Dive Down MTG Card


Dive Down - Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityCommon
TypeInstant
Released2017-09-29
Set symbol
Set nameIxalan
Set codeXLN
Number53
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byMagali Villeneuve

Key Takeaways

  1. It saves key creatures, maintaining your board advantage without drawing cards.
  2. Enables instant speed responses, safeguarding creatures even during combat.
  3. Its specific mana cost may limit its deck inclusion to blue-heavy builds.

Text of card

Target creature you control gets +0/+3 and gains hexproof until end of turn. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.)

"Seeing the river is not the same as seeing the fish."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Dive Down doesn’t draw you additional cards, it contributes to card advantage by protecting a key creature from a removal spell. Saving a creature can retain the advantage you’ve built up over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: This spell may not directly contribute to resource acceleration in the traditional sense of providing additional mana. However, its low casting cost allows players to develop their board while keeping mana open to protect their investments, effectively helping to accelerate their game plan.

Instant Speed: Dive Down’s instant speed is a major asset, allowing players to respond to threats at a moment’s notice. This flexibility ensures that your creatures can be shielded from danger even during the most unexpected times, such as in the middle of combat or in response to targeted removal, without having to commit mana on your own turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Dive Down provides valuable protection, it does not come without a caveat. When you cast Dive Down, you’re not directly losing a card, but you’re potentially utilizing valuable blue mana that could be reserved for card draw or countermagic. This means you’re forgoing the opportunity to play other spells that might offer broader utility or impact the game state more significantly.

Specific Mana Cost: Dive Down requires a single blue mana, which means it fits only in decks that run blue or have the necessary mana-fixing to accommodate this color requirement. If your deck isn’t centered around islands or blue sources, incorporating Dive Down can make the mana base less consistent, risking the potential of being unplayable when needed.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Despite its low absolute cost at one blue mana, in a format where efficiency is key, there may be instances where this cost is deemed high relative to its effect. In the fast-paced environment of certain competitive formats, using mana for protection rather than developing your own board can put you behind other proactive strategies.


Reasons to Include Dive Down in Your Collection

Versatility: Dive Down is a handy tool for any deck that relies on key creatures. Its ability to provide hexproof and a slight toughness boost helps protect valuable creatures from spot removal or damage-based board wipes.

Combo Potential: This card is excellent for decks that center around synergies or combos, ensuring your crucial combo pieces survive long enough to execute your win condition.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state dominated by targeted removal, Dive Down shines by safeguarding your essential creatures. It’s an efficient way to counter common removal spells at a low mana cost, keeping your threats on the board longer.


How to beat

Dive Down is a popular protective instant in the world of MTG, often serving as a reliable shield for your key creatures on the battlefield. Its low mana cost and the instant speed at which it can be cast make it a flexible tool for many decks looking to safeguard their integral creatures from removal spells or damaging effects.

Navigating around Dive Down calls for strategic planning. The first approach is timing your removal spells when the opponent is low on mana or has already tapped out, limiting their opportunity to cast Dive Down. Dispel or other counterspells that specifically target instants can effectively neutralize it. Moreover, utilizing board wipes can circumvent Dive Down since it targets single creatures and cannot mitigate mass removal effects.

Lastly, playing around Dive Down involves careful observation of your opponent’s mana and card holding patterns. If you suspect they have Dive Down ready, baiting them into using it prematurely or on a less critical target can diminish its impact, allowing for a more controlled approach in taking down their prime threats at a later stage.


BurnMana Recommendations

The critical takeaway for players considering Dive Down is to recognize its strategic value in MTG. Guarding your key creatures can swing the game in your favor, highlighting the need to assess when and how to utilize such spells effectively. Considering the card’s pros and cons, alongside its resemblance to other protection spells, Dive Down emerges as a versatile inclusion in any blue-focused deck. Want to adopt new tactics, find alternative protective spells, or fine-tune your deck-building strategies? Expand your MTG knowledge and explore the depth of your gameplay with our resources. Embark on a journey to boost your deck’s resilience and secure your victories with informed decisions.


Cards like Dive Down

Dive Down is a subtle yet potent tool for protecting creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It bears similarities to other protective spells like Mizzium Skin, which also grants hexproof to a creature. However, Dive Down’s distinctive edge comes from the additional +0/+3 toughness boost it offers. This single blue mana instant not only shields your key creature from targeted removal but can unexpectedly tilt combat trades in your favor.

Comparably, Blossoming Defense is another standout in safeguarding creatures. It offers not just hexproof but also a sizable +2/+2 power/toughness increase. While it costs a green mana and doesn’t provide as much toughness, the added power can be a significant factor during battles. On the other hand, Gods Willing is a white spell providing protection from a color of your choice, which could block more removals or enable an attack through creatures of a specific color. But again, it lacks Dive Down’s immediate toughness fortification.

Placing Dive Down in the context of its peers, its low cost and the incremental toughness it grants position it uniquely in MTG. It can be the difference between a creature’s survival or defeat, thereby maintaining board presence and momentum in a tight game.

Mizzium Skin - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions
Mizzium Skin - MTG Card versions
Blossoming Defense - MTG Card versions
Gods Willing - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Dive Down by color, type and mana cost

Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
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Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
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Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Sea Kings' Blessing - MTG Card versions
Enchantment Alteration - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Winter's Chill - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
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Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Curfew - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions
Ancestral Recall - MTG Card versions
Jump - MTG Card versions
Sleight of Mind - MTG Card versions
Twiddle - MTG Card versions
Unsummon - MTG Card versions
Siren's Call - MTG Card versions
Power Sink - MTG Card versions
Blue Elemental Blast - MTG Card versions
Spell Blast - MTG Card versions
Magical Hack - MTG Card versions
Sea Kings' Blessing - MTG Card versions
Enchantment Alteration - MTG Card versions
Riptide - MTG Card versions
Winter's Chill - MTG Card versions
Mind Bend - MTG Card versions
Denied! - MTG Card versions
Hydroblast - MTG Card versions
Whispers of the Muse - MTG Card versions
Curfew - MTG Card versions
Ertai's Trickery - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dive Down MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan, 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 Dive Down and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dive Down has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

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