Are you looking to build a powerful and synergistic Commander deck? Look no further than the Black White (Orzhov) Knight tribal strategy! This color combination offers a unique blend of aggressive creatures, disruptive control elements, and lifegain synergies that can overwhelm your opponents. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the key aspects of building a top-tier Black White Knight Commander deck, exploring the best commanders, essential cards, and winning strategies. So, grab your swords and shields, and let's ride into battle!

Choosing Your Commander: Leading the Knightly Charge

The commander is the heart and soul of your deck, dictating the overall strategy and providing access to crucial colors. For a Black White Knight deck, several commanders stand out as excellent choices, each offering a slightly different approach to the game.

1. Aryel, Knight of Windgrace: The Knight-Buffing Queen

Aryel, Knight of Windgrace is a popular choice for a reason. Her ability to create Knight tokens and buff your existing Knights with +1/+1 counters makes her a formidable force on the battlefield. With Aryel at the helm, you'll focus on swarming the board with Knights and then using her ability to pump them up for a decisive alpha strike. The beauty of Aryel lies in her versatility; she can both generate threats and enhance your existing board presence, making her a resilient and adaptable commander. Building a deck around Aryel encourages a proactive playstyle, where you're constantly pressuring your opponents with a growing army of Knights. Furthermore, her color identity provides access to powerful removal spells and disruptive effects in black and white, allowing you to control the board and protect your knightly ranks.

2. Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale: Equipment-Focused Powerhouse

If you enjoy equipping your creatures with powerful artifacts, Syr Gwyn, Hero of Ashvale is the commander for you. She grants your Knights both menace and vigilance when equipped, turning them into formidable attackers and defenders. Her cost reduction ability for equip costs allows you to efficiently suit up your Knights with powerful equipment, overwhelming your opponents with well-equipped threats. Syr Gwyn excels in a strategy that combines Knight tribal with equipment synergies. Cards like Swords of X and Y, Blackblade Reforged, and Embercleave become incredibly potent when attached to Knights under Syr Gwyn's command. This approach offers a different angle of attack compared to Aryel, focusing on individual Knight power rather than sheer numbers. Moreover, Syr Gwyn's ability to draw cards when a legendary Knight enters the battlefield provides valuable card advantage, ensuring you always have a steady stream of threats and answers.

3. General Kudro of Drannith: The Anti-Graveyard General

General Kudro of Drannith offers a unique approach to the Black White Knight strategy, incorporating graveyard hate and sacrifice synergies. His ability to exile cards from opponents' graveyards provides valuable disruption against graveyard-centric decks, while his sacrifice ability allows you to turn your Knights into removal spells and life gain. Kudro is a more controlling commander, focused on disrupting your opponents' plans while slowly building up your own knightly forces. A Kudro deck often includes cards that benefit from creatures entering or leaving the battlefield, such as Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat. These cards turn your Knight sacrifices into a source of incremental damage and life gain, further grinding down your opponents. While not as straightforward as Aryel or Syr Gwyn, Kudro offers a unique and rewarding playstyle for those who enjoy a more strategic and controlling approach.

Essential Cards: Building Your Knightly Arsenal

Once you've chosen your commander, it's time to fill your deck with essential cards that synergize with your chosen strategy. Here are some must-have cards for any Black White Knight Commander deck:

Knight Tribal Staples:

• Knight of the White Orchid: Provides ramp and a Knight body early in the game.
• Silverblade Paladin: Soulbond with another Knight for double strike, a powerful offensive boost.
• Kwende, Pride of Femeref: Gives all your Knights double strike, ending games quickly.
• History of Benalia: Creates Knight tokens and buffs your existing Knights.
• Benalish Marshal: Provides a static buff to all your Knights.
• Valiant Knight: A solid Knight with first strike that can apply pressure early.

