12 cards where the text includes “counter” and the text includes “spell” and the text includes “rather than pay” and the text includes “mana cost”
As Foretold {2}{U}
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a time counter on As Foretold.
Once each turn, you may pay {0} rather than pay the mana cost for a spell you cast with mana value X or less, where X is the number of time counters on As Foretold.
Illustrated by Tommy Arnold
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Legal
- Explorer
- Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Historic
- Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
Force of Negation {1}{U}{U}
Instant
If it’s not your turn, you may exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target noncreature spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner’s graveyard.
“Try, if you must.”
Illustrated by Paul Scott Canavan
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Force of Will {3}{U}{U}
Instant
You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell.
“Your artillery will burn itself out before I allow my focus to waver.”
Illustrated by Donato Giancola
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Daze {1}{U}
Instant
You may return an Island you control to its owner’s hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
Illustrated by Min Yum
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Banned
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Contagion {3}{B}{B}
Instant
You may pay 1 life and exile a black card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Distribute two -2/-1 counters among one or two target creatures.
Illustrated by Mike Raabe
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Scars of the Veteran {4}{W}
Instant
You may exile a white card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Prevent the next 7 damage that would be dealt to any target this turn. If it’s a creature, put a +0/+1 counter on it for each 1 damage prevented this way at the beginning of the next end step.
Illustrated by Dan Frazier
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
Bounty of the Hunt {3}{G}{G}
Instant
You may exile a green card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Distribute three +1/+1 counters among one, two, or three target creatures. For each +1/+1 counter you put on a creature this way, remove a +1/+1 counter from that creature at the beginning of the next cleanup step.
Illustrated by Jeff A. Menges
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Summoning Trap {4}{G}{G}
Instant — Trap
If a creature spell you cast this turn was countered by a spell or ability an opponent controlled, you may pay {0} rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put a creature card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
Illustrated by Kieran Yanner
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
Thwart {2}{U}{U}
Instant
You may return three Islands you control to their owner’s hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell.
Illustrated by Christopher Moeller
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
Admiral's Order {1}{U}{U}
Instant
Raid — If you attacked this turn, you may pay {U} rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell.
“Damn the cannons, mates. Charge!”
Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Legal
- Explorer
- Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Historic
- Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
Disrupting Shoal {X}{U}{U}
Instant — Arcane
You may exile a blue card with mana value X from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell if its mana value is X.
Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Not Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Legal
Foil {2}{U}{U}
Instant
You may discard an Island card and another card rather than pay this spell’s mana cost.
Counter target spell.
Among wizards, poor timing is the most consistent mistake.
Illustrated by Donato Giancola
- Standard
- Not Legal
- Alchemy
- Not Legal
- Pioneer
- Not Legal
- Explorer
- Not Legal
- Modern
- Not Legal
- Historic
- Not Legal
- Legacy
- Legal
- Brawl
- Not Legal
- Vintage
- Legal
- Timeless
- Not Legal
- Commander
- Legal
- Pauper
- Legal
- Oathbreaker
- Legal
- Penny
- Not Legal
In the blink of an eye, they strode from deep snow to the end of this search.