Diviner

Diviner 2[credit]

Ice: Code Gate - AP
Strength: 3
Influence: 2

[subroutine] Do 1 net damage. If you trash a card this way with a printed play or install cost that is an odd number, end the run. (0 is not odd.)

It reads your future in a single biometric sweep.
Illustrated by BalanceSheet
Decklists with this card

System Gateway (sg)

#46 • English
Startup Card Pool
Standard Card Pool
Standard Ban List (show history)
Rulings
  • Updated 2021-10-11

    What happens if Diviner trashes a card with a play or install cost of 0?

    Diviner will not end the run.

  • Updated 2021-10-11

    What happens if Diviner trashes a card with play or install cost of X?

    Diviner will not end the run. A play or install cost of X is considered to be 0 until the card is played or installed.

  • Updated 2021-10-11

    Does Diviner’s subroutine require you to trash cards from HQ like Anoetic Void?

    No. Diviner’s subroutine is checking the install/play cost of the card that was trashed from the Runner’s grip by the net damage.

Reviews

Diviner is an underpowered and boring alternative to Aiki. First, it's a single subroutine, which is a poor setup for playable ice. Of the 37 most commonly used ice, only 6 have one subroutine, and 5 of these (Ping, Tollbooth, Funhouse, Turnpike and Magnet) are mainly used for their ability and Vanilla is used as the cheapest gear-check to force runners to dig for a breaker. There's no scenario where Diviner is the best ice you could have. I don't even think there's a scenario where it's a good ice to have. It's too porous to reliably create short-term gains, and it's not efficient enough for long-term gains.

This card would be more interesting if it had 2 subroutines: 1) do one net damage, 2) reveal the top card of the stack and end the run if it has an odd cost. It is strange that Diviner as actually printed does not reveal any future knowledge. The only prediction we can make from Diviner is that you're not playing this card in standard, and nobody else is either.

(Thanks to Greasythumb for pointing out that Aiki has not rotated yet).

(System Update 2021 era)

Aiki is still legal, and it's quite a different card. I agree that Diviner isn't a powerhouse, but not every card has to be. As a gearcheck codegate, I'd say Diviner's main competition is from Enigma, Whitespace and Thimblerig. All those have their advantages and disadvantages.

Not every card needs to be good, but Jinteki ice is dire right now, particularly in Startup (Engram Flush, Karuna, Saisentan, Lotus Field, Swordsman, Diviner). It's a rough time to be printing ice this bad.

This is a fun ice that will see play in many Jinteki deck. At 3 strenght, it not very strong. Unity and Amina will break it for 2, Engolo and Black Orchestra will break it for 3 and Buzzsaw for 1 (funny that anarch have the best decoder for this).

At a cost of 2 to rez, it will not break the bank. It does that annoying 1 point of net damage, which mean that you can try to soak it, if you have only even costed (0, 2, 4, 6) cards in your hand.

But is it worth it in your deck? Yes, because it is still a cheap ice to rez and does something on a facecheck. But don't count on it having much stopping power by the late game. But it will grind the runner a bit every runs.

OK art, OK quote, OK ice, OK card.

(System Update 2021 era)
3864

Diviner is an underpowered and boring replacement for Aiki. First, it's a single subroutine, which is a poor setup for playable ice. Of the 37 most commonly used ice, only 6 have one subroutine, and 5 of these (Ping, Tollbooth, Funhouse, Turnpike and Magnet) are mainly used for their ability. Vanilla is the cheapest gear-check in the game, and at least forces the runner to dig for a breaker. There's no scenario where Diviner is the best ice you could have. I don't even think there's a scenario where it's a good ice to have. This card would be more interesting if it had 2 subroutines (1: do 1 net damage, 2: reveal the top card of the stack, and end the run if it has an odd cost).

Ack, sorry, I intended to publish that as a review. Sorry Diogene!