Name: Counters Company
Tier: Tier 1
Introduction
Counters Company is a creature-based toolbox combo deck that relies on the synergy of its creatures to win games. With instant-speed access to combo pieces via cards like Chord of Calling and Collected Company, the deck is able to catch unsuspecting opponents off guard with an infinite mana loop that ends with a very large Walking Ballista staring them in the face. To make this possible, the deck utilizes eight to ten mana dorks to set up its resources, which allows it to search the creature it needs with the help of Duskwatch Recruiter. If it’s unable to find a way to unleash the combo, it can still grind out wins with the help of value creatures like Tireless Tracker and Voice of Resurgence.
The deck’s current version is the latest variation in a long line of different builds throughout Modern’s existence. Birthing Pod decks, the epitome of all creature toolbox variants, were a force to be reckoned with in the early days of the format. However, it was deemed that the deck had too much unfair advantage, which led to the banning of Birthing Pod in 2014. This turn of events led to the birth of Abzan Company, another toolbox deck that depended on Chord of Calling and Collected Company to power out its key pieces.
Both Abzan Company and the old Pod decks typically killed with Melira, Sylvok Outcast and Kitchen Finks/Murderous Redcap, or sometimes with the Spike Feeder/Archangel of Thune combo. With the printing of Vizier of Remedies in Amonkhet, the Devoted Druid combo has become the kill of choice. This has reinvigorated the archetype to an extent, helping it climb from the top-end of Tier 2 to Tier 1.