counter-spelling Molten Earth

[kyaakone]

How does counter-spelling Molten Earth work?

 

I assume that a spellcaster can't prevent the area of magma from appearing altogether. Generally counterspelling would impose the penalty for all targets in the area of affect. Does that apply here? What about at the start of the units' next activation; if a spellcaster is still in the area of affect, can they expend SP to apply a penalty to the CP again? Would this penalty apply to everyone in the area of affect?

 

thanks

[Gus Landt]

You are correct in that a counterspell cannot prevent the magma from appearing. Counterspell says that the penalty applies to "every casting check made for this spell". That is no different for Molten Earth. If Molten Earth is counterspelled, then all future checks from passing through the molten earth are made with that penalty. Those future checks cannot be further counterspelled, since only the Casting Check step (5) of Attack Spell Resolution would be performed.

As in all AoE attack spells, if the spell is counterspelled, the CP penalty applies to all Casting Checks made for the spell.