Cryptic Command

Do I really need to explain the versatility of this card? It's such a great toolbox card; anyone who plays in extended today should probably be running four of these. It's certainly the best "command" card in the set (but don't underestimate Profane Command or Austere Command) and it's one of the best in the set, possibly the block. For its casting cost, it's really good and the actual price isn't all that bad since it's not standard legal.

Like so many others, my life has been changed forever by this card. After my sweet Margret passed on and I was layed off my job in the same year I fell into a deep clinical depression. The only thing that kept the overwhelming suicidal thoughts at bay were massive amounts of drugs and alcohol. Within six months I had lost everything and was turning tricks on the street for pocket change. As soon as I got enough money I would just huff myself unconscious on model airplane glue. Then one day while rummaging through a dumpster a miracle happened and I found this card. Now life is good again. Women, money, fame. The world is my oyster. Thanks Cryptic Command!

This card is a miracle. I was bald and overweight. I had severe astygmatism and I had lost an arm in a fishing accident off the coast of Florida. I top decked this bad mothah and not only did I grow a new superhuman arm, I grew my hair back, got into shape and man oh man, can I now see like the wild falcon in flight. Thanks Cryptic Command!

This card saved my life. I had little hope for survival; I had just gotten fired; my wife said she wanted a divorce; my dog even peed on me. Then, I drew this card and played it. Everything is wonderful again for me. The sun is shining and the birds are singing again. Thanks Cryptic Command for helping me to be a man again!

Truly one card, that when you find yourself holding one, you know, that everything is going to be okay. You know, as long as you have a Cryptic Command, no one can really hurt you. I've never felt more secure in a game of Magic than when I was holding this card. It's true what they say, it really is the most useful card in Standard. You draw one of these bad boys, and you know, you just KNOW, that you're fine for at least a long time. Cryptic Command Baby...one bad card.

If this card is representative of the direction they're moving counter-magic in, I like it and I think it's good for the game. Cryptic is a card that's so good that to win against it, you have to pay attention to when your opponent is representing it, and create a situation where they're forced to use it at an inopportune time. In general, I've found that with most aggro decks at least, this means either pressuring them so that they're forced to either use this to counter a spell you bluff before you play another one, or making them use its two effects on something other than countering a spell.

What I like about counterspells these days, is that they're not usually all-purpose. They sometimes have crazy-good effects, but these come at the price of more mana, like this card, or a parasitic conditional strategy, like Sage's Dowsing. It seems like Wizards is realizing that overabundant countering, just like too much discard or good quality land destruction, damages people's enjoyment of the game and leads to less interactive games. Cryptic Command is an awesome card, but your opponent can only use four, so you have to learn to play around it or force it out of their hand.

...holy crap. I pulled a regular and a foil one of these out of a pack and traded them for nothing...anyway, wow!! =D this is one of the best counterspells ever; if i HAD any they would go into my red/blue deck and pwn but i dont so i cant.

WOW ma ma !!! even with the mox speed in type one/vintage, this guy packs a punch. SUCH A SICK counter. For 4 you can tap all their creatures at end of their turn, then draw one and attack ..... or counter on their turn, bounce a heafty beefy blocker boy back into their hand and thoughtseize your next turn....and swing with your beef! hahahaha. I'm running a few in my vintage for sheer board position and ruthlessness. plus a few negate 4 force of will, and of course an echoing truth. good control......nice hand buddy

One of the best blue spells printed in a long while. Use it, love it, buy it.

I have mixed feelings about this card. It's very useful in Standard type decks but my permission deck is about being able to counter early power spells or spells where you just leave UU when casting to be able to counter in your opponent's turn (Force of Will/Counterspell/Arcane Denial). I give it a 5 because I'm a sucker for Counterspells and it's got other useful abilities. :)

This is a very good card, though I don't like how they're making staple cards rares.
They used to be common and uncommon lke counterspell, dark ritual, force of will, mana drain, giant growth, prosperity, lightning bolt, dismiss, duress, hymn to tourach, cabal therapy, flames of the blood hand.
Nowadays staple cards are rares like this , thoughtseize, char, nix, pact of negation, stonewood invocation, mind spring, mind shatter, beacon of destruction, twincast, pithing needle.
Morningtide was an improvement, it had cards like disperse and negate.

Goodbye dismiss, hello cryptic command

The most useful card I have ever seen. Always a blessing to have one your hand.

Awesome way to spend 4 mana and dismantle almost any decks early synergy...

Not sure what has caused this card to spike so ludicrously, I can be only venture to guess it is due to Modern. I am glad I bought my Cryptics when they were about what they should be, at around $15. They are now inaccessible to many players on a budget. I hope very earnestly that they reprint these so there will again be $20 copies available.