Riding the Dilu Horse MTG Card

Provides lasting card advantage, making creatures almost unblockable and sustaining pressure on opponents. Gives a significant tactical edge by enabling players to allocate resources elsewhere effectively. Though costly, the card’s unique effect can be crucial in certain MTG deck strategies.

Riding the Dilu Horse - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)

Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
1999-05-01 - Number 144

Riding the Dilu Horse - Masters Edition III (ME3)

Masters Edition III (ME3)
2009-09-07 - Number 131

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Rare
Type	Sorcery

Text of card

Any one creature gets +2/+2 and gains horsemanship.

"All men have their appointed time; that's something no horse can change." —Liu Bei, after being told that the Dilu brings its master ill fortune

Cards like Riding the Dilu Horse

Riding the Dilu Horse is a unique card that has earned its place in the history of Magic: The Gathering. This sorcery from the Portal Three Kingdoms set offers a peculiar and powerful effect by giving a creature +2/+2 and horsemanship for the rest of the game. Horsemanship, a mechanic quite similar to flying, makes the creature almost unblockable, since it can only be blocked by creatures with horsemanship, which are scarce.

In examining cards similar to Riding the Dilu Horse, one might consider cards like Onward // Victory. Onward can permanently boost a creature’s power for a turn before Victory grants that creature both double strike and lifelink. Though not providing unblockability, the Onward // Victory combination dramatically increases a creature’s combat effectiveness. Another card, Unstable Mutation, offers a permanent power boost, but at the cost of gradually weakening the enchanted creature over time, a stark contrast to the enduring nature of Riding the Dilu Horse’s effect.

Although there are few cards that mirror the lasting impact of Riding the Dilu Horse, the discussion highlights its rarity and the enduring strategic advantage it brings in games of Magic: The Gathering.

Cards similar to Riding the Dilu Horse by color, type and mana cost

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: When you play Riding the Dilu Horse, you’re not just getting a single-use effect; your creature permanently gains horsemanship. This can translate to lasting card advantage as your opponent might be unable to block or interact with the enhanced creature, allowing you to continuously apply pressure and possibly require them to spend additional resources to handle the threat.

Resource Acceleration: Though Riding the Dilu Horse itself doesn’t generate additional mana or resources directly, the ability to make a creature nearly unblockable for the rest of the game accelerates your tactical resources. By securing a strong board presence with a horsemanship-enabled creature, you can focus your resources on other aspects of gameplay without the need to further invest in your creature’s offensive capabilities.

Instant Speed: Riding the Dilu Horse operates at sorcery speed, but the lasting impact of its effect can create openings and opportunities similar to those that instant-speed interactions offer. For instance, by granting horsemanship at a crucial moment before an attack, it can serve as a game-changer, often giving you the supplement you need to break through a stalemate or to gain a decisive advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Riding the Dilu Horse can offer a solid advantage in gameplay, it also imposes a condition that may act as a double-edged sword. If a player is required to discard other valuable cards to facilitate its casting, the overall benefit might be questioned, especially during tight gameplay where resource management is key.

Specific Mana Cost: The spell component of Riding the Dilu Horse demands a precise mana arrangement, which can restrict deck building strategies and limit its integration. Decks not dedicated to meeting this requirement might find incorporating this card less than optimum, deterring a wider use among varied deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the mana investment against the potential yield, Riding the Dilu Horse commands a steep price. Given its mana cost, players often find themselves gauging its worth against other cards that could potentially offer a stronger impact or greater flexibility for the same, if not lesser, investment.

Reasons to Include Riding the Dilu Horse in Your Collection

Versatility: Riding the Dilu Horse is a unique card due to its ability to permanently increase a creature’s power. This effect can be a game changer in decks that focus on creature strength and enduring board presence.

Combo Potential: This card’s enduring boost pairs well with strategies that capitalize on unblockable or trample abilities, ensuring that your enhanced creature can often connect with the opponent.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where combat interactions are crucial, Riding the Dilu Horse offers a sustained advantage that can tip the scales in your favor during prolonged engagements.

How to beat

Riding the Dilu Horse represents a unique challenge on the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering. This sorcery card offers a permanent power and toughness boost and Horsemanship to a single creature, which can make it a formidable combat trick that turns a creature into a relentless threat. To effectively counter this card, it’s important to employ strategies that eliminate the threat before it becomes overwhelming. Removal spells are the key; instant-speed options such as Swords to Plowshares allow you to respond directly to the casting of Riding the Dilu Horse, ensuring the creature never gets to benefit from its effect.

Another efficient strategy is to use cards that can bypass the Horsemanship ability, such as global sweepers like Wrath of God, which clear the board irrespective of any ability the creatures may have. Counterspells also play a pivotal role, with options like Counterspell itself or Mana Leak, ready to stop Riding the Dilu Horse from ever taking effect. Lastly, efficient edict effects that force a player to sacrifice a creature—such as Diabolic Edict—can remove the buffed-up threat without having to target it directly, circumventing any potential protection the creature might have.

With the right toolkit, the seemingly insurmountable boost from Riding the Dilu Horse can be managed, keeping your opponent’s forces in check and maintaining control of the game state.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Riding the Dilu Horse MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms and Masters Edition III, 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 Riding the Dilu Horse and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Riding the Dilu Horse Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1999-05-01 and 2009-09-07. Illustrated by Hong Yan.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	1999-05-01	Portal Three Kingdoms	PTK		144	1997	Normal	White	Hong Yan
2	2009-09-07	Masters Edition III	ME3		131	1997	Normal	Black	Hong Yan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Riding the Dilu Horse has restrictions

Format	Legality
Predh	Legal
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2009-10-01	The spell’s effect has no duration. The targeted creature gets +2/+2 until the game ends or it leaves the battlefield. It has horsemanship until the game ends, it leaves the battlefield, or some other effect causes it to lose horsemanship.