If only reanimator didn't have better so many targets. Still an amazing casual card and insane in EDH.
Harmonrova
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Looking forward to stepping up with Angel tribal. Such a powerhouse.
FatalPenguin
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(24 votes)
She's holding the moonsilver spear, but yet she doesn't have first strike. IT MUST BE A FAKE!
magicpablo666
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I want to use cards that Jason does, just for the art.
wstonefi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So, Akroma, Angel of Wrath finally has some competition in the "big epic 8CMC angel" category. On her own, Akroma is still probably better, but Avacyn is nothing to sneeze at either -- especially in EDH, where Day of Judgment and the like are suddenly one-sided. She's going straight into my Kaalia of the Vast deck, for sure.
MyrBattlecube
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(9 votes)
Just call me angel of the morning. Angel. Just touch my cheek before you leave me. Baby. Just call me angel of the morning. Angel. Then slowly turn away from me.
dontmess17
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(9 votes)
i do love the flavor of her being able to beat Griselbrand head to head
This will be terrifying to face in Limited without a hand of exile, bounce, and library banishing. And she will be in every Kaalia of the Vast deck, mark my words.
Cyberium
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(8 votes)
Her three archangels shares color with blue, green, and red. While Avacyn is pure white, her dress indicates a shade of black/gothic, in honor of her creator Sorin.
Kryptnyt
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
{T}: Avacyn plays The Cure. She's depressed.
lorendorky
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Interesting... the only way I ca think of for mono red to deal with her is to throw her back into the Helvault or have Karn Liberated liberate her (wink wink nod nod)
majinara
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
Not bad. I can see it beeing popular in Commander with armageddon spells. Not awesome either. Just don't let opponents steal it.
JaFaR_Ironclad
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
As someone awesome once said; Avacyn, Angel of Hope I Don't Get Vapor Snagged.
I find it quite flavorful that the Angel of Hope's ability negates the Angel of Despair's ability
Halidir_Orveck
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
AMAZING in EDH, not so much in anything else though for my taste. I honestly wanted to see something... better? 3/5
sarroth
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I've heard people complaining to get Avacyn banned in Commander already because of Worldslayer. This is what I have to say: After having lost to Decree of Annihilation and planeswalkers multiple times, the game will end much quicker with Avacyn + Worldslayer. Also, it's easier to disrupt than Decree of Annihilation + planeswalkers. I don't think she's worth banning.
But she is worth a slot in a Kaalia of the Vast deck. I hear people saying pretty much all of the cards in this set fit in her deck, and that's not true; good angels and demons aren't enough to fit in her deck. However, any card that protects Kaalia is certainly a shoe-in for her deck because she's a really weak creature that has to stick her neck out in attacking in order to get full value of the card. Avacyn protects her, and that's essential to a good Kaalia deck.
THIS is a legendary mythic, my friends! Beautiful, awe-inspiring, hits the board with a "thud," but is still very fair and probably won't turn into another $25+ abomination. BTW, do NOT call the artwork "sexy" or she WILL jump out of the card and come to life to beat the snot out of you--and you DON'T want to know where she'll shove the other end of that polearm she's wielding!
Thanks to this card and Sigarda, I have the (unplayable, silly) combo to answer every "falls to" "dies to" problem your creatures might have.
To make my post even siller, add a Platinum Angel and any creature with vigilance and you now have an unwipeable board, utterly invincible and unblockable creatures, and no way to lose. You can laugh in the face of a simultaneous attack from every legendary eldrazi, four blightsteels, Progenitus, and a Phage that's wielding every Kaldra artifact and every Mirran sword! At this point, they need to create an infinite loop to force a draw.
So anyhow, I'm fan of this card, but man, I would LOVE to see a game where a Drana slaughters an Avacyn! It's about to be a...GIRL FIGHT!
You haters are depressing. She is awesome. Few other cards in the history of magic impact the game as much as she does. Flavor-wise she is amazing. She does exactly what Sorin wanted her to do, protect humans. Does she save all humans from everything ever? No, but that wasn't Sorin's intentions. He just wanted to make sure that the humans stood a fighting chance and being indestructible definately increases their chances of survival. Other than that she's amazing, gonna put her in my Orzhov reanimator deck. 5/5 for being the hottest girl in all of magic, sorry Jhoira (you're still the hottest nerdy chick).
WarioMan
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Not just Kaalia who just got that much more broken with this set, but I'm thinking Mayael Power 5 with her.
BagsMcpiper
★★★★☆ (4.4/5.0)(28 votes)
Avacyn has returned, and is ready to inflict her wrath on all the girls that teased her in high school for being goth.
Goatllama
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(11 votes)
Wow Sorin, I didn't believe you when you said you look great in drag. Way to prove me wrong!
WhiteWizard42
★★★☆☆ (3.7/5.0)(9 votes)
Paleopaladin: There's still mass -X/-X effects. My zombie deck, for example, could sac its army (including a Noxious Ghoul) and bring it back with Balthor the Defiled to give all your creatures -8/-8 or more, killing Avacyn, Sigarda, Melira, Platinum, and Pristine. Late-game, Mutilate works too.
Wizards of the Coast based Avacyn, Gisela, Sigarda, Bruna, Griselbrand, and Sorin after the Powerpuff Girls. Think about it:
Avacyn = Mojojojo. Gisela = Blossom. Sigarda = Buttercup. Bruna = Bubbles. Griselbrand = Him. Sorin = The Professor.
Sorin/The Professor made Avacyn/Mojojojo into who they are, and indirectly created Gisela, Sigarda, and Bruna/Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles. Don't believe me? Look at Griselbrand's flavor text.
"Avacyn emerged from the broken Helvault, but her freedom came at a price—him." —Thalia, Knight-Cathar
"him"
"HIM"
"HIM"
The similarities are too hard to ignore. Avacyn Restored is based off The Powerpuff Girls.
