Blade Historian MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Cleric
Power 2
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Blade Historian elevates combat by granting double strike, maximizing your creatures’ damage output.
  2. With a specific mana cost, it fits best in Boros or multi-colored decks, impacting its versatility.
  3. Despite a cost of four mana, its combat influence makes it a worthy addition to aggro strategies.

Text of card

Attacking creatures you control have double strike.

"So you see, the reckless battle strategy of the Kathorran orcs was effective, but ultimately proved to be a double-edged sword. As did their double-edged swords."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blade Historian may not directly provide card draw, but it significantly amplifies the value of each creature you control by granting them double strike, essentially doubling their combat effectiveness and forcing your opponent to deal with multiple threats simultaneously.

Resource Acceleration: While Blade Historian doesn’t generate mana or treasure, its presence on the battlefield accelerates your strategy by making every creature a considerable threat, allowing you to close out games more quickly and efficiently.

Instant Speed: Although Blade Historian is a creature with a regular casting speed, the impact it has when it hits the battlefield can be as sudden and overwhelming as any instant-speed action, immediately altering the board state and requiring an immediate answer from opponents.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Blade Historian doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, but it’s worth noting that playing such a role-specific creature may compel players to discard other potentially valuable cards to achieve the necessary mana balance, indirectly impacting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Blade Historian comes with a restrictive casting cost of two red and two white mana. This specific combination confines the card primarily to Boros or multi-color decks, thereby reducing its versatility across various deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Priced at four mana, Blade Historian is a significant investment, especially when you consider alternative aggro cards at lower mana costs that may provide more immediate or flexible benefits to your game strategy.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Blade Historian proves to be a flexible asset, as it seamlessly integrates into various aggro decks that thrive on attacking. Its ability to give attacking creatures double strike can turn even a modest board into a substantial threat, regardless of the creature types.

Combo Potential: With Blade Historian, the power of your creatures doubles, opening up explosive combos that can end games quickly. Its static ability synergizes perfectly with strategies that accumulate a wealth of creatures or build around powerful attacking synergies.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are prominent, Blade Historian’s impact is undeniable. It can tilt the battlefield in your favor against control or mirror matchups, making it a crucial inclusion for players anticipating a combat-centric opponent lineup.


How to Beat Blade Historian

Blade Historian is a powerful asset in MTG, often tipping the scales in favor of players by granting attacking creatures double strike. The card’s strength comes from its ability to instantly double the damage output of your creatures, a significant boost that can overwhelm opponents.

To counteract this, remove the Historian before attacks can be declared. Utilize instant-speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push to eliminate it from the battlefield. You can also adopt a control strategy, deploying counterspells such as Dovin’s Veto or Negate to prevent it from ever hitting the field. Another effective technique is to focus on setting a robust defense that can withstand an onslaught, or put pressure with fast-paced aggro strategies that outpace the opponent’s ability to establish their game plan.

Remember, a well-timed board wipe like Wrath of God can reset the playing field regardless of Blade Historian’s double strike capabilities. No matter what angle you choose to tackle this card, keeping your interactions flexible and responsive is key to coming out on top against this potent four-mana threat.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the intricacies of Magic the Gathering often comes down to knowing when to play your powerhouse cards. Blade Historian is one such card that can turn the tides with its double strike ability, doubling your attacking creatures’ effectiveness in a heartbeat. If you want to deepen your understanding of potent strategies and become well-versed in MTG’s competitive scene, Blade Historian is a must-know. Dive into our comprehensive guides to discover how this card can amplify your playstyle and the best tactics to employ it effectively. Embrace the journey to MTG mastery—start enhancing your deck’s potential today.


Cards like Blade Historian

Blade Historian stands out in the crowd of power-boosting cards in Magic: The Gathering. It finds a close relative in cards like Rage Forger, which also offers a buff to creature’s power. Blade Historian takes it further, giving attacking creatures double strike, a decisive advantage in combat scenarios. Rage Forger, however, has the additional benefit of dealing damage when creatures under its influence attack, a different type of combat trickery.

In the same category, we see cards like Dictate of the Twin Gods, which has the potential to amplify damage in broader ways. Dictate affects all damage, not just combat damage like Blade Historian’s double strike mechanic, but it comes with higher mana cost and is riskier, as it impacts both players equally. Another apt comparison would be to the renowned card, Berserkers’ Onslaught. This spell costs more but similarly grants double strike to attacking creatures and can be a game-changer in aggressive decks.

Delving into the nuances of each card, Blade Historian solidifies its position in MTG as a key card for those seeking decisive turns in combat, due to its immediate impact and the overwhelming potential it can unleash in the right deck.

Rage Forger - MTG Card versions
Dictate of the Twin Gods - MTG Card versions
Berserkers' Onslaught - MTG Card versions
Rage Forger - Morningtide (MOR)
Dictate of the Twin Gods - Journey into Nyx Promos (PJOU)
Berserkers' Onslaught - Dragons of Tarkir (DTK)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blade Historian MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Strixhaven: School of Mages, 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 Blade Historian and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Blade Historian Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2021-04-23 and 2021-04-24. Illustrated by Cristi Balanescu.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 902122015normalblackCristi Balanescu
22021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 1652015normalblackCristi Balanescu
32021-04-23Strixhaven: School of MagesSTX 3342015normalblackCristi Balanescu
42021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 165s2015normalblackCristi Balanescu
52021-04-24Strixhaven: School of Mages PromosPSTX 165p2015normalblackCristi Balanescu

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blade Historian has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-04-16 If Blade Historian leaves the battlefield after first-strike combat damage has been dealt but before regular combat damage (perhaps because it attacked and was destroyed by first-strike combat damage), attacking creatures you control will lose double strike. A creature without double strike won’t deal regular combat damage if it already dealt first-strike damage that turn.

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