Ardenvale Paladin MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Knight |
| Abilities | Adamant |
| Released | 2019-10-04 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Throne of Eldraine |
| Set code | ELD |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 5 |
| Number | 4 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Volkan Baǵa |
Key Takeaways
- Ardenvale Paladin is a valuable asset in prolonged games, providing consistent board advantage.
- Its adamant ability makes it a cost-efficient creature in mono-white or dual-color decks.
- While versatile, Ardenvale Paladin’s high mana cost may limit its play in fast-paced decks.
Text of card
Adamant — If at least three white mana was spent to cast this spell, Ardenvale Paladin enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
"Even when hope is but a small flame fighting the night, I will serve the absent king."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ardenvale Paladin shines in long games where its presence can provide repeated benefits. As a defensive creature, it can deter opponents from attacking, essentially providing a consistent form of virtual card advantage by preserving your life total and maintaining board presence.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly accelerating resources, Ardenvale Paladin’s adamant ability can sometimes put a significant body on the field quicker than usual. Playing it with its adamant cost satisfied in a deck built to support white mana symbols can give you a larger creature without spending any extra mana, effectively giving you a cost-efficient boost in resources.
Instant Speed: Though Ardenvale Paladin doesn’t have an ability that operates at instant speed, it is a notable inclusion in decks that want to maximize efficiency on the battlefield. Its synergy with other cards that are playable at instant speed can help capitalize on unspent mana, ensuring that you’re always escalating your board state even without the Paladin having this particular characteristic itself.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Even though Ardenvale Paladin doesn’t have a discard requirement itself, it synergizes with decks that might enforce discarding as part of their strategy, which could be a setback when trying to maintain hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a considerable amount of white mana, which can restrict its playability to mono-white or two-color decks where white is heavily featured. This makes it less flexible in mana-diverse deck builds.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring four mana to cast, Ardenvale Paladin enters the battlefield at a point where players could be deploying more impactful spells or creatures. The cost may be prohibitive in fast-paced games where lower mana curves are essential for maintaining tempo.
Reasons to Include Ardenvale Paladin in Your Collection
Versatility: Ardenvale Paladin stands out through its adaptive playstyle that suits various deck builds. Its base stats make it a considerable presence on the battlefield, while its Adamant ability offers an appreciated flexibility in white-heavy decks.
Combo Potential: When combined with other cards that benefit from increased toughness or creatures count, Ardenvale Paladin becomes a critical lever in setting off powerful synergies, especially in knight-themed and lifegain strategies which are prevalent in white-centered decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given the pace of the current meta, having a card that can create a presence and affect the board state from the mid-game onwards is crucial. Ardenvale Paladin’s bolstering of your forces can make it a valuable inclusion against a variety of oppositions, holding particularly strong against aggressive early-game focused decks.
How to beat
Ardenvale Paladin is known within the Magic: The Gathering strategy as a formidable White-aligned creature, bolstered by Adamant — a mechanic rewarding players for using a monocolor mana strategy. Recalling the Paladin’s significant presence, it boasts a considerable toughness, making it resilient on the battlefield. However, there are efficient tactics to counter it.
Utilizing removal spells that bypass its traditionally high toughness is key. Cards such as Murder, offering an unconditional end to a creature for three mana, or the even more affordable Fatal Push, can dispose of the Paladin before its Adamant potential is realized. Players may also consider enchantments like Pacifism to neutralize the Paladin, hindering it from attacking or blocking, essentially rendering it a non-threat.
In multiplayer scenarios, taking advantage of political play could serve to align others against the threat of an Ardenvale Paladin. Convincing fellow players to pool resources or exchange favors could be the tipping point in outmaneuvering one with enhanced power and toughness. Assessing the combat phase strategically and blocking with creatures that can survive the encounter or deploying chump blockers to minimize life loss can also consolidate your position against this knightly powerhouse.
Cards like Ardenvale Paladin
Ardenvale Paladin is a steadfast member of the knightly ranks in the world of Magic: The Gathering. As a four-mana white creature, it stands shoulder to shoulder with other cards like Gallant Cavalry, which also cost four mana and play into the knight theme, yet diverges as it creates a Knight token with vigilance. Ardenvale Paladin’s defining feature is its adamant ability, which can potentially boost it to a towering 4/6 if a player spends three white mana to cast it.
Looming over the battlefield, Loyal Sentry offers a different strategic angle for the same cost. While not as formidable in power and toughness, Loyal Sentry has the potential to destroy any creature it blocks, setting up defensive plays. Meanwhile, the vigilant Steadfast Guard provides early game stability but lacks Ardenvale Paladin’s late-game power surge that comes from adamant.
Considering these comparisons, Ardenvale Paladin presents a versatile option for players seeking a robust creature capable of both offense and defense, enhanced by the adamant mechanic to potentially outclass similar-cost knights in raw strength.
Cards similar to Ardenvale Paladin by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ardenvale Paladin MTG card by a specific set like Throne of Eldraine, 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 Ardenvale Paladin 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 Ardenvale Paladin has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ardenvale Paladin card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2019-10-04 | Adamant effects check what mana was actually spent to cast a spell. If an effect allows you to spend mana “as though it were mana” of any color or type, that allows you to spend mana you couldn't otherwise spend, but it doesn't change what mana you spent to cast the spell. |
| 2019-10-04 | If an effect allows you to cast a spell without paying its mana cost, you can't choose to cast it and pay unless another rule or effect allows you to cast that spell for a cost. Similarly, you can't waive a cost reduction unless that effect says you may. |
| 2019-10-04 | If you copy a spell that has an adamant ability, no mana was spent to cast the copy at all, so that ability won't apply. |