Juusto
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@paleopaladin: you missed final judgement, false prophet, inundate, evacuation, hallowed burial, upheaval, worldpurge... pretty sure the list goes on. Then again there's also things like Humility and Godhead Of Awe. Now my point: an opponent had assembled combo similiar to yours in an edh game (sigarda, avacyn, melira, phyrexian unlife, privileged position) and managed to lose to because the third opponent's bruna flied in twice and killed him with general damage (steel of godhead helped a lot i think). So at least in eternal formats (and casual) there's pretty much always a way to get around most locks with right cards, though if you're tapped out and they have stasis and an icy manipulator / tamiyo and a way to utap themselves (vigilant attacker with bear umbra or sword of feast and famine? isochron scepter reset etc.) you're pretty much screwed
MANABURNWASGOOD
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A guy got a foil one at the pre-release. It's a good creature, will work in most reanimator / recurring nightmare builds. Begs to be played in tandem with Griselbrand in a kaalia deck
swords_to_exile
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
Holy Crap, Darthparalax, you're a nightwish fan?
Also, an avacyn EDh just builds itself. Every destroy all X spell ever printed in white.
Frostraven
★★★★☆ (4.8/5.0)(43 votes)
It would surely be tragic if she slipped.
Dustsomeday
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love goth angels.
The_Somnambulist
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love the idea with Worldslayer as well. If pulled off, especially in multiplayer, you're instantly surrounded by players scooping simultaneously.
FelixCarter
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(3 votes)
An absolutely fantastic card, in my opinion. As everyone has already stated, this has a high chance of quickly becoming an EDH frequent. An 8/8 vigilant flyer for 8 is something that will already have heads turnin' and haters hatin', but the added static-and-always-prevalent ability just adds the "thud" that every mythic deserves. I could go on and on about Kaalia this and Herald of War that, but I think we already understand the obvious. If you're unlucky enough to be on the receiving end of Avacyn's spear, ready allappropriatewipes!
The art is simply astonishing, and Jason Chan has done an exemplary job of showing the return of a force to be reckoned with. The light and dark values coupled with a dynamic and commanding posture create a vivid representation of Sorin's legacy. Line, shape, and space are used advantageously to display a diagonally rising action while indicating distance and height.
But on a last note - and concerning the flavor of what happened between Avacyn and Griselbrand - I'm left wondering why she doesn't enter the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter or something of a similar nature...
Seriously, Mojo? How in the world is this Mojo? Aren't you forgetting that Mojo is kind of a, you know, villain?
PS: Akroma is better
nopemx6
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My only complaint about this card is that her legs are very strangely proportioned...
DoragonShinzui
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(10 votes)
Avacyn just makes me...sad.
There were so many missed moments of awesome both in her card design and her character design. Vault of the Archangel requires White and Black: How cool would it have been to have another White Black Angel? She already has fitting artwork, even outdoing Angel of Despair for the most goth angel ever. But everything about her is so...boring. "Angel of Hope?" Really? How freaking cliche could you get!? "Everything you control is indestructible?" Wow, that's an cool and original ability guys! No really, so flavorful, so masterfully designed, so subtle!
You know its bad when the titular character is the least flavorful entity in the set. Avacyn is a disappointment. A terrible, terrible disappointment.
Tsuichoi
★★☆☆☆ (2.4/5.0)(9 votes)
@Voriki
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Avacyn was created for the single-minded purpose of the merciless slaughter of the unhallowed mob of engorging armies that threatened the existence of Humanity. There is nothing sacred about her task, she is the secret testament to Vampiric, and very black planeswalker- For pitties sake, she was forged by black mana, for, albeit, a righteous cause, and created in a desperate home to perserve the fragile "ecosystem" of Innistrad. Yet Avacyn is no corner-angel preaching psalms to the natives- She is a beacon to the meek, a symbol of their struggle for survival and their triumph. Yet that is again, all in eyes of the naive human inhabitants who worship her. Afterall, Sorin created her with the intent to keep balance, not to mercifully save humanity for some noble, morale or religious reason.
And no one cares if it would have messed up your deck- i run a B/W Orzhov deck with angels and demons that would have greatly benefited from its inclusion, what makes you so special? so spare me and the rest of this community such frivolous self entitlement. So yes, she should have been B/W, all hints suggested this, any attempt to argue the contrary is sheer ignorance.
Ike38
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Avacyn ...., all you need is one human to protect you.... like Elgaud Shieldmate
Avacyn + Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Sigarda, Host of Herons = good luck getting rid of my creatures :D
God_Of_The_Smurfs
★★☆☆☆ (2.1/5.0)(4 votes)
Vapor Snag took one look at this and burst out laughing.
HeartbreakerStudios
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Innistrad was already packed with incredibly powerful cards.
Army of the Damned also costs {8} and spots 13 2/2 black Zombies with Flashback.
Ghoultree is a 10/10 Zombie Treefolk and also costs {8}, but can become cheaper and even free with enough creatures in the grave.
Bloodline Keeper costs only {4}, and is now easily the best thing for Tribal Vampire decks which already hurt like a ***.
Howlpack Alpha costs ONLY {2} and yet pulls TRIPLE mass Tribal buffs, AND can spawn 2/2s each turn which benefit for a whole new Tribal deck. That's INSANE.
And yet NONE of those come anywhere near the level of difficulty that Avacyn imposes on the game.
A 6/6 Vigilant Flyer for {8} is par, and making it Angel is a nice Tribal bonus, but it needs a little bit more to make it stand out.
Holy crap! The new Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is a 5/5 Firststriking Flyer Angel for {7} with the UNCANNY ability to DOUBLE all damage dealt to enemies, and HALF all damage dealt to allies! That's amazing! I wonder what Avacyn will do?
Mass indestructibility for all permanents including herself. For just {1} more. And 1 less color.
...
WHAT THE HELL!? That almost ENTIRELY renders Gisela and every single one of those other cards obsolete and makes the game practically UNPLAYABLE!
You either have to be running a mill deck, a direct damage deck, a deck LOADED with -1/-1 or exile wipes, or something else entirely. What are you doing guys? Why make a card that makes the the BIGGEST focus of the game, COMBAT, impossible for all but a small minority of players who have the luck, the cards, the freedom, and the skill to maneuver against it? Isn't it bad enough that she's unblockable against most creatures because of Flying WITHOUT making her and everything around her immune to "destroy" removal?
Totema
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(4 votes)
@Heartbreakerstudios: Every color has a relatively easy way around this. White can exile her. Black can force her to be sacrificed, or give her zero toughness. Blue can bounce her. Green can just trample over her. And red can just burn her controller. If you play with any of these colors, you should already have these effects easily available.
