Martyred Rusalka MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Spirit
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Martyred Rusalka grants on-demand protection, trading creatures to safeguard more valuable assets or life total.
  2. Activation restricted by mana type and cost, challenging inclusion in non-white or mana-tight decks.
  3. The card’s utility shines against aggressive strategies, providing a potent shield in creature-centric builds.

Text of card

, Sacrifice a creature: Target creature can't attack this turn.

Rakdos cultists hanged her for sport in the township square. Her ghost now stands vigil at what has become known as the Tree of Weeping.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Martyred Rusalka offers strategic plays that can lead to maintaining board control. By sacrificing a creature, you can potentially protect a more valuable creature or your life total, in essence trading one resource for a potentially more critical one against aggressive strategies.

Resource Acceleration: Though not directly contributing to mana acceleration, Martyred Rusalka provides a form of resource optimization. This stapling of functions onto a single creature can streamline your gameplay, allowing more room for other accelerative or impactful cards in your deck.

Instant Speed: Martyred Rusalka’s ability can be activated at instant speed, granting you flexibility in response timing. This can be pivoted to surprise an opponent during combat or in reaction to an opponent’s spells, setting up for advantageous exchanges or disrupting opponent tactics.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Martyred Rusalka card requires the player to sacrifice a creature in addition to its mana cost. This can be burdensome, especially in decks where creature resources are pivotal and not easily replenished.

Specific Mana Cost: Players need one white mana to activate its ability, which restricts its effectiveness to decks that can consistently generate white mana. Those running multicolored or off-theme decks might find this mana requirement somewhat restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Given that the Martyred Rusalka’s ability costs one mana each time it’s used, it can become costly in terms of mana economy. There are other cards with lower activation costs or no cost at all offering similar or better protective measures against opponent’s spells and abilities.


Reasons to Include Martyred Rusalka in Your Collection

Versatility: Martyred Rusalka offers a flexible option for decks that require creature-based interactions. It can protect your valuable creatures from removal, or disrupt your opponent’s combat strategy by sacrificing a creature to make an attacker unable to block.

Combo Potential: Its ability to sacrifice a creature can be leveraged in decks that capitalize on death-triggered abilities or graveyard strategies. This can enable various synergies and combo plays, especially in graveyard-centric decks that thrive on such mechanics.

Meta-Relevance: In a metagame where aggressive decks are prevalent, Martyred Rusalka can provide a cost-effective way to slow down opponents and protect your life total. Its utility in stalling aggressive strategies and enabling your long-term game plan can make it a smart inclusion in certain metas.


How to beat

Martyred Rusalka can present a unique challenge to MTG players looking to maintain a strong board presence. This White creature card has the ability to sacrifice itself to protect a larger creature from an opponent’s spells or attacks by giving it protection until end of turn. Overcoming this can require strategic planning and timing, as well as a keen understanding of your own deck’s capabilities.

To effectively bypass Martyred Rusalka’s protective ability, consider using spells that do not target, such as board wipes, which can eliminate the Rusalka along with other creatures regardless of protection. Another tactic is to hold removal spells until the end of your opponent’s turn, after they’ve potentially sacrificed the Rusalka, leaving their key creatures vulnerable. Additionally, making use of instant-speed interactions can catch an opponent off-guard, negating the Rusalka’s effect while they lack the mana to activate its ability. Lastly, focusing on accumulating an advantageous board state while pacing out threats can dilute the impact of Rusalka’s sacrifice, ultimately leading you to outmaneuver its protection and secure the win.


Cards like Martyred Rusalka

Martyred Rusalka is an intriguing option when it comes to creatures with utility in Magic: The Gathering. When examined alongside other cards in the ‘Rusalka’ cycle, this card offers a specific set of skills, especially in the white color pie. Compared to its counterparts like Burning-Tree Rusalka or Drowned Rusalka, which interact with the graveyard or draw mechanics, Martyred Rusalka provides a form of protection by allowing you to sacrifice a creature to make another creature unblockable for the turn.

Exploring further parallels, Benevolent Bodyguard is a creature that also offers a way to protect valued creatures on the battlefield. While the Bodyguard can sacrifice itself to grant another creature protection from a color until end of turn, Martyred Rusalka requires a cost for its ability but can be reused if not targeted. Lastly, Mother of Runes stands out by giving protection from a color without the need to be sacrificed, albeit to a single creature each turn. Still, the Martyred Rusalka’s ability to interact with various board states subtly compliments control strategies in white-colored decks.

Whether you value repeating usage without self-sacrifice, or prefer a one-off robust defense, Martyred Rusalka offers a unique role in decks that seek to safeguard key creatures and execute pivotal moves at crucial moments.

Drowned Rusalka - MTG Card versions
Benevolent Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Drowned Rusalka - Guildpact (GPT)
Benevolent Bodyguard - Judgment (JUD)
Mother of Runes - Urza's Legacy (ULG)

Cards similar to Martyred Rusalka by color, type and mana cost

Savannah Lions - MTG Card versions
Benalish Hero - MTG Card versions
Icatian Infantry - MTG Card versions
Icatian Scout - MTG Card versions
Icatian Javelineers - MTG Card versions
Trade Caravan - MTG Card versions
Honor Guard - MTG Card versions
Volunteer Militia - MTG Card versions
Nomads en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Soul Warden - MTG Card versions
Resistance Fighter - MTG Card versions
Honorable Scout - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Kor Duelist - MTG Card versions
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - MTG Card versions
Mother of Runes - MTG Card versions
Daru Mender - MTG Card versions
Eager Cadet - MTG Card versions
Bushi Tenderfoot // Kenzo the Hardhearted - MTG Card versions
Hada Freeblade - MTG Card versions
Savannah Lions - Collectors' Edition (CED)
Benalish Hero - Fourth Edition (4ED)
Icatian Infantry - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Scout - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Icatian Javelineers - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Trade Caravan - Homelands (HML)
Honor Guard - Stronghold (STH)
Volunteer Militia - Portal Second Age (P02)
Nomads en-Kor - World Championship Decks 1998 (WC98)
Soul Warden - Historic Anthology 1 (HA1)
Resistance Fighter - Classic Sixth Edition (6ED)
Honorable Scout - Planeshift (PLS)
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Kor Duelist - Wizards Play Network 2009 (PWP09)
Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mother of Runes - The List (PLST)
Daru Mender - Legions (LGN)
Eager Cadet - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Bushi Tenderfoot // Kenzo the Hardhearted - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Hada Freeblade - DCI Promos (PDCI)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Martyred Rusalka MTG card by a specific set like Guildpact and RNA Guild Kit, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Martyred Rusalka and other MTG cards:

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See Magic products

Printings

The Martyred Rusalka Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2006-02-03 and 2019-02-15. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-02-03GuildpactGPT 122003normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
22019-02-15RNA Guild KitGK2 302015normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Martyred Rusalka has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Recent MTG decks

Continue exploring other format decks
More decks