>Intro to Edric

Counterspell control is a hard deck to build in commander. Because you typically have three opponents instead of one, you need a lot of card draw to be able to keep getting counterspells and removal. Most commanders simply can’t provide this. Edric, Spymaster of Trest is one of the exceptions. His draw ability is phenomenal. With it you will be able to get enough counterspells to stop all three players from winning. You will almost always have a response to the big plays. You’ll like Edric if:

• You like counterspell control strategies.
• You like attacking with lots of creatures.
• You like extra turn spells.
• You’re in a playgroup that disallows infinite combos (without Nexus of Fate, this deck is non-infinite).

I made this version of Edric as a disruptive build. It focuses on stopping opponents from winning first, and then tries to win the game. If you’re looking for a more proactive build, the Laboratory Maniacs have a good primer, but it’s a little outdated.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CompetitiveEDH/comments/7khwfh/edric_spymaster_of_trest_the_art_of_tasteful/

>Gameplan

Basic Plan: Start the game by playing low-cost evasive creatures. Then play Edric. He’ll usually come out turn 3, but turn 2 happens as well. Then draw cards, and focus on using counterspells to control the game. End the game (turn 5 on average) by casting extra turn spells.

>Starting Hands

Your starting hand absolutely needs 1 or 2 creatures. The deck cannot function without them. Ideally, they will have some evasive ability like flying, but non-evasive creatures (Baral, Chief of Compliance, Sylvan Safekeeper) are doable if you’re against an opponent that you know won’t have any blockers. You’ll also want the hand to have 3 lands, or 2 with mana ramp. Keeping a hand with only two mana sources is risky, but doable. You just have to hope you’ll draw a land in the first 3 turns.

Note that mana ramp and counterspells are optional in a starting hand. While they are absolutely useful, the evasive creatures are much more important.

>Early Game

Turn 1: If you have any mana ramp, play it this turn. Best to get it out now. Otherwise, play an evasive creature.
Turn 2: Be thankful that Flash Hulk died. Because it’s very unlikely that someone will try to win this turn cycle you can focus on building up your boardstate instead of holding up counterspell mana. Play evasive creatures or small support effects (Eladamri, Lord of Leaves, Null Rod). Do not play Edric this turn, unless you had a really good turn 1 that involved cards like Gemstone Caverns and Cloud of Faeries. You want some evasive creatures on the battlefield ready to attack before Edric comes out. Playing Edric first and then the evasive creatures is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot. The exception is if you drew a third land, you played a mana dork turn 1, and you have an opponent that won’t be able to block next turn. In that specific circumstance you can play Edric this turn, because that means you’ll have 3 mana open on turn 3 and still be able to draw two cards.
Turn 3: Okay, now you can play Edric. In an ideal situation you’ll also have 1 blue mana open to threaten a counterspell with. Go to combat on this turn and attack with your evasive creatures. Start drawing cards and get ready to play the counterspell mind games. If you had to tap-out, don’t worry too much. This deck has 5 different counterspell/removal spells that can be cast for 0 mana, so this deck can always threaten a response.

>Threat Assessment

Who you attack often doesn’t matter. The exception is when you’re up against a deck that actually cares about it’s life total, like Ad Nauseam decks and K’rrik, Son of Yawgmoth. In those cases, focus attacks on that player if they’re open. Otherwise, just attack whoever you can. The cards you draw are more important than the damage you deal.

Your two biggest priorities for things to counter are game-winning plays and things that threaten your boardstate. Don’t counter something just because you can. Yes, Elsha of the Infinite is a good commander, but not counterspell worthy. Yes, Sylvan Library gives your opponent a lot of cards, but not counterspell worthy. Yes, Smothering Tithe will give a lot of mana, but not counterspell worthy. Just focus on the game-ending plays. The tab below gives a list of things that are counter on sight/remove on sight. Most of the time it’s obvious that you should stop a combo, but I’ve included combos that can backfire on your opponent if you play your cards right. Note that in a lot of cases, removal spells can (and should) be used instead.

