Any thoughts on counter-spelling a counter-spell?
Should counter-spelling evocation require that you go before or at the same time as the other caster?
Counterspelling in DFrpg is about taking apart existing spells. So they always occur after the casting.
Like ripping apart of ward or ending an evocation block is counterspelling.
What you are thinking about is actually an evocation block which must already be in place to protect. So what you could do is set up whatever effect, then put a block against counterspelling on it.
Basically, let's say the spell you are trying to protect has a lot of shifts devoted to duration and/or area (counterspelling that just requires them to take out the shifts for effect, not the total shifts--I think). So your spell is going and you see an Angry Warlock come in, how you might throw a short-duration, high-block block against counterspelling to prevent the Angry Warlock from ripping it apart. However I agree with Babel that is seems easier to just make the spell harder to counterspell int he first place (make it bigger).
Basically you put the spell in a shipping box and padded it with packaging material so it won't break. To get to the spell they have to go through the cardboard (in this example, the cardboard is your block against counterspelling).
Summary:
Blocks prevent actions (or sometimes grapple people to death).
Counterspells rip apart existing spells.