Golgari is a grindy midrange deck with Thoughtseize and efficient removal like Fatal Push and Abrupt Decay, so cheap creature-removal like Torch the Tower is much weaker. Our counterspells can protect Vivi Ornitier from Fatal Push and Go for the Throat, since Spell Pierce taxes those spells and Change the Equation counters them outright. Abrupt Decay can't be countered, so nothing in our deck stops it. Change the Equation is flexible: it counters cheap spells (mana value 2 or less) like Thoughtseize, Fatal Push and Go for the Throat, and its second mode hits green spells with mana value 6 or less, such as Professor Dellian Fel, Sentinel of the Nameless City and Badgermole Cub. It does not hit Sheoldred, the Apocalypse, which is a mono-black mana value 4 creature. Spell Pierce taxes their noncreature spells early, including Thoughtseize, Fatal Push, Go for the Throat and Professor Dellian Fel, but not Abrupt Decay. Ashiok, Dream Render's -1 exiles their graveyard, which cuts into Takenuma, Abandoned Mire's recursion and limits their graveyard-based value. This Town Ain't Big Enough and Voldaren Thrillseeker are too slow against their efficient removal suite and are best cut for interaction.