| Counter Magic | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Realm |
 Sorcery | |
| Spell Rarity | Common | |
| Spell Type | Combat Enchantment | |
| Combat Cost |
 10 + up to 40 | |
| Research Cost |
 190 | |
| ||
|
Any spell cast by the opposing force must roll against Counter Magic's current strength or be dispelled. Each attempt by the enemy to cast any spell - whether successful or not - reduces Counter Magic's strength by 5. | ||
|
Buggy Feature |
| As of Master of Magic v1.31, Counter Magic is known to be malfunctioning in at least one way. Please read the Known Bugs section below. |
Counter Magic is a Common Sorcery Combat Enchantment. It may only be cast during combat, for the base Casting Cost of 10, plus up to an additional 40 as determined by the caster. While Counter Magic is in effect, it will automatically try to prevent any enemy attempts at spellcasting. Its Dispel Strength starts out equal to its Casting Cost, but is then reduced by 5 every time the opposing force tries to cast any spell, whether successfully or otherwise. If the Dispel Strength ever reaches 0, Counter Magic is removed automatically.
Effects[]
Counter Magic tries to prevent all enemy spellcasting during combat. With each such attempt however, its strength diminishes, until eventually it fades completely and the enchantment is removed from play.
Countering Enemy Magic[]
When Counter Magic is in effect over the battlefield, it will automatically attempt to counter any spell being cast by any opposing unit or Wizard. Whenever such spellcasting occurs, Counter Magic instantly makes a dispelling attempt against the target spell and, if successful, will cause it to fizzle instead of taking effect.
The initial Dispel Strength of Counter Magic equals its base Casting Cost. As this is a variable-cost spell however, at the time of its casting, its caster may channel up to an additional 40 (4 times its base cost of 10), or as many as their Spell Casting Skill or Mana reserves allow, to enhance the effect. This extra Mana is then considered to be part of Counter Magic's base Casting Cost for all intents and purposes, including its Dispel Strength. This is in contrast to effects that may reduce its Casting Cost afterwards, such as that of Sorcery Mastery for example, which will not affect the initial Dispel Strength.
On the other hand, every time Counter Magic makes an attempt to fizzle an enemy spell, its Dispel Strength decreases by 5, meaning that it can't keep trying to counter spells forever. This happens regardless of whether the counter was successful or not. Thus, if the enemy keeps trying to cast spells, the enchantment eventually runs out of strength, and when it does, it is automatically removed from play.
To find out whether the target spell is successfully countered or not, the game performs a random roll against a Counter Chance that is calculated using the following formula:
Counter Chance (%) = Dispel Strength ÷ (Dispel Strength + Spell Cost) × 100
If the result of the roll is below the chance, Counter Magic succeeds, and the target spell fizzles; but if it is above, the spell takes effect despite the presence of Counter Magic. This is the exact same formula that is used by all dispel type spells and effects in the game. However, unlike most of those, when substituting the Spell Cost, Counter Magic uses the target spell's effective Casting Cost, rather than the base value. This is the amount actually deducted from the caster's Spell Casting Skill, modified not only by the variable component of the cost (which makes sense), but also by profile traits that reduce Casting Costs (which does not). This is extremely counter-intuitive, as it means that getting better at casting certain types of spells also makes it easier for opponents to counter those spells in combat.
For example, when playing a strategy that relies on achieving a 100% Casting Cost reduction on Summoning Spells, a Counter Magic cast by the opponent in battle means that the player is no longer able to summon any of those units in combat, as they will fizzle 100% of the time. The only other effects that work by this same mechanic are the dispelling auras of magical Nodes, which also invoke the same game code. No other dispel type spell uses effective Casting Costs, not even overland counters, such as Suppress Magic, or the protection granted by the Nightshade plant. For this reason, Counter Magic is generally regarded as bugged, or at least seriously flawed in its concept, even in the unofficial game versions that otherwise correct the rest of its bugs.
To add to this controversy, Counter Magic does consider the Retorts that make spells harder to dispel. Thus, the Spell Cost in the formula does get doubled for an Archmage or Chaos- / Nature- / Sorcery Master casting from their mastered Realm, and tripled for the combination of the two. However, as is the case with all other counter type effects, Runemaster does not apply to Counter Magic - the only way to improve its success chance is to infuse it with more Mana at the time of its casting.
