In the expansive multiverse of Magic: The Gathering, angels often symbolize divine power, justice, and light. However, not all angels shine with purity. Some, likeLiesa, Forgotten Archangel, straddle the line between protector and punisher, drawing upon darker aspects of their celestial power. Introduced in the set Innistrad: Midnight Hunt, Liesa returns with a fresh take that highlights her unique blend of resurrection, exile, and battlefield dominance. This card has quickly become a favorite among players who enjoy intricate strategies and powerful creature recursion, both in Standard and Commander formats.
Card Overview: Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
Mana Cost: 2WWB
Type: Legendary Creature Angel
Power/Toughness: 4/5
Keywords: Flying, lifelink
Abilities: Whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, return that card to its owner’s hand at the beginning of the next end step. If a creature an opponent controls would die, exile it instead.
Powerful Duality of Abilities
Liesa, Forgotten Archangel stands out due to her unique mix of protection and control. On one hand, she ensures your board is rarely empty by retrieving fallen allies. On the other, she denies opponents any benefit from their own dying creatures. This dual nature makes her both a resilient value engine and a control piece in one package.
- Flying and lifelink: These standard angelic features grant her evasion and sustainability, making her a solid attacker and source of life gain.
- Self-protection: Her ability to return nontoken creatures gives a built-in layer of resilience against board wipes or sacrifice effects.
- Opponent control: Exiling enemy creatures that would die disrupts graveyard strategies and prevents recursion.
Deckbuilding Around Liesa
Whether used as a commander in EDH or part of a standard or casual 60-card build, Liesa lends herself well to decks focused on creature value, aristocrats-style sacrifice mechanics, or lifegain synergy. Her design opens the door for multiple viable archetypes, especially in Orzhov (white-black) color combinations.
Commander Strategy
In Commander, Liesa, Forgotten Archangel shines as a resilient, control-heavy leader. Her recursion ability allows players to continually reuse creatures with powerful ETB (enter-the-battlefield) effects, while her exile effect disrupts common Commander strategies involving graveyard loops or reanimation.
- IncludeETB creatureslikeKokusho, the Evening StarorSolemn Simulacrumto maximize recursion value.
- Support withsacrifice outletssuch asViscera SeerorPhyrexian Altarfor repeatable triggers.
- Addgraveyard hateredundancy with cards likeRest in PeaceorGrafdigger’s Cage.
Standard and Casual Formats
Though not as prominent in Standard due to competition and speed of the meta, Liesa can still function in midrange or control builds. Her presence makes every creature drop more impactful, and she can stabilize games against aggressive decks thanks to lifelink and board impact.
In casual circles, especially multiplayer games, Liesa can become a table-wide threat if left unchecked. Smart opponents will recognize her value engine and target her accordingly, so include protection spells likeMalakir Rebirth,Teferi’s Protection, orSwiftfoot Boots.
Synergies and Key Inclusions
ETB and Death-Triggered Creatures
Liesa’s strength lies in her ability to continually recur creatures that have effects when they enter or leave the battlefield. Cards likeReveillark,Gray Merchant of Asphodel, andArchon of Crueltybecome reusable weapons in your arsenal.
- Reveillark: Recursion on top of recursion with synergy for smaller creatures.
- Blood Artist / Zulaport Cutthroat: Perfect fits in sacrifice loops for life drain.
- Yawgmoth, Thran Physician: Sacrifice outlet and draw engine that pairs wonderfully with Liesa’s recursion.
Support Cards
To fully optimize Liesa’s abilities, decks should include tools that protect her, enhance her effectiveness, and allow consistent access to your graveyard and hand.
- Protection: Lightning Greaves,Darksteel Plate
- Card Draw: Skullclamp,Village Rites,Morbid Opportunist
- Board Wipes: Because of her recursion, Liesa turns symmetric board wipes likeWrath of Godinto asymmetric value plays.
Playing With and Against Liesa
As the Controller
When piloting a Liesa deck, patience and timing are key. You don’t always need to fill the board with creatures. Instead, focus on generating steady value and forcing opponents to make tough decisions. Her presence on the board demands an answer, which means baiting removal spells away from your other threats can be a valid tactic.
Be strategic about when to play her dropping her immediately into a full board can be tempting but risky if your opponent has instant-speed removal. Instead, ensure you have some mana open for protection or that the coast is clear.
As the Opponent
Facing Liesa can be frustrating, especially if your strategy relies on graveyard interaction or combat trades. Her exile clause shuts down death triggers, making it crucial to remove her as early as possible. Exile effects, bounce spells, or direct commander removal can stop the value engine from getting out of hand.
- Use cards likePath to ExileorSwords to Plowsharesto permanently deal with her.
- Focus on non-creature win conditions to bypass her control over the battlefield.
- Graveyard strategies need redundancy to avoid falling flat against her exile effect.
Flavor and Lore Impact
Liesa’s return in Midnight Hunt adds narrative depth to the plane of Innistrad. Once thought to be gone, her resurrection brings tension among the other archangels and religious factions. Unlike Avacyn, who represented divine law, or Sigarda, who protects humanity, Liesa embodies a darker form of mercy choosing who deserves to return and who must vanish forever.
This moral complexity is reflected in her mechanics. She offers second chances but only to those she deems worthy. Meanwhile, her opponents’ dead are denied any redemption, cast into exile without hope of revival. This role as a gatekeeper fits beautifully within the gothic horror themes of Innistrad.
Liesa, Forgotten Archangelis more than just a powerful creature card. She’s a centerpiece for graveyard recursion, lifegain synergy, and battlefield control. With her elegant design and strong abilities, she invites players to explore the rich depth of the Orzhov color identity while telling a story of mercy, punishment, and divine judgment. Whether as a Commander or a key player in other formats, Liesa’s presence is felt both in gameplay and in the haunting lore of Magic: The Gathering.