Gisela, Blade of Goldnight MTG Card


Gisela, Blade of Goldnight accelerates your victory clock, demanding less time to defeat opponents. Her abilities significantly enhance any instant speed interactions, tipping games in your favor. Requires careful mana management, as her specific casting cost can challenge deck flexibility.
Card setsReleased in 11 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityMythic
TypeLegendary Creature — Angel
Abilities First strike,Flying
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Flying, first strike If a source would deal damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, that source deals double that damage to that player or permanent instead. If a source would deal damage to you or a permanent you control, prevent half that damage, rounded up.


Cards like Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight stands out in MTG as a powerhouse among other flying creatures. It’s often measured against other cards with the double damage ability like Furnace of Rath. Gisela not only doubles the damage dealt to opponents but also halves the damage to you, making it a superior choice for defensive strategies. Additionally, at 7 mana cost, while expensive, it justifies its casting expense by being a significant game-changer with its 5/5 stats.

Then there’s Aurelia, the Warleader, another formidable card that offers a different approach to enhancing combat potential. Aurelia may not impact the damage dealt or received directly, but the chance to launch two attack phases in one turn is nothing to scoff at. Each card provides a unique advantage, with Gisela’s defensive edge being a standout. Comparatively, Heartless Hidetsugu can function as a pseudo-double damage engine, though it affects each player equally, lacking Gisela’s protective benefit.

Analyzing these alternatives exposes the unique slot that Gisela, Blade of Goldnight occupies in the MTG universe. It pairs both offensive and defensive enhancements in one package, setting a high bar for its equivalents in terms of impact on the board state.

Furnace of Rath - MTG Card versions
Aurelia, the Warleader - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions
Furnace of Rath - MTG Card versions
Aurelia, the Warleader - MTG Card versions
Heartless Hidetsugu - MTG Card versions

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gisela, Blade of Goldnight provides a unique form of card advantage. Instead of drawing cards, her ability to double damage dealt to opponents while halving damage dealt to you means that each of your threats becomes significantly more potent, effectively increasing the value of your board presence.

Resource Acceleration: Though not direct resource acceleration, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight can be an enabler for strategies that seek to end games quickly. By potentially doubling the effectiveness of your attacks, she can accelerate the game’s clock, bringing you to victory faster and reducing the amount of resources your opponent can utilize over the duration of the game.

Instant Speed: While Gisela herself does not function at instant speed, her impact on the battlefield creates a situation where any instant speed interaction you have is enhanced. Combining Gisela with instant speed removal or direct damage spells allows you to significantly sway the game’s state in your favor at a moment’s notice.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Gisela, Blade of Goldnight requires an exact mix of mana colors, which could be challenging to muster in some decks. Her requirement of both red and white mana can strain mana bases that aren’t dedicated to those colors, potentially causing delays or preventing her from being played on curve.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of seven mana, she comes into play much later than many other creatures and spells. In faster metagames, this can make Gisela less viable as the game could be decided before you have the opportunity to summon her.

Discard Requirement: While Gisela herself does not have a discard requirement, the high cost often necessitates significant card investment or ramp strategies to cast her efficiently. This can deplete your hand and leave you vulnerable as you work towards generating the seven mana needed, which sometimes results in discarding other valuable cards for mana acceleration tools.


Reasons to Include Gisela, Blade of Goldnight in Your Collection

Versatility: Gisela, Blade of Goldnight offers a substantial power boost, doubling damage dealt to your opponents while halving damage that comes your way. This flexibility makes it a game-changer in a variety of MTG decks, from commander to casual play, fitting seamlessly in strategies focused on defense as well as those that aim to amplify offensive capabilities.

Combo Potential: In decks centered around multipliers or damage amplification, Gisela shines by setting up devastating combos. Pair her with cards that deal even minimal damage, and watch how quickly she escalates the threat level, turning small pings into lethal bombardments.

Meta-Relevance: Gisela’s impact isn’t lost in the constantly evolving meta. With her formidable presence, she counters many popular strategies by mitigating damage from aggressive opponents while simultaneously doubling the punishment they receive. Her relevance in the meta is maintained not just by raw power but by her ability to drastically alter the course of a game.


How to Beat Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is an imposing figure, offering a dual buff to your damage and a halving of damage to you, which can throw off an opponent’s combat calculations. To tackle this formidable angel, consider removal spells that can bypass her damage reduction ability. A card like Terminate provides a clean and immediate answer without caring about her damage-altering effect. Additionally, edict effects, such as Diabolic Edict, can force a sacrifice regardless of Gisela’s protective attributes.

Control strategies are equally effective. Counterspells like Cancel or Negate disrupt her from hitting the battlefield altogether. Players should hold their removal or counters until Gisela is actually cast to avoid getting baited by other threats. If she does land on the board, instant speed removal in response to her attack or block can mitigate her influence on the game. In essence, patience and timing are key when facing Gisela, as preemptive removal could leave you vulnerable to more pressing threats.

Defeating Gisela, Blade of Goldnight requires a mixture of strategic patience and decisive action. Properly timing your intervention ensures that this high-impact card doesn’t dictate the battlefield or the outcome of the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deep into the vast world of MTG with Gisela, Blade of Goldnight at the forefront of your deck. This mighty card dictates battles, morphs strategies, and amps up your late-game dominance. As a pivotal addition to your MTG collection, Gisela represents a true necessity for any player looking to harness the power of damage manipulation. With an understanding of her pros, cons, and overall value within the MTG multiverse, you’re on the path to victory. Keen on harnessing this celestial force? Expand your knowledge and gameplay prowess by exploring her full potential with us. The journey to becoming a formidable MTG player awaits.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gisela, Blade of Goldnight MTG card by a specific set like Open the Helvault and Avacyn Restored, 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 Gisela, Blade of Goldnight and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gisela, Blade of Goldnight Magic the Gathering card was released in 9 different sets between 2012-04-28 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12012-04-28Open the HelvaultPHEL 2092003NormalBlackJason Chan
22012-05-04Avacyn RestoredAVR 2092003NormalBlackJason Chan
32015-11-13Commander 2015C15 2192015NormalBlackJason Chan
42018-03-16Masters 25A25 2042015NormalBlackJason Chan
52018-06-08Commander Anthology Volume IICM2 92015NormalBlackJason Chan
62019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 2182015NormalBorderlessBrandi Milne
72020-09-26The ListPLST AVR-2092003NormalBlackJason Chan
82023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 6822015NormalBorderlessAlex Dos Diaz
92023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 3382015NormalBlackJason Chan
102023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 5792015NormalBlackJason Chan
112024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 2112015NormalBlackJason Chan

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2018-03-16 Gisela doubles damage dealt to opponents and permanents your opponents control from any source, including sources controlled by those opponents.
2018-03-16 If damage dealt by a source you control is being divided or assigned among multiple permanents an opponent controls or among an opponent and one or more permanents they control simultaneously, divide the original amount and double the results. For example, if you attack with a 5/5 creature with trample and your opponent blocks with a 2/2 creature, you can assign 2 damage to the blocker and 3 damage to the defending player. These amounts are then doubled to 4 and 6 damage, respectively. You can’t double the damage to 10 first and then assign 2 to the creature and 8 to the player.
2018-03-16 If multiple replacement effects would modify how damage would be dealt, the player being dealt damage (or the controller of the permanent being dealt damage) chooses the order in which to apply those effects.