Marsh-D-Teach
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
These angel cards are ridiculously good. So much so I've had to rap praise about each of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgucomu5rus&list=UUEWfBjIGKanFHaUrxBrl3lw&index=1&feature=plcp
dlgn
★★★☆☆ (3.3/5.0)(5 votes)
@Tsuichoi No, she wasn't. No hints suggested anything of the sort. Sorin is very B/W--the moral reason and balance are one and the same. He used to be human, remember, and he only became a vampire because Edgar decided to make him one on a whim. Avacyn is very holy--why else would she be "Avacyn, Angel of Hope"? No one knows exactly how she was created, and there's no reason to insult anyone else's deck. Or their intelligence. Seriously.
rebelrebel
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
finally something that combos with worldslayer in standard
Judgemaster_Rolan
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
For some reason, Avacyn REALLY reminds me of Akroma...
MaDaZi
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
So, -X/-X effects DO bypass Indestructible?
Kamishini
★★★☆☆ (3.9/5.0)(4 votes)
I love how people feel the need to point out how easy it is to bounce, or deal with this card. And while that may be true, it's also true about every other card in existence! The fact of the matter is, besides that you probably won't see her in standard very often, if every, she gets rid of one of the most prevalent ways to get rid of her, and you're other permanents. I think she's pretty good, and I sure as hell wouldn't play her unless I had a way to protect, that's for damn sure. Just saying.
SyntheticDreamer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This is good in reanimator decks, but the downside is that better reanimation targets are available, namely Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite.
__Silence__
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I completely agree with Evil Twin... Except they will both die due to the legendary rule... How about something that bypasses that rule... Meet the most beastly machine ever known to man Sakashima the Impostor
Voriki
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ Doragon
I wasn't trying to be self-entitled. I meant it as an example to what she fits better. She keeps balance in that she is on the side of the humans. She evens it out not as an impartial middle but as a stronger fighter for one side. She does keep balance, but doesn't kill the humans should they start murdering all the vampires. There are even flavor texts that say the vampires were pushed even farther down in power with her return. Also, as to saying that she is not a preaching angel, she is the figurehead and power behind a whole church. There are those that worship her and she supports the people that seek her out. She doesn't just stand there with no interaction from anyone who follows her looking down on them as "naive" humans. She fights for them actively and bolsters them.
How could Sorin's creation of her not be noble? He chose subsistence over decadence and chose to protect humanity. He could've watched them all die and he wanted to prevent that from happening. Even if it was so that both species would be kept alive, his reasoning has shown worry for the humans rather than the inconvenience of the vampires food source running out.
I acknowledge that there were hints of her being white/black. But she is still fighting for a single side. She only keeps balance by adding weight to the humans' fight.
I do apologize for coming of as self-entitled. I don't expect every card to be tailored to my tastes. It just seems to me that she is not black. It's not necessarily ignorance to say it one way or the other, just a difference in viewpoint for what she stands for.
Zoltantf
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Geez ppl. Why are we arguing about make believe creatures printed on cardboard. I am passionate about the game too, but I'm not going to go rage on someone because they have an opinion about a game. People have the right to their opinions. Magic is suppose to bring us together, not separate us.
I'm very curious as to rather or not she knows she was created by Sorin or not. If not, then I wonder if she wonders... If she does know... then I wonder how she feels about it. Is she just loyal to Sorin, does she despise him but grudgingly respect him? Does she care?
She may look boring on the surface, but she's actually quite an interesting question once you think about her... And I think this is what Wizards were shooting for... as quiet and Aloof as she seems to be. Side note: if you really zoom in on her eyes, she does have pupils, their white and look like a full moon. (Check the official art, not the card.)
stompfest
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
novablast wurm, oblivion stone, nev's disk for repeatable 1-sided mass removal effects when combo'd with this gem. privileged position also combos favorably with her.
icantridemybike
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.7/5.0)(3 votes)
I could see her more as a planeswalker. Just sayin.
DarthParallax
★☆☆☆☆ (1.8/5.0)(7 votes)
"I wish I had an angel for one moment of love I wish I had your angel tonight Deep into a dying day I took a step outside an innocent heart Prepare to hate me fall when I may. This night will hurt you likenever before Old loves they die hard, Old lies they die harder I wish I had an angel, For one moment of love I wish I had your angel Your Virgin Mary undone-- I'm in love with my lust, Burning angel wings to dust I wish I had your angel tonight" --Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Nightwish Planeswalker
"Hope- the Avacyn giveth it and the Avacyn taketh it away! Praise Avacyn!" -Stoneforge Mystic, presenting Worldslayer to Holy Avacyn
Mike-C
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(2 votes)
@Fatalpenguin:
"She's holding the moonsilver spear, but yet she doesn't have first strike. IT MUST BE A FAKE!"
It doesn't create 4/4 Angels each attack either! But come on now, if her abilities were replaced with First strike and each time Avacyn attacks, yada yada, 4/4 flying Angel into play, everyone would be like, if I wanted that ability i'd just equip her with the Moonsilver Spear! How original Wizards.. And whatever else nay Sayers nay.. You know?? I think it worked out, but that's just me..
Blackrun
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
A good christmas present. Especially for Angel lover
DytjeSaurr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I got this card out of my first (and only) AVR booster, needless to say I was very enthousiastic even though I generally don't run white. I now use it as a one-of in my G/W beatdown deck, and she works wonders.
DeckMechanic
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(4 votes)
Have a sin.
mdbaldw
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Probably the card I'm most excited about. Theres only a few ways to kill her (-X/-X counters or forcing her to be sacrificed) Throw the Mask of Avacyn on her and that takes care of the first one. Get Sigarda, Host of Herons (if you run w/g) and thats that... Then all thats left is the Worldslayer...
I regard this image of Avacyn as a flavor failure.
An 8/8 pseudo-deity worshiped by all the humans on a plane of existence is a little waify quasi-goth? The art doesn't seem worthy of such a powerful and revered being.
Dabok
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I used to not like her design when it was first revealed via this card. But having bought the fatpack, it comes with a box of her art, and it's GREAT. Makes her look more charming.
Cygore
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Throw her in a green white deck. Green gives you mana ramp, then drop out a Novablast Wurm along side Avacyn and swing away :)
CaMiCaZiE
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.9/5.0)(11 votes)
-x/-x will NOT work on avacyn, angel of hope or any of your permanents while avacyn is on the battlefield for you.
