Falkenrath Noble MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 9 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Noble
Abilities Flying
Power 2
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Incremental life drain from Falkenrath Noble can act as a deterrent and provide card advantage in MTG.
  2. Its persistent, passive ability at ‘instant speed’ aligns with active gameplay, enabling resource acceleration.
  3. Despite its mana cost and specific color requirements, the utility and combo potential make it valuable.

Text of card

Flying Whenever Falkenrath Noble or another creature dies, target player loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

"I often think on how excited they must feel to be chosen as my prey."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Falkenrath Noble offers incremental card advantage by potentially drawing you into more action each time it triggers. As creatures perish in the endless skirmishes on the battlefield, this vampire grants you a subtle edge by draining life from your opponents and padding your own, effectively acting as a deterrent against sacrificing or endangering creatures.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly ramping your mana, Falkenrath Noble assists in resource acceleration by posing a persistent threat that may need to be answered quickly. This, in turn, can lead to opponents expending valuable removal spells or creatures in combat, which translates to a gain in resource parity and overall advantage on your side.

Instant Speed: This card operates at a persistent, passive speed akin to ‘instant’ by triggering and resolving its ability whenever another creature dies. This allows you to capitalize on natural game progression without spending mana or requiring a window of opportunity that traditional instant speed interactions demand.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Falkenrath Noble doesn’t necessitate discarding, it does place a heavy emphasis on creatures dying. This can be restrictive if you are unable to consistently trigger its ability because your board presence is limited.

Specific Mana Cost: Falkenrath Noble requires a specific blend of mana, including one black. This requirement could potentially limit its inclusion in multi-colored decks that may struggle with mana fixing or those that do not run black mana at all.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including two generic and two black, Falkenrath Noble might be considered costly for the stats and ability it provides. In faster paced games or decks with a lower curve, there might be more efficient alternatives for affecting life totals or managing the board.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Falkenrath Noble offers undeniable versatility as it fits well in decks themed around vampires, flying creatures, or life manipulation strategies. Its ability to deal damage and give you life whenever a creature dies can turn the tide in many battles.

Combo Potential: This card is a potent combo piece in any deck that capitalizes on creature deaths. Pairing it with board wipes or sacrifice engines can create a powerful synergy, steadily chipping away at your opponent’s life total while bolstering your own.

Meta-Relevance: Given the fluctuating nature of the game, Falkenrath Noble can be incredibly relevant in metas where creature-based decks are prominent. Its persistent effect on the battlefield makes it a formidable presence against a variety of opponents.


How to Beat

Falkenrath Noble is a creature that can pose a significant challenge in MTG due to its ability to chip away at an opponent’s life total while bolstering your own. To effectively counter this card, it’s essential to have removal spells at the ready. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can efficiently dispatch Falkenrath Noble before its life-draining ability becomes a substantial problem.

Another strategy is to use spells that can exile it from the graveyard, thwarting any attempts at recursion. Tormod’s Crypt or Leyline of the Void are excellent choices to permanently handle Falkenrath Noble and similar threats. Additionally, focusing on rapid board development can also outpace the incremental life shifts that Falkenrath Noble offers, especially when you’re deploying creatures that can go toe-to-toe with it or compete favorably in the air.

A well-timed counterspell like Negate can also prevent Falkenrath Noble from ever hitting the battlefield. By considering Falkenrath Noble’s strengths and building your deck to address this type of threat, you can mitigate its impact and maintain the upper hand in your MTG matchups.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering your MTG gameplay involves understanding the intricacies of each card, just like Falkenrath Noble, with its powerful life-drain ability that adds dimension to your deck. Whether it complements a vampire-themed strategy or serves as a key piece in sacrifice-heavy constructions, optimal use of such cards can be game-changing. We invite you to dive deeper into deck-building philosophies, explore potential combos, and assess the meta to determine the best fit for cards like Falkenrath Noble in your collection. Join us for insights, tips, and a community eager to discuss the dynamic evolution of MTG gameplay.


Cards like Falkenrath Noble

Falkenrath Noble is an intriguing fixture in the arsenal of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. It echoes the lifelink and damage effects seen in cards like Blood Artist, which also benefits from creatures dying by draining opponents and granting life to its controller. The Noble, however, lifts the stakes with its flying ability, allowing it to evade many ground-based defenses while still enabling that same draining strategy.

In the company of comparison, there lies Zulaport Cutthroat, a card that shines with its own life-draining aura when creatures are put to rest. Though it doesn’t boast the flight capability of Falkenrath Noble, it compensates with a lower casting cost. Meanwhile, Sanguine Bond adds an enchantment-based twist to this strategy, setting off a similar effect sans the creature presence. Yet, the enchantment requires more strategic setup and a higher mana investment compared to the creature-based alternatives.

Analyzing each card’s unique advantages and environmental interactions, Falkenrath Noble’s combination of utility and offense makes it a competitive choice in decks that capitalize on the demise of creatures, securing its notoriety and utility in the right situations.

Blood Artist - MTG Card versions
Zulaport Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Sanguine Bond - MTG Card versions
Blood Artist - Avacyn Restored (AVR)
Zulaport Cutthroat - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Sanguine Bond - Magic 2010 (M10)

Cards similar to Falkenrath Noble 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
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
Deathgazer - MTG Card versions
Dirty Wererat - MTG Card versions
Faceless Butcher - 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)
Toxin Sliver - Legions (LGN)
Vampiric Spirit - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nim Shambler - Mirrodin (MRD)
Bad Ass - Unhinged (UNH)
Scourge of Numai - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Deathgazer - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Dirty Wererat - Hachette UK (PHUK)
Faceless Butcher - Time Spiral Timeshifted (TSB)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Falkenrath Noble MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad and Duel Decks: Blessed vs. Cursed, 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 Falkenrath Noble and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Falkenrath Noble Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2011-09-30 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Slawomir Maniak.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12011-09-30InnistradISD 1002003normalblackSlawomir Maniak
22016-02-26Duel Decks: Blessed vs. CursedDDQ 572015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
32017-03-17Modern Masters 2017MM3 702015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
42017-08-25Commander 2017C17 1132015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
52020-07-17JumpstartJMP 2322015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
62021-11-19Crimson Vow CommanderVOC 1282015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
72022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 4142015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
82023-03-21Shadows of the PastSIS 292015normalblackSlawomir Maniak
92023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1962015normalblackSlawomir Maniak

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Falkenrath Noble has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2017-03-14 If Falkenrath Noble and another creature die at the same time, Falkenrath Noble's triggered ability will trigger for each of them.

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