Knightly Valor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 7 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeEnchantment — Aura
Abilities Enchant

Key Takeaways

  1. Combines creature enhancement and token creation for immediate board presence and increased combat options.
  2. High mana cost and color specificity can impede its inclusion in fast-paced or varied color decks.
  3. Its unique dual ability elevates its standing among similar cards, providing a significant tactical edge.
Vigilance card art

Guide to Vigilance card ability

In the strategic universe of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), the vigilance ability stands out as a powerful tool for players. This potent keyword allows creatures to attack without tapping, keeping them ready and alert to defend against incoming threats. It represents a perfect balance between aggression and defense, offering a dynamic approach to gameplay. Lets dive deeper into how vigilance shapes the battlefield.

Text of card

Enchant creature When Knightly Valor enters the battlefield, put a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield. Enchanted creature gets +2/+2 and has vigilance.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Knightly Valor provides an immediate presence on the board by not only enhancing a creature but also creating a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance. This allows you to increase your army and potential blockers or attackers without spending additional cards.

Resource Acceleration: In the realm of creature enchantments, Knightly Valor stands out by offering a significant power and toughness boost along with vigilance. This enhances your combat capabilities and can often lead to more favorable trades, saving you the need for additional spells or creatures to tip the scales in battle.

Instant Speed: While not an instant itself, Knightly Valor adds vigilance to the enchanted creature, effectively giving it the ability to attack without tapping. This retains resources by keeping your creature prepared to block on the opponent’s turn, acting as a deterrent and protecting your life total as if you had instant speed interactions.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Knightly Valor requires both white mana and generic mana, making it a less flexible inclusion in multi-colored decks that might struggle with color consistency.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, Knightly Valor may come into play too late against faster, more aggressive strategies that can capitalize on the early game.

Discard Requirement: Although Knightly Valor does not have a discard requirement in the traditional sense, its higher mana cost might force players to discard other cards from their hand to fulfill its casting cost under resource pressure.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Knightly Valor is a multifaceted aura that can be a game-changer in decks that prize board presence. With its ability to buff a creature and create an additional body on the field, it harmonizes with strategies that capitalize on creature numbers.

Combo Potential: The immediate impact of buffing a creature paired with a knight token means the card can synergize with mechanics that key off token generation or that require a strong battlefield presence to activate powerful effects.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where board control and midrange strategies prevail, Knightly Valor provides the dual benefits of enhancing a single creature and widening your army, potentially tipping the scales in your favor during critical turns.


How to Beat Knightly Valor

Knightly Valor is an aura that can be both an asset and a liability in MTG. It boosts a creature’s abilities significantly, granting it +2/+2 and even bestowing Vigilance, an ability prized for its tactical advantages. Not only does the enchanted creature become a formidable attacker, but it also stands ready to defend without tapping. This can turn a seemingly modest creature into a dominant force on the battlefield.

To dismantle this strategy, removal spells are your most direct solution. Cards like Disenchant or Naturalize specifically target enchantments, efficiently invalidating the benefits of Knightly Valor. Additionally, creature removal spells will rid you of the now-augmented threat altogether. Popular options include Murder, which can eliminate the enchanted creature regardless of its size, and Doom Blade, which is perfect except against fellow black creatures. Timing is key; removing the creature in response to Knightly Valor’s casting will prevent your opponent from gaining the enchantment’s benefits entirely, given that it will fizzle with no target.

Remember, while Knightly Valor can turn the tides of battle by amplifying a creature’s prowess, a well-timed removal spell or a focus on enchantment destruction can quickly foil this knightly ambition, maintaining the balance of power on your terms.


Cards like Knightly Valor

Knightly Valor is a notable card for those seeking to fortify their board presence in Magic: The Gathering. It offers a similar function to cards like Pacifism, by affecting the board in a substantial way. However, Knightly Valor takes it further by not only bolstering a single creature with +2/+2 but also granting vigilance, which allows the creature to remain untapped when attacking. This lends a significant tactical advantage, similar to the enhancement provided by Armored Ascension, known for boosting a creature’s strength in accordance to the number of Plains you control.

