Diviner Spirit MTG Card
2013-11-01 - Number 40
2017-06-09 - Number 37
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Key Takeaways
- Diviner Spirit excels at delivering card advantage when dealing combat damage to opponents.
- It fuels decks’ resource acceleration by indirectly granting access to more mana and spells.
- While potent, it demands discards and suits specific mana bases, which can limit usage.
Text of card
Whenever Diviner Spirit deals combat damage to a player, you and that player each draw that many cards.
Sentience is its natural habitat.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Diviner Spirit offers a notable benefit by allowing you to draw cards each time it deals damage to a player. This effect can stock your hand with more options and potentially lead to a dominant position on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: While Diviner Spirit itself doesn’t produce additional mana or tokens, the cards drawn from its damage-trigger effect can lead to obtaining more resources indirectly. The increased chance of drawing into lands or mana-generating spells accelerates your resource pool as the game progresses.
Instant Speed: The ability to utilize spells and interact with the game at instant speed is crucial in MTG. While Diviner Spirit is a creature, having additional cards drawn at instant speed due to its combat damage allows you to react swiftly on subsequent turns with more information and options at your disposal.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the case of Diviner Spirit, each card draw comes at the cost of discarding another, possibly disrupting your game plan if your hand can’t support such exchanges.
Specific Mana Cost: Diviner Spirit requires a mix of blue and generic mana, which may not align with decks that are less fluid with their mana bases or those that heavily depend on other colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At five mana for a card that primarily offers draw ability, Diviner Spirit faces competition from other draw engines or creatures that provide additional benefits for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Diviner Spirit offers adaptability to various deck builds, especially those that capitalize on drawing cards. The card essentially turns each instance of damage to an opponent into an opportunity to draw, making it a fitting choice for decks that aim to win through card advantage.
Combo Potential: This Spirit can be a key component in decks that revolve around combos. It pairs well with effects that allow for multiple creatures to deal damage, multiplying the draw effect and accelerating your access to combo pieces.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where slower, control-based decks reign, Diviner Spirit adds value by consistently replenishing your hand, thus keeping the pressure and maintaining parity with decks that rely on late-game dominance.
How to Beat
Diviner Spirit presents an interesting challenge for players within the Magic: The Gathering realm. This card is crafted to reward mutual card draw, which can be a slippery slope if left unchecked. Typically, its ability is not immediately threatening, but can generate a substantial advantage over time if its controller is allowed to continually trigger its effect.
To effectively counter Diviner Spirit, denial strategies work best. Employing removal spells such as Fatal Push or Swords to Plowshares can handle the creature before it has a chance to become a nuisance. If removal isn’t an option, limiting card draw events is key. Cards like Narset, Parter of Veils or Notion Thief can severely inhibit Diviner Spirit’s utility, turning its strength into a negligible trait. Lastly, employing counterspells when Diviner Spirit is cast is also an efficient tactic, ensuring this creature never touches the battlefield in the first place.
Strategic planning and the right card choice can neutralize the potential card advantage offered by Diviner Spirit. When faced with this card, prompt and decisive action is paramount to maintain control over the game and lead you to victory.
Cards like Diviner Spirit
Diviner Spirit is a unique inclusion in the realm of card drawing engines within Magic: The Gathering. When contrasting it to other similar effects, one can look at the likes of Jace’s Archivist. The Archivist provides a repeatable wheel effect, refreshing hands, which could be more impactful but also riskier depending on your opponent’s strategy. Unlike Diviner Spirit, it doesn’t guarantee a sole benefit to the controller.
Consecrated Sphinx is another illustrious parallel, rewarding you with card advantage for every card drawn by an opponent. While not interacting directly with combat like Diviner Spirit, the Sphinx’s effect is continuous and potentially more rewarding. However, this powerful advantage comes with a heftier mana cost, making Diviner Spirit more accessible earlier in the game.
To sum up, Diviner Spirit offers a more selective and conditional yet potentially substantial card draw ability that can be an asset in decks looking to profit from both creature combat and card advantage. It occupies a strategic niche, balancing cost, and effect in the diverse pool of card draw options available to MTG players.
Cards similar to Diviner Spirit by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Diviner Spirit MTG card by a specific set like Commander 2013 and Commander Anthology, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.
For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.
Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.
Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Diviner Spirit and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Diviner Spirit Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-11-01 and 2017-06-09. Illustrated by Yeong-Hao Han.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2013-11-01 | Commander 2013 | C13 | 40 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han | |
| 2 | 2017-06-09 | Commander Anthology | CMA | 37 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Yeong-Hao Han |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Diviner Spirit has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Diviner Spirit card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2013-10-17 | If Diviner Spirit deals combat damage to its controller (perhaps because damage was redirected), that player will draw twice that number of cards. |