Her toughness might fall below 0, but she will not die, because she is indistructable. i would love for someone to dump their army to try and kill her, only to leave yourself defenceless
Okuu-chan
★★☆☆☆ (2.7/5.0)(3 votes)
@ CaMiCaZiE: Sorry, but -X/-X effects do indeed kill indestructible creatures.
"700.4. If a permanent is indestructible, rules and effects can't destroy it. (See rule 701.6, Destroy.) Such permanents are not destroyed by lethal damage, and they ignore the lethal-damage state-based action (see rule 704.5g). Rules or effects may cause an indestructible permanent to be sacrificed, put into a graveyard, or exiled."
A -X/-X effect does not "Destroy," neither does it deal lethal damage (which also destroys). It simply changes the creature's toughness. Any creature with toughness is not destroyed; the terminology is "put into graveyard as a state-based action." Indestructible only literally prevents destruction; that is, "destroy" effects.
I don't think Worldslayer would have any effect on her.... If you used it, it would just wipe out your own creatures, lands, and your opponent's lands... basically asking for angels to slap you in the face with their indestructible feathers. (Indestructible means that they cannot be destroyed by effects that say "destroy")
Henrietta
★☆☆☆☆ (1.1/5.0)(6 votes)
This card is terrible, at least in competitive gameplay. Simply pretending that removal doesn't matter "because everything can be answered" is ridiculous. When I cast a 2-drop or a 3-drop, and you cast 2-mana removal on it, we come out roughly even. When I spend 8 mana on a card and you cast 2-mana removal on it, you come out far ahead. For such an expensive card to be worth playing, it has to actually do something even when it dies - the Titan cycle, for example, all give you an extremely powerful effect even when they die immediately, and cost 2 less mana to boot. Heck, even 4 drops and 5 drops that don't do something immediately are generally bad unless they nearly guarantee you a win if you untap with them, like Hero of Bladehold or Baneslayer Angel. This basically just amounts to an 8/8 flier for 8.
atemu1234
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@henrietta You're disregarding the fact that it is A) easy to cheat creature cards out and B) easy to last eight turns to play 8 mana. ESPECIALLY IN WHITE! @Camicazee-or-however-you-spell-it, Actually, it will. Read the rules. If you've been playing for under six months, gatherer forgives you.
Afael
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Great card that can shift late game in your favor. She and her Powerpuff Girls really "made" the closing set of Innistrad.
I quickly browsed through the discussion and overall is surprised with amount of hate she is receiving along with how concentrated people get with removals.
Every card in Magic can be responded to. So is Avacyn. Evaluating a card just on how many ways there are to get rid of it is just wrong.
EDIT: @Henrietta, I didn't say that removal doesn't matter. It just half of the comments on Gatherer seem to become a list of how much removal is out there to rid of a particular card. Finally, some cards aren't made for competitive. Avacyn is flavorful and fun to play, so are other angels from AVR, but will never see real play in Standart.
use avacyn angel of hope griselbrand and palisade giant come at me bro
MasterofEtheriurn
★★☆☆☆ (2.0/5.0)(3 votes)
Best Creature In The Game.
j_mindfingerpainter
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love how people thought Avacyn would be {W}{B}, either because of Sorin, Lord of Innistrad or because of her CLOTHES. Guys, she's not Angel of Despair. She's THE angel of HOPE.
Anyway, someone should build an EDH deck with sweepers, Worldslayer (maybe Stoneforge Mystic, too) and Avacyn as the Commander. She clearly needs to be a Commander.
prawntheman
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
If Sorin created her...does that mean he has seen her nude??
DaemonNic
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Kaalia of the Vast says hi.
CrimsonAssassin
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Play Wrath of God and Armageddon on your next turn! :D
AnonymousNinja
★★★★☆ (4.3/5.0)(7 votes)
If you zoom in all the way, so that her picture covers your screen, you can see that she is extremely beautiful...except for the fact that the artist forgot to give her eyes
dhinge
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Nullifies all destroy effects, damage, can always block, can usually get combat damage through, and is incredibly hard to remove through -1/-1. Only cheap effective cards are white. Hmm... another Mythic that stops the game and lets you collect your forces.
Lifegainwithbite
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Day of Judgment right after this will lose you many friends.
Unfortunately people have a tendency to run a lot of Tragic Slips these days and those can get rid of her.
AmericanVigor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Put her on the battlefield with Quicksilver Amulet and have a party. If you resolved a Sol Ring or Mana Crypt on Turn 1 with one land, and play a second land on Turn 2, you can place Quicksilver Amulet on the Battlefield and then use the Amulet on Turn 3 to bring Avacyn onto the Battlefield very early.
Here's an even faster way for decks with green mana: Turn 1 - First land, tap Exploration, second land, tap for Sol Ring, tap Sol Ring for Lightning Greaves . Turn 2 - third land, tap Sol Ring and two lands for Elvish Piper, equip the Piper with Greaves, then use Piper's special ability and tap the third land to bring Avacyn onto the Battlefield. The bonus of this method is that Avacyn can then be equipped with Greaves, not only hitting an opponent for 8 damage on Turn 2, but severely limiting opponents' options for removing her from the Battlefield.
Hugostigglitz
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Avacyn platinum angel and 2 elgaud shieldmate thanks for playing
Arachnos
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@FatalPenguin: maybe without it, she would have the ability Last Strike.
Path, Swords, or Condemn on sight in EDH. Or be prepared to race it.
Smoke_Stack
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Excellent card. Yes she's expensive and yes, you can remove her with -1/-1 counters or whatever but if she hits the board and sticks you should have won. Indestructibility aside, an 8/8 flying vigilance creature is beef enough to turn the tide in your favor. I run her in a Boros deck with Gisela and Aurelia (any one of which should take the game by itself)
yousquiddinme
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
One of my favorite Magic cards in general. She's always hilarious to play, even if she gets removed.
MightySqueeth
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Anonymous Ninja. She doesn't have a right hand either =P I think she left some bits in the Helvault as she was leaving
Alright guys, I run this in my Frites deck. Akroma's Memorial, sword of war and peace, sword of feast and famine, sword of mind and body. I also, run the green praetor. This card is unstoppable in my deck. I have protection from every color, and people usually quit when I get this on turn 3. Amazing card for any deck.
