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Pojo's Magic The Gathering Card of the Day
Daily Since November 2001!


Image from Wizards.com

Glissa, the Traitor
Mirrodin Besieged

Reviewed Jan. 24, 2011

Constructed: 3.50
Casual: 4.00
Limited: 3.80
Multiplayer: 3.80

Ratings are based on a 1 to 5 scale
1 being the worst.  3 ... average.  
5 is the highest rating

Click here to see all of our 
Card of the Day Reviews 

BMoor

Glissa, the Traitor

Having read the books from the first Mirrodin block, this turn of events deeply saddens me. But as a player, this version of Glissa seems pretty neat. I like how she still has first strike, but has gained a second, black-aligned ability, even though first strike is arguably more black than green and deathtouch shows up in green almost more often than black. But seriously, first strike and deathtouch on the same creature? That combo is like trample and deathtouch-- it's so overpowered that I always figured that they'd never print a creature with both, and that we'd always be left to assemble the combo via Equipment or Auras. To survive a tango with this princess of the forest, you pretty much need to be indestructible-- or Engulfing Slagwurm.

But that's not all--whenever Glissa kills an opposing creature, or whenever any creature "over there" goes to the graveyard for any reason, you get to bring an artifact card in your graveyard back to your hand. Remember Executioner's Capsule? There's a two-card combo that lets you kill as many creatures as you want for 1BB apiece. How about Horizon Spellbomb? Every creature you kill lets you fetch another land, and draw another card if you want. The only weakness to this recursion strategy is that it requires your opponent to have creatures on the table, and some control decks have so few that Glissa might trigger once in a 3-game match. Definitely a strong addition to any black and green deck that runs artifacts, but perhaps relying too heavily on her is a mistake.

Constructed- 3.5
Casual- 3.75
Limited- 4.5
Multiplayer- 4


David Fanany

Player since 1995

Glissa, the Traitor
 
I'm curious how long Scars of Mirrodin takes place after the original Mirrodin block - Glissa doesn't look a day older! Sitting in the colors which the first set of the block established as the main ones for poison but lacking the infect ability, she doesn't naturally fit in that deck type, but her second ability basically demands a deck built for it. Alternatively, you could ignore it and just ask her to kill things. I never thought I'd see a creature with first strike and deathtouch, much less who was partially green. And with many aggressive decks now using either Darksteel Axes or mythic swords, her second ability might end up being relevant occasionally after all. Definitely a card with potential.
 
Constructed: 3/5
Casual: 3/5
Limited: 3/5
Multiplayer: 3/5


Paul

Magic The Gathering Card of The Day: Glissa, The Traitor
 
Welcome back readers to another week of Mirrodin Besieged cards, today's card of the day is a twisted version of Glissa once a hero from Mirrodin.  Three mana for a 3/3 creature with first strike and deathtouch is pretty solid the mana cost may be tricky. In standard it could see play as an early beater in some sort of aggressive g/b black deck although im unsure of how possible it is for a non infect g/b aggro deck. The ability to revive artifacts from your graveyard can be powerful with Ratchet bomb and things like Perilious Myr. In extended and eternal the power of artifacts increases you can regrow Engineered Explosives it may see play its a solid card. In casual and multiplayer this is a new and interesting general for Elder Dragon Highlander or Commander and it will see extensive play as such. In limited its a solid creature for green/black decks as it has deathtouch and first strike it may also be worth a little cash. Overall a powerful new general for EDH and a card that provides interesting interactions.
 
Constructed: 3.0
Casual: 4.0
Limited: 4.0
Multiplayer: 4.0

Michael "Maikeruu" Pierno

Today's card of the day is Glissa, the Traitor which is a three mana Green and Black 3/3 zombie and elfwith First Strike and Death Touch. 
Aside from the somewhat demanding casting cost this is already a solid creature, but the effect of returning an artifact from your graveyard to your hand whenever an opponent's creature is sent to the graveyard adds quite a bit of potential.  Cards like Memnite work amazingly well with this as do any low cost sacrifice effects like Ratchet Bomb.  Overall a card to watch for despite the less commonly played pairing of colors and both types have plenty of support.
 
For Limited the mana cost is an issue, but this is still a very powerful card in the format.  Drafting it first in Booster is a bit of a gamble, but worth it and can be supported with later picks.  In Sealed it depends entirely on your pool of Green and to a lesser degree Black cards.  Any available color fixing is worth using to get this into play earlier as it may not reach the battlefield until later in the game with a bad draw.  Even with the difficult casting cost the effects make this a playable card, just one that requires careful though in choosing your mana base.
 
Constructed: 4.0
Casual: 4.0
Limited: 3.5
Multiplayer: 4.0

John
Shultis
Phoenix
Gaming

     Today’s preview card is one that would make Benedict Arnold jealous. After an epic battle the fell the Tree of Tales, the elves she called friends and family accused Glissa Sunseeker of being a traitor, and outcast her from her one and only home. It was then she found a new home, and embraced the name given her, traitor. That’s right today’s Card of the Day is Glissa the Traitor.

    For one black mana and two green mana, the 3/3 Glissa enters the board seeking revenge, and destruction. Her abilities are fierce. The first two make for a devastating combo. Her first two abilities are First Strike and Deathtouch. Her last ability is whenever a creature an opponent controls is put into a graveyard, you may return an artifact card from you graveyard to your hand.

   Her first two abilities together spell disaster for your opponent in a variety of ways. For starters, if Glissa is held as a blocker, whatever she gets her traitorous grasp on is going to be killed while she survives, unless what she blocks has first strike or double strike. As an attacker, the same applies, even if chump blocked. Three creatures block her, you divide one damage to each, and the first strike kicks in and kicks them out.

    Now, her last ability is a little more interesting, but, easily adaptable. In standard, she can easily exploit Throne of Geth. Kill a creature, pull a creature out of your graveyard, such as a Memnite, to sacrifice to the Throne, and proliferate. That’s a decent combo for standard.

    Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention that anyone who goes to a prerelease this weekend and plays for Phyrexia gets a promo version of Glissa the Traitor. So make sure you all get to your local gaming store and participate.
 
Limited: 4/5
Casual: 5/5
Constructed: 4/5
Multiplayer: 4/5


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