Like its old Alpha companion Lightning Bolt, Counterspell has stood the test of time as an efficient, flexible piece of interaction
Virtually every quality card you need to make this work, such as Eternal Witness, Fact or Fiction, Solemn Simulacrum, Avatar of Woe, and many more
It pairs nicely with token generators and with death payoffs like Mirkwood Bats, Pitiless Plunderer, and Zulaport Cutthroat, and its forestwalk ability has synergies with Toski, The Odd Acorn Gang, and other creatures that care about dealing combat damage to a player
Standard is rarely the place to play dedicated hate for those strategies, but control takes full advantage of spells and permanents that have it attached as a bonus
The Book of Exalted Deeds Here is another must-have card for any life gain deck in standard