>High Priority Targets

Fire Covenant + Toxic Deluge: Other boardwipes are also a problem, but these ones are low cost, so they are most likely to show up before you have a good counterspell defence. Don’t let them resolve. Note that Siren Stormtamer can also counter Fire Covenant.
Humility: Eliminate on sight. Maybe use removal before your combat starts. That way it screws over your opponents for a little bit.
Notion Thief + Hullbreacher + Narset, Parter of Veils: If you can’t draw cards off of Edric, you’re dead in the water. Eliminate these on sight. You can also have your evasive creatures attack Narset, but you won't draw cards that turn.
Silence: If someone casts the Silence on your turn it’s probably not that bad. You can afford to wait another turn cycle. If they left other mana open though, it means they’re probably trying to remove something of yours (Edric, duh). If they cast the Silence on their turn, it means they are about to attempt a combo. Counter it, if anything just to send the message that you have another counterspell at the ready.
Static Orb: If someone plays this, they’re either a fool, or they have some way to break parity (like Urza, Lord High Artificer or Brago, King Eternal). You can let it resolve, but get rid of it before your untap step.
Thassa’s Oracle Combo: For those that aren’t familiar with the combo, the pilot will cast Thassa’s Oracle. In response to the enter the battlefield effect, they cast Demonic Consultation, exiling their entire library. ETB resolves, and they win. Sometimes the player will cast Demonic Consultation first, then Thassa’s Oracle. In either case, the best action is to stifle the ETB trigger, leaving your opponent with an empty library, so they lose on their next turn. If you can’t do that, counter whatever the second spell is. That’s most likely to screw them up.
Worldgorger Dragon Combo: This combo is common in Anje Falkenrath and other Rakdos decks. It works by casting Animate Dead (or a similar enchantment) on Worldgorger Dragon, causing an infinite exile/replay loop, where the player will float infinite mana off the lands and then win in some other way. But there is a fatal flaw with this combo; if you can remove either the enchantment or Worldgorger Dragon while the enter the battlefield effect is on the stack, all the permanents get exiled and don’t return. That ends the game for that player.

>Low priority targets

If these cards show up it’s probably a good idea to counter/remove them, but not the worst thing if you don’t. You’ll have to make a judgement call.

Cursed Totem: There aren’t that many creatures with activated abilities in this deck. Not such a big deal if you lose their abilities, they can always attack.
Damping Sphere: Kinda sucks when you have to play an extra turn spell and then a recursion spell. Costs a total of… one more mana? Yeah this card is probably fine in most cases.
Rule of Law + Eidolon of Rhetoric: These are fairly annoying in the late-game. You plan on casting an extra turn spell and then a recursion spell in the same turn, so that would be a good time to remove them. They can be a bit problematic in the early game as well, but you can let them stick around for a while.
Sphere of Resistance + Thorn of Amethyst: Mildly irritating, but fortunately the spells in this deck are already low-cost.
Trinisphere: Most of the spells in this deck are 1 or 2 mana. If this shows up in the late game its not that big a deal because you’ll have lots of mana, and you’ll be focused on casting extra turn spells. Early game it can mess you up.
Winter Orb: Only untapping one land can suck, but you might be able to mitigate it’s effect thanks to the mana dorks and mana enchantments. Remove it if the situation demands it.

>Winning the game

This deck wins by casting extra turn spells and then using recursion to bring those spells back and cast them again. The best one is Notorious Throng, because it also gives evasive tokens. If it weren’t for Nexus of Fate, this would be a non-infinite combo. Because you’re drawing so many cards each turn cycle, it’s super likely that you’re just going to keep re-casting extra turn spells. Even if you do have to stop chaining due to bad luck, you’ll likely have more than enough interaction to be able to stop everyone from winning until your next turn, where you have another shot at restarting the extra turn chain.

You’ll notice that this deck doesn’t have Overrun effects like Triumph of the Hordes and Beastmaster Ascension. This is on purpose. The cards are just too slow, not effective, and not needed to win the game. The extra turn chain is enough to win games.

>Good vs. Bad Matchups

Edric does really well against most decks. Combo decks need to play it smart and be really good at either baiting, or protecting their combo. Non-cEDH decks just don’t have the speed to be able to keep up with Edric. Stax decks need to ensure that they can land a hate piece early and start breaking parity. In all cases, the Edric deck can have a response. There are 5 instants that act as zero mana counters/removal. This deck is rarely defenseless.

