Paladin of Atonement
Creature — Vampire Knight
At the beginning of each upkeep, if you lost life last turn, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
When this creature dies, you gain life equal to its toughness.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Rivals of Ixalan
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #17396
Paladin of Atonement starts as a 1/1 for two mana and grows a +1/+1 counter every upkeep you lost life during the previous turn — in the right deck, it's a cheap threat that compounds fast. The ceiling is real, but it only does anything if your deck is already built around consistent life loss.
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 |
Paladin of Atonement sees virtually no play in Legacy, Vintage, Modern, or Pioneer — the life-loss trigger is too slow for formats where games end before it snowballs, and better two-drops exist in every archetype that cares. Commander is where Paladin of Atonement finds its footing: in Liesa, Forgotten Archangel or Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose shells that guarantee life loss every turn cycle, the Paladin accumulates counters without any extra investment. It's a low-floor, low-ceiling role player — never the engine, always the beneficiary.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Paladin of Atonement is deep bulk — the price reflects limited demand outside niche Commander builds. It's not a card that holds or gains value, but it doesn't need to: you're buying it to fill a slot, not as any kind of hold.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.