Eastern Paladin MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Phyrexian Zombie Knight
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Eastern Paladin’s targeted removal shifts board control and maintains a creature advantage.
  2. Operates at instant speed, providing flexible disruption within an opponent’s turn.
  3. Demands careful hand resource management due to its discard requirement for activation.

Text of card

o Bo B, oc T: Destroy target green creature.

"Their fragile world. Their futile lives. They obstruct the Grand Evolution. In Yawgmoth's name, we shall excise them." —Oath of the East


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Eastern Paladin’s ability to destroy white creatures can effectively dismantle an opponent’s strategy, creating superior card advantage on the board. Its targeted removal can shift the balance of power, ensuring you stay ahead in terms of valuable creatures in play.

Resource Acceleration: Although Eastern Paladin itself does not directly accelerate resources, its four mana cost for a 3/3 body is efficient, allowing you to keep pace with your mana curve. Utilizing it effectively can help maintain or regain board control, indirectly contributing to better use of your resources in subsequent turns.

Instant Speed: The ability to use Eastern Paladin’s destruction power at instant speed gives you significant leverage during the game. You can strategically remove key white creatures during your opponent’s turn or in response to an action, making it a versatile tool for disrupting your opponent’s plans without having to wait for your own turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Eastern Paladin asks for the sacrifice of hand resources, compelling you to discard a card each time you intend to utilize its ability. In situations where your hand is already depleted, this could be detrimental to your game plan by further limiting your options.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature’s activation ability requires not just black mana but also caters to a very specific niche, limiting its seamless integration into multicolored deck strategies. Players running decks without heavy black mana influence might find the Paladin less useful.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a four-mana threshold, Eastern Paladin falls into a tricky spot on the mana curve – for its casting cost and ability activation, there may be alternative creatures or spells that offer more versatility or immediate impact onto the battlefield.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: The Eastern Paladin card offers unique utility in decks that can manipulate its swampwalk ability or take advantage of its black creature target destruction, fitting neatly into black-themed or multicolor control decks.

Combo Potential: This card’s targeted destruction ability synergizes well with strategies that benefit from clearing the board of pesky black creatures, making it a potent tool for disrupting opponents’ plans.

Meta-Relevance: Given that black decks or those featuring significant black creature contingents frequently surface in various metagames, Eastern Paladin can be a critical sideboard card or even a mainboard option to gain an edge in such matchups.


How to beat

Eastern Paladin is a black creature known for its ability to destroy target white creatures at the cost of two black mana and the tap of the Paladin itself. While potentially disruptive against white-focused decks, overcoming this card can be achieved through several strategies. Diversifying your deck’s color palette can reduce the impact of Eastern Paladin’s targeted ability, meaning relying less on white creatures can be beneficial.

Cards with hexproof or shroud prevent Eastern Paladin from selecting them as targets for its ability. Similarly, instant-speed spells that can either counter Eastern Paladin’s ability or the Paladin itself before it can act are effective counters. This makes spells like Counterspell or Naturalize essential in your hand if you predict an encounter with this particular threat. Lastly, playing aggressively and removing Eastern Paladin from the battlefield before it can establish control is a proactive measure that can help maintain your board presence. In summary, the key to beating Eastern Paladin lies in strategic deck composition and leveraging cards that can protect, counter, or swiftly remove threats to maintain a competitive edge on the battlefield.


Cards like Eastern Paladin

The Eastern Paladin is an intriguing creature card in the world of MTG with its ability to evoke a sense of strategy and cunning on the battlefield. This card draws similarities to its Western Paladin counterpart, with both boasting the power to destroy specific color creatures. Eastern Paladin’s strength lies in its targeted removal of white creatures, providing a clear advantage in matches against decks that favor that color.

In terms of versatility, the Paladin cycle, including Northern and Southern Paladin, offers players choices to tailor their deck against opponents. The Eastern Paladin shines in an environment heavily populated by white strategies, much like the Northern Paladin excels against black. The Southern Paladin, conversely, dismantles red threats with a brisk tap, illustrating the cycle’s adaptability to various metagames.

While the Paladin cards differ primarily by the color of creatures they eliminate, each retains a significant impact on game flow. The mana cost for their abilities remains constant, granting a strategic edge when facing mono-colored decks. As an emerging option within knight-centric and control deck frameworks, the Eastern Paladin earns its place by consistently providing color-specific creature control.

Western Paladin - MTG Card versions
Northern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Southern Paladin - MTG Card versions
Western Paladin - Urza's Saga (USG)
Northern Paladin - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Southern Paladin - Weatherlight (WTH)

Cards similar to Eastern Paladin by color, type and mana cost

Hell's Caretaker - MTG Card versions
Rag Man - MTG Card versions
Phyrexian Debaser - MTG Card versions
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions
Slinking Skirge - MTG Card versions
Gravedigger - MTG Card versions
Scandalmonger - MTG Card versions
Urborg Shambler - MTG Card versions
Whispering Shade - MTG Card versions
Filth - MTG Card versions
Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions
Bold Plagiarist - MTG Card versions
Dirge Bat - MTG Card versions
Toxin Sliver - MTG Card versions
Vampiric Spirit - MTG Card versions
Nim Shambler - MTG Card versions
Bad Ass - MTG Card versions
Scourge of Numai - MTG Card versions
Akuta, Born of Ash - MTG Card versions
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Hell's Caretaker - Chronicles (CHR)
Rag Man - Seventh Edition (7ED)
Phyrexian Debaser - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - Portal Three Kingdoms (PTK)
Slinking Skirge - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Gravedigger - The List (PLST)
Scandalmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Urborg Shambler - Invasion (INV)
Whispering Shade - Odyssey (ODY)
Filth - Judgment (JUD)
Demon of Catastrophes - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Bold Plagiarist - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Dirge Bat - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Akuta, Born of Ash - Saviors of Kamigawa (SOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Eastern Paladin MTG card by a specific set like Urza's Saga and Seventh Edition, 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 Eastern Paladin and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Eastern Paladin Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 1998-10-12 and 2003-07-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11998-10-12Urza's SagaUSG 1331997normalblackCarl Critchlow
22001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 1321997normalwhiteKev Walker
32001-04-11Seventh Edition7ED 132★1997normalblackKev Walker
42003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 1312003normalwhiteCarl Critchlow
52003-07-28Eighth Edition8ED 131★2003normalblackCarl Critchlow

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Eastern Paladin has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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