Student of Warfare
Creature — Human Knight
Level up 
(: Put a level counter on this. Level up only as a sorcery.)
LEVEL 2-6
3/3
First strike
LEVEL 7+
4/4
Double strike
- CMC
- 1
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- W
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- The List
- Price
- $0.73
- EDHREC rank
- #17554
Student of Warfare tops out as a three-mana 3/3 first striker with double strike — a legitimate threat for one white mana if you can level it up twice. The level-up cost is the catch: sinking additional mana across multiple turns into a single creature is a real commitment, and in Commander especially, that creature needs to survive long enough to pay off.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Dion, Bahamut's Dominant
Dion, Bahamut's Dominant rewards stacking creatures with multiple abilities, and Student of Warfare's double strike makes it a natural candidate for any equipment or pump spells Dion's shell is already running — one buff doubles its output immediately.
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 Modern and Legacy, Student of Warfare sits in an awkward spot: White Weenie and Knights strategies have more efficient one-drops that don't ask you to spend mana leveling up over subsequent turns. Commander is where it finds the most traction, specifically in white go-wide or Knights decks that can protect a single creature long enough to cash in on double strike. The level-up mechanic also plays well with cost-reduction effects and extra-combat spells that turn a leveled Student of Warfare into a repeating source of damage. Oathbreaker is a legal home as well, though the same speed concerns from constructed formats apply.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.73 bulk tier
At $0.73, Student of Warfare is firmly bulk — accessible for any budget and easy to pick up as a one-of. Bulk rares at this price point rarely spike unless a dedicated synergy deck breaks out, so expect it to stay in this range.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Dion, Bahamut's Dominant
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.