It may also he worth noting that there are two spell-like abilities that, while invoked through the "Spell" button in combat, are not subject to the effect of Counter Magic. They are the 
Web Spell of 
Giant Spiders, and the 
Summon Demons ability of 
Demon Lords. Apart from these two however, every action performed via the "Spell" button can be countered, including other spell-like abilities, such as the 
Fireball Spell of Magicians, or Spell Charges invoked from Magical Items.
Example[]
- The player casts Counter Magic with its maximum allowed Casting Cost of
50 (the basic 10 plus an extra 40 paid), yielding an initial Dispel Strength of 50. - The enemy then repeatedly attempts to use a combat spell with a Casting Cost of 20.
- On the enemy's first attempt to cast the spell, the chance of Counter Magic dispelling it is:
Counter Chance = (50 ÷ (50 + 20)) × 100 = (50 ÷ 70) × 100 = 0.71 × 100 = 71%
- The game must roll 72 or higher (on a roll of 1 to 100) in order for the enemy's spell to get past Counter Magic. Whether or not it got through though, the enchantment's Dispel Strength is reduced by 5, from the initial 50 to 45. Therefore, on the enemy's second attempt to cast the same spell, the chance to counter is calculated as follows:
Counter Chance = (45 ÷ (45 + 20) × 100 = (45 ÷ 65) × 100 = 0.69 × 100 = 69%
- The chance for the enemy's spell to fizzle is now 69%, slightly lower than before. Counter Magic's Dispel Strength is then reduced by another 5, leaving only 40. On the third and subsequent attempts:
Attempt Dispel Strength Counter Chance #3 40
(40 ÷ 60) × 100 = 0.66 × 100 = 66%
#4 35
(35 ÷ 55) × 100 = 0.63 × 100 = 63%
#5 30
(30 ÷ 50) × 100 = 0.6 × 100 = 60%
#6 25
(25 ÷ 45) × 100 = 0.55 × 100 = 55%
#7 20
(20 ÷ 40) × 100 = 0.5 × 100 = 50%
#8 15
(15 ÷ 35) × 100 = 0.42 × 100 = 42%
#9 10
(10 ÷ 30) × 100 = 0.33 × 100 = 33%
#10 5
(5 ÷ 25) × 100 = 0.2 × 100 = 20%
- After the tenth attempt at blocking the enemy spell, Counter Magic's Dispel Strength is reduced to 0. At this point, the enchantment dissipates, and is removed automatically from the battlefield.
Usage[]
Counter Magic may only be cast during combat, for a basic Casting Cost of 10. If the casting is successful, the spell's icon will appear in one of the enchantment windows at the bottom of the screen, underneath the name of the Wizard whose side has cast the spell (left or right depending on whether it is cast by the defending or attacking force). Counter Magic will then start exerting its effect immediately, and remains active until the end of the battle, or until it is dispelled. Since it does not carry over to the overland map, the spell has no Upkeep Cost.
Counter Magic is a variable-cost spell. It can be infused at the time of its casting by up to 40 additional Mana, or as much as the caster's remaining Spell Casting Skill, 
Caster ability, or Mana reserves allow. Each point of extra Mana increases the initial Dispel Strength of Counter Magic by 1. However, each attempt at countering an enemy spell also reduces this value by 5. If at any point, the Dispel Strength is reduced to zero or below, Counter Magic dissipates automatically.
While active, Counter Magic displays a message every time it succeeds in preventing a spell from taking effect, indicating both the spell's name, and the unit or Wizard who was attempting to cast it.
Acquisition[]
As a Common Spell of the Sorcery Realm, Counter Magic may become available to any Wizard who acquires at least 1 Spellbook. With none, the spell can naturally not be learned during the campaign. This is the minimum requirement for it to be traded for, appear in Treasure, or be found in the spoils of victory when conquering the Fortress of a rival Wizard who already knows it.
The base chance for Counter Magic to be researchable (at some point) in the campaign is roughly 30% (with 1 book), which gradually increases with the amount of Sorcery Spellbooks possessed or found during gameplay. With 7 or more, the spell is certain to show up sooner or later, unless acquired from another source. It has a Research Cost of 190, although its research is quicker for Wizards possessing the Sage Master, and/or Sorcery Mastery Retorts; or a bookshelf containing 8 or more.