Spockawitz92Y
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You usually need a little hope and a prayer just to get her on the battlefield sometimes which is a little ironic. I agree with the masses on this one if she was just 1 cmc cheaper she would be perfect but as she sits just shy of being truly legendary. 4.5/5
JimmyNoobPlayer
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Do planeswalkers have the power to create souls? I know Karn created a plane, but I thought the creatures were all imported from elsewhere, and Karn was pretty special. Is Avacyn a soulless automaton?
@MaDaZi: yes, creatures with zero toughness are always put in the graveyard ("dies"), even if they haven't been dealt combat damage that turn. They aren't "destroyed". The germ tokens in Living Weapons and small creatures after a Curse of Death's Hold resolves die the same way.
ViashinoWizard
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Avacyn should consider herself lucky she never got on O-Kagachi's bad side.
VirusVescichetta
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If having friends isn't high on your list of priorities I suggest Armageddon.
Kaleidostorm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's kind of Ironic that she runs very well in a reanimator deck. I used Rise From the Grave on her from my opponent's deck one time. She became a black/white angel zombie.
It's like the optional "bad ending" to the Innistrad story arc.
Her mana curve is so high it's easier to pull her from a graveyard rather than to hard cast her from your hand without the help of a Herald of War or a similar creature.
Defy Death makes her fun too. 10/10 Avvy by turn five is nothing to laugh at.
David.O
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
My favorite art and powerful card if used in a smart way.
Now worth $20, $50 in foil. Is anyone else surprised she took this long to reach Akroma, Angel of Wrath's value?
And considering all my fangasming about Kaalia, Gisela, Sorin, and Innistrad Block in general, I'm pretty shocked I never bought one when she was 15.
Luckily, I believe Avacyn and Iona are both going to get reprinted down the line...not necessarily soon for Avacyn, but Iona? Goes in way too many casual and professional decks, and is good in many formats. I think Faithless Looting + Unburial Rites is probably the weakest thing I know how to do with her, behind hardcasting XD
Combining this with Dormi Rade's ultimate is brutal. Everything has trample, double strike, hex proof and is indestructible? Add Melira, Sylvok Outcast and now only Exile Boardsweeps can touch your creatures. good luck.
I am mono black. One way or another i will show you just how much i HATE ANGELS.
Jezzatron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Avacyn, Angel of Hope + Supreme Verdict + total attacking/damaging power over 20 = instant win...
If you have Avacyn in play, Supreme Verdict doesn't destroy your creatures as they're all indestructible... then you just need to hit them with whatever Life they have left... evil combination, yet instantly game winning if opponent has no untapped land
REPPUZAN
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
i bought avacyn... then i found platinum angel... then i added melira and sigarda... my buddy who introduced me to magic will not play against my white green deck anymore...
GearLeader
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ah in my twigs deck, Avvy went insane and leads all the woodland wolves and wurms against the enemy.
All hail Feed the Pack and Duskdale Wurm.
EyeballFrog
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
The new Oracle text is so much lamer than the printed text. "Avacyn, Angel of Hope and all other permanents you control are indestructible." just sounds so cool.
seraphsembrace
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@Mrbrkill
Considering that Annihilator completely bypasses Avaycyn's protective effect (since indestructibility doesn't prevent you sacrificing a card), I would have thought that it would be the other way around.
jollyreddragon
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Devils are Red Demons are Black Angels are White And Avacyn's back
These are all suggestions for "Look, but don't Touch" creatures. But remember, Avacyn gives indestructible to all your PERMANENTS! You can play cards like Boom with no drawback =D. If you want to be even more dastardly, you could use Worldslayer. But why stop there? Why not do it with style? Play Enchanted Evening, then Back to Nature. Just be careful of the table flipping afterwards 0.0
"She's holding the moonsilver spear, but yet she doesn't have first strike. IT MUST BE A FAKE!"
Oh, she -could- first strike, but with indestructable, she decides to crush their hope by letting them hit anyway. Because, you know, flavor.
Secksee
★☆☆☆☆ (1.7/5.0)(5 votes)
So I got her in a booster pack a few months ago. Today, I got her again in another booster pack. I don't buy booster packs that often. =)
TheWrathofShane
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I own two but she is far from invincible. Hoses allot of decks that don't run , and still can beat the decks that do, depending on the situation.
@Samfu Combining this with Dormi Rade's ultimate is brutal. Everything has trample, double strike, hex proof and is indestructible? Add Melira, Sylvok Outcast and now only Exile Boardsweeps can touch your creatures. good luck.
Oooh, Erreta'd Now it's just indestructible with "Other permanents you control have indestructible." Much better 5/5
Kirbster
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
GAWTH BICH.
nunyaJs
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The line that reads "If Avacyn, Agel of Hope would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, reveal Avacyn, Agel of Hope and shuffle it into its owner's library instead." seems to be missing. Is r&d attitude toward reanimators gonna change... agian?
ChandraAblaze
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
People hate her for so many reason's. Namely because she is not immortal, and all I have to say about that is SHUT IT. Sure she can die, almost every creature can die or be removed somehow. She is amazing when you are in need of a lot of undying creatures to sweep an opponent. With that said, like Akroma she usually only hits if your winning and there are ways to deal with her. Still GET OVER IT!
LordTron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Since she was Erreta'd, wouldn't it just make since if it said "permanents you control have indestructible"?
also, really, who honestly cares about if a card card be removed? "dies to removal" is like the most tarded defense to why a card is bad. is this the greatest card ever? no, is it the worst? well, i think anyone reading this will chose her over wood elemental, right? so no, she's not the worst. she's a fairly strong card, and in EDH (my fomat), she's pretty solid, even when she goes bye bye, i still had fun playing her, and she will hold a place in my B/W reanimator.
Havrekjex
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
An absolute steal at 8 mana. You can't say that about a lot of creatures.
BlazeB75
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Notice how Avacyn has vigilance and flying as her only keyword abilities. A bit of a cute reference to Serra Angel, if you ask me. WOTC loves that sorta thing.
Pongdok
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Roses are red, Violets are blue, Helvault's a good place, For a trollop like you.
Everything-proof armour, For your stuff and not mine, Stick that Moonsilver Spear, Where the sun doesn't shine.
I hope Mr. G, And all of his kin, Showed you a good time, When you were in the bin.