Edric has a little bit of trouble against storm decks. With so many spells in one turn, it’s hard to decide what to counter. Generally, you want to counter their card advantage. Either counter that Wheel of Fortune, or Stifle Yidris’ damage trigger. It’s a risky play to let them storm off and then try to counter the Aetherflux Reservoir. At that point, they likely have enough mana and counterspells to fight you. Some stax decks can give Edric a rough time as well. Static Orb and Notion Thief are understandably devastating. Against these decks you need to deal with the stax piece in some way.

What Edric really has trouble with isn’t so much individual decks as it is pod composition. If Edric is facing three proactive combo decks, it means that Edric is the only deck that will try to stop the combos. Remember how I said that control is hard to do in commander because its hard to control three opponents at once? Even though Edric is better than most decks for this, it can still be a problem. Get ready to be bluffing a lot. You need to play the mind games and make everyone think that you're going to be able to stop their combo. Even if you can stop one person, you can't stop all three if they try to combo, so it's important that everyone fears a counterspell, so no one tries to combo. In a pod where there is another disruptive or adaptive deck, Edric can relax a little bit. Now there is more than one player that can stop combos.

>Beating Edric

If you’re up against an Edric deck, and I cannot stress this enough, do not attack the Edric player. That is the worst thing to do because you’re denying yourself card draw. The Edric player will win before you’re able to deal 40 damage. You need to be attacking Edric’s opponents so you can draw yourself into either a way to remove Edric, a way to protect your combo, or enough cards that you can bait the Edric player.

Speaking of removal, the best time to remove Edric is on turn 3. Same turn he comes out. The deck will likely be tapped out. Any turn after this and Edric will have mana open for counterspells. A smart Edric player will have an answer on turn 3, but it’s not a guarantee. Even then, you’ve still denied them a counterspell. Failing to remove Edric on turn 3, you need to play things that demand an answer, before going for your win-con. An Edric player will always try to counter a Toxic Deluge. If they do counter it, then you just baited their counterspell. Go for the win now, but be wary; they may have a second counter. If they don’t counter the Toxic Deluge, you’re in the clear. They definitely don’t have a counter.

>Single Card Discussion

More important than which cards go in the deck is how many of each. This deck needs a certain number of evasive creatures and extra turn spells in order to function. That number is more important than what individual cards go into each category. You’ll also notice that three creature types show up frequently; rogues, faeries, and elves. This is for the few tribal effects this deck uses; Notorious Throng, Spellstutter Sprite, and Priest of Titania + Eladamri, Lord of Leaves respectively. Of these three, rogues are the most important. Having a good density of these creature types is also important.

>Evasive Creatures

Cloud of Faeries: First off, being a faerie is relevant. Second, the untap effect is super useful. It allows you to play multiple evasive creatures before Edric shows up, or allows you to leave mana open and still play an evasive creature. It can also sometimes net positive mana with Gaea’s Cradle and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx.
Esior, Wardwing Familiar: The protection is nice. I just wish it had a relevant creature type.
Faerie Miscreant: It’s an evasive creature with two relevant creature types.
Faerie Seer: Faerie is a relevant creature type, and it allows you to scry.
Faerie Vandal: The +1/+1 counters don’t matter that much. What is important is that it has two relevant creature types, and flash. Because it has flash, you can afford to leave 2 mana open on turn 2 to threaten a counter, and you can just cast Faerie Vandal if nothing comes up.
Gudul Lurker: 1 mana unblockable. It’s good.
Hope of Ghirapur: It costing 1 generic mana is very useful. It’s activated ability also has its uses. If you think someone is going to try to combo off next turn, Hope of Ghirapur will buy you more time. If you're about to start the extra turn chain, Hope of Ghirapur will prevent one player from using counterspells.
Ice-Fang Coatl: Having flash means that you can afford to leave mana open on turn 2. Drawing a card is also nice. Deathtouch doesn’t matter.
Looter Il-Kor: First, he’s a rogue. It’s useful. Second, the looting ability helps to get one more card each turn.
Mausoleum Wanderer: 1 mana evasive, that also has a built-in counterspell.
Scryb Sprites: 1 mana faerie. It’s good.
Siren Stormtamer: 1 mana flying creature, that also doubles as protection.
Slither Blade: 1 mana unblockable rogue. Useful.
Spellstutter Sprite: Works well with all the faeries in this deck.
Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive: Most of the creatures in this deck are already hard to block. Tetsuko makes them impossible to block, and lends the ability to a few other creatures (Elvish Mystic, Baral, Chief of Compliance).
Treetop Scout: 1 mana elf with “flying”.
Triton Shorestalker: 1 mana unblockable rogue.
Wingcrafter: Soulbond this guy with Edric so they both have flying. Remember that you can leave him unbonded when he enters the battlefield, and then soulbond him with Edric later.

