Knight of Meadowgrain

I like this a little bit more than White Knight and Silver Knight. If I know I'm up against black or red, of course I'd go with protection. But Lifelink is good all of the time against any colors. That makes this a little bit more useful in more situations.

The newest creature in Magic's cycle of "two white mana, first strike" knights, Knight of Meadowgrain does a fairly good job of fitting into the 2 mana drop spot for white beatdown decks. Already, aggressive, mono-white Kithkin decks have begun to show how formidable they can be, and Knight of the Meadowgrain has contributed much to that effect. In an environment where beatdown decks are fast and heavy-hitting, having the edge in damage racing has become more important than ever. This efficient two drop not only allows for a quick beater that's conveniently a Kithkin, it also gains you back the life you lost in the previous turn from your opponent's beaters, making the damagae race highly in your favor. When under the influence (no, not alcohol) of such cards as Glorius Anthem or Wizened Cenn, this sword weilding Kithikin can be downright dangerous -- or at least a serious pain in the ying yang.

Unfortunately, unlike its predecessors -- White Knight and Silver Knight -- it lacks protection from direct removal, and is wide open to a entourage of removal spells. It does share something with its older counterparts, though -- lack of flexibility. With its double white mana cost, it seems only viable in decks that use white as their main color, if not their only color.

It remains to be seen just how effective this little guy is other than in a mono-white Kithkin deck, but from what I've seen so far, it well deserves its uncommon spot in the expansion set at the very least.