Esper Control is packed with countermagic (Counterspell, Spell Snare, Force of Negation) and sweepers like Wrath of the Skies, so your own Force of Negation is a liability once they're tapped out or once you need every card to rebuild post-wrath — Mystical Dispute is the better tool since it can blow out their own counterspells for one mana in the early turns. Teferi, Time Raveler is outstanding here, shutting off their instant-speed interaction and countermagic while also bouncing a Wan Shi Tong, Librarian or planeswalker. Sequence Living End around their open mana for Counterspell, and use Curator of Mysteries/Subtlety to strip a counterspell or Wrath of the Skies from their hand before you commit. Keep Endurance in since it dodges sorcery-speed sweepers and disrupts their Consult the Star Charts value engine.

Boros Energy is a fast, low-to-the-ground aggro-tempo deck full of one- and two-mana threats like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and Ocelot Pride, so Force of Negation is often too slow and too narrow against their curve of cheap permanents. Mystical Dispute comes in as a flexible counter that's excellent against their Blood Moon and any blue hate they bring in, while Force of Vigor blows up Ocelot Pride tokens' enablers, Guide of Souls, and any artifacts/enchantments like Static Prison or The Legend of Roku. Prioritize resolving Living End on curve since their removal is mostly burn aimed at your face and creatures, not counterspells. Keep Endurance in to fight through their graveyard hate and to snipe Ragavan.

Affinity wants to assemble Urza's Saga and Mox Opal into a fast artifact-based board, so Force of Vigor is a premium answer that can two-for-one their Saga tokens, Engineered Explosives, or Arcbound Ravager. Mystical Dispute is at its best here since almost their entire deck is blue and/or artifacts, letting you counter their Metallic Rebuke or key threats for one mana. Trim your clunkier top-end cascade targets and one Sink into Stupor since Affinity plays a lower curve and you want to be proactive with Living End rather than durdling. Keep Endurance in as both a blocker and graveyard hate against Emry, Lurker of the Loch.