Puresteel Paladin MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Puresteel Paladin offers consistent card draw each time an Equipment enters the battlefield under your control. This can rapidly fill your hand, ensuring you have plenty of options to continue building a dominating presence on the board.

Resource Acceleration: The Paladin’s secondary ability can turn the game in your favor by enabling you to equip artifacts at no cost, provided you have metalcraft. This speeds up the rate at which you can deploy and maximize your Equipment, keeping the momentum firmly on your side.

Instant Speed: While Puresteel Paladin itself is not an instant, the fact that it allows you to attach Equipment instantly and without cost gives you the flexibility to adapt to changing situations mid-combat or in response to opponent’s actions, keeping your strategy versatile and fluid.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Puresteel Paladin doesn’t directly ask for a discard, its ability can lose potency if your hand is empty. In order to maximize its potential, players need to consistently have equipment cards on hand, which can pressure the player into potentially unfavorable discards to maintain card flow.

Specific Mana Cost: Puresteel Paladin has a strict mana cost requiring two white mana. This specificity makes it a slightly less flexible choice for multi-colored decks, particularly those that do not heavily favor white. Players may find themselves unable to cast Puresteel Paladin when needed due to a lack of the right mana.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While a casting cost of two white mana for a 2/2 creature with considerable upside can be reasonable, in some hyper-aggressive or highly optimized environments, this cost may be deemed too steep. Other cards with lower mana costs might be chosen over Puresteel Paladin in decks that prioritize an aggressive mana curve or those that can’t capitalize on its synergies with equipment.

Reasons to Include Puresteel Paladin in Your Collection

Versatility: Puresteel Paladin seamlessly integrates into a variety of deck architectures, especially those that rely on equipment or artifact synergies. Its ability to provide consistent card draw when playing equipment gives it a universal appeal in numerous white-based decks.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combinations with cards that allow for free equipment attachments or generate numerous artifacts. Its synergy with “0” cost equipment can lead to explosive plays, swiftly overwhelming opponents with a bolstered board presence.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where equipment and artifact strategies have a foothold, Puresteel Paladin’s presence is particularly impactful. Its draw mechanic can maintain card advantage while the Metalcraft ability provides resilience against removal, making it a formidable addition in competitive play.

How to beat Puresteel Paladin

Puresteel Paladin is a standout card in MTG that bolsters strategies involving equipment. When it’s on the battlefield, not only do you draw a card whenever an Equipment enters the play under your control, but you also get to equip artifacts for free if you have metalcraft — control three or more artifacts. Its strengths lie in this dual utility, pushing forward aggressive equipment-based strategies and providing a consistent card draw.

To triumph over Puresteel Paladin, you should prioritize removal spells that can address creatures without targeting them, as this sidesteps potential protection from Equipments providing hexproof or shroud. Board wipes like Supreme Verdict or field resets such as Cyclonic Rift can efficiently deal with Puresteel Paladin without needing to target it directly. Another approach is to disrupt the artifact count of an opponent, using cards like Vandalblast or Shatterstorm to prevent the metalcraft condition from activating, thus nullifying the equipment advantage and slowing down your opponent’s momentum.

Effective handling of Puresteel Paladin centers on disrupting its synergies quickly and decisively. Whether countering its casting, strategically timing removals, or diminishing artifact counts, successful strategies involve staying one step ahead of the Paladin’s potential to over-equip and overwhelm.

BurnMana Recommendations

To maximize the strengths of Puresteel Paladin in your MTG matches, it’s crucial to maintain a well-stocked hand with equipment cards. Including draw mechanics or low-cost artifacts can ensure you’re always ready to exploit the Paladin’s abilities. For decks heavy in white mana, Puresteel Paladin becomes an even more critical asset. Consider diversifying your mana sources to avoid being held back by color restrictions, and be sure to protect your board state to retain metalcraft. Enhance your gameplay and refine your equipment-based strategies with Puresteel Paladin’s dynamic capabilities. Learn more about optimizing your deck and honing your strategies over at BurnMana.