Knight of the Ebon Legion – MTG Core 2020 Review

David
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since
1995

This is the kind of card that’s very easy to overlook, as we’re used to powerful effects that are restricted by having a high (or at least very specific) mana cost. We should try to get out of that habit, because the Knight is on a level that we often see on creatures that cost four or five times as much as him. If you play him on your first or second turn, he will often be a must-answer threat: his activated ability can take down many midrange creatures, and he can grow into a threat that rivals carnosaurs and Tarmogoyfs. He goes great in any deck that can protect him as a singular threat, even better in a tribal deck, still better in any deck with burn spells, and maybe better again in a deck that can trigger his +1/+1 counters itself (cf. Erebos, God of the Dead and similar effects).

Constructed: 4/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 4/5
Multiplayer: 3/5
EDH/Commander: 3/5

Knight of the Ebon Legion is a rare one-drop that’s able to scale well into just about all points of the game, thanks to its triggered counter-gain effect. A player losing 4 or more life in one turn is not the least-common event, and it’s important to note that the Knight triggers off of any player. This includes you, as luck would have it! And the Knight is in the color with the greatest affinity for life payments, which is even sweeter. If you need it stronger now, though, you can pop its activated ability; +3/+3 and deathtouch is a pretty good deal to win most combat, and it even puts it at 4 power…enough damage to turn on its triggered ability.

Add to that it being in two well-supported tribes (Knight and Vampire), and the Knight’s pretty strong. It’s a good early play that scales well into longer games; while it has no inherent protection, that’s less of a mark against a one-drop than against other points on the mana curve.

Constructed: 4.25
Casual: 4.5
Limited: 3.75
Multiplayer: 3.75
Commander: 4

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Hello Everyone and welcome back to Pojo’s card of the day where we are reviewing cards that slipped under the radar for Standard Reviews!

Today we’re looking at Knight of the Ebon Legion, one of the new Black One Drops that have been popping up in recent years. While it’s power and toughness aren’t stellar, funny enough the inverse of what black has been getting in terms of Savannah Lions Stats, it has a neat little ability that buffs it with a +1/+1 counter if 4 life was lost by a player that turn. (Go Go double Sign in Blood for pump!)

That alone is neat and gimmicky but the real value is the fact that he can pump himself for +3/+3 and give himself deathtouch, allowing him to trigger his +1/+1 counter ability, and trade, even better is that he can do it multiple times if you’re super deep with mana and nothing to do with it.

In all it’s a very strong card that wasn’t loudly praised but has been showing it’s stripes in a myriad of decks.

Constructed 4/5 – Fine so far, but will be better as mono-color decks start showing up. He’s also been a mainstay in the Mono Black Aggro deck in Pioneer

Limited 4/5 – A rare bomb that will probably get out of hand if they don’t use removal on it quickly.

Commander 2/5 – He doesn’t really do much here as one drops in Black are usually sacrifice fodder for Aristocrats

Cube 4/5 – Awesome in Cube in the Black Aggro decks