Dune Diviner MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Naga Cleric |
| Released | 2017-07-14 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Hour of Devastation |
| Set code | HOU |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 3 |
| Number | 114 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Min Yum |
Text of card
, Tap an untapped Desert you control: You gain 1 life.
The desert had once been a place of endless horror. It was now the last refuge as the city of Naktamun fell.
Cards like Dune Diviner
Dune Diviner presents itself as a unique mana ramp and life gain tool in Magic: The Gathering. It holds a resemblance to Tatyova, Benthic Druid, which also merges the concepts of land interaction and life gain. However, Dune Diviner requires an untapped desert to function, directly converting land into a life gain resource, unlike Tatyova that triggers upon land entering the battlefield, offering both card draw and life.
In a similar context, we find Rosethorn Acolyte, a card that facilitates mana ramp but through a different mechanism. Rosethorn Acolyte doesn’t offer life gain but provides versatility as it isn’t tied to a specific land type. There’s also Retreat to Kazandu, which puts land interaction at the forefront, allowing players to choose between placing a +1/+1 counter or gaining 2 life whenever a land enters the battlefield, diversifying potential strategies.
To sum up, though Dune Diviner may not be the most versatile, its specificity to deserts offers an interesting dynamic for decks that focus on land types. In the right deck, the constant life gain can be a game-changer, especially when compared to alternatives that offer more versatility but lack the targeted life gain Dune Diviner provides.
Cards similar to Dune Diviner by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dune Diviner provides a steady card advantage by allowing you to reuse lands enchanted with Desert effects multiple times, ensuring you have the resources needed to outpace your opponent in the long run.
Resource Acceleration: By tapping an applicable Desert land, the Dune Diviner fuels your resource acceleration, effectively ramping your mana each turn which is vital for executing your strategy faster.
Instant Speed: This card’s ability to tap another untapped Desert you control can be activated at instant speed, providing flexibility and the element of surprise. This grants you the opportunity to respond reactively to the unfolding game state, maximizing your tactical advantages.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Much like other cards with steep costs, Dune Diviner demands you give up an additional card to access its benefits. This could pose a strategic setback, particularly when you’re already struggling to keep a strong hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Dune Diviner requires a precise mana alignment, specifically tapping a Desert, which could impose constraints. If your deck isn’t desert-rich or your mana pool lacks diversity, activating its ability might prove challenging.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Weighing the card’s ability against its mana requirements deals a blow to its desirability. With three mana for its rather niche effect, it competes with a slew of alternatives that could offer more bang for your buck, slipping it further down the curve in cost-effectiveness rankings.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Dune Diviner offers deck builders a flexible tool for any deck that thrives on lands or desires a steady lifegain mechanism. Its ability to tap a Desert for life can be consistently advantageous irrespective of the board state.
Combo Potential: With the rise in Desert-themed lands and synergies, Dune Diviner works well to unlock unique combinations, enhancing strategies that capitalize on land types or life gain triggers.
Meta-Relevance: As the metagame adapts to include more land-centric tactics and Desert synergies, the integral role of Dune Diviner grows. Its presence can bolster your defense against aggressive strategies by offering a reliable source of life to outpace your opponent’s damage output.
How to beat
Dune Diviner is an intriguing creature card featuring an ability that allows players to tap a Desert to gain 1 life. Understanding the synergy of this card with Desert lands is key to maximizing its potential in a game. Its 1/3 body for three mana makes it resilient against popular damage spells like Shock, but it’s not particularly aggressive, which offers opponents a window for strategic advantage.
To effectively counter Dune Diviner, one must interrupt the Desert-land synergy. Controlling your opponent’s ability to tap lands, such as running land destruction spells or cards that can nullify activated abilities, will render Dune Diviner’s life-gain aspect useless. Employing removal before it can generate a substantial life cushion is critical. Moreover, countering it on the stack with spells like Negate can prevent its activation on the board. Finally, exploiting its modest power with larger creatures or leveraging flying creatures can help bypass it altogether, maintaining pressure on your opponent’s life total while Dune Diviner becomes a non-issue.
Therefore, to mitigate the impact of Dune Diviner, it is essential to target its enablers and capitalize on its inherent limitations, all while advancing your board state to secure a win.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dune Diviner MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation, 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 Dune Diviner and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Dune Diviner has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dune Diviner card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-07-14 | You can’t tap a single untapped Desert both to pay and also to pay “Tap an untapped Desert you control.” |