Notable Exclusions

Artificer’s Assistant: The occasional scry is… meh… but without any relevant creature types and only flying instead of unblockable, this birdy gets cut.
Hypnotic Siren: No relevant creature types, and you’ll never bestow it.
Ingenious Thief: A solid pick. It’s a rogue, has evasion, and lets you peak at someone’s hand. Shame it’s 2 mana.
Invisible Stalker: A rogue, but not worth the 2 mana. No one’s going to target it with removal.
Jace’s Phantasm: No relevant creature types, and the increase in power/toughness just doesn’t matter for this strategy.
Merfolk Spy: Another good choice. It’s a rogue for 1 mana, with an evasive ability. You can replace Slither Blade for this card in the right meta.
Nightveil Sprite: Two relevant creature types, with an effect that gets rid of cards you don’t want to draw. A good swap if you don’t like some of the other creatures.
Oakhame Adversary: I’ve been struggling to find a way to get this in. I don’t think I’m in a good enough meta to make it work, but I will try to fit this card in the future.
Phantasmal Image: Copies another evasive creature. In a rare case your opponent will have a creature worth copying. I think I’ll just use an actual evasive creature instead.
Silhana Ledgewalker: Elf rogue with “flying”. Shame she’s two mana.
Spectral Sailor: The flash is nice, but the spirit creature type is only good with Mausoleum Wanderer. You might choose to slot this in.
Spiketail Hatchling: Some people will treat this like a Sphere of Resistance. Unfortunately it costs 2 mana and has no relevant creature types. I may put it back in the future.

>Counterspells

Fierce Guardianship: Without a doubt the best card to come out of Commander 2020. Just a shame that it can’t be used to protect Edric on cast.
Force of Negation: A purely offensive counterspell. It can’t be used on your turn, so it’s not much good for protection. It can still stop your opponent’s combo turn.
Force of Will: Arguably the best counterspell in Magic. Edric provides more than enough card draw to mitigate the loss of another card.
Mana Drain: A counterspell and mana ramp rolled into one. The two blue cost can be an issue at times.
Mental Misstep: Every one mana spell in commander is worth countering with Mental Misstep. Doesn’t mean you should counter the first thing you see. I primarily use it to protect Edric from removal, or to deal with a Silence.
Miscast: A nice 1 mana counter. Shame that it doesn't hit more targets.
Narset’s Reversal: There are some crazy things that happen because of this card. It can also be used on your own extra turn spell, so you get to use it twice. The downside is that Narset's Reversal costs 2 blue, doesn’t eliminate the spell being cast, and only works on instants/sorceries. I’m considering getting rid of it.
Spell Pierce: A very good one mana counter. People rarely have 2 left on combo turn.
Stifle: You have to be really smart about using this as opposed to a pure counterspell. For 1 mana, it will serve you well if you know how to use it.
Swan Song: Giving someone a 2/2 bird is a pretty significant downside in this deck, because it means they now have a flying blocker. That player can also use it to draw cards. Use with caution.
Trickbind: I really like split second. This card is super useful for stopping combos.
Unified Will: It’s highly unlikely that there will be another player with more creatures than you (maybe a mono-green deck like Yisan).

Notable Exclusions

Abjure: Countering a spell is not worth losing a creature in most cases.
Counterspell: Two blue mana cost messes with resource management, and it also can’t be discounted with Baral. Blue mana is very important in this deck, so you ideally want to use as little of it as possible.
Delay: This is generally a safe counter to use, because the game will likely be over in three turns time. There were just better things to use.
Disallow: The only good three mana counterspell. Super versatile, but three is still a lot.
Flusterstorm: A one mana counter is certainly useful, but Miscast has replaced it.
Hydroblast: No.
Mana Leak: A good counterspell, but there are better choices.
Muddle the Mixture: The transmute would rarely be used (usually getting Nostalgic Dreams), and this deck is using better counterspells to begin with.
Negate: A good choice, but there is better.
Pact of Negation: Pact of Negation is a purely defensive counterspell. It’s good in combo decks that don’t plan on paying the upkeep cost. Because Edric doesn’t have a combo turn, it’s left out.

