Diviner's Lockbox MTG Card


Diviner's Lockbox - Core Set 2020
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact
Released2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set nameCore Set 2020
Set codeM20
Number225
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byLake Hurwitz

Key Takeaways

  1. Unlocks card advantage through skillful prediction, enabling strategic deck manipulation and draws.
  2. Demands careful resource management due to its discard requirement and specific activation cost.
  3. Enhances deck versatility and combo potential, fitting into various strategies and metagames.

Text of card

, : Choose a card name, then reveal the top card of your library. If that card has the chosen name, sacrifice Diviner's Lockbox and draw three cards. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery.

"I see it taunting me whenever I close my eyes." —Nayrex Slipfinger, master thief


Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Diviner’s Lockbox, each successful guess of the top card of your library translates to direct card advantage, helping you dig through your deck for key pieces.

Resource Acceleration: Although Diviner’s Lockbox doesn’t directly produce mana or ramp, it can indirectly accelerate your resources by consistently revealing and drawing into ramp spells or mana-producing artifacts.

Instant Speed: The ability to activate Diviner’s Lockbox doesn’t rely on sorcery speed, granting the flexibility to use it at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to actions that shuffle your library, optimizing your mana utilization.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Diviner’s Lockbox necessitates the potential discard of useful cards, putting you at risk of depleting crucial hand resources when attempting to activate its ability.

Specific Mana Cost: This artifact demands a singular colorless mana to execute its ability, thereby restricting its activation only to times when this type of mana is available, potentially limiting its usage in multicolored mana-intensive decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial investment of four mana to cast, Diviner’s Lockbox has a higher entry point compared to other artifacts in MTG that may offer quicker or more flexible advantage gains.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Diviner’s Lockbox offers a unique ability to selectively draw cards, making it useful in decks that aim for precise control over their library. As a colorless artifact, it can be slotted into any deck, enhancing its versatility.

Combo Potential: This artifact shines when paired with effects that allow you to manipulate or know the top card of your library, enabling consistent unlocks and valuable card draws to fuel your game plan.

Meta-Relevance: Considering the ever-shifting metagame, Diviner’s Lockbox could become increasingly relevant in environments where information and card selection are key to overcoming opponents’ strategies.


How to beat

Diviner’s Lockbox is an intriguing artifact in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, capable of generating significant card advantage for the player who correctly names the top card of their library. While the potential upside of drawing multiple cards is substantial, players face the challenge of outsmarting this artifact to prevent opponents from gaining the upper hand.

One effective strategy is to use card prediction disruption, such as manipulating the top card of the library with scry effects or shuffling the library to ensure that the guess is less likely to be successful. Instant-speed removal is also a key tool, allowing players to respond to the Lockbox’s activation and destroy or exile it before the ability resolves. This not only neuters the threat but also depletes the opponent’s resources, wasting their mana and activation attempt.

Ultimately, overcoming Diviner’s Lockbox requires a blend of deck awareness and responsive play. With clever strategy and timely intervention, players can prevent the Lockbox from unlocking the full potential of the opponent’s deck, keeping the game balanced and tipping the scales in their favor.


Discovering Diviner’s Lockbox and Its Alternatives in Gameplay

Cards like Diviner's Lockbox

Diviner’s Lockbox stands as an intriguing artifact in the realm of deck manipulation and card advantage. This card parallels the utility of artifacts like Elixir of Immortality, which enables shuffling the library as well as reclaiming life. However, Diviner’s Lockbox forges its own path with the potential of pinpoint card selection, hinging on a player’s knowledge of their own deck.

Crystal Ball is another comparable artifact, offering scrying abilities to sift through the top of your deck, yet it lacks the explosiveness of potentially drawing multiple cards in one activation like Diviner’s Lockbox allows. Conversely, Jayemdae Tome offers consistent card draw but at a higher activation cost and without the excitement of predicting the top card of your library.

Comparatively assessing these options, Diviner’s Lockbox presents a unique twist on library interaction, rewarding players who skillfully anticipate their next draws. While it may require a higher level of game literacy and prediction, the payoff can be a game-changing surge of card advantage.

Elixir of Immortality - MTG Card versions
Crystal Ball - MTG Card versions
Jayemdae Tome - MTG Card versions
Elixir of Immortality - Magic 2011 (M11)
Crystal Ball - Magic 2011 (M11)
Jayemdae Tome - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Diviner's Lockbox MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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's Lockbox and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Diviner's Lockbox has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Diviner's Lockbox card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2019-07-12 If the top card of your library does have the chosen name, it will be among the three cards you draw.
2019-07-12 If the top card of your library doesn’t have the chosen name, it remains on top of your library. Perhaps, if you find the right key, you can untap Diviner’s Lockbox to try again while you know that card.

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