Glimmering Angel MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Angel |
| Abilities | Flying |
| Released | 2000-10-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Invasion |
| Set code | INV |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 17 |
| Frame | 1997 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ciruelo |
Key Takeaways
- Glimmering Angel enables sustained board presence, offering combat control and resource efficiency.
- Demands strategic hand management and precise mana, which can constrain deck versatility.
- With evasion and protection, it poses a tactical piece in aerial strategies and meta shifts.
Text of card
Flying oo U Glimmering Angel can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn.
"We turned to see where the blow came from and saw only a distant light." —Capashen lord
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Glimmering Angel offers a strategic edge by potentially protecting vital creatures or itself with its ability. By dictating trades and combat scenarios, you sustain your presence on the board, effectively maintaining your card advantage.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana acceleration, the Angel’s low mana cost enables a fast deployment. This means you can establish board presence while still retaining resources for other plays, indirectly contributing to a more efficient resource allocation.
Instant Speed: Glimmering Angel can be bolstered at instant speed with various spells from your hand, making it a versatile combatant. This allows you to adapt to threats at a moment’s notice without committing your play during your own turn, keeping your opponent guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Playing Glimmering Angel often involves a strategic hit to your hand, urging you to part with another potentially valuable card to fuel its abilities. In moments when your hand is your last line of defense, this cost is not just mana spent, but also opportunities lost.
Specific Mana Cost: Glimmering Angel demands a precise mana alignment, necessitating both white and blue resources. This can restrict not only the types of decks in which it can effectively operate but also can be a hurdle during gameplay, especially in multicolored decks struggling with mana availability.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana expenditure to get Glimmering Angel into play can be on the steeper side when weighed against other creatures in the same casting range. With multiple cards offering similar or even upgraded benefits at a lesser mana commitment, players may find themselves reconsidering its place in their lineup.
Reasons to Include Glimmering Angel in Your Collection
Versatility: Glimmering Angel provides a dynamic option in decks seeking evasive creatures. Its flying ability allows it to soar over ground-based defenses, making it a reliable attacker or blocker when needed.
Combo Potential: With the addition of equipment or enchantments that synergize with flying creatures, Glimmering Angel’s effectiveness is significantly enhanced, creating opportunities for powerful combos within aerial-centric strategies.
Meta-Relevance: As the game evolves, so does the relevance of certain cards. Glimmering Angel can find its place in the meta, particularly if the environment favors slower, more methodical gameplay where its consistent presence in the air can exert sustained pressure on opponents.
How to beat
Glimmering Angel presents a unique strategic hurdle in MTG games with its elusive nature due to its ability to gain protection from colors. One reliable strategy to overcome this celestial adversary is by utilizing colorless removal options. Cards like Universal Solvent or Scour from Existence can bypass Glimmering Angel’s protective colors, effectively removing it from the board.
Board wipes that don’t specify a color also prove effective, such as Day of Judgment or the versatile Cyclonic Rift, which can reset the board and handle multiple threats at once. Alternatively, employing spells that force the opponent to sacrifice creatures can evade the usual color-based defenses that Glimmering Angel employs. For instance, Diabolic Edict or Crackling Doom can force an opponent to part with their Angel without targeting it directly.
Players should keep in mind that while Glimmering Angel can be a formidable presence on the battlefield, with the right blend of tactics and colorless tools, they can ensure the Angel’s shimmer fades into the recesses of the graveyard.
Cards like Glimmering Angel
Glimmering Angel stands out in the realm of Magic: The Gathering creature cards. Often compared to prismatic flyers like Welkin Tern, Glimmering Angel differentiates herself with the flexibility of a protection ability for a small mana investment. While Welkin Tern offers a similar evasive potential with flying, it lacks the Angel’s aspect of defending itself against targeted spells.
Another card that invites comparison is the Suntail Hawk. Both are low-cost creatures with flying, yet the Hawk’s single white mana cost makes it a more accessible play early on. However, it doesn’t possess the same protective option that the Angel boasts. There’s also Healer’s Hawk, which brings lifelink to the table in addition to flying. This grants a degree of staying power in the game, yet again, it’s the Glimmering Angel’s ability to dodge removal that gives it an edge in tactical maneuvers.
All things considered, with Glimmering Angel’s versatile combination of evasion and self-preservation, it offers a distinct advantage over similar creatures, making it a worthy inclusion in many Magic: The Gathering decks focused on resilience and sustained board presence.
Cards similar to Glimmering Angel by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Glimmering Angel MTG card by a specific set like Invasion, 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 Glimmering Angel and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Glimmering Angel has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Glimmering Angel card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2004-10-04 | You can activate the ability that grants shroud in response to this card being targeted by a spell or ability. If you do so, then (if this is the spell or abilities only target) the spell or ability won’t resolve since this card will now be an illegal target. |
