Knight of Malice MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Abilities	First strike,Hexproof,Hexproof from
Released	2018-04-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dominaria
Set code	DOM
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	97
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Sidharth Chaturvedi

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage by enduring through tactics that target specific colors, challenging opponents.
Efficient mana cost enables a swift board presence and pressures opponents early in the game.
Significant in current meta for its capability to withstand popular white control and removal strategies.

Text of card

First strike Hexproof from white (This creature can't be the target of white spells or abilities your opponents control.) Knight of Malice gets +1/+0 as long as any player controls a white permanent.

A shadow to swallow the light.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Knight of Malice benefits the controller by creating inherent card advantage. Its hexproof from white ability often obliges opponents to use multiple resources to deal with it, thus indirectly providing you with an advantage over the course of the game.

Resource Acceleration: While Knight of Malice doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its moderate casting cost of two mana fits efficiently into the curve, allowing you to establish board presence early on. This early threat can lead to gaining control of the game tempo and indirectly translate into a form of resource acceleration as your opponent is forced to respond.

Instant Speed: Although the Knight of Malice isn’t an instant, its inherent abilities can have an instant impact on the game. The card is specially suited for acting against decks that favor white spells or permanents, allowing for strategic plays that can shift the game in your favor quickly, much like the benefits provided by playing spells at instant speed.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While the Knight of Malice requires no discard, playing it strategically means the decision can weigh heavily, especially if you’re managing a tight hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s black and generic mana cost may not pose a challenge for mono-black or dual decks, yet it may not seamlessly fit into more diverse multicolored strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two mana, it competes with other two-drops in the aggressiveness category. Players might find cards with direct removal or versatile effects a preferable option at this cost.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Knight of Malice is a flexibly costed card that can be a strong addition to multiple deck archetypes. It fits well into black-white Knights decks, but it’s also a solid pick in any build that can benefit from a robust early-game attacker that can scale into the late game.

Combo Potential: With its hexproof from white, Knight of Malice can pair excellently with cards that target and confer benefits to black creatures, or with equipment that can capitalize on its inherent resilience. This makes it a resilient piece in synergistic combos.

Meta-Relevance: Given its protection abilities and the prevalence of white in various formats, Knight of Malice holds its ground in the current meta. It can be a strategic play against decks that heavily rely on white for control and removal, providing an aggressive edge when facing adversaries.

How to beat

Defeating the Knight of Malice requires a solid strategy due to its hexproof from white ability and power boost when opposing a white permanent. The key lies in bypassing its protections. One effective tactic is employing creature removal spells in colors other than white, such as Red’s “Lightning Bolt” or Black’s “Doom Blade”. These can eliminate the Knight without being hindered by hexproof.

Another method is to control the battlefield. Use cards that force the Knight of Malice to block disadvantageously or to include creatures with death-trigger abilities, transforming it into an asset draining gambit. Additionally, the Knight of Malice thrives in a particular meta, so consider a deck with varied colors and strategies to maintain adaptability.

Once you diffuse its specific advantages, Knight of Malice loses its intimidation on the board. It’s crucial to remain flexible and prepared with an arsenal that neutralizes threats irrespective of their protection, matching the spirited and dynamic environment that MTG is celebrated for.

Cards like Knight of Malice

Knight of Malice is a standout addition to the suite of black creature cards in MTG, often compared to its counterpart, Knight of Grace. This particular card boasts hexproof from white and gains a power boost whenever any player controls a white permanent. Knight of Grace mirrors this functionality but from the opposing spectrum, focusing on hexproof from black and a bonus against black permanents.

When looking at creatures with similar abilities, we must mention Order of Midnight. While it doesn’t have the hexproof ability, it offers versatility with its alternate casting option that can return a creature from the graveyard to your hand. Still, Knight of Malice prevails with its built-in protection against a common color.

Lastly, Gifted Aetherborn is a strong creature that shares the same mana value with our hero. Though it doesn’t amplify its power against white, it brings lifelink and deathtouch to the table, presenting a different set of tactical advantages. Setting these cards side by side, Knight of Malice’s consistency and protective edge against a popular color make it a formidable choice in MTG creature rosters.

Cards similar to Knight of Malice by color, type and mana cost

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Knight of Malice MTG card by a specific set like 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 Knight of Malice and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Knight of Malice has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Knight of Malice card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date	Text
2018-04-27	If an effect says that a creature loses hexproof or can be targeted as though it didn’t have hexproof, this applies to hexproof from white as well.
2018-04-27	Knight of Malice only gets +1/+0 if any player controls a white permanent, no matter how many white permanents players control.
2018-04-27	“Hexproof from -uality]” is a variant of the hexproof ability. “Hexproof from white” means “This permanent can’t be the target of white spells your opponents control or abilities of white sources your opponents control.”