Skulking Knight MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Zombie Knight
Abilities	Flanking
Released	2006-10-06
Set symbol
Set name	Time Spiral
Set code	TSP
Power	3
Toughness	3
Number	130
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	rk post

Key Takeaways

A double-edged sword: strong threat but carries the risk of card disadvantage.
Unyielding in mono-black decks, yet its specific mana cost limits versatility.
In the right deck, Skulking Knight can be a crucial piece in power-heavy strategies.

Text of card

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.) When Skulking Knight becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When discussing the Skulking Knight, its capacity to maintain card advantage isn’t direct but implicit. In a game where creatures are key, your knight poses a significant enough threat that opponents may need to use more than one card to deal with it. This can potentially lead to advantage on your side of the board as opponents exhaust resources to tackle the threat.

Resource Acceleration: While Skulking Knight itself doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense of providing extra mana, its sheer presence can alter the tempo of the game. Its 4/4 stats for a mere four mana are efficiently costed, allowing you to deploy other threats or answers more quickly while your opponent deals with it, indirectly speeding up your resource development.

Instant Speed: Skulking Knight might not be an instant-speed card, but this black creature card synergizes well with other cards of instant speed. Imagine using an instant to weaken or clear a path for the knight’s attack during combat or in response to an opponent’s action, thus leveraging the timing of your plays for optimal board impact.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Skulking Knight can be a liability on the battlefield as it forces you to discard a card when it becomes the target of a spell or ability. This can deplete your hand quickly, especially in longer games where conserving resources is key.

Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that specifically requires black mana, Skulking Knight may not seamlessly fit into multi-color decks. It’s necessary to have a mana base strongly committed to black to consistently play the card on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For a creature that brings with it the risk of an attached discard penalty, the mana investment is relatively steep. At three mana, including two black, you might find other creatures or spells that offer better stability or value without the inherent risk.

Reasons to Include Skulking Knight in Your Collection

Versatility: Skulking Knight provides an interesting dynamic in decks that capitalize on power-based triggers. Equally at home in aggressive black decks as it is in midrange builds, the Knight offers tactical advantages, particularly in games where high-risk, high-reward strategies prevail.

Combo Potential: With its ability to become significantly stronger at the cost of sacrificing a creature, Skulking Knight can be the linchpin in combos that revolve around sacrifice mechanics. The concept is to use this creature in synergistic strategies, empowering other cards that benefit from creatures dying or getting stronger.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where creature-based strategies are common, Skulking Knight can deter opponents from targeting it with spells or effects that do not destroy it outright, thereby preserving your board presence. This can be particularly useful in disrupting your opponent’s plan and maintaining a strong stance in creature-heavy matchups.

How to beat

Skulking Knight presents itself as a formidable creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, standing out with its intimidating presence on the battlefield. This creature can force opponents into a tactical quandary due to its flanking ability, which weakens opposing creatures that dare block it. However, contriving a strategy against Skulking Knight isn’t as complex as one might guess. Its Achilles heel rests in its vulnerability to spells that target it, shrinking away to nothing in response.

Thus, players who anticipate confronting this particular Knight would be wise to keep a handful of targeted removal spells or spells that can assign minus counters without triggering the Knight’s sacrifice clause. With an appropriate countermeasure in hand, opponents can easily nullify the Knight’s advantage and swing the balance of power. Focusing on direct removal such as Shock, which deals enough damage to eliminate it instantly, or enchantments that continually debuff the creature, are optimal tactics.

In conclusion, though Skulking Knight poses an initial threat, with insightful deck construction and timely play, this seemingly towering adversary can be reduced to a mere pawn in your strategic game of MTG.

Cards like Skulking Knight

Skulking Knight holds a unique position in the pantheon of Magic: The Gathering creatures, with a blend of strength and vulnerability. It shares a kinship with cards such as Phyrexian Negator, which carries a considerable power level balanced by a detrimental effect when it’s dealt damage. The Skulking Knight, with its significant power for its mana cost, demands caution as it self-destructs upon targeting by a spell.

Shadow Knight, a card with shadow ensures it can often attack unblocked, shares the evasiveness of Skulking Knight but avoids the self-destructive drawback. Conversely, the Skulking Knight boasts higher power, which could be a deciding factor in combat scenarios. Order of the Ebon Hand is another similar card offering protection from white, and while it requires mana to gain first strike, unlike Skulking Knight’s inherent flanking ability, it offers a more stable battlefield presence.

Evaluating Skulking Knight in comparison to its peers, it becomes clear that it’s a card that rewards strategic play and timing, making it a compelling choice for players seeking a potentially game-altering presence on the board with the tactical acumen to mitigate its risks.

Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Skulking Knight by color, type and mana cost

Mischievous Poltergeist - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Skulking Knight MTG card by a specific set like Time Spiral, 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 Skulking Knight and other MTG cards: