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Moxonomy

Fallen Askari

Creature — Human Knight1 generic manaBlack mana

A pure aggressor with the brakes cut. Flanking already biases the card toward attacking, since the keyword only triggers when something blocks it; the printed "can't block" clause is the design tax that pays for the aggressive rate. The result is a black two-drop that exists exclusively to march into the red zone, punishing untrained blockers by shrinking them before damage and offering nothing on defense in return. That trade is the whole identity: a body that would be unremarkable as a two-sided creature becomes pointed when half its job is amputated. Flanking was Mirage block's signature combat keyword, a way to make ground stalls dangerous for the defender and to reward the player willing to keep swinging, and Fallen Askari is the keyword stripped to its most honest expression. There is no value engine, no evasion, no second mode; it asks one question of the opponent (do you have a creature you can afford to lose a point off of) and contributes nothing once the answer is yes. The "can't block" line reads as a downside, but it is really the card telling you what it is for. You do not play this to hold a line. You play it to make holding a line cost something.

Fallen Askari (vma)
VMA · #119common
Pricing
Normal: $0.11
Foil:
Oracle Text

Rules text

Flanking (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.) This creature can't block.
Legalities

Format Status

Standard
N/A
Pioneer
N/A
Modern
N/A
Legacy
Legal
Vintage
Legal
Commander
Legal
Pauper
Legal
Brawl
N/A
Historic
N/A
Alchemy
N/A
Timeless
N/A
Standard Brawl
N/A
More formats
Old School
N/A
Premodern
Legal
PreDH
Legal
Pauper Commander
Legal
Oathbreaker
Legal
Gladiator
N/A
Penny Dreadful
Legal
Duel Commander
Legal
Future Standard
N/A
COMPETITIVEBRAWL
N/A
TLR
Legal
Printings elsewhere

Other printings

2 sets
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