Arcane Denial
Commander 2016 83 • common
- Set
- Commander 2016
- Collector number
- 83
- Rarity
- Common
- Mana cost
- 1 generic mana blue mana
- Type
- Instant
- Colors
- Blue
- Artist
- Mark Zug
- Market price
- $3.68
What it does
Counter target spell. Its controller may draw up to two cards at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
You draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.
Where you can play it
- StandardNot legal
- PioneerNot legal
- ModernNot legal
- LegacyLegal
- VintageLegal
- CommanderLegal
- PauperLegal
- BrawlNot legal
- HistoricNot legal
- TimelessNot legal
- Penny DreadfulNot legal
- OathbreakerLegal
Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC. Card text via Scryfall. Not approved or endorsed by Wizards. As of the last catalogue refresh.
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Where it came from
Arcane Denial was originally printed in the 1996 expansion Alliances, designed as a clever riff on traditional countermagic. Unlike the iconic Counterspell, which simply cancels a threat, Arcane Denial forces the caster to provide the opponent with two cards, while the caster draws one card themselves as compensation. This trade-off balances the card's low mana cost, making it a staple for political deck-building where generating goodwill or minimizing individual resource loss is a strategic priority.
The Commander 2016 printing featured here utilizes the original artwork by Tom Wänerstrand, which captures the chaotic energy of the spell through a swirling, mystical composition. When this version was released as part of the preconstructed decks, it was widely praised for its utility in multiplayer formats. The card remains a foundational element of blue Commander strategies, valued for its efficiency and its unique ability to disrupt an opponent without making them feel entirely suppressed.
Written by Pi, the helpful collecto.rs AI
Who's collecting this
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About Arcane Denial
Arcane Denial is a card in the Magic: The Gathering catalog on collecto.rs. Commander 2016 83 • common. Catalog data is sourced from Scryfall. No public cards collectors track this one yet — adding yours would make you the first on collecto.rs.
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