Knight of the Ebon Legion
Creature — Vampire Knight
: This creature gets +3/+3 and gains deathtouch until end of turn.
At the beginning of your end step, if a player lost 4 or more life this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. (Damage causes loss of life.)
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- B
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Core Set 2020
- Price
- $2.23
- EDHREC rank
- #4690
Knight of the Ebon Legion is a one-mana 1/2 that turns into a 4/5 deathtouch, lifelink threat if you're willing to spend four mana on a given turn — that ratio of investment to output is the whole pitch. It slots cleanly into vampire aristocrats lists under Edgar Markov and even finds a home in Haakon, Stromgald Scourge reanimator shells as a recursive Knight body that scales with any life-loss gameplan.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Edgar Markov
Edgar Markov triggers an unofficial vampire on every Knight of the Ebon Legion cast, and the Knight's own pump activation pairs with Edgar's incidental drain effects to clear the four-damage threshold almost every turn.
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir cares deeply about Knights attacking and getting blocked, and Knight of the Ebon Legion's deathtouch makes it one of the most punishing blockers for opponents to run into — threatening a free card off Sidar's draw trigger while trading up on any creature.
Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale
Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale's equipment-draw engine rewards Knights that can survive long enough to swing repeatedly, and Knight of the Ebon Legion's deathtouch plus lifelink means even a Swiftfoot Boots keeps it relevant across multiple combat steps.
Clavileño, First of the Blessed
Clavileño, First of the Blessed wants vampires to die and turn into flying tokens, and Knight of the Ebon Legion is a one-drop that threatens to outgrow removal — when it does die, Clavileño converts it into an Indestructible flier.
Evelyn, the Covetous
Evelyn, the Covetous cares about casting vampires to exile opponent resources, and Knight of the Ebon Legion's low mana cost means it fits comfortably as an early body that frees up mana for Evelyn's activated triggers later in the game.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
In Modern and Pioneer, Knight of the Ebon Legion competes in mono-black aggro and vampire tribal shells where a one-drop that threatens to become a 4/5 demands an answer — the pump ability is genuinely costed to activate on turn five without disrupting your curve. Legacy gives it access to stronger vampire payoffs but also a denser field of fatal one-for-ones, so it rarely sees dedicated play there. Commander is where it finds the most consistent home: a one-mana creature that scales independently of board state, carries deathtouch to deter attacks, and satisfies both vampire and Knight tribal synergies makes Knight of the Ebon Legion one of the cleanest one-drops available across multiple archetypes.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Haakon, Stromgald ScourgePhyrexian AltarKnight of the Ebon Legion
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite LTB; Infinite sacrifice triggers; Infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$2.23 cheap tier
At $2.23, Knight of the Ebon Legion sits in the cheap tier — low enough to include as a full playset without hesitation in 60-card formats, and essentially a free inclusion for any Commander list that wants it. The price reflects real demand from multiple formats rather than casual spike interest, so it's unlikely to crater further.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
- Edgar Markov
- Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
- Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale
- Clavileño, First of the Blessed
- Evelyn, the Covetous
- Phyrexian Altar
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.