Destructive Digger MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Goblin |
| Released | 2019-07-12 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Core Set 2020 |
| Set code | M20 |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 134 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Zoltan Boros |
Key Takeaways
- Destructive Digger offers card cycling, ramping up mana and maintaining game tempo through instant speed.
- Its ability demands sacrifices and hinges on red mana, possibly limiting its deck versatility.
- The card’s tactical value in gameplay makes it an intriguing choice for various MTG strategies.
Text of card
, , Sacrifice an artifact or land: Draw a card.
"I love digging. It gives me lots of time to think about how much I love digging."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Destructive Digger ability to cycle through your deck can give you a crucial edge, as it sifts for the right cards to secure victory. This can be a game-changer, especially in formats where reaching key cards is pivotal.
Resource Acceleration: This card’s ability to generate clout on the battlefield by converting expendable assets into useful mana can rapidly escalate your board presence. Whether you’re ramping up for a game-ending spell or just need a bit of extra mana, Destructive Digger offers a helping hand.
Instant Speed: Instant speed interactions allow you to stay flexible and responsive. Using Destructive Digger at the right moment can give you the upper hand by disrupting your opponent’s plans without sacrificing the tempo of your own strategy.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Destructive Digger requires you to discard a card to activate its ability, which can put you at a disadvantage in terms of card advantage, particularly when your hand is already low on cards. This potential loss of valuable resources needs to be weighed carefully before including it in your deck.
Specific Mana Cost: With a need for red mana to both cast and activate the Destructive Digger’s ability, this card finds its place primarily in red or red-inclusive decks. Players running multicolor builds without sufficient red sources may find it challenging to make the most out of the card’s potential.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing three mana to cast may seem steep for a card of its abilities. When you consider other cards in the game that might provide similar utility without a discard requirement, or offer more power for the same cost, Destructive Digger might not make the cut in a tightly optimized deck.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: The Destructive Digger card offers flexibility in deck building, fitting seamlessly into strategies that prioritize land recursion or artifact synergy, ensuring you have access to resources when you need them.
Combo Potential: This card has intrinsic synergy with decks that manipulate the graveyard. Its ability to sacrifice artifacts can be a resourceful combo enabler, paving the way for endless strategic plays.
Meta-Relevance: In a game environment where resource denial is crucial, Destructive Digger provides an edge by disrupting opponents’ mana bases, making it a relevant choice in several meta scenarios.
How to beat
Destructive Digger offers a unique toolset for Magic: The Gathering players by allowing the conversion of unwanted cards or land into potential resources. This presents a challenge when facing it, as the card not only sifts through the deck but also ramps up an opponent’s mana. The key to overcoming Destructive Digger lies in the strategic timing of removal spells. Waiting for the opponent to activate the ability, thus committing a card and three mana, before applying pinpoint removal ensures a depletion of their resources, tipping the scales in your favor.
Artifact removal spells such as Naturalize or Abrade can be particularly effective since they’re inexpensive and can disrupt the digger’s activated ability. Additionally, maintaining card advantage and applying constant pressure limits the opportunities your opponent has to effectively utilize the Digger’s ability. Forcing them to make difficult decisions between developing their board or activating the Digger can lead to a significant tempo advantage for a well-prepared player.
In essence, mitigating the impact of Destructive Digger boils down to carefully timed plays and maintaining the pressure to ensure that the card’s potentials are minimized, preserving your path to victory.
Cards like Destructive Digger
The Destructive Digger card carves out its niche in the landscape of Magic: The Gathering with its utility and versatility. It stands in the ranks with other self-sacrificing permanents enabling both land and artifact excavation. A card such as Armillary Sphere, while not a creature, shares a similarity with its ability to move lands from the deck to your hand. Destructive Digger pushes the comparison further by offering the option to convert any artifact or land into card draw, but with the cost of sacrificing the Digger itself.
Comparable effects can be seen with the likes of Rummaging Goblin. Like Destructive Digger, this card turns unwanted cards in your hand into something potentially more useful, although the Goblin requires no self-sacrifice. Then there’s Seismic Elemental, which, though it offers no card draw, provides a significant temporary effect on the game’s board state — something that Destructive Digger doesn’t impact directly.
Each card serves a unique strategic purpose, but the Destructive Digger gives players an interesting choice – continue to benefit from a creature on the field or leverage it for immediate card advantage. This decision-making aspect can prove crucial in games, especially when resources are low, or specific answers are needed urgently.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Destructive Digger 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 Destructive Digger 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Destructive Digger has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
