Counter plans are frequently advocated conditionally. See also dispositionality. The first four speeches in a debate are constructive speeches. Constructive speeches are used for presenting new arguments. Rebuttal speeches are for evaluating the arguments made in the constructive speeches.
Cost is one of the stock issues.
He stock issue of cost asks if the benefits of the affirmative outweigh its costs. Cost arguments most frequently are disadvantages. A counter plan is offered by the negative as an alternative to the affirmative plan. A counter plan must be competitive with the affirmative plan. A critique attacks some assumption made by the opposing team.