Knight of the Pilgrim's Road MTG Card

Knight of the Pilgrim's Road - Magic Origins

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	3
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Abilities	Renown
Released	2015-07-17
Set symbol
Set name	Magic Origins
Set code	ORI
Power	3
Toughness	2
Number	20
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	David Gaillet

Key Takeaways

Indirect card advantage is possible by forcing opponents to exhaust resources dealing with its renown growth.
Efficient resource allocation is key, as the Knight’s strengthening ability doesn’t require additional mana.
Timely mid-game presence is achieved due to its cost-effective stats and potential instant board impact.

Text of card

Renown 1 (When this creature deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't renowned, put a +1/+1 counter on it and it becomes renowned.)

"To be a knight, Gideon, is to be the shield for the meek against the cruel."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: While Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road may not directly allow you to draw cards, its renowned ability, once triggered, becomes a larger threat on the board. This forces the opponent to deal with it, potentially using more resources than you’ve invested into this single creature, which can indirectly lead to card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: The Knight doesn’t offer traditional resource acceleration like producing mana or tokens. However, its ability to become stronger without extra mana investment can be seen as a form of resource efficiency, allowing you to allocate mana elsewhere while still developing a potent board presence.

Instant Speed: While the Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its 3/2 stat line for three mana makes it a timely play in the right deck. It can immediately impact the board upon becoming renowned, which adds to its efficiency and the immediate threat it poses in the mid-game.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road does not have a direct discard requirement, any reliance on discarding as an enabler for renowned can be a downside in games where you find yourself needing every card in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost includes white mana, which restricts its playability to decks that can produce white mana consistently, potentially limiting its overall flexibility within the wide array of deck archetypes.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road’s mana cost might be considered steep for its base stats and abilities when compared to other three-cost creatures. Players often find more value with lower costing creatures that provide similar or better benefits to their strategy.

Reasons to Include Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road in Your Collection

Versatility: Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road offers flexibility on the battlefield. As a 3/2 creature with renown 1, this card can serve as a reliable attacker in the early to mid-game. Once renowned, it becomes a more powerful 4/3 creature, acting as a formidable presence against your opponent.

Combo Potential: This knight has potential in any deck that benefits from +1/+1 counters or that rewards you for having creatures with power greater than a certain threshold. It can synergize with various strategies, making it a multipurpose addition to your arsenal.

Meta-Relevance: Given its potential to quickly grow beyond a simple 3/2 creature, Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road can hold its own in many meta environments, especially where small creatures are prevalent. The card can easily become a threat and must be dealt with by your opponent, making it a wise choice for your collection during shifting meta conditions.

How to beat

Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road is a formidable creature card in Magic: The Gathering, known for its renown mechanic which can turn it into a significant threat on the battlefield. To effectively counter this card, key strategies involve preventing it from becoming renowned. Instant speed removal spells are particularly effective when used as the knight attacks, effectively dealing with it before it can deal combat damage and receive its +1/+1 counter.

Another approach is to block the knight with a creature that either has high toughness or a deathtouch ability, which ensures that the knight will be destroyed in combat, preventing it from gaining the renown status. In addition to these tactics, controlling the pace of the game can be crucial. Utilizing cards that can tap the knight or otherwise prevent it from attacking will help manage its presence on the board, thus negating its advancement.

While Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road can be a building block towards a stronger board state for your opponent, with thoughtful reaction and tactics, its impact can be minimized. By anticipating this card’s presence and preparing appropriate responses within your deck, the knight’s journey can end before it truly begins.

Cards like Knight of the Pilgrim's Road

The Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road is a valiant contender in the lineup of renowned creatures within Magic: The Gathering. Standing in comparison, the Silvercoat Lion offers a similar creature form with a balanced 2/2 stance but lacks the renown ability which elevates the Knight in terms of potential power boost.

Moving along, we encounter the Elite Inquisitor, a card that shares the knight typing yet diverges in abilities, offering first strike and lifelink instead of renown. This brings a different tactical advantage to the battlefield, focusing on resilience and life-gain. Further, a classic like the White Knight presents it not just with protection from black but also with a solid first strike capability, though devoid of the renown mechanism that can make Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road a growing threat in combat.

An analysis of these counterparts reveals the situational strengths of Knight of the Pilgrim’s Road. With its renown ability, it can surpass others in power if it gets the chance to strike the opponent directly. This ascending potential makes the Knight a worthy consideration for any deck leveraging the theme of a combative journey through the road of MTG play.

Cards similar to Knight of the Pilgrim's Road by color, type and mana cost

Pianna, Nomad Captain - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Knight of the Pilgrim's Road MTG card by a specific set like Magic Origins, 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 Knight of the Pilgrim's Road and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Knight of the Pilgrim's Road has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-06-22	If a creature with renown deals combat damage to its controller because that damage was redirected, renown will trigger.
2015-06-22	If a renown ability triggers, but the creature leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, the creature doesn’t become renowned. Any ability that triggers “whenever a creature becomes renowned” won’t trigger.
2015-06-22	Renown won’t trigger when a creature deals combat damage to a planeswalker or another creature. It also won’t trigger when a creature deals noncombat damage to a player.