Fire Diamond MTG Card


Fire Diamond enhances your deck’s ability to cast costly spells ahead of time, offering strategic benefits. It is distinct in its utility in red-centric tactics, accelerating your game and broadening tactical choices. Despite its advantages, the artifact’s specific mana and entry conditions may limit its use in diverse decks.
Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeArtifact

Text of card

Fire Diamond comes into play tapped. oc T: Add o R to your mana pool. Play this ability as a mana source.


Cards like Fire Diamond

Fire Diamond is an integral part of the mana acceleration family in MTG, similar in purpose to cards like Coldsteel Heart. Both are artifacts that enter the battlefield tapped and can be tapped for mana of a specified color. However, Fire Diamond is distinct in its exclusive generation of red mana, making it a staple in mono-red EDH decks. Coldsteel Heart, contrastingly, offers a broader utility by allowing the choice of any color when it’s played, providing versatility in multicolor decks.

Exploring this niche further, we encounter Mind Stone, which also costs two mana and provides immediate access to colorless mana without entering the battlefield tapped. Its additional advantage of being sacrificed for card draw gives it an edge in decks that prioritize versatility over color-specific mana acceleration.

Comparatively speaking, all these cards serve a fundamental role in ramping up a player’s mana resources, but Fire Diamond shines specifically in red-centric decks where timely access to red mana can be critical for unleashing swift and potent plays.

Coldsteel Heart - MTG Card versions
Mind Stone - MTG Card versions
Coldsteel Heart - MTG Card versions
Mind Stone - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Fire Diamond by color, type and mana cost

Chandra's Regulator - MTG Card versions
Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer - MTG Card versions
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Trigon of Rage - MTG Card versions
Immolating Souleater - MTG Card versions
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Mask of Immolation - MTG Card versions
Crystal Slipper - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Blade - MTG Card versions
Blazing Sunsteel - MTG Card versions
Lightning Spear - MTG Card versions
Goblin Morningstar - MTG Card versions
Fiendlash - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Statuette - MTG Card versions
Lizard Blades - MTG Card versions
Dragonspark Reactor - MTG Card versions
Towashi Songshaper - MTG Card versions
Foundry Beetle - MTG Card versions
Chandra's Regulator - MTG Card versions
Toralf, God of Fury // Toralf's Hammer - MTG Card versions
Orb of Dragonkind - MTG Card versions
Ogre-Head Helm - MTG Card versions
Iron Myr - MTG Card versions
Trigon of Rage - MTG Card versions
Immolating Souleater - MTG Card versions
Welder Automaton - MTG Card versions
Mask of Immolation - MTG Card versions
Crystal Slipper - MTG Card versions
Scavenged Blade - MTG Card versions
Blazing Sunsteel - MTG Card versions
Lightning Spear - MTG Card versions
Goblin Morningstar - MTG Card versions
Fiendlash - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Statuette - MTG Card versions
Lizard Blades - MTG Card versions
Dragonspark Reactor - MTG Card versions
Towashi Songshaper - MTG Card versions
Foundry Beetle - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Though Fire Diamond doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, its presence on the battlefield can lead to smooth plays allowing a significant advantage. By aiding in casting costlier spells sooner, it indirectly contributes to card efficiency within your strategy.

Resource Acceleration: Fire Diamond shines in terms of resource acceleration. It is particularly useful in mono-red decks or those requiring a substantial amount of red mana. As it taps for a red mana, this artifact boosts your ability to deploy threats and responses ahead of schedule, expanding your board presence and tactical options swiftly.

Instant Speed: While Fire Diamond itself is not an instant, its value is in being a mana rock that stays on the field. Once played, it continuously provides resources, allowing you to confidently pass turns with mana available for instant speed interactions, knowing you can still tap Fire Diamond on your next turn to regain momentum or to cast larger threats.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Fire Diamond doesn’t require a discard, but it does have a notable drawback upon entry with a tap effect, delaying immediate benefits and potentially costing you momentum.

Specific Mana Cost: Fire Diamond’s mana ability is limited to producing red mana only. This can be restrictive because it doesn’t offer the same flexibility as artifacts that provide any color of mana, limiting its utility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Fire Diamond’s cost of three mana might appear reasonable for a mana-producing artifact, it enters the battlefield tapped which can be detrimental. This puts it at a disadvantage compared to other two-mana artifacts that are often used in competitive settings for faster plays.


Reasons to Include Fire Diamond in Your Collection

Versatility: Fire Diamond is a staple artifact that seamlessly integrates into multiple Red-centric or multicolor decks. Its ability to provide extra mana ensures that it can support a broad range of strategies from aggressive plays to more drawn out tactics.

Combo Potential: As a mana rock, Fire Diamond acts as fuel for numerous combos. Whether you’re looking to ramp up quickly for a game-changing spell or use it as an integral piece in a combo chain, its presence on the battlefield is undeniably useful.

Meta-Relevance: The card holds its ground within various formats where mana acceleration is key. In metagames dominated by quick starts and powerful turns, having Fire Diamond can mean the difference between taking the lead or falling behind.


How to beat

Fire Diamond is a solid mana rock for any MTG player looking to accelerate their game. Its benefits are similar to mana artifacts like Mind Stone, providing an early advantage. However, the catch with Fire Diamond is its entrance onto the battlefield tapped, which delays immediate usage.

To counteract Fire Diamond’s strengths, consider employing artifact removal spells such as Abrade or Nature’s Claim. These allow you to swiftly eliminate the Fire Diamond, stripping your opponent of their ramp advantage. Incorporating instant-speed removal offers flexibility, letting you disrupt their momentum during their turn, maximizing the setback.

Another strategy is to outpace the incremental advantage Fire Diamond offers by utilizing even faster ramp methods or applying early game pressure. Cards like Birds of Paradise can outspeed Fire Diamond, providing immediate access to any color of mana. This keeps you ahead in the race for critical mana thresholds and can effectively diminish the impact of what Fire Diamond brings to your opponent’s strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Fire Diamond is a classic mana rock that embodies the essence of red mana strategies in MTG. Whether you’re piloting a mono-red commander deck or seeking a mid-game mana boost in other formats, Fire Diamond’s value is hard to underestimate. As a key accelerator, it helps summon your heaviest hitters ahead of time. If you’re looking to refine your mana curve or add consistent red mana sources, dive deeper into our insights. Join us to understand the best practices for incorporating Fire Diamond into your arsenal and push the boundaries of your MTG gameplay.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Fire Diamond MTG card by a specific set like Mirage and Classic Sixth Edition, 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 Fire Diamond and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Fire Diamond Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 1996-10-08 and 2022-06-10. Illustrated by 5 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11996-10-08MirageMIR 3021997NormalBlackRichard Thomas
21999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2841997NormalWhiteRichard Thomas
31999-08-04World Championship Decks 1999WC99 kb2841997NormalGoldRichard Thomas
42001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 2961997NormalWhiteDavid Martin
52001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 296★1997NormalBlackDavid Martin
62014-11-07Commander 2014C14 2402015NormalBlackLindsey Look
72018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 1902015NormalBlackLindsey Look
82020-11-20Commander LegendsCMR 3092015NormalBlackLindsey Look
92021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1642015NormalBlackLindsey Look
102022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 3132015NormalBlackGaboleps
112022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 4452015NormalBlackPhil Stone

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Fire Diamond has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal