Divest MTG Card
2018-04-27 - Number 87
2020-08-07 - Number 87
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Sorcery |
Key Takeaways
- Divest allows for early gameplay disruption, targeting creatures and artifacts in an opponent’s hand.
- While powerful, Divest’s effectiveness is limited if opponents lack targeted card types.
- Strategically playing around Divest can mitigate its potential impact on your game.
Text of card
Target player reveals their hand. You choose an artifact or creature card from it. That player discards that card.
Flittersprites collect unusually valuable things: coins of fallen empires, baby teeth, and memories of treasured names.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Divest enables you to peer into an opponent’s hand, stripping them of a key creature or artifact. This preemptive move can dismantle their strategy, potentially causing them to lose the value of a card they already counted as a resource in their game plan.
Resource Acceleration: By removing critical pieces from an opponent’s hand, Divest indirectly works as resource acceleration for you. You effectively slow them down, gaining an advantage in tempo that allows you to advance your board while they recover from the setback.
Instant Speed: As a sorcery, Divest strategically sets the tone of your first few turns. By casting it early, you can make informed decisions about which lines of play to take based on the knowledge gained, ensuring that your subsequent turns are more impactful while your opponent is still reeling from the disruption.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The power of Divest is rooted in its ability to disrupt opponents by forcing them to discard, but it requires a precise scenario. It targets a player holding at least one creature or artifact in their hand, and if not, it fizzles with no effect, potentially wasting a card from your hand.
Specific Mana Cost: Divest needs one black mana, which might seem minimal but demands inclusion in black decks or those capable of generating black mana. This can restrict its integration into decks not aligned with black’s strategy or mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While costing only one black mana may not appear high, in early game scenarios, every mana counts. The opportunity cost of using that mana on Divest could outweigh potential benefits, especially when considering other one-mana plays that could develop your board presence or disrupt opponents in a more impactful way.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Divest is a flexible tool for any black deck, allowing players to preemptively disrupt opponents’ hands by targeting key creature and artifact cards before they can impact the game.
Combo Potential: This card excels in setups aiming to dismantle an opponent’s strategy, working well with cards that capitalize on knowledge of the opponent’s hand or benefit from discarding.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where artifacts and creatures form the backbone of many decks, Divest provides a low-cost option that can effectively tilt the balance in your favor early on.
How to beat
Divest is a strategic disruption tool in Magic: The Gathering, allowing players to force an opponent to reveal their hand and discard a creature or artifact card. It’s a valuable black spell for preemptive control, but overcoming its effects requires smart play. A common tactic to counteract Divest is to maintain a varied hand composition to minimize its potential impact. You might play instants or sorcery spells that allow for immediate draw or hand refilling to rebound from any loss swiftly.
In addition, holding onto land cards can be a subtle yet effective way to reduce Divest’s efficiency, as land cards aren’t targeted by this spell. Also, consider deploying low-cost creatures or artifacts early to avoid having them plucked from your grip, or employ cards that have a benefit when discarded or creatures that can be played from the graveyard. Each of these strategies dampens Divest’s influence on your game plan, enabling you to maintain the upper hand and continue to build your board presence without major disruption.
Ultimately, while Divest is a formidable card that can give an early advantage, knowing how to adapt your strategy and maintain hand resilience can turn the tables and keep your path to victory clear.
Cards like Divest
Divest stands out in the portfolio of early game disruption tactics for MTG players. It bears a resemblance to the classic Duress, allowing players to target an opponent’s hand to dismantle their early game strategies. The key divergence is Duress’s inability to hit creatures, which Divest accomplishes adeptly, stripping potential threats before they hit the battlefield. Divest’s role is much akin to Inquisition of Kozilek, though it has a broader reach with its lack of restrictions on the converted mana cost of the creatures it can target.
Alternatively, we see Thoughtseize, which expands upon this premise by permitting the removal of any nonland card from an opponent’s hand, offering greater flexibility at the cost of 2 life. Then there’s the versatility of Collective Brutality, which escalates its potential by multiple modes of disruption, but it comes at a higher mana expense and the cost of additional resources.
To conclude, while each card has its niche in disrupting opponents’ plans, Divest holds its ground as a robust option for aggressively preempting creature-based strategies, boasting efficiency and precision in targeted hand disruption.
Cards similar to Divest by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Divest MTG card by a specific set like Dominaria and Double Masters, 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 Divest 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 Magic products
Printings
The Divest Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-04-27 and 2020-08-07. Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing.
| # | Release | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-04-27 | Dominaria | DOM | 87 | 2015 | normal | black | Jesper Ejsing | |
| 2 | 2020-08-07 | Double Masters | 2XM | 87 | 2015 | normal | black | Jesper Ejsing |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Divest 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 |
| Timeless | Legal |
