Happy June! This month's puzzle is the first in a new series of puzzles with diagonal symmetry called "Diag". There's a lot of untapped potential in diagonally symmetric grids, as they have only recently begun to get representation in mainstream outlets thanks to advocates such as Brooke Husic. I had a diagonal themeless puzzle in the NY Times last year which spurred my own interest to explore further!
In this puzzle I like the intersecting stacks of 11s in the NE - a pattern you couldn't do in a 15x15 rotationally symmetric grid (at least without blacking out a couple of chunky corners). I also like how the black squares in the middle kind of look like a Minecraft pickaxe.
Thanks to Will Nediger for test solving. Hope you enjoy!
