Azorius Knight-Arbiter MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Knight |
| Abilities | Vigilance |
| Released | 2019-01-25 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ravnica Allegiance |
| Set code | RNA |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 154 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Even Amundsen |
Key Takeaways
- Provides card advantage via board control and consistent pressure due to its vigilance and unblockability.
- Demands specific mana and has a higher casting cost, calling for careful deck construction and strategy.
- Excels in control decks and is vulnerable to removal spells, enchantment-based restrictions, and counters.
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
Vigilance Azorius Knight-Arbiter can't be blocked.
Thanks to the magic in his Writ of Passage, alms beasts lumbered aside, anarchs bowed their heads, and even Rakdos acrobats rolled their spikewheels out of his way.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Azorius Knight-Arbiter can lock down the board, giving you effective control over the game. With its vigilance and inability to be blocked, it consistently applies pressure, making it easier to maintain card advantage against your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: While the Knight-Arbiter itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it helps you stay ahead on the board. Consistent damage without the need to tap provides a relentless pace that forces opponents to divert resources, potentially accelerating your own game plan.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of Azorius Knight-Arbiter isn’t in casting speed but in its vigilance, allowing it to act as both an offensive and defensive asset. This continuous threat demands answers at any time, boasting a similar strategic edge to instant speed interactions.
Card Cons
Specific Mana Cost: The Azorius Knight-Arbiter requires both white and blue mana for casting, which can potentially restrict it to Azorius-based decks or those that can reliably produce both colors.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of five mana, the Knight-Arbiter enters the battlefield later than many other creatures. This can be a disadvantage in faster-paced formats or against decks that establish early board presence.
Discard Requirement: Unlike some other creatures in its mana range, the Azorius Knight-Arbiter doesn’t effectuate discarding from the opponent, which means it doesn’t provide card advantage that could disrupt the opponent’s hand.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Azorius Knight-Arbiter is a card that serves multiple roles within a deck. Its ability to be both an offensive and defensive asset makes it a key piece in control strategies. It can attack without being exposed to danger thanks to vigilance and is also a reliable blocker due to being unblockable.
Combo Potential: Due to its intrinsic abilities, the card pairs well with effects that capitalize on creatures being untapped or that require a steady presence on the battlefield without needing to tap for attacking. This includes numerous Azorius and control-combo synergies.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where slowing down opponents is as crucial as direct confrontation, Azorius Knight-Arbiter thrives. It’s particularly potent in a format rife with aggro decks, as it remains a consistent thorn in the side of your opponent while maintaining board presence.
How to beat
Azorius Knight-Arbiter is a formidable card often found in control decks within the MTG universe. Renowned for its vigilance and the fact that it can’t be blocked, it may seem like an indomitable presence on the battlefield. Fortunately, there are strategies that can help players overcome this steadfast defender.
One effective method is to use removal spells that bypass the Knight-Arbiter’s unblockable attribute. Cards like Murder or Doom Blade can cleanly deal with it regardless of its protected status on the field. In addition, enchantment-based removal such as Pacifism or Luminous Bonds can neutralize it without requiring a direct confrontation. Board clear spells like Wrath of God or Damnation are also a clean sweep solution. Furthermore, don’t overlook the power of counter spells to prevent this card from ever hitting the board in the first place.
While Azorius Knight-Arbiter can be a thorn in your side, remember that every card has a weakness. Spot removal, enchantment-based restrictions, and strategic counterplay can turn the tides back in your favor.
Cards like Azorius Knight-Arbiter
The Azorius Knight-Arbiter is a unique fixture in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering creatures. Standing shoulder to shoulder with sentinel creatures like Senate Courier and Wind Drake, what sets the Knight-Arbiter apart is its innate ability to remain unaffected by opposing spells during combat due to vigilance and being unblockable. While Senate Courier also boasts vigilance, it lacks the unblockable trait, which significantly elevates the Knight-Arbiter’s tactical value on the battlefield.
Looking at escape potential, Aether Tunnel is a similar enchantment that grants unblockable to a creature, but it falls short by not providing the additional benefit of vigilance. This makes Knight-Arbiter a more formidable adversary as it can defend and attack without tapping. Another comparable card is the always reliable Dovin’s Automaton, which has the potential to gain both vigilance and unblockable, but this is contingent on an additional condition of activating its ability, presenting a less straightforward strategy than the self-reliant Knight-Arbiter.
When we compare these cards, Azorius Knight-Arbiter emerges as a highly versatile piece in a player’s arsenal, capable of applying pressure while fortifying defenses, a duality that its counterparts can’t claim to possess without certain conditions or additional support.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Azorius Knight-Arbiter MTG card by a specific set like Ravnica Allegiance, 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 Azorius Knight-Arbiter and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Azorius Knight-Arbiter 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 |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