Another card worth mentioning in this context is Dub. Much like Knightly Valor, it grants a power increase with an additional keyword, in this case, knighthood which could work well in Knight-themed decks. Yet, Knightly Valor presents an edge with vigilance and the immediate presence of an additional 2/2 Knight token with vigilance, amplifying the player’s forces even further. Bonds of Faith is also a counterpart, offering a potential power upgrade or pacification effect. Despite these similarities, Knightly Valor’s enduring board impact makes it a unique augmentation option.

Ultimately, Knightly Valor stands out amongst its peers for its dual ability to enhance a creature and expand battlefield presence, making it a valuable asset in various MTG gameplay scenarios.

Pacifism - MTG Card versions
Armored Ascension - MTG Card versions
Dub - MTG Card versions
Bonds of Faith - MTG Card versions
Pacifism - Mirage (MIR)
Armored Ascension - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Dub - Dominaria (DOM)
Bonds of Faith - Innistrad (ISD)

Cards similar to Knightly Valor by color, type and mana cost

Safeguard - MTG Card versions
Angelic Chorus - MTG Card versions
Noble Purpose - MTG Card versions
Noble Stand - MTG Card versions
Rabble Rousing - MTG Card versions
Righteous Cause - MTG Card versions
Lucent Liminid - MTG Card versions
Boon Reflection - MTG Card versions
Mammoth Umbra - MTG Card versions
Commander's Authority - MTG Card versions
Cathars' Crusade - MTG Card versions
Sigil of the Empty Throne - MTG Card versions
Debtor's Pulpit - MTG Card versions
Celestial Archon - MTG Card versions
Mystic Barrier - MTG Card versions
Dictate of Heliod - MTG Card versions
Skybind - MTG Card versions
Spectra Ward - MTG Card versions
Near-Death Experience - MTG Card versions
Consulate Crackdown - MTG Card versions
Safeguard - Tempest (TMP)
Angelic Chorus - Tenth Edition (10E)
Noble Purpose - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Noble Stand - Nemesis (NEM)
Rabble Rousing - Streets of New Capenna (SNC)
Righteous Cause - The List (PLST)
Lucent Liminid - Future Sight (FUT)
Boon Reflection - Double Masters (2XM)
Mammoth Umbra - Planechase Anthology (PCA)
Commander's Authority - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Cathars' Crusade - Jumpstart (JMP)
Sigil of the Empty Throne - Commander Masters (CMM)
Debtor's Pulpit - Gatecrash (GTC)
Celestial Archon - Commander 2018 (C18)
Mystic Barrier - Commander 2013 (C13)
Dictate of Heliod - The List (PLST)
Skybind - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Spectra Ward - Magic 2015 (M15)
Near-Death Experience - From the Vault: Lore (V16)
Consulate Crackdown - Aether Revolt Promos (PAER)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Knightly Valor MTG card by a specific set like Return to Ravnica and Magic Origins, 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 Knightly Valor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Knightly Valor Magic the Gathering card was released in 7 different sets between 2012-10-05 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-10-05Return to RavnicaRTR 132003normalblackMatt Stewart
22015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 222015normalblackMatt Stewart
32018-07-13Core Set 2019M19 202015normalblackMatt Stewart
42020-07-17JumpstartJMP 1152015normalblackMatt Stewart
52022-07-08Double Masters 20222X2 142015normalblackMatt Stewart
62023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine Art SeriesAWOE 632015art_seriesborderlessMatteo Bassini
72023-09-08Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting TalesWOT 82015normalborderlessMatteo Bassini

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Knightly Valor has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-07-13 If the creature this Aura would enchant is an illegal target by the time Knightly Valor tries to resolve, the Aura spell doesn’t resolve. It won’t enter the battlefield, so its ability won’t trigger.
2018-07-13 You need a creature for Knightly Valor to target as you cast it. There’s no way to have it enter the battlefield attached to the Knight token it’ll create.

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