspells, particularly in a game where speed and efficiency are often key to victory.

Reasons to Include Deny the Divine in Your Collection

Versatility: Deny the Divine is a powerful counterspell that can be easily slotted into a variety of blue-based decks. Its ability to thwart an opponent’s spell or ability makes it a useful tool in both aggressive and control strategies.

Combo Potential: As a piece in control deck combos, Deny the Divine offers a reliable way to protect your pivotal plays. Its low mana cost means it can easily be incorporated into turns where you’re setting up a win condition, ensuring your combos go off without a hitch.

Meta-Relevance: In a game meta where instant-speed interaction is crucial, Deny the Divine shines by disrupting opponent’s plans. It’s especially relevant in formats where stack battles are prevalent and countering key spells can dramatically shift the course of the game.

How to beat

Deny the Divine is an enchanting countermeasure in Magic: The Gathering, often used to thwart noncreature spells in their tracks. Unlike a typical Counterspell, Deny the Divine specifically targets only noncreature spells, serving as a far more specialized defense. Moreover, it exiles the countered spell, preventing any from-the-graveyard play that certain decks might rely on.

To effectively overcome this card, players should consider baiting it out with less critical spells before playing their key noncreatures. Another strategy is to include cards in your deck that can’t be countered, such as those with the explicit “can’t be countered” text or abilities that trigger upon casting, which still take effect even if the spell is countered. By forcing opponents to make tough decisions on what to counter, you chip away at their defenses, rendering their Deny the Divine less impactful as the game progresses. Additionally, playing spells at instant speed during your opponent’s end step can pressure them to use their mana inefficiently, potentially leaving them vulnerable on your turn.

Remember, keeping an eye on your adversary’s untapped lands and potential countermagic is key to outmaneuvering Deny the Divine, making this seemingly formidable card just another manageable element of the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Deny the Divine MTG card by a specific set like Theros Beyond Death, 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 Deny the Divine and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Deny the Divine has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal