Taxing your own spells by 2 mana just to force them through countermagic doesn't seem amazing, until it is
If you build your deck around it by having multiple artifacts, enchantments, and tokens to sacrifice it almost guarantees you will always have something to bargain when the time comes
Astor Budget Starters As you can see, these are quality cards and all of them are quite cheap
Decklist Creatures (16): 4x Mmmenon, the Right Hand, 4x Mechanozoa, 4x Cloudsculpt Technician, 4x Spyglass Siren Artifacts (8): 4x Chrome Companion, 4x Nutrient Block Instants (12): 4x Three Steps Ahead, 4x Desculpting Blast, 4x Annul Lands (24): 24x Island Play Guide The game plan is to establish an early board with flyers like Spyglass Siren and Cloudsculpt Technician, then pivot in the mid-game
Youre on the draw (more on this later)