wotc
You can't cast an instant (or activate an ability as an instant) while casting a spell. Therefore, much like Lion's Eye Diamond, you can't activate the ability intending to use the mana to cast a spell from your hand.
MTG · Card
◇ Catalog #427
Diamond Lion
mh2·#427·rare·nonfoil
Illus. Howard Lyon
—
in vault
—
for trade
—
wishlisted
Jun '21
5 yr ago
Value
$0.33+$0 (+17.9%)
30 days high $0.33 · low $0.28
Volatility · moderate
EUR€0.25USD$0.33TIX0.02 tix
Where to buy / sell
Search links · prices vary by venue
Buy this card
Played in EDH
EDHrec rank #10,777 · Fringe play
Variants
Gameplay
Artifact Creature — Cat
{T}, Discard your hand, Sacrifice this creature: Add three mana of any one color. Activate only as an instant.
"The merchant asked for riches no one had ever dreamed of. The djinn, smiling, granted his wish."
—Afari, *Tales*
2/2
Legalities
tlrlegal
duellegal
brawlnot legal
pennylegal
PreDH
Rulings · 2
wotc
Even though you can only activate this as an instant, it is still a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and cannot be responded to.
Context
Last observed at $0.33, up from $0.28 thirty days ago. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $0.02 and $0.33 across 33 observations. Headline volatility reads moderate. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
Last observed on Scryfall 16 hours ago at $0.33.
This printing is one of 4 catalogued treatments from MH2 — the lineup includes Etched Foil, Foil, and Nonfoil alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
This card belongs to *Modern Horizons 2* (released June 2021).
Card #427 in Modern Horizons 2.
Rarity tier: rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters.
Card type: Artifact Creature — Cat. Mana cost: {2} (2 converted).
Legal in Tlr, Duel, Penny, Legacy, Modern, and Vintage.
EDHrec ranks this card #10,777 in Commander, putting it in the fringe-play tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Howard Lyon.
Search across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City from the marketplace deeplinks above to compare live listings.
Notes
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Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Howard Lyon
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.