This got a bit dark, But I'm on a roll, Stop making dumb angels,
Your buddy, The Troll
5/5 for power, but 0.5/5 for being an anti-social card that will invariably be cheated out, and is very difficult to get rid of.
purplebackpack89
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Who rated Lady Gaga at 4 or lower? This is one of the most powerful wincons in the history of the game?
infinimyr
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@Zoah I just headcanon that she thinks of herself as Sorin's daughter I haven't read the Innistrad books
Vursor
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
She is my Goddess. I worship the card value alone.
Here's a short story of how I stumbled upon her... Once upon a time I was researching. Avacyn, Angel of Hope happened to show up while I was searching for indestructible's. At this exact moment, I knew I wanted this card; I genuinely wanted this card first-hand. None of that second-hand "buying singles" shenanigans. I then fatefully purchased 10 booster packs from LGS and avoided ever having to buy a booster box in my quest to obtain this card.
5/5.
OnyxSturm
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can still be Mercilessly Evicted.
Then again nothing is better than throwing her in a hole with Tragic Slip.
DragonsRCool
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
She has stolen my heart and is now my favorite angel
Malevaros
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Avacyn is one of the most beautiful characters in Magic, which is a pretty big pool to draw from, and thankfully the power level of the card matches up with the lore that was created for Innistrad. While eight mana does tend to make her much less viable in many formats, the card definitely has an epic feel to it. If you do manage to get her into play with some protection it feels as powerful as it reads when your opponents don't have an immediate answer.
Every now and then the design team finds the perfect mix of flavor and power for their characters and even if it means the card has to be a little more narrow in terms of the formats it can work in, it's usually a worthwhile trade. We have other cards to fill those holes :D
Comments (137)
Angel.
Just touch my cheek before you leave me.
Baby.
Just call me angel of the morning.
Angel.
Then slowly turn away from me.
But she is worth a slot in a Kaalia of the Vast deck. I hear people saying pretty much all of the cards in this set fit in her deck, and that's not true; good angels and demons aren't enough to fit in her deck. However, any card that protects Kaalia is certainly a shoe-in for her deck because she's a really weak creature that has to stick her neck out in attacking in order to get full value of the card. Avacyn protects her, and that's essential to a good Kaalia deck.
Thanks to this card and Sigarda, I have the (unplayable, silly) combo to answer every "falls to" "dies to" problem your creatures might have.
This + Sigarda + Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Pristine Angel + Concerted Effort (Liquimetal Coating and find some Tezzeret-type way to permanently animate it) + 4 Meddling Mage naming Apocalypse, Decree of Annihilation, Terminus, and Massacre (if there are a couple more cards I missed, then Soul Foundry--animated, of course--and whip out a couple more mages to deal with them--I don't imagine there are that many non-targetting bounce/exile/Condemners around) (EDIT, I missed Devastation Tide ). Mirror Gallery animated gets around any attempt to clone-kill your legends here. Witchbane Orb animated so that you can't even get Mindslavered.
To make my post even siller, add a Platinum Angel and any creature with vigilance and you now have an unwipeable board, utterly invincible and unblockable creatures, and no way to lose. You can laugh in the face of a simultaneous attack from every legendary eldrazi, four blightsteels, Progenitus, and a Phage that's wielding every Kaldra artifact and every Mirran sword! At this point, they need to create an infinite loop to force a draw.
So anyhow, I'm fan of this card, but man, I would LOVE to see a game where a Drana slaughters an Avacyn! It's about to be a...GIRL FIGHT!
Plus Upheaval, Evacuation, Inundate, and Wash Out (White) still screw up your plans. Especially with a Warped Devotion in play.
Also, Hallowed Burial and Final Judgment.
Avacyn = Mojojojo.
Gisela = Blossom.
Sigarda = Buttercup.
Bruna = Bubbles.
Griselbrand = Him.
Sorin = The Professor.
Sorin/The Professor made Avacyn/Mojojojo into who they are, and indirectly created Gisela, Sigarda, and Bruna/Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles. Don't believe me? Look at Griselbrand's flavor text.
"Avacyn emerged from the broken Helvault, but her freedom came at a price—him."
—Thalia, Knight-Cathar
"him"
"HIM"
"HIM"
The similarities are too hard to ignore. Avacyn Restored is based off The Powerpuff Girls.
Now my point: an opponent had assembled combo similiar to yours in an edh game (sigarda, avacyn, melira, phyrexian unlife, privileged position) and managed to lose to because the third opponent's bruna flied in twice and killed him with general damage (steel of godhead helped a lot i think). So at least in eternal formats (and casual) there's pretty much always a way to get around most locks with right cards, though if you're tapped out and they have stasis and an icy manipulator / tamiyo and a way to utap themselves (vigilant attacker with bear umbra or sword of feast and famine? isochron scepter reset etc.) you're pretty much screwed
Also, an avacyn EDh just builds itself. Every destroy all X spell ever printed in white.
The art is simply astonishing, and Jason Chan has done an exemplary job of showing the return of a force to be reckoned with. The light and dark values coupled with a dynamic and commanding posture create a vivid representation of Sorin's legacy. Line, shape, and space are used advantageously to display a diagonally rising action while indicating distance and height.
But on a last note - and concerning the flavor of what happened between Avacyn and Griselbrand - I'm left wondering why she doesn't enter the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter or something of a similar nature...
blah blah worldslayer blah blah powerpuff girls.
Seriously, Mojo? How in the world is this Mojo? Aren't you forgetting that Mojo is kind of a, you know, villain?
PS: Akroma is better
There were so many missed moments of awesome both in her card design and her character design. Vault of the Archangel requires White and Black: How cool would it have been to have another White Black Angel? She already has fitting artwork, even outdoing Angel of Despair for the most goth angel ever. But everything about her is so...boring. "Angel of Hope?" Really? How freaking cliche could you get!? "Everything you control is indestructible?" Wow, that's an cool and original ability guys! No really, so flavorful, so masterfully designed, so subtle!