>Removal

Caustic Caterpillar: It’s a creature, so it can draw you cards, and it’s removal is instant-speed. Very useful.
Cyclonic Rift: Bouncing all opponents’ permanents can usually win you the game. Before then, you can use this as simple removal. You can always fall back on the extra turn chain.
Expel from Orazca: A good way of removing anything. Putting it back on top of library can mess that opponent up even more.
Force of Vigor: Really good artifact/enchantment removal. Gets rid of two things, with no mana cost. Perfect.
Krosan Grip: Most people don’t like Krosan Grip. I’m the exception. Split second is really good for stopping combos.
Nature’s Claim: Low mana cost, low price, 1 mana, instant speed, with an irrelevant downside. This is the best artifact/enchantment removal spell in commander.
Pongify + Rapid Hybridization: Giving someone a 3/3 creature can sometimes be a problem. But 1 mana creature removal is still good.
Strip Mine: Useful for getting rid of The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, and a few other things.

Notable Exclusions

Beast Within: Three mana is a bit much. It’s nice that it can remove anything though. If The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale ever shows up again, I’ll probably put it back in.
Chain of Vapor: Your opponent will absolutely copy this and they will absolutely target Edric.
Reality Shift: It's nice to see something that actually removes the target instead of bounce, but this is unfortunately restricted to just creatures.
Seeds of Innocence: A good artifact boardwipe. Not currently useful in my meta but I frequently swap this card in and out.
Wasteland: Colorless mana sets this deck back, so I was skeptical about using this and Strip Mine. If there is a Tabernacle in your meta, you absolutely want Wasteland as well.

>Mana Ramp

Arbor Elf: Arguably better than Birds of Paradise in this deck, because it can draw you cards.
Birds of Paradise: Can’t be used to draw cards, but it gives any color of mana, so it’s useful. If only there was an elf that could tap for blue.
Carpet of Flowers: Makes a good turn 1 play, so you can also play an evasive creature.
Druids’ Repository: Gives more mana than you will ever need. Useful enough, but I’ve considered using other things in it’s place, as the three mana upfront cost causes issues.
Fyndhorn Elves + Llanowar Elves: Your basic elves.
Gaea’s Cradle: Super good land, but don’t feel like this is a must-have card. This deck will function just fine if all you can afford is a forest.
Gemstone Caverns: You know how I said you should always cast Edric turn 3? This card makes your turn 3 come sooner. Awesome land that is definitely underplayed.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx: Devotion to both blue and green can get pretty high in this deck. You will usually tap it for blue.
Priest of Titania: Gives a lot of mana. Even Edric is an elf.
Sol Ring: Auto-include.

Notable Exclusions

Ancient Tomb: Colorless mana sets this deck back a bit. Giving one additional mana didn’t really improve the success of this deck.
Arcane Signet + Fellwar Stone + Talisman of Curiosity: Ramp that cost two mana and only gives one just doesn't cut it for this deck.
Chrome Mox: While this deck can afford to toss away a card, I found that the elves just work better because they can also attack.
Exploration: Only really good if you have drawn 4 lands by turn 2. It didn’t happen often enough.
Mana Crypt: A good replacement for Sol Ring or Strip Mine, but don’t think of it as necessary to make this deck good.
Mox Diamond: I would use Chrome Mox first.

>Extra Turn Spells

Karn’s Temporal Sundering: If I had to pick one extra turn spell to swap out, it would be this one. It exiles itself, so it can’t be recurred, and the removal aspect is rarely useful.
Nexus of Fate: This card should not exist. It is incredibly broken. But I will still exploit it and use it.
Notorious Throng: The best extra turn spell in this deck. Use this, and on your extra turn you’ll have more than double the amount of attackers you did last turn. You’re almost guaranteed to get another extra turn or recursion spell after that.
Temporal Mastery: The miracle sometimes shows up. Usually because of Mystical Tutor.
Temporal Manipulation + Time Warp: Your most basic and effective extra turn spells. Low cost, and recurable.
Temporal Trespass: Pretty common to pay 3 mana for this card in the late-game.
Walk the Aeons: You’ll likely never pay the buyback, but it can still be recurred with other methods.

