David Fanany
Player since
1995 |
Divert (5/11)
Divert immediately calls to
mind Spell Pierce: for one blue, do something
unless your opponent pays 2 mana. In this case,
it's redirecting a spell. Like any spell of its
kind, there are targets this really does a
number on (like Abrupt Decay or Thoughtseize)
and spells where it blanks (symmetrical board
wipes or non-targeted draw). It's a worthy
consideration for a Legacy sideboard, since it's
efficiently costed and fairly effective in the
early game, but it's weaker in later games (when
your opponent has mana to pay for it) and has
issues with stopping specific strategies.
While this is a Legacy card
for the most part, having been printed in
Odyssey, this little gem is part of
the
Amonkhet Invocations. If you open one in Limited in this
set, it's probably going to be more pretty than
effective; there isn't a ton of early trickery
that this thwarts. That said, it's a unique
effect...just don't count on opening it.
Constructed: 3.25
Casual: 4
Limited: 2.5
Multiplayer: 2.25
Commander: 2.75
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|
James H. |
Divert
I remember getting absolutely devastated by
Divert in one particular game. It was so long
ago that we were playing Extended, with the
cardpool that included Odyssey and Onslaught
forward. I thought I'd drawn a great aggressive
curve with a second-turn Silhana Ledgewalker and
an Elephant Guide, with my opponent starting
with just a Mothdust Changeling. Have you ever
been beaten down by a Mothdust Changeling
enchanted with your own Elephant Guide? As ways
to lose go, it's pretty spectacular and hard to
get mad about. You should also keep your eyes
open for uses of this card in control matchups -
surprisingly many card-drawing spells say
"target player", as do a lot of discard effects
(including, amusingly, Esper Charm, but only on
the discard effect in that case).
Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5 |
