The 13 Knights for Black and White - Magic: The Gathering
So, I've recently built an Aryel commander deck and I have to say, I've been getting my butt handed to me. I knew it'd be a deck on the weaker side, but wow, it's definitely struggling more than I had thought. This has highlighted for me, that while knights have some powerful cards such as Haakon, Hero of Bladehold, and Kinsbail Skirmisher, the overall power level of the deck is just too low.
This tribe needs some support.... Major support, so I tried my hand at designing some nifty knights that would fit the deck and my playstyle, while also fitting within Magic's color pie philosophy and being accurately balanced.
Disclosure: The cards listed before are meant to be powerful and not be your average limited card. These cards have to be powerful for knights to fight back other incredible decks.
With that, let us begin!
Novice Squire W
Creature - Human Soldier
2/1
Novice Squire gains first strike as long as you control a knight. Whenever a knight you control dies, transform Novice Squire.
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Experienced Swornsword
Creature - Human Knight
4/4
Creatures you control without first strike gain first strike.
Whenever a knight you control dies, you may put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Commentary: A simple transform card. Novice Squire is a flavorful rendition of an eager squire wishing to become a great knight. A knight he admires falls in battle, forcing him to grow up and become stronger.
Fellblade Vanquisher 4BB
Creature - Vampire Knight
6/6
Lifelink
Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on each knight you control.
Commentary: I'm not the biggest fan of so many black/white archetypes being themed around life gain. However, I am a fan of lifelink and the idea of vampirism. The Fellblade Vanquisher would be a good top end card for the knights. His 6/6 lifelink makes it so he might be as good as a Wurmcoil Engine.
Sirvok, The Hound 1WB
Legendary Creature - Human Knight
3/3
Prevent the first source of damage done to Sirvok each turn.
Commentary: Sirvok was made to sustain most rounds of combat due to being such a formidable fighter. I felt this effect was unique and interesting. While Sirvok isn't spectacular on his own, he'll become deadlier when synergized with knights that grant him things such as Double Strike. This card was inspired by the Hound from Game of Thrones.
Knight of the Black Grave WB
Creature - Vampire Knight
2/2
Flash
Whenever Knight of the Black Grave enters the battlefield, you may counter target spell or ability that would remove one or more cards in your graveyard.
Commentary: A knight to help prevent your strategy with Haakon or other black reanimation spells from being utterly destroyed. This card could fit into many decks outside of knights. White does get limited countering ability.
Bloodsword Cavalry 4WB
Creature - Vampire Knight
4/4
First Strike
Whenever Bloodsword Calvary attacks, attacking creatures you control gain lifelink until the end of turn.
Commentary: A nice synergistic card with many other black / white cards and knights.
Fallen Knight 1B
Creature - Human Knight
2/2
Whenever Fallen Knight enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a creature and put it into your graveyard. Shuffle your library afterwards.
Commentary: Flavored as a knight that forsakes his moral code and kills someone close to him for his own personal gain. A perfect combo piece for Haakon. Of course the synergies outside of that are fairly limited, but I opened it up from just being just a knight to any creature.
Duelist of the Rose BW
Creature - Vampire Knight
3/1
Vigilance, Deathtouch
Commentary: A simple and efficient knight. Combos well with knights that grant first strike and double strike.
Lancer of the Dusk 4BW
Creature - Human Knight
6/1
Flash, First Strike, Deathtouch
Whenever Lancer of the Dusk enters the battlefield you may destroy target attacking creature.
Commentary: Designed for knight versatility. It is meant to be a two for one, able to kill an attacking creature via effect and by successfully blocking.
Shield of the Black Wolf (3)
Equipped creature gains hexproof and indestructible.
Equip Knight: 2
Equip: 5
Commentary: A nice knight-flavored shield to help increase your key knights from dying.
Edgemaster 1WB
Creature - Human Knight
2/2
Knights you control cost WB less.
Commentary: Inspired by my favorite cleric Edgewalker. The flavor of Edgemaster is he's a mentor to other knights.
Paladin's Vow WW
Enchantment
Knights you control gain +1/+1
You may sacrifice Paladins Vow to destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Commentary: A knight anthem, plus utility. While neither effect on its own isn't something knights can't already do or don't have access to, having this on one card would help increase the synergy of knights by giving their team more power and answers on one card.
Knight of the Honorblade 1W
Creature - Human Knight
2/2
Whenever a knight you control attacks, you may reveal the top card of your deck, if it's a knight, put it into your hand.
Commentary: White usually doesn't have access to card advantage, but Maro himself has stated that narrow card draw such as Mentor of the Meek is now allowed. With that in mind, knights could use some tribal answers to drawing more cards.
Kull, Swordsman of Sorrow 4BB
Legendary Creature - Vampire Knight
6/6
Knights you control have flying as long as a creature in your graveyard has flying. The same is true for first strike, double strike, flanking, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, protection, reach, trample, and vigilance.
Commentary: This potentially really powerful card was Inspired by cards like Soulflayer. While the upside is tremendous, it's easy to deflate this card's effect through removal and especially graveyard hate. Kull also grants menace since it was created after Soulflayer. It also grants flanking and protection since those can be found on several knights throughout Magic's history. If card space needed to be made, I could see flying, haste, reach, and trample being removed since they are the least "knight based." Flying was listed first on the card because that's how Soulflayer templated.
Well, those are my ideas! What did you think and what knights would you create for Magic? If I had one more slot, I would be thinking of a knight that somehow could prevent my board from being cyclonic rift...again!
Well, that's all for this time! Be on the lookout for more MTG related design articles such as this. Also, if you like my ideas, mayhaps you should try my card game Spellslingers?!
Stay Awesome!
Vincent Baker