Notable Exclusions

Capture of Jingzhou: A good replacement for Karn’s Temporal Sundering if you’re willing to spend that much money on a card that will only ever see play in this deck.
Expropriate: If you can produce that much mana, you’ve already won the game.
Seedtime: Too niche of a use.
Time Stretch: It’s important for this deck to be able to cast it’s first extra turn spell to get the chain started. 5 mana for one turn is better than 10 mana for two.

>Recursion

Nostalgic Dreams: This can bring back multiple extra turn spells, and other recursion spells.
Noxious Revival: 0 mana recursion is good.
Reclaim: 1 mana recursion is good.
Regrowth: I can’t help but think that there isn’t much to discuss with recursion spells.
Snapcaster Mage: Exiling the extra turn spell isn’t ideal, but it’s an option. He can also be used to flashback a counter or removal spell, and he is an attacker.

Notable Exclusions

Flood of Recollection: Not a bad choice, but it’s better for recursion to be green, so you can save your blue mana for the extra turn spell, and to protect against a counterspell.
Recollect: You can put this in, but 3 mana is a little much.
Wildest Dreams: Not a bad choice. It’s good for the late game when you have lots of spare mana, but you’ve already won the game at that point. No point in including a win more card.

>Tutors

Crop Rotation: Gets you Gaea’s Cradle, or Strip Mine in very specific cases.
Long-Term Plans: Put Notorious Throng or a recursion spell third from the top. You’ll draw into it.
Mystical Tutor: Primarily used on either Notorious Throng or Temporal Mastery.

Notable Exclusions

Green Sun’s Zenith: Not sure what I would search for. Dryad Arbor if ever I decide to put it in. Collector Ouphe occasionally. I just can’t find a card to swap out to justify Green Sun’s use.
Worldly Tutor: Same problem; what do I search for? Baral? Snapcaster? No creature in this deck is absolutely needed. Searching for Notorious Throng is more important.

>Other

Baral, Chief of Compliance: Reduces the cost of counterspells and extra turn spells. He also gives a little bit of card draw. An all-around good choice for a control deck.
Collector Ouphe: There is only one artifact in this deck, so you’re hardly affected. Also doubles as an attacker.
Eladamri, Lord of Leaves: Good protection for Edric, and can make the elves evasive. Doesn’t work on himself though.
Null Rod: I have done land > Sol Ring > Null Rod as a turn 1 play. Null Rod damages the mana bases of most other decks, and completely shuts down some decks.
Sylvan Safekeeper: Good way to protect Edric. Most people won’t bother removing him because they know you can just sacrifice a land and be fine.

Notable Exclusions

Beastmaster Ascension: Why does everyone keep suggesting this card? The extra turn chain already wins the game. Beastmaster Ascension just gets in the way.
Cursed Totem: Only mildly effects you. Including this is a meta call.
Dryad Arbor: I just really don’t like lands that enter tapped, and this is effectively that. It’s nice that this one can also attack, but I’d rather just play an evasive creature.
Extract: A hilarious way to deal with combos before they become a problem. Annoying to one player. I sometimes swap it in.
Forbidden Orchard: Don’t give your opponents attackers if you can avoid it.
Heroic Intervention: Counterspells can protect from most threats, and more. Exception: Supreme Verdict.
Meekstone: If you happen to be in a slower meta with strong creatures, this is a card to consider.
Mystic Remora: There’s already enough card draw from Edric. It would only give 2 cards at most, because I didn’t want to pay the upkeep cost.
Phyrexian Revoker + Pithing Needle: Another meta call. I found that counterspells just work better.
Reliquary Tower: Crappy land. It gives colorless, which has come back to bite me, and discarding cards isn’t that big of a deal. The only nice thing about this is that I didn’t have to bother to think about my discards during the extra turn chain, so it saved on time.
Sylvan Library: I’m already drawing a lot of cards off Edric. It’s a good choice if you can’t rely on him always being on the battlefield.
Triumph of the Hordes: No. Bad call. I need at least 5 evasive creatures to remove 1 player. Extra turns are better.
Veil of Summer: I found that counterspells are more versatile. The draw a card clause is nice though.