You know its bad when the titular character is the least flavorful entity in the set. Avacyn is a disappointment. A terrible, terrible disappointment.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Avacyn was created for the single-minded purpose of the merciless slaughter of the unhallowed mob of engorging armies that threatened the existence of Humanity. There is nothing sacred about her task, she is the secret testament to Vampiric, and very black planeswalker- For pitties sake, she was forged by black mana, for, albeit, a righteous cause, and created in a desperate home to perserve the fragile "ecosystem" of Innistrad. Yet Avacyn is no corner-angel preaching psalms to the natives- She is a beacon to the meek, a symbol of their struggle for survival and their triumph. Yet that is again, all in eyes of the naive human inhabitants who worship her. Afterall, Sorin created her with the intent to keep balance, not to mercifully save humanity for some noble, morale or religious reason.
And no one cares if it would have messed up your deck- i run a B/W Orzhov deck with angels and demons that would have greatly benefited from its inclusion, what makes you so special? so spare me and the rest of this community such frivolous self entitlement. So yes, she should have been B/W, all hints suggested this, any attempt to argue the contrary is sheer ignorance.
Elgaud Shieldmate
Army of the Damned also costs {8} and spots 13 2/2 black Zombies with Flashback.
Ghoultree is a 10/10 Zombie Treefolk and also costs {8}, but can become cheaper and even free with enough creatures in the grave.
Bloodline Keeper costs only {4}, and is now easily the best thing for Tribal Vampire decks which already hurt like a ***.
Howlpack Alpha costs ONLY {2} and yet pulls TRIPLE mass Tribal buffs, AND can spawn 2/2s each turn which benefit for a whole new Tribal deck. That's INSANE.
And yet NONE of those come anywhere near the level of difficulty that Avacyn imposes on the game.
A 6/6 Vigilant Flyer for {8} is par, and making it Angel is a nice Tribal bonus, but it needs a little bit more to make it stand out.
Holy crap! The new Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is a 5/5 Firststriking Flyer Angel for {7} with the UNCANNY ability to DOUBLE all damage dealt to enemies, and HALF all damage dealt to allies! That's amazing! I wonder what Avacyn will do?
Mass indestructibility for all permanents including herself. For just {1} more. And 1 less color.
...
WHAT THE HELL!? That almost ENTIRELY renders Gisela and every single one of those other cards obsolete and makes the game practically UNPLAYABLE!
You either have to be running a mill deck, a direct damage deck, a deck LOADED with -1/-1 or exile wipes, or something else entirely. What are you doing guys? Why make a card that makes the the BIGGEST focus of the game, COMBAT, impossible for all but a small minority of players who have the luck, the cards, the freedom, and the skill to maneuver against it? Isn't it bad enough that she's unblockable against most creatures because of Flying WITHOUT making her and everything around her immune to "destroy" removal?
I wasn't trying to be self-entitled. I meant it as an example to what she fits better. She keeps balance in that she is on the side of the humans. She evens it out not as an impartial middle but as a stronger fighter for one side. She does keep balance, but doesn't kill the humans should they start murdering all the vampires. There are even flavor texts that say the vampires were pushed even farther down in power with her return. Also, as to saying that she is not a preaching angel, she is the figurehead and power behind a whole church. There are those that worship her and she supports the people that seek her out. She doesn't just stand there with no interaction from anyone who follows her looking down on them as "naive" humans. She fights for them actively and bolsters them.
How could Sorin's creation of her not be noble? He chose subsistence over decadence and chose to protect humanity. He could've watched them all die and he wanted to prevent that from happening. Even if it was so that both species would be kept alive, his reasoning has shown worry for the humans rather than the inconvenience of the vampires food source running out.
I acknowledge that there were hints of her being white/black. But she is still fighting for a single side. She only keeps balance by adding weight to the humans' fight.
I do apologize for coming of as self-entitled. I don't expect every card to be tailored to my tastes. It just seems to me that she is not black. It's not necessarily ignorance to say it one way or the other, just a difference in viewpoint for what she stands for.
Cool card by the way. Angels are dope. 5/5
She may look boring on the surface, but she's actually quite an interesting question once you think about her... And I think this is what Wizards were shooting for... as quiet and Aloof as she seems to be.
Side note: if you really zoom in on her eyes, she does have pupils, their white and look like a full moon.
(Check the official art, not the card.)
Deep into a dying day I took a step outside an innocent heart
Prepare to hate me fall when I may. This night will hurt you likenever before
Old loves they die hard, Old lies they die harder
I wish I had an angel, For one moment of love I wish I had your angel
Your Virgin Mary undone--
I'm in love with my lust, Burning angel wings to dust I wish I had your angel tonight"
--Sorin, Lord of Innistrad, Nightwish Planeswalker
"Hope- the Avacyn giveth it and the Avacyn taketh it away! Praise Avacyn!"
-Stoneforge Mystic, presenting Worldslayer to Holy Avacyn
"She's holding the moonsilver spear, but yet she doesn't have first strike. IT MUST BE A FAKE!"
It doesn't create 4/4 Angels each attack either! But come on now, if her abilities were replaced with First strike and each time Avacyn attacks, yada yada, 4/4 flying Angel into play, everyone would be like, if I wanted that ability i'd just equip her with the Moonsilver Spear! How original Wizards.. And whatever else nay Sayers nay.. You know?? I think it worked out, but that's just me..
Theres only a few ways to kill her (-X/-X counters or forcing her to be sacrificed)
Throw the Mask of Avacyn on her and that takes care of the first one.
Get Sigarda, Host of Herons (if you run w/g) and thats that...
Then all thats left is the Worldslayer...
Now what are you gonna do?
An 8/8 pseudo-deity worshiped by all the humans on a plane of existence is a little waify quasi-goth? The art doesn't seem worthy of such a powerful and revered being.
But having bought the fatpack, it comes with a box of her art, and it's GREAT.
Makes her look more charming.
Her toughness might fall below 0, but she will not die, because she is indistructable. i would love for someone to dump their army to try and kill her, only to leave yourself defenceless
"700.4. If a permanent is indestructible, rules and effects can't destroy it. (See rule 701.6, Destroy.) Such permanents are not destroyed by lethal damage, and they ignore the lethal-damage state-based action (see rule 704.5g). Rules or effects may cause an indestructible permanent to be sacrificed, put into a graveyard, or exiled."
A -X/-X effect does not "Destroy," neither does it deal lethal damage (which also destroys). It simply changes the creature's toughness. Any creature with toughness is not destroyed; the terminology is "put into graveyard as a state-based action." Indestructible only literally prevents destruction; that is, "destroy" effects.
If you used it, it would just wipe out your own creatures, lands, and your opponent's lands... basically asking for angels to slap you in the face with their indestructible feathers.
(Indestructible means that they cannot be destroyed by effects that say "destroy")
@Camicazee-or-however-you-spell-it, Actually, it will. Read the rules. If you've been playing for under six months, gatherer forgives you.
I quickly browsed through the discussion and overall is surprised with amount of hate she is receiving along with how concentrated people get with removals.
Every card in Magic can be responded to. So is Avacyn. Evaluating a card just on how many ways there are to get rid of it is just wrong.
EDIT:
@Henrietta,
I didn't say that removal doesn't matter. It just half of the comments on Gatherer seem to become a list of how much removal is out there to rid of a particular card.
Finally, some cards aren't made for competitive. Avacyn is flavorful and fun to play, so are other angels from AVR, but will never see real play in Standart.
Anyway, someone should build an EDH deck with sweepers, Worldslayer (maybe Stoneforge Mystic, too) and Avacyn as the Commander. She clearly needs to be a Commander.
Unfortunately people have a tendency to run a lot of Tragic Slips these days and those can get rid of her.
Here's an even faster way for decks with green mana: Turn 1 - First land, tap Exploration, second land, tap for Sol Ring, tap Sol Ring for Lightning Greaves . Turn 2 - third land, tap Sol Ring and two lands for Elvish Piper, equip the Piper with Greaves, then use Piper's special ability and tap the third land to bring Avacyn onto the Battlefield. The bonus of this method is that Avacyn can then be equipped with Greaves, not only hitting an opponent for 8 damage on Turn 2, but severely limiting opponents' options for removing her from the Battlefield.
Well, Mutilate should get the job done ;)
@MaDaZi: yes, creatures with zero toughness are always put in the graveyard ("dies"), even if they haven't been dealt combat damage that turn. They aren't "destroyed". The germ tokens in Living Weapons and small creatures after a Curse of Death's Hold resolves die the same way.
It's like the optional "bad ending" to the Innistrad story arc.
Her mana curve is so high it's easier to pull her from a graveyard rather than to hard cast her from your hand without the help of a Herald of War or a similar creature.
Defy Death makes her fun too. 10/10 Avvy by turn five is nothing to laugh at.
And considering all my fangasming about Kaalia, Gisela, Sorin, and Innistrad Block in general, I'm pretty shocked I never bought one when she was 15.
Luckily, I believe Avacyn and Iona are both going to get reprinted down the line...not necessarily soon for Avacyn, but Iona? Goes in way too many casual and professional decks, and is good in many formats. I think Faithless Looting + Unburial Rites is probably the weakest thing I know how to do with her, behind hardcasting XD
Or the Obzedat's.
Everything has trample, double strike, hex proof and is indestructible?
Add Melira, Sylvok Outcast and now only Exile Boardsweeps can touch your creatures. good luck.
MUTILATE, BLACK SUN'S ZENITH, TRAGIC SLIP, SEVER THE BLOODLINE.
I am mono black. One way or another i will show you just how much i HATE ANGELS.
If you have Avacyn in play, Supreme Verdict doesn't destroy your creatures as they're all indestructible... then you just need to hit them with whatever Life they have left... evil combination, yet instantly game winning if opponent has no untapped land
All hail Feed the Pack and Duskdale Wurm.
Considering that Annihilator completely bypasses Avaycyn's protective effect (since indestructibility doesn't prevent you sacrificing a card), I would have thought that it would be the other way around.
Demons are Black
Angels are White
And Avacyn's back
Nested Ghoul
High Priest of Penance
Goblin Lackey
Saber Ants
Boros Reckoner
Spitemare
Coalhauler Swine
Fungusaur
Souls of the Faultless
Wall of Hope
Wall of Souls
These are all suggestions for "Look, but don't Touch" creatures. But remember, Avacyn gives indestructible to all your PERMANENTS! You can play cards like Boom with no drawback =D. If you want to be even more dastardly, you could use Worldslayer. But why stop there? Why not do it with style? Play Enchanted Evening, then Back to Nature. Just be careful of the table flipping afterwards 0.0
Oh, she -could- first strike, but with indestructable, she decides to crush their hope by letting them hit anyway. Because, you know, flavor.
@Samfu
Combining this with Dormi Rade's ultimate is brutal.
Everything has trample, double strike, hex proof and is indestructible?
Add Melira, Sylvok Outcast and now only Exile Boardsweeps can touch your creatures. good luck.
Cyclonic Rift, Black Sun's Zenith, humility + rain of blades, whatever.
Now it's just indestructible with "Other permanents you control have indestructible."
Much better 5/5
also, really, who honestly cares about if a card card be removed? "dies to removal" is like the most tarded defense to why a card is bad. is this the greatest card ever? no, is it the worst? well, i think anyone reading this will chose her over wood elemental, right? so no, she's not the worst. she's a fairly strong card, and in EDH (my fomat), she's pretty solid, even when she goes bye bye, i still had fun playing her, and she will hold a place in my B/W reanimator.
Violets are blue,
Helvault's a good place,
For a trollop like you.
Everything-proof armour,
For your stuff and not mine,
Stick that Moonsilver Spear,
Where the sun doesn't shine.
I hope Mr. G,
And all of his kin,
Showed you a good time,
When you were in the bin.
This got a bit dark,
But I'm on a roll,
Stop making dumb angels,
Your buddy,
The Troll
5/5 for power, but 0.5/5 for being an anti-social card that will invariably be cheated out, and is very difficult to get rid of.
I just headcanon that she thinks of herself as Sorin's daughter
I haven't read the Innistrad books
Here's a short story of how I stumbled upon her... Once upon a time I was researching. Avacyn, Angel of Hope happened to show up while I was searching for indestructible's. At this exact moment, I knew I wanted this card; I genuinely wanted this card first-hand. None of that second-hand "buying singles" shenanigans. I then fatefully purchased 10 booster packs from LGS and avoided ever having to buy a booster box in my quest to obtain this card.
5/5.
Then again nothing is better than throwing her in a hole with Tragic Slip.
Every now and then the design team finds the perfect mix of flavor and power for their characters and even if it means the card has to be a little more narrow in terms of the formats it can work in, it's usually a worthwhile trade. We have other cards to fill those holes :D