Counter Magic may also be selected as a starting spell by any Wizard with at least 2 books. In this case, it will be available for casting as soon as the game begins.
In addition, Counter Magic is available as a Hero spell. It is known by Zaldron the Sage, although it's worth noting that he can't actually cast it at his initial Experience Level. He either needs to advance to 
Myrmidon (level 2), or otherwise equip Magical Items to have enough Mana to use his Counter Magic spell.
Strategy[]
Counter Magic is a surprisingly useful way of preventing an enemy Wizard or unit from casting spells during battle. This can cripple any Wizard who is relying on powerful magics rather than combat units, and reduce harm to Counter Magic's controller's own units as a result of fizzling enemy direct-damage spells or Unit Curses.
Known Bugs[]
According to Counter Magic's description, each attempt to counter a spell - successfully or not - should reduce the enchantment's Dispel Strength by 5 points. However, in the latest official version of the game, this is actually only true if the target spell is being cast by a Hero or other spellcasting unit. For spells cast by a Wizard, Counter Magic's Dispel Strength is reduced only if it fails to prevent the spell. This makes Counter Magic with a high initial strength extremely effective, because it will counter most cheaper spells whereas its Dispel Strength isn't reduced for successful counters against the opposing Wizard. This bug is fixed in the unofficial Insecticide patch.
The aforementioned bug may also have a strange side effect, namely the disappearance of certain Combat Enchantments. This happens when Counter Magic successfully prevents the casting of a spell with a certain Spellcasting Range multiplier. If, at that time, a specific Combat Enchantment is present, it will be removed as a side effect of Counter Magic subtracting 5 from the wrong place. Naturally, this means that the target spell's casting must have been attempted by a Wizard, since Range multipliers don't apply to units. However, which side has cast the Counter Magic, and which Wizard is trying to cast the target spell does not matter, as long as they are doing it with the specific Range multiplier. The enchantments that will be removed this way are:
| Range Multiplier | Removed Combat Enchantment |
|---|---|
| ×0.5 | defender's  Warp Reality
|
| ×1.0 | attacker's Metal Fires
|
| ×1.5 | defender's  High Prayer
|
| ×2.0 | attacker's Counter Magic* |
| ×2.5 | defender's Entangle
|
Where the "defender" is the player starting on the top left half of the combat map, with their enchantments listed on the bottom left of the screen, and the "attacker" is the player starting on the bottom right. In the case of the multiplier of ×2.0, the attacker's Counter Magic is not necessarily removed, but instead its Dispel Strength is reduced by 5. For example, if the attacking side casts Counter Magic, and the defending Wizard has a ×2.0 Range multiplier, each countered spell cast by that Wizard will reduce the Counter Magic's Dispel Strength by 5, which is actually the intended behaviour (a rare situation where the aforementioned bug doesn't occur). However, if both sides cast Counter Magic, and the attacking Wizard has a ×2.0 Range multiplier, each countered spell cast by them will reduce the Dispel Strength of their own Counter Magic! This side effect will not occur in v1.40 or later because as mentioned above, the original bug is fixed there.
On the other hand, no current version corrects the rather serious concept flaw described earlier in the article, namely that Counter Magic substitutes the target spell's effective Casting Cost into its dispel formula. With the exception of Node tile auras, that use the same game code, no other effect works this way. Both dispel- and counter type spells all use the base Casting Costs of their target spells. This makes perfect sense, as abilities that are supposed to enhance spellcasting would contradict their purpose if, at the same time, they would make those same spells easier to remove.
Finally, Counter Magic is a variable-cost spell, which all suffer from two further bugs. Firstly, if such a spell is embedded into a Magical Item as a Spell Charge, then a Hero using that Spell Charge will not draw any extra casting skill for increasing its power. Thus, a Hero using a Counter Magic Spell Charge can utilize its full power without losing any casting skill. Also, the game forgets to include a spell's base Casting Cost when trying to calculate how much extra Mana the AI can invest in a chargeable spell. In the case of Counter Magic, this means that the AI can get up to 10 more Dispel Strength than it should, if the Wizard or unit casting the spell is already low on remaining skill. The latter bug is fixed in the Unofficial Patch 1.50, which also has an optional feature that may be turned on to disallow variable-cost spells from appearing as Spell Charges.