Benalish Knight-Counselor MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Knight |
| Abilities | Enlist |
| Released | 2022-10-05 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: Dominaria |
| Set code | YDMU |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 1 |
| Number | 1 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Paolo Parente |
Text of card
Enlist Whenever Benalish Knight-Counselor enlists a creature, you get a boon with "When you cast your next creature spell, that creature enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it."
Cards like Benalish Knight-Counselor
The Benalish Knight-Counselor stands tall in the pantheon of knight creatures in Magic: The Gathering. It draws parallels to other knightly figures such as the steadfast Benalish Marshal, which bolsters your army with a +1/+1 to all other creatures you control. However, the Knight-Counselor shines due to its unique ability to boost not only the power and toughness of other knights you command but also to grant them vigilance.
Knights like Knight of the White Orchid, while not providing a board-wide bonus, offer a different advantage by allowing land fetching to ensure land drops remain consistent. Then we have the iconic history-making History of Benalia, a saga that progressively strengthens your forces with knight tokens and a final boost to their prowess. While the Benalish Knight-Counselor doesn’t create tokens or fetches lands, its ongoing support to knight allies on the battlefield is invaluable, especially in decks themed around knight synergy.
In sum, each knight-based card carries its own strategic merit. Yet, for those building knight-centric decks, the Benalish Knight-Counselor’s continuous bolstering of fellow knights with power, toughness, and vigilance could very well tip the scales in battle, and its importance in such decks can’t be understated.
Cards similar to Benalish Knight-Counselor by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Benalish Knight-Counselor. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Boros Aggro | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
 | Mardu Humans | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024 | |
| Boros Tokens | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 14 2024 | |
| Boros Death & Taxes | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 13 2024 | |
 | Abzan Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 09 2024 | |
 | Naya Midrange | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 06 2024 | |
| Mono-White Aggro | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
| Mono-White Death & Taxes | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League | |
| Mono-White Humans | Gladiator | Gladiator Team Unified League |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Benalish Knight-Counselor shines when it comes to providing card advantage. It often arrives with additional creatures enabling you to build a formidable presence on the battlefield without depleting your hand. This allows you to sustain pressure on your opponent while keeping resources in reserve for future turns.
Resource Acceleration: This card excels in accelerating your resources, particularly in white-based aggro or midrange decks. By potentially deploying more bodies onto the field, you’re essentially increasing your resource pool. These knights not only present a threat by themselves but can also be tapped for convoke costs or synergize with other cards that benefit from a high creature count.
Instant Speed: Flexibility is a key attribute of the Benalish Knight-Counselor, as it allows strategies to be adapted at instant speed. This can give you the upper hand by adapting to the state of the game as it unfolds, ensuring that you’re always maximizing the potential of each turn. Timing the introduction of this card could disrupt opponent strategies or bolster your defenses in the blink of an eye.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: The Benalish Knight-Counselor poses a hurdle for players with its discard condition. In scenarios where your hand is already depleted, having to discard another card can leave you at a significant disadvantage, potentially stripping you of vital late-game plays.
Specific Mana Cost: Being a card with a distinct mana requirement, it demands a commitment to white mana, which can be restrictive. Players running multicolored decks might find it challenging to meet the white mana cost consistently, especially in early game situations where mana flexibility is crucial.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana cost that’s on the higher side for its offered abilities and stats, it competes directly with other options that may provide greater value or impact on the game. This makes the Benalish Knight-Counselor a potential liability in decks that need to maximize efficiency and tempo.
Reasons to Include Benalish Knight-Counselor in Your Collection
Versatility: Benalish Knight-Counselor can seamlessly integrate into various white-based decks. Its ability to bolster your forces or provide strategic defense boosts makes it a flexible choice for both aggressive and mid-range builds.
Combo Potential: This card’s capabilities shine when paired with abilities that reward you for having a high number of creatures or knights. Its role in enhancing creature synergies and triggering powerful combos cannot be underestimated.
Meta-Relevance: With an ever-shifting competitive landscape, it’s crucial to have cards that adapt well to various metagames. Benalish Knight-Counselor holds its own against a variety of popular decks, making it a worthy addition to collections aiming to be competitive in diverse environments.
How to Beat
The Benalish Knight-Counselor is a card that poses a tactical challenge on the battlefield with its ability to support other creatures. Defeating it requires a strategy that neutralizes its reinforcements. Similar to cards like Mentor of the Meek, which also empowers creatures but with card draw, the key is disrupting synergy. Removal spells that can target multiple creatures, such as Wrath of God or Doomskar, efficiently manage the board presence established by the Knight-Counselor’s abilities.
Additionally, consider playing cards that restrict abilities, reminiscent of Hushbringer or Linvala, Keeper of Silence, to prevent the Knight-Counselor from utilizing its full potential. Exploit timing as well; cast instant-speed removal in response to its activation to ensure it doesn’t provide the intended value. And remember, prioritizing the Benalish Knight-Counselor over other creatures can be a strategic approach if your opponent is relying on its ability for an advantage.
Monitoring the board state and maintaining a response in hand will invariably place you in a favorable position against the supportive might of the Benalish Knight-Counselor and similar MTG cards that seek to bolster the strength of an opponent’s creatures.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Benalish Knight-Counselor MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Dominaria, 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 Benalish Knight-Counselor and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Benalish Knight-Counselor has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |