Twinblade Paladin MTG Card

Generally strengthens your field as your life total grows, especially when coupled with life-gain cards. Can quickly evolve into a major threat, forcing opponents to address its growing power. Surprises adversaries with potential double strike during combat, thanks to instant-speed life-gain synergies.

Core Set 2020 (M20)
2019-07-12 - Number 285

The List (PLST)
2020-09-26 - Number M20-285

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Power	3
Toughness	3

Text of card

Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on Twinblade Paladin. As long as you have 25 or more life, Twinblade Paladin has double strike. (It deals both first-strike and regular combat damage.)

Cards like Twinblade Paladin

Spotlighting Twinblade Paladin, players will notice this card has a kinship with others that harness the power combo of life gain and strength enhancement in Magic the Gathering. Akin to cards such as Ajani’s Pridemate, each instance of life gain swells this creature’s power. Yet, Twinblade Paladin takes it a step further by offering a baseline of toughness and the potential for double strike once your life total reaches a certain threshold.

Comparatively, Bloodthirsty Aerialist also thrives on your life gain, acquiring +1/+1 counters similarly. While the Aerialist soars in the skies with flying, Twinblade Paladin stands its ground with the potential for double strike, broadening its offensive capabilities. Serra Ascendant is another relative in the life gain category. It too becomes a dominant force as your life increases, although it emphasizes early-game impact with its lower cost and the immediate advantage of flying and lifelink.

Unveiling the subtleties among these options, Twinblade Paladin stands out as a robust choice for decks that capitalize on life gain. It balances resilience and aggressive potential, presenting a formidable threat that can shift the tides of a game when health totals climb.

Bloodthirsty Aerialist - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Twinblade Paladin can become a significant source of card advantage, especially in decks focused on gaining life. As your life total increases, the Paladin allows you to build a commanding presence on the battlefield without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: In conjunction with life-gain mechanics, Twinblade Paladin can quickly become a substantial threat. This escalation in board presence can be considered a form of resource acceleration as it forces your opponent to deal with a single card that’s growing out of control.

Instant Speed: While Twinblade Paladin itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, it benefits greatly from life-gain spells and abilities that do. This synergy allows the Paladin to grow and potentially gain double strike at unexpected times, catching opponents off guard during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Twinblade Paladin doesn’t require a card discard, but building around its mechanic may lead you to cards that do, potentially depleting your hand.

Specific Mana Cost: Requiring white mana, Twinblade Paladin might not fit seamlessly into every deck, especially in formats with multicolored or specific color strategy preferences.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including double white, Twinblade Paladin can be considered steep, especially when faster, lower-cost creatures could be played sooner, impacting the board earlier in the game.

Reasons to Include Twinblade Paladin in Your Collection

Versatility: Twinblade Paladin brings a level of adaptability that’s hard to ignore. With the ability to gain a substantial amount of life, it finds a place in decks focused on life gain strategies or those looking for solid defensive creatures.

Combo Potential: With its prowess in increasing lifepoints, Twinblade Paladin synergizes well with cards that provide benefits for life gain. This paves the way for powerful combos, rewarding you for the life you’ve accumulated during the game.

Meta-Relevance: Against an environment heavy with aggressive strategies, Twinblade Paladin serves as a critical piece in holding the fort and turning the tide. Its presence on the board can slow down opponents and provide the durability needed to withstand and ultimately outlast their attacks.

How to beat Twinblade Paladin

Twinblade Paladin, a formidable card in MTG, can be a real powerhouse in the right deck, especially within the life-gain archetypes. This card gains strength as your life total increases, becoming a significant threat that can end games if unchecked. Crucially, it boasts the ability to ascend to a 4/4 creature with double strike once you reach a life total of 25 or more, which not only makes it an offensive force but also a great blocker.

To counter Twinblade Paladin, efficient removal is key. You’ll want to have access to spells that can bypass its potentially boosted toughness. This includes direct removal like Doom Blade or Path to Exile, which can handle the creature regardless of its power and toughness. Additionally, managing an opponent’s life total can also hinder the Paladin’s effectiveness—cards like Erebos, God of the Dead can prevent life gain altogether, curtailing the Paladin’s potential before it can become a larger threat.

Strategy-wise, it’s best to deal with Twinblade Paladin as soon as it hits the battlefield. Waiting can often mean facing a 4/4 double striker that can turn the tide of battle. In competitive play, always consider the meta and equip your deck with answers to life-gain strategies to ensure that Twinblade Paladin doesn’t become an obstacle to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Twinblade Paladin MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020 and The List, 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 Twinblade Paladin and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Twinblade Paladin Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2019-07-12 and 2019-07-12. Illustrated by Jana Schirmer.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2019-07-12	Core Set 2020	M20		285	2015	Normal	Black	Jana Schirmer
2	~~2020-09-26~~	The List	PLST		M20-285	2015	Normal	Black	Jana Schirmer

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Twinblade Paladin has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2019-07-12	Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Twinblade Paladin’s first ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
2019-07-12	If Twinblade Paladin gains double strike after combat damage has already been dealt (most likely because a creature with lifelink dealt combat damage), Twinblade Paladin will deal only regular combat damage.
2019-07-12	If Twinblade Paladin is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won’t receive a counter from its ability in time to save it.
2019-07-12	If you’re dealt first-strike combat damage that brings your life total below 25, Twinblade Paladin will immediately lose double strike. It won’t deal regular combat damage unless you bring your life total back above 25 before the regular combat damage step.
2019-07-12	In a Two-Headed Giant game, Twinblade Paladin has double strike as long as your team has 25 or more life.
2019-07-12	In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won’t cause the first ability to trigger, even though it caused your team’s life total to increase.
2019-07-12	The first ability of Twinblade Paladin triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it’s 1 life from Impassioned Orator or 4 life from Dawning Angel. If you gain an amount of life “for each” of something or “equal to the number” of something, that life is gained as one event and the ability of Twinblade Paladin triggers only once.