Diamond Knight MTG Card

Diamond Knight’s power growth from casting spells of a chosen color offers a scalable in-game threat. This card’s specificity to one mana color may limit its versatility in certain deck types. In the right deck, its ability to adapt and potentially scale up makes it a valuable asset.

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Artifact Creature — Knight
Abilities	Vigilance
Released	2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set name	Core Set 2020
Set code	M20
Power	1
Toughness	1
Number	224
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Alayna Danner

Text of card

Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.) As Diamond Knight enters the battlefield, choose a color. Whenever you cast a spell of the chosen color, put a +1/+1 counter on Diamond Knight.

Cards like Diamond Knight

Diamond Knight stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering for its adaptability and strength that grow over time. This artifact creature is in the same family as other mana-dependent creatures, such as Marble Diamond, which also taps for color-specific mana. Unlike Marble Diamond, Diamond Knight gains a +1/+1 counter each time you cast a spell of the chosen color, progressively increasing its power and toughness.

Diving into a more direct comparison, Steel Overseer is another artifact creature that can bolster its strength, as well as other artifact creatures on the battlefield, enhancing the overall potency of your artifact-based strategies. However, Steel Overseer’s effect requires activation and influences multiple creatures, whereas Diamond Knight’s self-sufficient power buildup occurs automatically with spell casting. Furthermore, we encounter Alloy Myr, a creature that provides mana of any color but lacks the combat presence that Diamond Knight fosters through spell synergy.

As players evaluate their deck-building options, Diamond Knight shines among other value-generating artifact creatures due to its unique capacity for becoming a formidable presence on the battlefield with each colored spell cast, making it a noteworthy inclusion in decks that heavily lean on a single color.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Diamond Knight encourages building your deck strategically around a specific mana color to optimize its effectiveness. Though it doesn’t draw cards directly, its potential to become a substantial threat can force opponents to answer it, potentially using more than one card to do so, thereby indirectly contributing to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: While not a traditional form of mana acceleration, Diamond Knight’s ability to increment its power as you cast spells of the chosen color can accelerate the pace at which you apply pressure on your opponent. This creature efficiently utilizes the mana and resources you’ve already invested into it.

Instant Speed: While Diamond Knight itself does not operate at instant speed, it synergizes well with decks that do. Instant-speed spells of the chosen color cast on your opponent’s turn not only bolster the Knight’s power but also keep your options open and reactive during the game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Diamond Knight requires you to carefully consider your hand as it has no inherent card advantage. This means if you’re behind, it won’t help you refill your hand or directly offer a way back into the game.

Specific Mana Cost: When playing this artifact creature, its color-dependence for strength becomes apparent. Upon casting, you choose a color, and it only gets stronger with the casting of spells of that specific color. This limits its adaptability in decks not heavily skewed towards one color or those that are more reactive in their playstyle.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Diamond Knight can be a slow starter. In formats with abundant low-cost creatures and spells, the knight may come into play when faster decks have already developed a strong presence on the board, making it less impactful when it finally has a chance to swing in or block.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Diamond Knight boasts the ability to adapt effortlessly to various deck themes. Its color alignment shifts to match your mana choices, making it an adaptable card for mono, dual, or even multi-color builds.

Combo Potential: The Diamond Knight’s strength lies in its scalability; with each cast of a particular color spell, it grows stronger. Not only does this reinforce your battlefield presence, but it also acts as an engine in synergizing with strategies that capitalize on counter accumulation.

Meta-Relevance: As the game landscape shifts, a card like Diamond Knight can be a sleeper hit in the right environment. Its potential to become a substantial threat turn after turn means it can hold its own, especially in formats that celebrate perpetual board states and incremental growth.

How to beat

Diamond Knight is an intriguing artifact creature in the world of Magic: The Gathering, known for its potential to become a significant threat if left unchecked. To counteract this card effectively, players should consider removal spells such as Murder or Disenchant, which can dispose of it regardless of its growing power. Another strategy is to include cards that prevent the Diamond Knight from being declared as an attacker or blocker, for instance, through enchantments like Pacifism or spells that can tap it instantly like Frost Lynx.

Direct damage spells such as Shock or Lightning Bolt can also be utilized to take down the Diamond Knight before it has a chance to grow too large. Since the card’s strength depends on the number of times you cast spells of a certain color, limiting those spells can reduce its power. Lastly, counter strategies work well for preventing Diamond Knight from entering the battlefield in the first place, with Counterspell or Essence Scatter as suitable options to keep it off the board entirely.

Altogether, when facing Diamond Knight, the key lies in being proactive and dealing with it quickly before it gets out of control. Keeping in mind these strategies will ensure that this versatile creature doesn’t dominate the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Diamond Knight 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 Diamond Knight and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Diamond Knight has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Diamond Knight’s ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
2019-07-12	If you somehow control a Diamond Knight for which no color was chosen, its last ability will never trigger.
2019-07-12	You must choose one of the five colors of Magic as Diamond Knight asks you to choose a color. You can’t choose “artifact,” “colorless,” or “chartreuse.”

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.