Khenra Eternal MTG Card
2017-07-14 - Number 66
2020-08-13 - Number 109
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Zombie Jackal Warrior |
| Abilities | Afflict |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Afflict 1 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 1 life.)
For many years, servant mummies toiled in the mines to extract lazotep. The emergence of the Eternals revealed the sacred substance's true purpose.
Cards like Khenra Eternal
Khenra Eternal, a gritty aggressor in Magic: The Gathering, finds its place among two-power, two-cost creatures. This zombie jackal shares common ground with cards like Dusk Legion Zealot in terms of casting cost and power. While the Zealot allows a player to draw a card at the cost of one life, Khenra Eternal forgoes card advantage for the potential to consistently deal damage through afflict.
Another relative in this category is Oreskos Swiftclaw, a vanilla creature that boasts one additional power. However, without afflict or any other abilities, Oreskos Swiftclaw becomes a straightforward combat play, lacking the strategic depth that afflict can provide during matchups. Eternal Taskmaster is a noteworthy comparison as well, trading one point of power for the ability to potentially recur creatures from the graveyard—a useful tool in longer, grindy games.
Choosing between these options comes down to deck strategy and the trade-offs a player is willing to make. Khenra Eternal carves out a niche for decks that benefit from aggressive starts and value the afflict mechanic, ensuring that even when blocked, it chips away at an opponent’s life total.
Cards similar to Khenra Eternal by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Even though Khenra Eternal doesn’t directly influence hand size, its prowess lies in being a reliable piece in graveyard strategies. It synergizes with cards that benefit from having creatures in your graveyard, subtly contributing to long-term advantage.
Resource Acceleration: Khenra Eternal may not produce additional mana or resources outright, its affordable casting cost allows for a swift deployment onto the battlefield. This creates immediate pressure and enables a more aggressive use of your mana resources in the early game.
Instant Speed: While Khenra Eternal operates at sorcery speed, it undoubtedly complements decks that capitalize on instant-speed interactions. Deploy it early and keep your mana open later for reactionary spells, blending both proactive and responsive tactics seamlessly into your gameplay.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: One downside to playing Khenra Eternal is its potential to synergize with cards that require you to discard. This might make it less optimal in decks that don’t naturally leverage discard mechanics or when your hand is already depleted.
Specific Mana Cost: Khenra Eternal has a mana cost that includes black mana, which means it’s predominantly a fit for black-inclusive decks. This mana requirement may restrict its playability across the wide spectrum of archetypes available to players.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you compare Khenra Eternal to other creatures within its mana range, you may find that it’s on the higher end of the curve for its power level. Considering a 2/2 body, other creatures could potentially offer more impactful abilities or stats for the same or lower cost.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Khenra Eternal is a card that can seamlessly integrate into aggressive decks that benefit from resilient creatures. With its afflict ability, it ensures that damage is dealt even if the creature is blocked, making it a persistent threat on the battlefield.
Combo Potential: This card works well in strategies that revolve around zombie tribal themes or those that exploit -1/-1 counter synergies. Its zombie type can be key in enabling various graveyard-based strategies or in complementing other zombie synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta-game that values consistent pressure, Khenra Eternal can shine. As a two-drop with an impactful combat ability, it can be particularly effective against control decks that aim to stabilize the board in the early game.
How to beat
Khenra Eternal is a creature card that can be a subtle thorn in the side of many Magic: The Gathering players. As a Zombie Jackal Warrior, it brings a decent presence to the battlefield for its two-mana value. But it’s the afflict ability where Khenra Eternal really shines, ensuring that even if blocked, it’ll deal damage to the opponent. This ability draws a parallel with other afflict creatures, pushing your opponent to make tough decisions about whether to take the hit or suffer the afflict damage.
One effective strategy against Khenra Eternal is to remove it before it can attack. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile come into play here, offering a mana-efficient solution. Alternatively, preventing it from attacking with cards like Pacifism can neutralize the threat without the need for removal. Then, if the situation calls for it, employing creatures with high toughness to block can mitigate the damage it deals, even considering its afflict ability.
Ultimately, understanding and anticipating Khenra Eternal’s behavior allows for preemptive measures to minimize its impact on the game. Whether through removal, restriction, or strategic blocking, there are multiple ways to handle this aggressive Zombie Jackal Warrior in Magic: The Gathering.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Khenra Eternal MTG card by a specific set like Hour of Devastation and Amonkhet Remastered, 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 Khenra Eternal 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
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Printings
The Khenra Eternal Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-07-14 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Tomasz Jedruszek.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-07-14 | Hour of Devastation | HOU | 66 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 2 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 109 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Khenra Eternal has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Khenra Eternal card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-07-14 | Afflict causes the defending player to lose life; it’s not damage or combat damage. |
| 2017-07-14 | Afflict resolves before combat damage is dealt. If this loss of life brings a player to 0 life or less, that player loses the game immediately. A blocking creature with lifelink won’t deal combat damage in time to save that player. |
| 2017-07-14 | If a creature is attacking a planeswalker, that planeswalker’s controller is the defending player. |
| 2017-07-14 | If multiple creatures block a creature with afflict, afflict triggers only once. |