Every color in Magic has something it does exceptionally well. In Commander, we often get locked out of one of these things because of our commander's color identity. I decided to create a series to help with this question: What do I play if my commander isn't in a certain color?

Let's start with the biggest lock out, Blue. Blue is good at a lot of things: drawing cards, bouncing permanents, and countering spells. Countering spells are the toughest thing to replicate in other colors, but I've got your back with the top non-Blue counterspells.

The Best Non-Blue Counters

Red

How do we counter spells in Red? The color that pops into my head first when I think of a Non-Blue counter is Red. However, these counters are very situational and targeted. Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast are cheap and counters target Blue spell or destroys a Blue permanent. This is very useful against the color most likely to counter you, but it doesn't do much for a spell outside of that color. For countering Blue they are amazing for the cost and ability.

What are the Top Red Counterspells in Commander? If you're dealing with other colors there are two real choices. I'll start with the harder one to accept: Mages' Contest. It's a bidding card. I know. We hate bidding, but how much life is your opponent willing to bid to stop you from winning?

If you never want to know, the TOP Red counterspell is going to have to be Tibalt's Trickery. Two mana and you can cross your fingers and hope they don't get anything better than what they just tried to cast. I love seeing someone cast a Genesis Ultimatum and my Tibalt's Trickery giving them a Thought Vessel.

White

How do we counter spells in White? There aren't nearly enough cards that counter spells in this color, sad to say, but there are some to mention. If you're worried about targeted damage or targeted removal, cards like Rebuff the Wicked and Dawn Charm are best. They aren't as versatile as a Blue or Red to some lesser extent, but they're useful. If someone taps out for a really big spell, hit them with a Mana Tithe. They don't have the extra one to stop the counter. If you're a creature heavy deck with token doubling, throw in Mage's Attendant. Make them pay 2.

What are the Top White Counterspells in Commander? There are a few tempo destructive counters in White. if they cast a spell with a converted-mana-cost (CMC) higher than half their mana and it's uncounterable, use Reprieve. Put the spell back in their hand and they can't recast it. Lapse of Certainty is a great counter as well. Unless they have a way to draw, they wasted that mana, revealed that card, and can't play it this turn.

Lastly, the TOP White counterspell has to be Aven Interrupter. Plotting a counter makes it useless. A Cyclonic Rift plotted is less scary because they have to wait until their next turn and can't overload it. Teferi's Protection is nearly pointless. Throw an Ephemerate into your White deck or any blink effect and you can keep doing plotting spells.

Colorless

How do we counter spells in Colorless? This is a tough decision. The four cards I'm thinking of are very situational. Not Of This World counters a targeted spell. It's free to cast as well if the creature targeted has 7 CMC or greater. It is really good in an Eldrazi deck with big targetable creatures. Null Elemental Blast counters any spell as long as it is multicolored. This is the rub. Counters in Blue and removal in White and board wipes in Black are usually mono-colored. Multicolored spells in those categories sometimes aren't counterable like Dovin's Veto or Supreme Verdict. Aside from that, it's versatile because it can destroy Multicolored Commanders and counter things like Rakdos Charm or Boros Charm.

What are the Top Colorless Counterspells in Commander? The last two are situational as well, but more versatile in my opinion. Kozilek, the Great Distortion is a very powerful counter in a high mana deck, with a good draw engine for counters. Countering as an activated ability is tough for your opponents to interact with without a stifle, but having the exact CMC of every time to counter might be tough.

However, for the mana cost and situation the TOP Colorless Counterspell is going to have to be Warping Wail. For two mana you can counter the biggest threats to colorless: Sorceries like Vandalblast or Damnation or Farewell. It just handles so many of the biggest threats without discretion. Cyclonic Rift bounces everything at instant speed so Warping Wail can't counter it, yeah, but play your Thought Vessel again and pray.

Black

How do we counter spells in Black? The further down the list the harder it gets to find some gems for you all. Dash Hopes seems like a counterspell until someone just loses 5 life to let it resolve. It's more of a loss-of-life spell. Stromgald Cabal is targeted White countering which is good. White has a lot of board wipes and targeted removal so tapping and paying a life to counter them with Stromgald Cabal is great.

What are the Top Black Counterspells in Commander? For Deathgrip, the big green spells we should be worried about like Last March of the Ents are not counterable. On the other hand, paying 2 black to counter every green creature is pretty insane: every ramp spell, most mass hexproof and indestructible spells, every fight spell. Wait a second. It's hateful, yes. Am I insane or is this kind of relevant?

I was going to talk about Withering Boon and about paying life to counter creature spells, which is crazy useful, but I'm super locked into this anti-Green countering engine. Being able to slow down the ramp and keep indestructible away from a Green deck seems relevant. Commander players often splash Green for these kinds of effects. I sound like a Green conspiracy theorist, but I'm going to say the TOP Black Counterspell HAS to be Deathgrip. Maybe I'm a hater though. I lose to Mono-Green a lot.

Green

How do we counter spells in Green? This had me pulling at my hair. All Green counters are specific. The first one splashes Red: Guttural Response. Counter target Blue instant spell. It is useful like a Red Elemental Blast but without the versatility of blowing up a Blue permanent. Then comes Avoid Fate: Counters target instant or Aura spell that targets a permanent you control. Targeted counters are important to some extent, but it's not versatile either.

What are the Top Green Counterspells in Commander? When thinking about Green, what are we trying to do typically in this color? Go Big. We're trying to cast huge spells. We need the enter-the-battlefield effects. What gets in the way of that? Counterspells. The TOP Green Counterspells must be Autumn's Veil and Veil of Summer. Veil of Summer gives you hexproof from Blue and Black and makes your spells uncounterable. Let's just hope there isn't a Cyclonic Rift or a Path to Exile.

And if you're interested in the other entries of this series, you can check them out here:

• The Top Non-White Exile Effects