Another idea - 4x Sun Titan s in this would massively keep up the pressure (which i fortunately do own). This would keep the knights on the field and make me worry less about their longevity, with the exception of Hero of Bladehold . Since she can be considered a game-ender herself if she can get through enough turns alive, a way to keep her in the fight is Whispersilk Cloak , but only being able to have 4 of these in a deck limits the card odds, other than something that makes her fly and/or have first strike, like Bladed Pinions .

Another thought - card:Victory's Herald with a Sword of Vengeance almost makes her an Akroma, Angel of Wrath . And as always, double strike on creatures with Sword of Body and Mind , Sword of Feast and Famine or Armored Ascension is a wincon in itself. Thoughts?

too bad this is standard, wouldve been good with Silver Knight in the duel decks but hey u got mirran crusader for that lol.

@kevinmax101,

I agree, I also think the Knights tribal in extended is looking pretty sharp too. And Mirran Crusader is one of the best knight cards IMO to ever come out (next to Student of Warfare , Knight Exemplar , Hero of Bladehold , Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers and Wilt-Leaf Liege . With all of the knights around, you can pretty well have protection up from every colour :)

I was thinking on trying Semblance Anvil in this deck.. does anyone have some suggestions for this?

Semblance Anvil isnt really that good on this deck as there are too few cards that use large amounts of colorless mana, unless youre gonna use it on a sword or equipment.

Yeah man i guess you're right. I just don't what else I can do to add / change this deck. The synergy so far has been awesome in it, but I don't know what can make it better.

Maybe throne of geth? so u can Proliferate all ur counters with really cheap cost of 2 mana cost? I really like ur deck, I was thinking about B/W knight deck but balancing between creatures and spell is pain in the ass....If u have time please look at B/W knight deck and tell me what do u think about it. Anyways I really like ur deck!

For the record, I like how this turned out after your alterations and such. Nice work man, I wouldn't change much of anything. ;-)

Since you have honor of the pure, knight exemplar, Ajani goldmane, Luminarch ascension, marshal's anthem. I think its great idea. You can even level up student of warfare, so u can make her lv 7 double strike easily...well what do u think?

I don't see the merit of the Sword of Feast and Famine s. What exactly do you do with them? I might actually rather play Hyena Umbra or Darksteel Plate ... or maybe not, but i think 4 of them is way too much in any case. At least make a 2/2 split with Stoneforge Mystic , as they allow u to fetch it and play it on the field without getting countered and give you more bodies in the process. I'd also swap one of the swords to Sword of Body and Mind to be able to get the right kind of protection.

I don't agree with Luminarch Ascension . Is this deck meant to be agressive or not? Get back to your Accorder Paladin already! You don't want to play only 20 creatures in a creature based deck and you don't want to play Luminarch Ascension without some preventive tools like Day of Judgment , Safe Passage , Refraction Trap or blue magic for counterspells.

What the blurp is Dread Statuary doing in here? O.o It seems to serve no purpose whatsoever. replace them with Emeria, The Sky Ruin perhaps, or just regular plains.

Also i think card:Marshal's Anthem is a bit too expensive for the deck, but i guess i could agree on that card as a nice lategamer.

And you change deck names too often :P

Every time i get a mail of this deck i go like.. huh, did i ever comment on that deck? oh wait... :P

anywho, the deck still looks ok.. but less 'synergetic' than before.

On another note, I've drawn some sample hands and playtested a bit, leading me to the conclusion that, to streamline this deck, you need more action on t1 and less action on t3. You've got so much to do on t3 that i wouldn't know where to start most of the times. It's kind of late here so i can't really seem to think of anything right now, although i must say that card:Explorer's Scope and Infiltration Lens do not sound bad at all. They're both pretty good for card advantage and playable on turn 1. just a thought. good luck! and re-read my post above, as i do stand by the suggestions :P

Wow, thank you for the burst of comments everyone! Responses are in order.