Support Cards:

• Path to Exile/Swords to Plowshares: Efficient and unconditional removal spells.
• Wrath of God/Damnation: Board wipes to reset the game when necessary.
• Mortify/Anguished Unmaking: Versatile removal spells that can target creatures or other permanents.
• Swords of X and Y: Provides protection and offensive bonuses to your equipped Knights.
• Blackblade Reforged: A powerful equipment that significantly boosts the power and toughness of your commander.
• Embercleave: A game-ending equipment that grants double strike and trample.
• Smothering Tithe: Generates treasure tokens, providing valuable ramp and card advantage.
• Esper Sentinel: A cheap creature that draws cards when opponents cast spells.
• Land Tax: Ensures you never miss a land drop.

Synergistic Cards:

• Legion Lieutenant/Timely Ward: Buff your creatures.
• Vanquisher's Banner/Heraldic Banner: Provide additional buffs and card draw.
• Shared Triumph/Rogue's Passage: Let unblocked creatures hit harder.
• Call the Coppercoats: Creates knight tokens.
• Elspeth, Sun's Champion: Creates tokens and can board wipe.

Building Your Mana Base: Ensuring Consistent Casting

A well-constructed mana base is crucial for any Commander deck, ensuring you can consistently cast your spells on time. For a Black White Knight deck, you'll want a mix of lands that produce both black and white mana, as well as some utility lands that provide additional value.

Lands:

• Dual Lands: Godless Shrine, Isolated Chapel, Brightclimb/Grimclimb Pathway and other dual lands that produce both black and white mana are essential.
• Fetch Lands: Marsh Flats, Flooded Strand, and Polluted Delta can fetch your dual lands, ensuring you have the colors you need.
• Shock Lands: Godless Shrine can be fetched with fetch lands, providing a reliable source of both black and white mana.
• Command Tower: A staple in any Commander deck, producing mana of your commander's colors.
• Arcane Signet: Another staple mana rock for Commander decks.
• Mana Crypt/Sol Ring: Powerful mana rocks that can accelerate your game plan.
• Utility Lands: Rogue's Passage can make your commander unblockable, while Cabal Coffers can generate a ton of black mana with enough Swamps.

Gameplay Strategies: Commanding Your Knights to Victory

With your deck built, it's time to discuss the gameplay strategies that will lead you to victory. The key to success with a Black White Knight deck is to strike a balance between aggression and control, applying pressure to your opponents while disrupting their plans.

Early Game:

Focus on establishing your mana base and deploying early Knights like Knight of the White Orchid and Valiant Knight. Use removal spells like Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares to deal with early threats from your opponents. Setting up a Smothering Tithe or Esper Sentinel will give you an advantage as the game progresses.

Mid Game:

Continue to build your board presence with Knights and equipment. Use your commander to buff your Knights and apply pressure to your opponents. Disrupt your opponents' plans with removal spells and graveyard hate. This is where you begin to establish board dominance and control the flow of the game.

Late Game:

Overwhelm your opponents with a massive army of Knights. Use board wipes to reset the game if necessary. Finish off your opponents with a well-timed alpha strike, equipped with powerful equipment like Embercleave or Swords of X and Y. This is the time to capitalize on your established advantage and close out the game decisively.

Budget Considerations: Building a Knightly Host on a Shoestring

Building a Commander deck doesn't have to break the bank. Many of the essential cards for a Black White Knight deck are relatively inexpensive. Focus on acquiring the key Knight tribal staples and budget-friendly removal spells. Avoid expensive fetch lands and shock lands, opting for cheaper alternatives like Pain Lands or Check Lands. With some smart deckbuilding choices, you can create a powerful and competitive Black White Knight Commander deck without spending a fortune.

Budget-Friendly Alternatives:

• Lands: Replace fetch lands and shock lands with Pain Lands (e.g., Scrubland) or Check Lands (e.g., Isolated Chapel).
• Removal: Opt for cheaper removal spells like Doom Blade, Go for the Throat, and Despark.
• Equipment: Use budget-friendly equipment like Basilisk Collar and Grafted Wargear.

Conclusion: Embrace the Power of the Knights

The Black White Knight Commander deck is a powerful, versatile, and rewarding strategy that can dominate the battlefield. With the right commander, essential cards, and gameplay strategies, you can lead your knightly host to victory. So, gather your allies, sharpen your swords, and prepare to conquer the Commander tables with the might of the Black White Knights! Now go forth and build the best deck, you got this guys!