Glissa, the Traitor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Zombie Elf
Abilities Deathtouch,First strike
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Glissa offers continuous artifact recursion, leveraging opponent’s creature deaths for strategic gains.
  2. Artifact combos and battlefield prowess make her a versatile and potent force in MTG.
  3. Countering her strength requires strategic use of graveyard manipulation or non-destructive control.

Text of card

First strike, deathtouch Whenever a creature an opponent controls is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, you may return target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Glissa the Traitor holds her own in the realm of card advantage, as she potentially retrieves artifacts from your graveyard to your hand each time one of your opponents’ creatures meets its demise. This recurring effect provides a steady stream of resources, keeping your hand well-equipped and posing a persistent threat to your opponents.

Resource Acceleration: While Glissa herself doesn’t directly ramp your mana, the artifacts she recovers can be geared towards resource acceleration. Artifacts that tap for mana or enable untapping of lands help push your game forward faster, effectively accelerating your resource capabilities beyond the normal one land per turn.

Instant Speed: Glissa’s triggered ability activates at instant speed, meaning you can take advantage of it during any player’s turn. This flexibility ensures you’re not only interacting on your turn but also remain a significant part of the game on your opponents’ turns, shrewdly turning their losses into your gains.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Though Glissa the Traitor doesn’t demand a card discard outright, her ability hinges on the death of your creatures. This can force players into a position where they must sacrifice valuable board presence to maximize her recursive potential, essentially serving as a roundabout discard that can disrupt your game plan.

Specific Mana Cost: Glissa’s cost requires a precise combination of green and black mana, which can pose a deck-building constraint. Her casting cost dictates a strict commitment to Golgari colors, potentially limiting flexibility in deck design and mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, including two specific colored mana symbols, Glissa might come into play later than desired. This can be particularly challenging in fast-paced games where lower-cost creatures can establish an early board presence and control the pace before Glissa can be utilized effectively.


Reasons to Include Glissa the Traitor in Your Collection

Versatility: Glissa the Traitor offers a unique blend of aggressive stats and utility. Its First Strike and Deathtouch abilities make it a formidable presence on the battlefield, capable of influencing combat phases regardless of whether you’re on the offense or defense.

Combo Potential: One of Glissa’s standout traits is her ability to return artifact cards from your graveyard to your hand whenever a creature an opponent controls dies. This synergizes with a multitude of artifact-centric combos, paving the way for powerful plays and resilience against removal.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where creature-based strategies prevail, Glissa shines by providing consistent artifact recursion. This grants both longevity in grindy matches and the persistent advantage necessary to outmaneuver opponents entrenched in the long game.


How to beat

Glissa the Traitor presents a unique challenge in MTG with her formidable ability to recur artifacts from the graveyard to your hand following combat where creatures perish. To effectively navigate around Glissa, focus on strategies that limit combat interaction or bypass it entirely. Board control spells that don’t destroy creatures, like Pacifism or Imprisoned in the Moon, can neutralize Glissa without triggering her ability. This can prevent the constant retrieval of potentially game-altering artifacts.

Alternatively, employing graveyard hate cards such as Relic of Progenitus or Tormod’s Crypt can mitigate Glissa’s impact, stripping your opponent’s graveyard of targets before she can utilize her ability. Exile effects are also particularly potent as they remove creatures from the game entirely, ensuring that Glissa’s recursive power is nullified. Cards like Path to Exile or Leyline of the Void can serve as effective counters to her mechanics. The key is to maintain a clear battlefield or to manipulate the graveyard to your advantage, weakening the synergy that Glissa, the Traitor, offers to an artifact-centric strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Mastering the intricate dance of destruction and creation that Glissa the Traitor embodies can transform your MTG experience. Her unique mixture of combat readiness and recurring artifact retrieval makes her a powerhouse in the right setup. Complementing Glissa with a strategy that embraces artifact synergy and graveyard interaction will fortify your board and enhance your card advantage. If you’re intrigued by the art of tactical resourcing and yearn for an edge in games where every card counts, it’s time to delve deeper. Learn how to harness Glissa’s full potential, counteract her limitations, and integrate her into a winning deck formula. Elevate your MTG prowess with us today.


Cards like Glissa, the Traitor

Glissa the Traitor stands out in the world of Magic: The Gathering as it combines resilience with resource recursion. Glissa’s nearest relatives in terms of battlefield utility include Sheoldred, Whispering One, and Eternal Witness. Both cards have the knack for bringing back spells or creatures from the graveyard to your hand, but Glissa takes it a step further by triggering whenever an opponent’s creature dies. This repeatable effect gives players a recurring advantage, especially in formats where creatures are frequently traded in combat.

Eternal Witness, on one hand, offers a one-time retrieval of any card from the graveyard when it enters the battlefield. In contrast, Sheoldred, Whispering One not only reanimates a creature during each of your upkeeps but also forces opponents to sacrifice creatures every turn. However, neither match Glissa’s potential for consistent artifact recovery. Moreover, Glissa flaunts her first strike and deathtouch combo, making her formidable in combat.

Ultimately, Glissa the Traitor is a unique asset for MTG players who favor strategies revolving around artifacts and creature combat. Her ability to repeatedly recover valuable artifacts from the graveyard, paired with her combat prowess, presents a distinct advantage over other similar cards in the game.

Sheoldred, Whispering One - MTG Card versions
Eternal Witness - MTG Card versions
Sheoldred, Whispering One - New Phyrexia Promos (PNPH)
Eternal Witness - Fifth Dawn (5DN)

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Harald, King of Skemfar - Kaldheim (KHM)
Grakmaw, Skyclave Ravager - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Chatterfang, Squirrel General - Modern Horizons 2 (MH2)
Shambling Shell - Duel Decks: Izzet vs. Golgari (DDJ)
Wormwood Dryad - Time Spiral (TSP)
Stalker Hag - Eventide (EVE)
Hag Hedge-Mage - Eventide (EVE)
Quillspike - Eventide (EVE)
Stonefare Crocodile - Duel Decks: Jace vs. Vraska (DDM)
Varolz, the Scar-Striped - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Quagmire Druid - Commander 2013 (C13)
Catacomb Sifter - Battle for Zendikar (BFZ)
Autumnal Gloom // Ancient of the Equinox - Shadows over Innistrad (SOI)
Shaman of the Pack - Explorer Anthology 2 (EA2)
Mournwillow - Shadows over Innistrad Remastered (SIR)
Reyhan, Last of the Abzan - Treasure Chest (PZ2)
Charnel Troll - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Pitiless Gorgon - Ravnica: Clue Edition (CLU)
Leyline Prowler - War of the Spark (WAR)
Grismold, the Dreadsower - Commander 2019 (C19)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Glissa, the Traitor MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Player Rewards 2011, 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 Glissa, the Traitor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Glissa, the Traitor Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 2011-02-04 and 2019-12-02. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 396182003normalblackSteve Argyle
22011-01-01Magic Player Rewards 2011P11 962003normalblackChris Rahn
32011-02-04Mirrodin BesiegedMBS 962003normalblackChris Rahn
42012-11-02Commander's Arsenal OversizedOCM1 32003normalblackChris Rahn
52016-08-19From the Vault: LoreV16 52015normalblackChris Rahn
62019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 12172015normalborderlessKekai Kotaki

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Glissa, the Traitor has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Glissa, the Traitor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

DateText
2011-06-01 If an artifact you own and a creature an opponent controls go to the graveyard at the same time, you may choose that artifact card as the target of Glissa, the Traitor’s ability (even if they’re the same card: an artifact creature you own that an opponent controlled).

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