Imp's Mischief

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Imp's Mischief is a 2cmc black instant that retargets any single-target spell at the cost of life equal to its mana value. It functions as black's premier counterspell-counter — redirecting Counterspell, Doom Blade, or Path to Exile back onto an opponent's own creature or spell. Uniquely valuable in black-heavy control and combo decks that lack blue interaction, and especially potent in cEDH-adjacent brackets where single-target interaction is dense. The life payment can be steep for high-MV spells (e.g., redirecting a Blasphemous Act could cost 9 life).

• Imp's Mischief is one of black's only answers to a counterspell targeting your spell — redirecting a Counterspell (MV 2) back at itself forces the counter to target itself and fizzle, costing only 2 life.

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• The life payment scales with the MV of the spell being retargeted, not the MV of Imp's Mischief itself; redirecting a high-MV spell like Expropriate or Blasphemous Act can cost 8-9+ life, making it risky in already-pressured life totals.

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• In cEDH, Imp's Mischief is particularly valuable as a way for black combo decks to protect their game-winning spells without needing access to blue — it is often compared to Veil of Summer and Boseiju as a same-turn protection piece.

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• EDHREC rank: #692