Truefire PaladinHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Toolkit on a Two-Drop

Truefire Paladin features two activated abilities, both costing one red and one white mana. The first ability increases its power by +2/+0, allowing it to trade up against much larger creatures or deal significant chip damage. The second ability grants it first strike, which is particularly potent when combined with its power-buffing ability to destroy blockers before they can deal damage back.

Step-by-Step Resolution

To use Truefire Paladin effectively, you must understand the stack. First, announce the ability you wish to use and pay the {R}{W} cost. This goes on the stack and can be responded to. If you want to use both abilities, you can activate them one after another. Note that while you can stack multiple +2/+0 bonuses, activating first strike more than once provides no additional benefit.

Maximizing the Boros Edge

Because these are activated abilities, they can be used any time you have priority. This includes the declare blockers step, allowing you to see how your opponent blocks before deciding how much mana to invest. Additionally, since the creature has vigilance, you can attack, then use your mana to activate these abilities during your opponent's turn to transform the Paladin into a formidable blocker.

Interaction examples

Boosting Taxation

Esper Sentinel

If you control both Truefire Paladin and Esper Sentinel, you can use the Paladin's {R}{W} ability to increase its own power, which doesn't affect the Sentinel directly. However, if an effect were to power up your whole team, Truefire Paladin serves as an aggressive threat while Esper Sentinel makes it harder for opponents to cast spells to remove it.

Generating Combat Value

Professional Face-Breaker

With Professional Face-Breaker on the field, your goal is to connect with combat damage. You can activate Truefire Paladin's first strike and +2/+0 abilities to ensure it survives combat and deals damage. Once damage is dealt, Professional Face-Breaker triggers, creating a Treasure token which can later be sacrificed to exile cards or used as mana for more Paladin activations.

Defensive Maneuvers

An opponent attacks with a 3/3 creature. Since Truefire Paladin has vigilance, it stayed untapped after your attack. You declare it as a blocker, then spend {R}{W} to give it first strike and {R}{W} to give it +2/+0. The Paladin becomes a 4/2 with first strike, dealing 4 damage and destroying the attacker before the attacker can strike back.