<p><strong>Yes</strong>. You pay costs to take actions. This includes Mana Costs listed right of the Card Name, and any additional costs within the cards Rules Text. Nothing in the Basic Rules allows you to get back costs that you paid to cast a spell. Remember, your opponent is paying a cost to counter your spell (usually a mana cost, and the instant counter spell that will leave their hand and go to their graveyard). It wouldn't be fair for them to have to pay to counter your spell, if you just got your resources back. From the <a href="http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/resources/rules/EN_MTGM13_Rulebook.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Basic Rulebook</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>COST</strong> - A cost is something you have to pay to take another action. You must pay a cost to cast a spell or activate an activated ability. Sometimes a spell or ability will also ask you to pay a cost when it resolves. You can’t pay a cost unless you can pay all of it.</p>
<p><strong>COUNTER A SPELL OR ABILITY</strong> - To cancel out a spell or ability so it has no effect. If a spell is countered, it’s removed from the stack and put into its owner’s graveyard.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-19T02:22:41.017Z
2012-07-19T02:22:41.017Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
user1873
<p>Yes. This is pretty obvious if you remember that, like the card says, sacrificing the goblin is <em>an additional cost</em>. It's like paying mana for a spell - and you don't get mana back if someone counters one of your spells.</p>

<p>If you want to read <a href="http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/rules">the comp rules</a>, casting spells is section 601.1. Paying the cost for a spell is 601.2g; the spell becomes cast after that in 601.2h. At that point, it's on the stack and your opponent has a chance to counter it. When they do, the costs are already paid (your goblin is dead and your mana is spent).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-13T21:25:30.147Z
2012-07-13T21:25:30.147Z
Cascabel
<p>If they use a <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Counter%20Spell">Counter Spell</a> or some other similar way to counter my <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Goblin%20Grenade">Goblin Grenade</a> do I still lose the sacrificed goblin?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-14T00:19:35.640Z
Why would you expect to **not** lose the goblin?
user1873
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-14T01:04:31.850Z
@user1873: I think the OP was just confused about when costs are paid. (The original card text was a lot more confusing in that department, but given the gatherer links, it seems unlikely the OP was looking at that.)
Cascabel
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-14T01:27:31.760Z
@Jefromi, you are possibly correct. It might be the case that Yaztromo is an old 5th edition player. My familiarity with 5th edition rules isn't spectacular.
user1873
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-07-15T23:46:59.867Z
@user1873, to be honest, I'm originally an unlimited edition player... I always struggled to keep up with the game after the introduction of Ice Age as since then I played much much less than I used to...
Yaztromo
<magic-the-gathering>
If they counter my Goblin Grenade, do I still lose my goblin?
Yaztromo
# If they counter my Goblin Grenade, do I still lose my goblin?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-07-13)

If they use a [Counter Spell](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Counter%20Spell) or some other similar way to counter my [Goblin Grenade](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Goblin%20Grenade) do I still lose the sacrificed goblin?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Why would you expect to **not** lose the goblin?  
> **username_2**: @username_1: I think the OP was just confused about when costs are paid. (The original card text was a lot more confusing in that department, but given the gatherer links, it seems unlikely the OP was looking at that.)  
> **username_1**: @Jefromi, you are possibly correct. It might be the case that username_0 is an old 5th edition player. My familiarity with 5th edition rules isn't spectacular.  
> **username_0**: @username_1, to be honest, I'm originally an unlimited edition player... I always struggled to keep up with the game after the introduction of Ice Age as since then I played much much less than I used to...  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2012-07-13. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

Yes. This is pretty obvious if you remember that, like the card says, sacrificing the goblin is *an additional cost*. It's like paying mana for a spell - and you don't get mana back if someone counters one of your spells.

If you want to read [the comp rules](http://www.wizards.com/Magic/TCG/Article.aspx?x=magic/rules), casting spells is section 601.1. Paying the cost for a spell is 601.2g; the spell becomes cast after that in 601.2h. At that point, it's on the stack and your opponent has a chance to counter it. When they do, the costs are already paid (your goblin is dead and your mana is spent).


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### Answer by username_1 on 2012-07-19. Score: 2

**Yes**. You pay costs to take actions. This includes Mana Costs listed right of the Card Name, and any additional costs within the cards Rules Text. Nothing in the Basic Rules allows you to get back costs that you paid to cast a spell. Remember, your opponent is paying a cost to counter your spell (usually a mana cost, and the instant counter spell that will leave their hand and go to their graveyard). It wouldn't be fair for them to have to pay to counter your spell, if you just got your resources back. From the [Basic Rulebook](http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/resources/rules/EN_MTGM13_Rulebook.pdf):

> **COST** - A cost is something you have to pay to take another action. You must pay a cost to cast a spell or activate an activated ability. Sometimes a spell or ability will also ask you to pay a cost when it resolves. You can’t pay a cost unless you can pay all of it.
>
> **COUNTER A SPELL OR ABILITY** - To cancel out a spell or ability so it has no effect. If a spell is countered, it’s removed from the stack and put into its owner’s graveyard.


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