Draining Whelk

Counter a spell with him and not feeling satisfied with it? That's what WOTC made Momentary Blink for!

The Whelk's mana cost isn't a big deal, cuz you'll want to play it late game anyway. I mean, say it cost 2U. If you play it on your opponent's 3rd or 4th turn at best you'll have a 4/4 or 5/5 flyer...I'd rather pay 4UU and counter an Akroma :D It also has Flying so against some decks it's unbeatable.

Draining Whelk is decent if you manage to counter an expensive spell with it .. If not, it's just an pricey Spellstutter Sprite...

The mana cost is pretty pricey, but the effect is worth it; its use of +1/+1 counters works well in a Simic/Graft deck, which opens up the option of green mana acceleration, making it a bit quicker to get out.

When I got this out of a booster pack I was dissapointed. It took me a long time to see exactly how good this card is. It has since become the highlight in one of my now favorite decks. A counterspell for 6 mana at first seems pricey but its worth it. Especially later in the game when is exactly when you want to play it. Let your opponent think youve burned through all your countering spells when they drop Time Spiral, Avatar of Woe or even Darksteel Colossus late in the game, counter it, and as a bonus, you get a massive flier that can swing for the win.