Crusading Knight MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Knight |
| Abilities | Protection |
| Released | 2000-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Invasion |
| Set code | INV |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 12 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Edward P. Beard, Jr. |
Key Takeaways
- Crusading Knight’s power scales with the number of opponent’s swamps, offering strategic advantage on the battlefield.
- Mana cost and swamp reliance subtly limit versatility but contribute to specialized powerful deck builds.
- Highly effective in land-heavy metagames, with potential for combos and countering specific archetypes.
Text of card
Protection from black Crusading Knight gets +1/+1 for each swamp your opponents control.
"My only dream is to destroy the nightmares of others."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Crusading Knight has the potential to grow stronger with each swamp your opponent controls, turning an initially modest creature into a formidable threat. This increasing power can outmatch opponents’ creatures, effectively giving you the upper hand without the need to play additional cards.
Resource Acceleration: While Crusading Knight itself does not directly provide mana acceleration, its sheer presence on the battlefield can pressure the opponent, possibly diverting their resources to deal with it. This situation could indirectly accelerate your resources by giving you more freedom to deploy other threats or advance your game plan.
Instant Speed: Crusading Knight doesn’t have an instant speed ability inherently, but it interacts well in decks that can utilize combat tricks or removals at instant speed. A well-timed instant can clear the way for the Knight to swing for massive damage or can help it survive when it otherwise wouldn’t, leveraging the Knight’s scaling power for maximum board impact.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: In the context of the Crusading Knight card, there isn’t a direct discard requirement, but its reliance on specific board states can make it feel like an indirect cost. Without sufficient swamps controlled by your opponent, its power level diminishes greatly, leaving you potentially with less board presence than desired.
Specific Mana Cost: This knight marches onto the battlefield with a color-intensive mana cost that demands double white mana. This specificity can heavily influence deck construction and somewhat limit the card’s flexibility, making it less appealing in multicolor decks that might struggle with mana consistency.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of two generic and two white mana, the Crusading Knight might strain your resources in the early game. Players may find that when matched against other four-cost creatures, or even lower-costed ones, the Knight can be outshined if the unique swamp-pumping ability isn’t utilized.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Crusading Knight has a unique place in decks that capitalize on land type manipulation for opponents. It thrives in environments with non-basic land-heavy play, ensuring its power level can scale impressively in the right scenario.
Combo Potential: This knight synergizes effectively with cards that affect land types, such as those that turn opponent’s lands into Swamps, drastically increasing its power. Its dynamic ability allows for creative deck-building that can surprise opponents with explosive power boosts.
Meta-Relevance: Considering decks that rely on Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth or other such mechanics, Crusading Knight can serve as a crucial piece in strategies designed to counteract these setups. Its relevance fluctuates with the meta, but it holds potential as a tech card against particular archetypes relying on specific land types.
How to Beat Crusading Knight
Crusading Knight presents an intriguing challenge on the battlefield in Magic: The Gathering. This creature’s power and toughness are defined by the number of Swamps your opponent controls, which can make it a formidable foe especially in black-heavy metagames. However, like any card in MTG, there are strategies to turn the tide in your favor against this knight.
To effectively counter Crusading Knight, consider altering the landscape of the battlefield—literally. Land alteration spells can transform problematic Swamps into more benign terrain such as Islands or Forests, negating the Knight’s power boost. Cards like Spreading Seas or Blood Moon can be particularly potent tools in your arsenal. Another route is to reduce the Knight’s strength through enchantment-based removal or colorless removal spells; these sidestep any potential buffs the Knight has accumulated and can dispatch it regardless of the number of Swamps in play.
Ultimately, dealing with Crusading Knight requires a blend of tactical land management and removal efficiency. Balancing these elements can ensure that the knight’s crusade comes to an early conclusion, preserving your standing in the game.
Cards like Crusading Knight
In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Crusading Knight occupies a unique niche among creature cards. This particular knight shares the battlefield with other knight-themed cards like White Knight and Silverblade Paladin. Like Crusading Knight, both of these cards also embody the chivalrous spirit and often come with abilities that resonate with the knight archetype. White Knight offers protection from black, and Silverblade Paladin forms powerful bonds that allow for double strike capabilities.
Where Crusading Knight sets itself apart is with its power-boosting ability contingent on the number of swamps your opponent controls. In contrast, Knight of the White Orchid has a different approach, letting players fetch lands when they’re behind in the race. This attribute ensures that you’re never too far behind on board presence. Another comparison can be made to Fiendslayer Paladin, which not only has first strike and lifelink but also benefits from being harder to target with spells from black or red mages.
Every knight has its role, and Crusading Knight is poised for games against decks where swamps are prevalent. While it may not have the mana-fixing of Knight of the White Orchid or the resilience of Fiendslayer Paladin, Crusading Knight wields its power-boosting ability as a formidable tool, especially in the right meta.
Cards similar to Crusading Knight by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Crusading Knight MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Crusading Knight and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Crusading Knight has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Crusading Knight card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | It counts all opponents’ swamps. |