Hero of Bladehold
Creature — Human Knight
Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.)
Whenever this creature attacks, create two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens that are tapped and attacking.
- CMC
- 4
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Magic Player Rewards 2011
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #1949
Hero of Bladehold hits the board and immediately threatens to end games — a 3/4 with battle cry that spawns two 1/1 soldiers every time it attacks means a single swing can pump your whole team by +2/+0 while flooding the board with bodies. The four-mana cost is fair for that output, and Zurgo Stormrender lists running it at over 65% inclusion rate confirm the card earns its slot.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zurgo Stormrender
Zurgo Stormrender wants to go wide fast and then crash through for massive damage, and Hero of Bladehold delivers both halves — the soldier tokens build the wide board and the battle cry anthem turns every subsequent attacker into a threat that demands an answer.
Commissar Severina Raine
Commissar Severina Raine drains life and generates value off every creature that dies, so Hero of Bladehold's token production doubles as both an attack engine and a constant supply of fodder that converts into cards and life loss.
Niko, Light of Hope
Niko, Light of Hope cares about tokens entering the battlefield and creating shard counters, so Hero of Bladehold's two soldiers per attack trigger Niko's abilities repeatedly while the battle cry keeps the board threatening.
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir grants first strike to knights, and Hero of Bladehold is a human knight that makes the team bigger every swing — the knight tribal overlap means Hero slots naturally into the curve while the token and anthem effects support Jabari's go-wide pressure.
Dion, Bahamut's Dominant
Dion, Bahamut's Dominant scales with the number of attacking creatures, and Hero of Bladehold manufactures two additional attackers on the spot while buffing everything else with battle cry — that's a three-creature swing multiplier stapled to a single cast.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Commander, Hero of Bladehold is a staple in white go-wide decks — four mana for a self-replacing, team-pumping attacker is exactly what token and aggro strategies want, and the card sees over 65% inclusion in the most synergistic lists. In Legacy and Vintage it's legal but rarely played competitively; those formats move too fast for a four-drop that doesn't immediately end the game against countermagic-heavy opposition. Modern is where Hero of Bladehold has historically had the most constructed relevance outside Commander, fitting into white weenie and soldier tribal shells, though the format's speed has pushed it out of the top tier. Oathbreaker is another natural home — the same token-and-anthem gameplan that works in Commander translates cleanly to the smaller format.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data for Hero of Bladehold isn't available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for the live number before buying. The card has seen multiple printings which historically keeps the floor accessible, but foil and original-printing copies command a premium worth verifying before you order.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Zurgo Stormrender
- Commissar Severina Raine
- Niko, Light of Hope
- Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
- Dion, Bahamut's Dominant
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.