Knights of Thorn MTG Card
1994-08-01 - Number 11
2007-09-10 - Number 19
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Human Knight |
| Abilities | Banding,Protection |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Knights of Thorn leverages staying power and board advantage through its damage prevention.
- Its instant speed pump ability can tilt combat outcomes in your favor unexpectedly.
- However, it requires careful play due to its specific mana needs and discard condition.
Text of card
Protection from red, banding
"With a great cry, the Goblin host broke and ran as the first wave of Knights penetrated its ranks." —Tivadar of Thorn, *History of the Goblin Wars*
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Knights of Thorn is capable of providing a foothold in the game by leveraging its resilience. Surviving most damage-inducing spells, it can persist on the battlefield, essentially giving you lasting board presence and a consistent advantage over your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, the inherent toughness of the Knights ensures you are likely to retain a creature without the need for additional mana spent on summoning new ones, indirectly saving resources in the long term.
Instant Speed: The activation of the Knights of Thorn’s pump ability can be done at instant speed, making it a versatile combat trick. You can surprise an unwary opponent during combat by bolstering their power and toughness, potentially swinging the battle — and the game — in your favor.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Knights of Thorn necessitates you to have another card on hand to discard, which could set you back if you’re already struggling to maintain card advantage during a game.
Specific Mana Cost: Its casting demand includes both generic and double white mana, making it less flexible and potentially challenging for multicolor decks to accommodate without the right mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost that may seem steep for its abilities, players might opt for other creatures or spells that provide similar benefits for less investment, enhancing their deck’s efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Knights of Thorn possess an adaptable role in various deck archetypes, primarily ones that lean towards a midrange strategy with their intrinsic ability to dodge most forms of spot removal thanks to being equipped with protection elements.
Combo Potential: This card’s synergies are notable, especially when paired with equipment spells or abilities that amplify its damage output, transforming it into a formidable force on the battlefield.
Meta-Relevance: Given its durable nature against many common forms of removal, Knights of Thorn can be particularly valuable in a meta dominated by control or removal-heavy decks, providing a steadfast presence on the board that can trouble opponents without the right answers.
How to beat
Knights of Thorn is a card that carries a unique blend of abilities within the MTG realm. As a creature equipped with protection from white, this card can evade many commonly used removal spells. It stands out due to its flanking ability as well, making it a robust choice against opponents’ unbuffed creatures during combat.
Defeating Knights of Thorn requires strategic gameplay. Cards that can bypass its protection, such as those dealing non-targeted damage or featuring the “can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures” ability, become valuable in this context. Board sweepers that don’t target specific colors or creature types, like Wrath of God, prove to be effective as they can clear the field inclusive of the Knights of Thorn without being hindered by its protections.
In essence, countering this noteworthy card entails a clever mix of anticipation and the right responses. Utilizing spells that alter the rules of combat, applying pressure with creatures that can outclass it in power and toughness, or employing colorless removal options, players can find several ways to overcome the challenges posed by Knights of Thorn, maintaining control of the battlefield.
Cards like Knights of Thorn
The Knights of Thorn card offers a unique blend of abilities for player decks in Magic: The Gathering. Nestled within the intriguing set of creatures that brandish both power and protection, Knights of Thorn stands out with its resilience due to its damage prevention ability. Comparable cards like Silver Knight offer protection from a specific color, which fortifies its position on the battlefield against certain decks. Silver Knight, however, lacks the capacity to prevent all damage like the Knights of Thorn.
Delving into the realm of protection abilities, cards such as Paladin en-Vec also share similarities with Knights of Thorn as they provide protection from colors. Even though Paladin en-Vec excels with its higher power, the Knights of Thorn edges ahead with its ability to become virtually immune to all forms of damage for a turn. This makes it a particularly tough contestant in combat scenarios. Moreover, there’s Mirran Crusader, a knight with double strike and protection from two colors, offering a different strategic advantage but without the same level of endurance against varied threats that Knights of Thorn possesses.
Considering the collective features of these knights, the Knights of Thorn card is well-appreciated for its protective shield and formidable presence, making it a strategic pick for players in Magic: The Gathering who value durability and survival in their creatures.
Cards similar to Knights of Thorn by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Knights of Thorn MTG card by a specific set like The Dark and Masters 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 Knights of Thorn 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
Printings
The Knights of Thorn Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 1994-08-01 and 2007-09-10. Illustrated by Christopher Rush.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1994-08-01 | The Dark | DRK | 11 | 1993 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush | |
| 2 | 2007-09-10 | Masters Edition | ME1 | 19 | 1997 | Normal | Black | Christopher Rush |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Knights of Thorn has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Oldschool | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Knights of Thorn card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it. |
| 2008-10-01 | Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker. |
| 2008-10-01 | If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a “band.” The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers’ damage is assigned. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a creature in combat has banding, its controller assigns damage for creatures blocking or blocked by it. That player can ignore the damage assignment order when making this assignment. |