@ Narsha,

Thanks for the props! I agree on the complexity of a B/W knight deck, I have tried myself already but the balance between spells is hard. Not to mention two of the best black knight cards, Black Knight and Phyrexian Crusader , repel white and thus cannot benefit from enchantments or the Knight Exemplar 's +1/+1 and indestructibility bonus. The best way i found is to just limit your number of black knight creatures, and benefit from blacks cheap creature control via killing spells (maybe even graveyard summoning spells too). I promise to take a look at your deck as soon as I can!

As for the Throne of Geth , I like the idea, and I see how it could work, but I would have to add more stuff that could benefit from proliferate. In a knight levellers deck it would be awesome. Given that only Student of Warfare or Luminarch Ascension can benefit from it right now makes me hesitate, especially when i'm simultaneously relying on a proliferate beneficiary to already be out (levelling up the student is cheap and not worth the cost of a creature). Although, I guess i can proliferate +1/+1 counters on the creatures.. hmmm.... food for thought! Maybe ill consider some more cheap drops, like Caravan Escort and White Knight

@ Nightwielder,

haha thanks again for the props! It wouldn't have come this far without your criticism :). I've been following up and +1ing your decks as well, which continually seem to blow my mind every time. Any criticism I have conjured seemed largely unworthy for the expertise in their construction, though.

@ jessetaverne,

Hey man, thank you so much for the constructive criticism! As you well know, I've been working on this deck for some time and I've tried about a million and one combinations, and have finally settled on doing a creature strategy similar to what I have now. And I apologize for changing the names too often... Its been my strategy to draw in more criticism from the Tapped community with name changes, but I think people are starting to see through it now.

However! Every piecemeal exposition you've given has been critical of the deck's weaknesses, weaknesses I often miss or can't see, and I really appreciate it.

First, i'll address your concerns.

@ jessetaverne continued..

Regarding the swords, I have rotated all of them (Sword of Body and Mind , Sword of Feast and Famine , and Sword of Vengeance ) through the deck multiple times, and I have settled on the Sword of Feast and Famine strictly because of its second ability. In the games I've played with it, it really speeds up the aggro of the deck by being able to play more creatures/enchantments/equipment at the end step of each turn. Furthermore, with a loaded Luminarch Ascension , I can pump out angels during pre-attack phase, AND post-attack phase. While the use of the swords is contingent to actually dealing damage to the player (and I know trample would be useful here), the only colors in my meta that really pose a challenge to this deck are infect green and/or black decks. And, lo, the sword grants immunity to both of those colours. Plus, the extra 2/2 damage and card discard for only 5cmc is fair. The card is especially useful when used via double strike from Mirran Crusader and an upgraded Student of Warfare , or a flying Leonin Skyhunter .

I do, however, see the merit in 2x Stoneforge Mystic and 2x Sword of Feast and Famine (or 1x of each sword), and I think i'll adjust to that. My only concern is that it takes an extra turn to get the sword out, when for the same slot I could have just added another sword that i could have played that turn. The exception is one less c to play and equip it.

As for Luminarch Ascension , I completely understand your position. The nature of this deck is indeed aggro, although I have deliberately deviated a bit from the "total" aggro aspect to a more "limited" one, so that this deck can better stand up to combo decks, because those are the kind it plays against most of the time. After all, in the circle of MTG life:

Combo > Aggro

Aggro > Control

Control > Combo

If I can make a deck that stands up to its weakness (combo), then the deck is more effective and versatile, and less reliant on a quick aggro win that has no alternatives if the game is prolonged. Further, by t6 the game is guaranteed for me once the ascension is ready. The knights selected here are the strongest in the standard franchise ATM and can hold their own very well (I removed Accorder Paladin for his risky toughness: I found that he was more vulnerable than I had hoped, as he is supposed to be the target of killing spells for his heavy damage, but he is most often taken down by a chump infect creature, or easy -1/-1 counter placement). Their stats allow me to buy time I need to play more enchantments, buff out Ajani Goldmane , or, if i'm deadlocked, stand out until t6 when the ascension is ready. In reality, the only creatures they can't contend with are those that fly (i.e. Plague Stinger , Flesh-Eater Imp , and Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon ).

@ jessetaverne continued..

The card:Marshal's Anthems I often find sitting around in my hand, as I can play more important cards before them. If I suffer enough damage or a field wipe, I can easily play it and get my important creatures back. That in itself has often been a wincon.

And as for Dread Statuary , its the 'mortar in the bricks' card that helps deal with nuisances. If I'm attacking with spare mana and need an extra push, I can summon one. If my creatures are tapped, I can summon one for vigilance. Its especially useful as a deterrent for enemy creatures that don't deal more than one damage (although its even more intimidating when two card:Marshal's Anthems are out). I want to put in Emeria, The Sky Ruin , but I have to acquire some in RL first :). Every card in this deck is a card I own.

THUS! In short, in case you tl;dr'd me:

Sword of Feast and Famine helps speed up the aggro process by doubling my mana each turn (usually) and buffing a creature. The card discard is a harrasment bonus.

I see your point with the 2x Stoneforge Mystic and 2x swords, so I might change it up to reflect that. I want Sword of Body and Mind in, as the mill is nice as an alternate wincon, but they don't synergize nicely enough with the deck (IMO).

The 4x Luminarch Ascension marks this deck's turn from pure aggro to a sort of combo/aggro hybrid. It doesn't combine two colours, but the creatures provide an easy early-game wincon, while the ascension provides a mid-game wincon. I wish I had some way to proliferate to get it kicking faster, which may involve more creatures and a Throne of Geth (as was mentioned earlier), but this depreciates the value of each creature's life. I like having lots of creatures, but nothing to look forward to to improve them upsets me, as does an obliterating card:Black Sun's Zenith or Day of Judgment .

Overall, the deck emphasizes the well-being of the 20 creatures available. Dread Statuary and Mystifying Maze fill the gaps, providing further creature aggro/control/vigilance when I need it (which saves me from filling slots with killing/exiling spells).

Indeed, the 4x Luminarch Ascension are a direct replacement of 4x Accorder Paladin , White Knight , card:Kemba's Skyguard, Caravan Escort or Signal Pest . In many cost-benefit analyses, however, i've found my creature options (with the exception of White Knight s longevity) don't weigh in enough; I would rather have the game guaranteed for me by t6 than own another creature that could potentially be torpedoed by some gay 1 or 2cmc spell (or even better, cornholed by a creature with only 1 power).

(takes a deep breath)

There, about 10 months of partiality for knights on the table :P. I started playing MTG in June 2010, and i've always been keen on the durability and lifespan of creatures on the battlefield. Thanks for your patience in reading this, and I look forward to your reply!

Jesse E

Wow, that is quite a big wall of text :P I got through it alright though.

First off, it's good to see you think about all the choices you make in the deck, I find myself hopping from one to another fairly quickly, without properly testing the former, which is something i should work on i guess.

On the swords.

I of course don't know your meta and can only say so much, and if most of your opponents run b/g it only makes sense to go for 2x SoFaF in stead of a split between the 2 swords, as even it's secondary abilities are indeed better than the SoBaM.

One thing though is that you say it costs an extra turn to get the swords out, while this is not the case. turn 2 Stoneforge Mystic , turn 3 (opponent's end of turn) put it in the field (which you can do without drawing a 3rd land when in a pinch or do with having a 3rd mana open for say a Student of Warfare ) and t4 equip it, just like the regular way.

In this case however you thin your deck a bit, get an extra body and the sword can't be countered. The only disadvantage i see would be that you can't play a 2cmc knight on t2, but IMO the pro's outweigh the cons quite heavily. I should however not put too much effort in convincing you on this point as you say you might already work in this option :P

On the Ascension

I understand your view on the card a bit better now, and even though i can't say i agree wholeheartedly it seems like a good choice. Even more so because you are kind of forcing the other to attack into you to get some damage through, leaving an opening in their defenses for you to take advantage of. You've convinced me.

On the circle of MTG life

I do not necessarily agree with the cycle, but let's say it is that way, then if you adjust your aggro deck to fight combo more, would it not automatically be weaker against control? ;)

No i'm joking, i think luminarch ascension is excellent, especially against control, less against combo, though it should help in both matchups, while making you weaker to aggro, even though that matchup should be alright.

On the anthem

If the anthem is mostly used for getting back on track after a wipe, i would very much consider Sun Titan s in their stead. It's a good stone against any incoming attackers, while allowing you to rebuild from the grave. It also ups your creature count a bit, which is never bad. It just gives you a 6/6 instead of +1/+1 to all creatures, while potentially getting back more from the grave than the anthem.

On the lands

I fail to see how Mystifying Maze gives vigilance as it brings back creatures tapped and if you do it to your own creature, it's damage won't come through anyways, unless you mean it kills the opponent's vigilance. either way i like the card, so no argument there.

The dread statuary i understand as well now, it's nice backup. Even better with the SoFaF btw :)

Good luck!

Jesse T

Oh and one more thing:

On the sideboard

i don't know how often you face valakut, but i would recommend a solid 4 Tectonic Edge s and/or 2-3x Leyline of Sanctity in the side.

Against RDW/Kuldotha consider Refraction Trap

Against vamps/black consider going 3x White Knight 1x Celestial Purge in stead of 4x purge, as the knights should help you stabilize very well against vamps and you won't be exiling much red permanents. Also you should have Refraction Trap by now for that matchup ;)

Thanks for the comments!

I 100% agree with your recommendations for the sideboard, and i adjusted it with

-3 Celestial Purge , -3 Accorder Paladin

+2 Leyline of Sanctity , +2 White Knight , +2 Refraction Trap

In regard to the sword costing me a turn - I guess i was thinking in lateral terms here, like if i was shorted on mana, with 3 lands by turn 4 or so (although this likely would not happen, you can never say never :D), and by drawing a Stoneforge Mystic instead of drawing a SoFaF my mana would be spent retrieving the sword, rather than being able to play it (if that slot potentially had been a SoFaF). Nonetheless, I agree that its better to add the mystic, especially because in most cases the mana issue shouldn't be a concern, and it does give an extra 1/2 body :)

The only issue I have is with exchanging card:Marshal's Anthem for Sun Titan . I love him. Like really, i do. He just screams awesome in every way. However, every time i play him, he is immediately blown away by that reserve counterspell or killing spell my opponent has been hanging on to. Like, apparently they believe more threatening things can come than Hero of Bladehold , Mirran Crusader or Knight Exemplar . He literally has a bullseye burned into his forehead, and I have nothing to protect him with. Against other creatures, he pwns, but against spells, he gets eaten :(

I guess the cost-benefit analysis behind this is how beneficial these two can be in the short-term. Sun Titan is a body that pwns, can serve as my defence, and will likely get at LEAST one to two permanents back (I like that they are permanents and not strictly creatures, that way I can rescue any Honor of the Pure s, Stoneforge Mystic s, or SoFaF that were lost!) Unfortunately, his biggest detractor is the Tunnel Snakes jacket he wears that makes everyone want to kill him. I'm not as worried about his hefty 6cmc.

card:Marshal's Anthem, on the other hand, costs 2cmc less than Sun Titan and is less likely to be revoked since its not a creature. It will permanently give my creatures a reliable +1/+1 until its removed or the game ends. On top of that, I can usually afford 1, sometimes 2 creatures to come back from the graveyard and, like Sun Titan 's ability, place them onto the battlefield instead of in my hand.

In the end, its how about daring you're willing to be. You can play it safe and score decent, or go all in and kick ass or risk being sodomized. Since your advice has always helped me, I will give the Sun Titan a spin :). DASSHHHWOOOOOOODDDDD!!!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot...

What I meant with the Mystifying Maze as a proponent of vigilance is that I can rely on it for defense while my creatures are on the attack. Thus, indirectly, it is my always-vigilant defender ;). It can teleport away, every turn, anything attacking me that is threatening and keep my life/poison timebomb healthy. And since it doesn't discriminate between ground and air, its invaluable, but we both agree on this already.

I just wish it could bounce in permanents like card:Marshal's Anthem, so that I could use the kicker over and over, but I guess that would be OP. Ive often thought about doing this by including a Venser, the Sojourner with -8x Plains and +4x Glacial Fortress , +2 Seachrome Coast and +2 Sejiri Refuge (especially since venser really suits this kind of deck, if you look at him), but I haven't done any such thing yet.

Puresteel Paladin

WW

2/2

Creature Human Knight

Whenever an Equipment enters the battlefield under your control, you may draw a card.

Metalcraft As long as you control 3 or more artifacts, equip costs of equipment you control is 0.

Looks like equipment will remake an appearance in this deck when NP comes out. Free card:Accorder's Shield ftw! And Sword of Body and Mind played and equipped via Stoneforge Mystic as early as T3!

@off toic: Argentum Armor +puresteel paladin ftw hahaha, your 2 stoneforge mystic turn nito bulldozers :]

Remember that Puresteel Paladin needs metalcraft to work :P

My friends runs a deck that looks pretty much exactly like this, except minus the swords and with Gideon instead of Ajani.

Yeah, I would love to use Gideon Jura for his 'unblockable', per say, effect that he has. But he's too pricey for me though :( I am, however, definitely looking forward to NF, even though it will be in infect's favor... But puresteel pally is gonna be awesome, equipment never looked so good with knights :).

For the bit of time thats left with zendikar block in standard, the stoneforge mystics are gonna be beast, as kevinmax101 said lol. Argentum Armor on the field and equipped by T3 is awesome.

I bet adding Quest for the Holy Relic could be useful too, then it would be a total of 12 slots that contribute to cheating out equipment.

Should I -2 card:Explorer's Scope and -2 Infiltration Lens for +4 Tumble Magnet ? Or maybe +3 Tumble Magnet and +1 Contagion Engine ? Thoughts?

Unless you think it's the direction you want your deck to go, I don't see a need for the Contagion Engine . The nice thing about knights and white weenie builds in general is the low mana curve, which means you're never really stuck with a dead draw. Being 6cmc, the Engine would probably be that card you only need at a certain time, and by then you should already have a strong enough position to get by without it.

I would absolutely mainboard the Brave the Elements , because they are extremely versatile. They can be counterspells for removal that targets your creatures, protection for when you swing or block, etc.

I don't see a strict need for Ajani Goldmane . The vigilance is nice, and so is the minor life gain, but with the Exemplar + DoJ combo you shouldn't need either.

Possibly consider adding one or two Armored Ascension . While not absolutely necessary, the damage you can do with one on a double-striker is borderline criminal.

Basilisk Collar on anything with first or double strike is amazing. Deathtouch + lifegain and low cost to boot. Great on either offense or defense, because any damage dealt to anything ultimately hurts your opponent's position.

Think about Condemn , Oust , or some other kind of removal. One of white's strengths is low-cost solutions to creatures it otherwise couldn't deal with. You should take advantage of that to protect both yourself and your field.

Contagion engine may be a lot of fun, especially if something relating to giving a creature a +1 counter comes out with New Phyrexia. Moreover it will work nice with the Student of Warfare & Ajani.

Cool deck. Check out my deck Indestructible/First Strike Knights