Craven Knight MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	2
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Knight
Released	1997-05-01
Set symbol
Set name	Portal
Set code	POR
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	85
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Charles Gillespie

Key Takeaways

Craven Knight offers board presence and can replace itself in your hand, maintaining your options.
Its mana cost and discard requirement can be prohibitive in some game situations.
Despite limitations, it adds versatility to black decks and works well with knight synergies.

Text of card

Craven Knight can't intercept.

"I say victory is better than honor."

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Craven Knight shines by offering a consistent way to gain board presence. When cast, Craven Knight can often replace itself in your hand by triggering an ability that lets you draw a card, ensuring your hand doesn’t deplete too quickly and keeping your options open during the match.

Resource Acceleration: Another key benefit of adding Craven Knight to your deck is its potential to accelerate your resources. This can come from the Knight itself being an efficient creature for its cost or from synergizing with other cards in your deck that benefit from having knights or black creatures, thus ramping up your path to more powerful spells.

Instant Speed: Craven Knight’s ability to impact the battlefield at instant speed makes it a versatile tool in any player’s arsenal. The ability to respond to an opponent’s actions, whether by flashing in the Knight as a blocker or by using its ability to influence the game state when least expected, can turn the tide of a game in your favor.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging in combat with the Craven Knight demands a sacrifice—each attack necessitates the discard of a card. This can be a steep price to pay, especially in the throes of a resource-strapped situation.

Specific Mana Cost: The summoning of the Craven Knight requires a precise blend of mana, including at least one swamp’s essence. Its allegiance to black mana restricts its deployment exclusively to decks that walk among the shadows.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The Craven Knight’s presence on the battlefield comes at a notable cost. There are alternatives within the realm of MTG that may beckon with more attractive offers of power for a lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Craven Knight can be a versatile addition to decks seeking a reliable early game blocker. Its accessibility as a low-cost creature means it can find a home in a variety of black-based strategies, from aggro to control-oriented builds.

Combo Potential: Thanks to its synergy with cards that benefit from knight or creature-type mechanics, Craven Knight has potential to play a role in combo setups. It can work well with various lords or equipments that bolster its capabilities on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where aggressive strategies are prevalent, having an early defender like Craven Knight can help stabilize the board while you set up for your more powerful plays. It’s a practical choice for those looking to bolster their lineup against swift attackers.

How to beat

Craven Knight is an intriguing adversary in the MTG arena. Its strength lies in its combat potential, often discouraging opponents from engaging in battles due to the risk of losing valuable creatures. To overcome this menacing foe, the key lies in bypassing direct confrontation. Consider using removal spells, which can cleanly eliminate Craven Knight without the need for combat. Cards like Murder or Doom Blade are effective tools for this strategy.

Another approach is to manipulate combat math to your advantage. By buffing your own creatures or using abilities to weaken Craven Knight temporarily, you can shift the odds in your favor. Enchantments with Pacifism effects or spells that tap creatures can also provide a respite, allowing you to address the board without Craven Knight’s interference. Lastly, don’t underestimate the use of evasion abilities like flying or trample, which can circumvent the Craven Knight’s defenses entirely, keeping your path to victory clear.

Ultimately, adapting to the presence of the Craven Knight card is a testament to a player’s versatility in MTG. By carefully choosing your tactics and resources, you can confidently face the challenge it presents and emerge victorious in your duels.

Cards like Craven Knight

Craven Knight is an intriguing creature card in the world of Magic: The Gathering. It bears comparison to other notable low-cost creatures like Typhoid Rats, which also offers a touch of battlefield control through deathtouch. But unlike Typhoid Rats, Craven Knight brings a different strategy to the table. Rather than affecting combat directly, it may have other abilities that affect gameplay.

In a similar context, Vampire of the Dire Moon is a creature comparable to Craven Knight. It has deathtouch and an additional lifelink ability, providing both offensive and defensive advantages. While Craven Knight might be valued for its specific role or synergetic qualities in a knight or warrior deck, it lacks the immediate impact of deathtouch that these other creatures present.

In sum, evaluating MTG cards such as Craven Knight against its peers is an exercise in strategy and deckbuilding finesse. Craven Knight’s unique attributes could serve well within certain decks, showcasing the diverse and varied approaches players can take to sculpting their MTG gameplay experience.

Vampire of the Dire Moon - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Craven Knight by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Craven Knight MTG card by a specific set like Portal, 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 Craven Knight and other MTG cards: